Brief Sermon Notes: Provoked to Anger
Dec. 4, 2021 (Last day of 8th month in God's creation calendar.)
1 Kings 16:1-5 For as much as I exalted you out of the dust, and made you prince over my people Israel; and you have walked in the way of Jeroboam, and have made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins;
:25-26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.
Personal event: One day recently, we were driving down the road when a older man and his wife in a pick-up truck blew their horn at us to get our attention, to wave at us in approval of our car bumper stickers. The man even did this a second time to give me a thumbs up to and wave a small bible at me in approval of the bumper stickers.
A little bit later that day, we saw the same truck parked at a nearby motel in the opposite direction that we had previously been traveling. This is amazing and can't be coincidence. Because this means that both they and us both turned around at some location and came back the opposite direction and returned to the same neighborhood. In fact, the motel is at the corner of our own new neighborhood! We live behind where they are living at the motel!
So then the next day, their truck is still parked at the motel. So it's now clear that they are staying at the motel. I was again in my car on the way to do some shopping and felt strongly compelled to stop and speak to the people. Especially since they were outside at their truck and I had no idea how much longer they would be at the motel. So I must act now before it's too late.
So I turned around and went to speak to them.
They had much truth against the pre-tribulation rapture fairy tale, and that most "Christians" are lost, etc. They are living at the motel. They are searching for a house for sale but having a very difficult time finding one in this very severe housing situation that we are currently experiencing here in the conservative/confederate states in the southern USA. (Many people nationwide moving to the southern bible belt region.)
We recently also had to live in a hotel and had months of problems of trying to find a place. So I felt like that maybe I could possibly offer them to live with us, as we now have enough room.
But the problem and hindrance and rebellion arose/occurred that the elderly man would not shut up! He just kept talking, and talking, and talking and talking! I could barely get a word in! Finally after much patience, long suffering and forbearance, I came to the conclusion that there was no way that I could witness to this man and that I was wasting my time. He had absolutely refused to accept any fliers and tracts from me, saying that I didn't need to write anything down, that I didn't need any tracts or fliers, but that all that I need is the word of God. That what is in the fliers is the words of man.
Finally, I decided to just get back into my car and flee from him. As I did so, he pursued me and it seemed that maybe he even held onto the car door for a moment.
I told him that he needs to learn to listen.
One of his last words to me were "why did God bring you here?" And my last words were "I came to do the work of God but you wouldn't shut the f*** up"!
Although I regret the use of vulgar language, the fact is, I was greatly provoked.
Anger easily grabs a person's self restraint and throws it out the window. If a person unrighteously provokes a person to anger, and caused them to sin, the guilt falls on that person who provoked the person to sin. (If even it was a sin, which is questionable considering the situation and the provoking.)
I believe that if I sinned, the many multiple sins of the man who provoked me is greater than mine and that my sin is accounted to him rather than myself considering the fact that he repeatedly provoked both and Jesus. His sin is vanity and pride (as he likes to hear his self talk), and rebellion and resistance against the word of God, refusal to learn from others, and disrespect to me as he refused to give me opportunity to talk.
One thing that I can't stand is someone who talks forever and doesn't allow the other person the same amount of talk time! Such people are full and overflowing of self vanity and pride and selfishness, as they love to hear their own self talk, and have no respect for the other person for their right to talk. It's very disrespectful and unloving and rude!
Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger.
The spiritual fathers, the elders and older people in general, should also take the same advice to not provoke younger people to anger unrighteously by their own sins. (But this doesn't prohibit us from provoking anger as necessary. In other words, people get angry when we confront their sins. But we still must confront their sins regardless.)
Gal. 6:3-8 vain boasting. We reap what we sow.
So the man that I am speaking of, he sowed to his own flesh by his pride and vanity of much speaking. So it resulted in him hearing more than he bargained for. He rightfully received part of my wrath.
Full sermon audio: https://soundcloud.com/isawthelightministries/dec-04-2021-provoked-to-anger