When Jesus Lowered the Boom, Part 3

Today on Insight for Living from Chuck Swindoll. Don't be afraid of feeling angry. I've heard people say that you should never be angry because you're a Christian.

Wrong. There are times when if you don't feel angry, something's wrong. Don't be afraid of anger.

Just make sure it's for the right reason and expressed in the right way at the right time. Be angry, and don't sin. The Bible has a lot to say about self-control. Paul called it a fruit of the Spirit. James talked about taming our tongues.

Peter applauded the merits of self-control. But that doesn't mean expressing anger is never justified. In fact, the Bible teaches us to be angry and do not sin. Well, today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll will show us a colorful demonstration of righteous indignation. The story is told in Matthew chapter 21, when Jesus entered the temple and flipped the market tables.

What do we make of His unrestrained anger? Chuck titled today's message, When Jesus lowered the boom. When Jesus was among us, He took upon Himself flesh. In one body, two natures exist, deity and humanity. When you study the life of Jesus, you see each emerge.

Sometime we see them come close together. As deity, He could calm the waters. He could give sight to the blind. He could give health to the crippled and the disabled.

He could walk on water. Though God, He was also man. He became weary, so He needed sleep. When life was funny, He laughed. When He was in grief, He wept. When He was hit, He hurt. When He was cut, He bled. When He died, His heart stopped beating. Human. He got mad when He witnessed the desecration of sacred things, and He should have.

There was everything right about it. Tables are turned over, doves are flying, animals are rushing here and there, and while Jesus is doing all of this, verse 13, He's quoting verses, and He does it from memory. He quotes from Isaiah 56 and Jeremiah chapter 7. He says, scriptures declare my temple will be called a house of prayer, and you have turned it into a den of thieves. He yells not at the worshippers who had come, but at the leaders who were behind all of this corrupt activity. Interesting, as soon as He, if you will, cleans the place out of all of this corrupt activity, look at what happens, verse 14. The blind come and they receive sight.

The lame come and they are healed. And children come and they are shouting praise to God for the Son of David, a messianic statement, and the leaders watch all of this. And though the miracles were true and real and life-changing, and though the children's songs were innocent songs sung in praise, the reaction of the leaders into verse 15, look for yourself, they were indignant. In fact, He has enough presence of mind to say to these leaders who were staring Him down, do you, do you hear what the children are saying?

Have you heard their words? They ask Him that and then He says, yes, haven't you read the scriptures for they say you have taught children and infants to give you praise, right out of Psalm 8, verse 2. Then He returned to Bethany where He stayed overnight. And now we get to the little village and this is the part that you have to really think to understand it.

I wrestled with it for hours. He gets up in the morning and He's hungry. See that in verse 18, another characteristic of humanity. God's never hungry, but as a man, He's hungry. So His hunger kicks in and as they are making their way to Jerusalem, the disciples around Him on their way, He comes to a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs. Obviously He was going to eat some of them for nourishment and He saw that there were only leaves. Now pause here because what we just dealt with has nothing to do with figs or leaves unless you see this figuratively. Often Jesus' response and words and explanations have figurative things in mind and you have to realize that to understand them.

He doesn't explain all of it. He saw only leaves, you see this? And then He said to the tree, He talks to the tree. May you never bear fruit again and immediately the fig tree withered up. What's that about?

Why did He do that? Frankly, I think there is a symbol here that we shouldn't miss. He had just been dealing yesterday with those who are only leaves. There's no fruit in their lives. It was all the robes of religion. The leaves of hypocrisy covered their lives. They weren't interested in spiritual things.

They were interested in making a profit and lining their own pockets, remaining in power, carrying out their corrupt activities. All leaves. Jesus uses the tree as an example of that. Having seen hypocrisy on parade the day before, He uses the fig tree as an example so that He might teach the disciples.

Not sure they got it. In fact, they said to Him as they were amazed, how did the fig tree wither so quickly? He doesn't really answer that question.

