The Week of February 13th, 2022
>>>>>> Burning With Anger <<<<<<
Sermon Noodles and Devotional Guide
Read Genesis 4:1-12
Rumination #1
Genesis chapter 3 is the fall, the exile from the Garden of Eden and what happens in Genesis 4?
All hell breaks loose. Think of it friends, in the fourth chapter of the Bible is the first murder. Chapter 1 and 2 creation. Chapter 3 the “fall” and what is the first thing the Bible says happens after the fall? Murder. And not only murder, but murder over religion!
The religious book known as the Bible has three chapters before the first murder is over religion! How did we miss this? Thousands of years of war over religion and right there in the fourth chapter of the Bible is the story—how did we miss this in the history of the church? How many people have been killed in the name of God, over religion?
Rumination #2
What is the great question God asks Cain in verse 9? What is your response to Cain’s response? How do you answer the question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The word “keeper” in Hebrew is shawmar, which means to watch over, to protect, the word can actually mean “bodyguard.” The answer is, “Yes!” Remember Jesus said we are to love God and love our neighbor, those are the two greatest commandments.
A Big Question for you this morning is, how is your relationship with your anger?
What most men do in our culture is turn it inward, where it becomes a form of depression.
A lot of men are sad, but find it difficult to say why. The demands of the job. If you are not an athlete or smart enough to be an engineer you can get pretty down on yourself.
One of the things we say in men’s work is if you do not learn how to transform your pain, you will inevitably transmit your pain onto other people.We will, like Cain, act out of a wounded, highly defended part of us.My prescription for a healthy relationship with anger:
Stop, drop, and roll
Stop: take a deep breath instead of just lashing out. Cain got triggered by his younger brother’s offering. What is happening in him as he gets triggered? Does he feel unworthy based on his comparison with others?
Drop into the feeling.
When our anger gets triggered, something is happening with us? Where? What is coming up, why am I so angry? You will feel energy.
Roll with it: allow the anger to work you to change you and lead you to compassion for yourself and for others. Another way to say it is to assimilate the anger and let it transform your ego instead of transmitting it to others.
Devotional Guide
1. Make a note of all the things you notice in this passage, such as God’s responses (see verse 7) and Cain’s lies. You should have several bullet points on your list.
2. Since this is the next chapter in the Bible after Adam and Eve are expelled from the Garden of Eden, what do your notes from #1 tell you about humanity? What new insights does this passage give you about life?
3. Read Genesis 4:9. What is your response to “Am I my brother’s keeper?” How do your conservative or progressive sensibilities shape the way you answer the question? How does God answer the question? (FYI this is a trick question). How does Jesus’ declaration that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor influence, if at all, your answer to Cain’s question?