Stop, Drop, and Roll

Fire and anger seem to go hand in hand.  We have many expressions that we use in everyday language that illustrate this (burning with anger, the heat of the moment, a hot temper). We’ll explore what starts this fire, why it’s incompatible with worship, and how to extinguish the flames. Let’s use the model every school-aged child knows: Stop what you’re doing, Drop your anger, and Roll back to worship once you’ve been reconciled.

Matthew 5:23-24

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

Things to think about:

·      The prior verses that set the context here discuss anger is the moral equivalent of murder (and subject to the same judgment).

·      FIRE - It’s interesting that there are three kinds of love (eros, phileo, agape) and there are three kinds of anger that are sinful. Matthew Henry, the famous Bible commentator, does a great job exploring these:

o   The word for anger used in the original text is eike and it connotes anger without cause, without any good effect, without moderation

§  without cause – whatever has provoked us was unintentional on the other person’s part

§  without any good effect – no great principle has been violated, we just want to be right

§  without moderation – when anger is a five alarm fire and becomes rage

o   Do any of these feel familiar?

o   Do you have particular triggers that light your fuse?

·      STOP - Jesus says that if we are angry with a brother or a sister and come to Him offering a gift, we should Stop right there.

o   Why do you think the attitude of the giver and the acceptability of the gift are inextricably bound together?

o   Why does timing matter? Ephesians 4:26-27, “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”

o   God cannot be deceived by our attitudes because He sees our hearts.  We cannot curse and bless at the same time.  James 3: 9-10 says, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.”

·      DROP – we are to put our gift, our anger, and our pride down immediately

o   What are gift types that this principle might apply to?

§  Is this only reserved for church-specific giving like tithing?

§  What about things like praise, worship?

o   We can easily deceive ourselves and separate the two events as though they are completely unrelated.

§  God wants reconciliation, not rationalization

o   Once we have dropped our gift, we need to go make it right

o   Romans 12:18 - If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 

§  key phrase -  “as far as it depends on you”.  Not everyone will want (or may be ready) to be reconciled

§  is there a situation you are currently involved in where you need to approach someone you are angry with?

§  What is standing in your way?

§  What is the downside of holding on to your position?

§  What is the upside of doing it God’s way?

·      ROLL – with the fire now extinguished, we are now in a place spiritually to roll on back to the altar and offer our gifts with a clean heart

o   Why are gifts offered with a clean heart of greater value to God?

o   Why does God esteem reconciliation so highly?

o   2 Corinthians 5 18-21 –  ^“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

§  is there a situation you are currently involved in where you need to be reconciled with someone you are angry with?

§  What is standing in your way?

§  What is the downside of holding on to your position?

§  What is the upside of doing it God’s way?

·      Let’s commit to Stop, Drop, and Roll today and douse the fires of anger with Living Water!