I kept looking for that answer but it's not here because that's the wrong question. The question is, why would you cause it to wither? What was it about this that caused you to respond like that? Not how could it wither or the obvious answer to how is that He's God and He can do anything. But Jesus then answers their curiosity with words that could get you into a lot of trouble.

If you didn't, think clearly. Now look at what Jesus says. I'll tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, may you be lifted up and thrown into the sea and it will happen.

You can pray for anything and if you have faith, you will receive it. Stop right there. Be very careful about going to an isolated verse or couple of verses and building your whole theology on that verse. The whole name it and claim it style of teaching is based on the singularity of isolated verses like this.

But I want to ask you a question. You ever known anyone move a mountain? I've never met anyone who moved a mountain and I've known prayer warriors since my earliest years of walking with Christ.

I've never seen one as a result of prayer move a mountain into the sea. But he says you can. He says you will. When you come to a passage like this, please hear me, understand it is extreme language stated in an exaggerated manner to get a point across.

Let me do that with a warning. You and I have situations that are mountain like. Some of you face them right now, perhaps the largest in your life.

It's impossible for you to fix it, to change it, if you will, to move it to a better place. Christ can. And he tells us by relying on him, having faith in him, since he's the mountain mover, why do I say that? Because he's the mountain maker. You must make a mountain in order to be able to move a mountain. And no human being is a mountain maker, only God. And since Christ is the one who created all, he's telling them, trust me, rely on me, don't live your life full of leaves, all the pretense of religion.

I'm looking for fruit, fruit that will nourish. So what am I saying? I want to underscore the importance of using this verse with other verses on prayer. Do that or you'll get yourself in a lot of trouble. You'll be very disillusioned. You'll start praying for a million dollars to show up in the mail.

And then tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon when the mail comes, you check and it's not there. You said, well, I asked God for it. And he said in Matthew 21, if I ask for anything, I could have it. No, that was all for you. You didn't ask for his will because you've not chosen the verse that talks about praying in his will.

You must go there. That's in 1 John. And you may have sin in your life and that's in Psalm 66, 18. If I regard sin in my life, the Lord will not hear me.

So you may be asking for the wrong reason. So what I'm saying is you must correlate verses with verses. Because you see, Jesus, Jesus was never a clown in the center ring showing off his power. He's not down here moving a mountain.

He's talking to people living with mountains saying to them, I'm here for you to trust and you can come to me and you can bring to me that impossible need and situation and I'm here to help you with it. I want to caution you about clinging to an extreme example and making that your life's verse. I read in my study of a couple who happened to be in ministry and they were of this persuasion that if you name something, you can claim it and when they made their way to their church, they passed a very wealthy part of the city and they saw these what we would call mansions and they said to each other, we're going to claim a mansion for us to have. You hear the pronoun? Not for God's glory, not because that's what he wants, but we'd love to have a mansion and they live their lives anticipating getting a mansion.

Unfortunately, it never showed up on their block or they never moved into one. You see, I deal with those who are disillusioned and they come from a toxic place where they have been worshipping and they went through all of this extreme kind of thinking and praying and wound up with not experiencing what was promised because they had no mountain to move. So don't make the extreme your standard.

Guard against that. When God does an amazing thing, remember, it's an amazing thing at that moment. He's not doing amazing things each day. I have a friend who says if miracles happened every day, they ought to be named regulars. Honestly, in my life, I maybe have known of five miracles.

They're rare. I have a book named Miracles and the man describes so many things, everything except a parking space at Nordstrom at Christmas time. He doesn't name that, but that's almost close to what he would call a miracle. They're not miracles.

Don't go there. Stay balanced. Realize there's more on prayer than this verse right here.

I think I've got the point across. OK, let me draw four lessons for all of us, and I think they're valuable enough for you to take note of. Number one, don't be afraid of feeling angry. I've heard people say that you should never be anger angry because you're a Christian.

Wrong. There are times when if you don't feel angry, something's wrong. Don't be afraid of anger. Just make sure it's for the right reason.

And expressed in the right way. The right time. Be angry, but don't sin. Neutrality curses us in the hour of decision. When you reach a time of decision, decide.

Don't just let it pass. God may want you to be the one on the point of that wedge. Second lesson I learned is steer clear of all things hypocritical. I don't know of anything Jesus came down harder on than hypocrisy. He dealt with the Pharisees as severely as he did because they were walking hypocrites. They wanted you to think they were more righteous than they really were. That they were people of great prayer and commitment. They were neither.

They were showmen who stood on the street corner and prayed so that you would watch them and you would be impressed by their words or by their frequent prayers. Steer clear of all things hypocritical. Here's a third lesson. Life is about producing fruit, not growing leaves. You want to know the fruit? The fruit of the spirit. Love.

Here we go. Love. Joy. Peace.

Long suffering. Patience. Gentleness. Goodness. Meekness.

Self-control. Go there. You want to ask the Lord to do a major work in your life?

Let him move those mountains. Ask the Lord to give you the ability to find joy in life's circumstances. To love those that are difficult to like. To be a person who is patient, gentle, gracious.

Here's the fourth and I mentioned it earlier. Guard against making the extreme your standard. Guard against making the extreme your standard in anything. May I add this since we're all older and that is I mean we're rearing children or we have reared them and we have grandchildren. Let's be sure we convey this to our younger generation so they realize the importance of it. And let's not try to fake it.

Let's keep it real. When we've done what was wrong let's admit it was wrong. When we have been impatient let's call it impatience. When our anger was misplaced oh let's call it what it was.

Inappropriate anger. If all of this sounds too good to be true it may be because you've never come to the cross. None of this is is out of the realm of of reality if you know Christ. Because Christ lives in a life he wants to produce the fruit of the spirit through your life. He longs to do that. Whether at home or at work. Whether in the familiar places or in the unfamiliar. Whether in private or in public.

Whether now or in the future. He wants you to represent him and when you do I'll tell you it's remarkable how he can get the glory and you have a chance to speak for him in the most wonderful ways. You get the picture. Bow with me will you please. Where are you in this? You find yourself on the edge of a situation where somebody needs to say something and you really realize now that it's you?

Then say something. Have you begun to develop habits that are hypocritical or it's very important for you to look more holy than you really are? This would be a great time to stop. Ask God for the strength to be authentic and to give up the leaves and to go for the fruit. How wonderful it would be if today would be the day for you to come to the cross. That Christ might take over your life and change you from yourself and an emphasis on yourself to him and his glory. How marvelous can happen today right now as you trust him. Thank you Father for the privilege of walking with Christ through these scenes.

Can't imagine what it would be like to stand beside him as he stood alone or to hear his voice as he spoke in such unmistakable though at times mysterious terms. Thank you for the promise that we can lean on him and he will hear us and you will honor his name because what we are asking is your will. May we forever be on guard against hypocrisy. May we be real.

Real to the core so that you might speak to us and through us and we might represent you correctly to a watching world. And for those who have never come to the Savior I pray that that will be a reality today. Even today. May the mind of Christ our Savior live in us from day to day. Him exalting, self-abasing. This is victory. In his name we pray and for his sake alone.

Everyone say Amen. Well let me summarize the four points Chuck Swindoll gave us. First, don't be afraid of feeling angry. Second, steer clear of all things hypocritical. Third, life is about producing fruit.

And fourth, guard against making the extreme your standard. You're listening to Insight for Living, Chuck titled today's study in Matthew 21, When Jesus lowered the boom. And to learn more about Chuck and this ministry please visit us online at insightworld.org. And as you look forward to the weekend perhaps you'll take some extra time to browse through the variety of free Bible study resources at your disposal. For instance, you've likely heard us mention the Searching the Scriptures studies online.

These are interactive meaning that you can type your thoughts directly into the document. Or feel free to print out the PDF and use the notes in your personal quiet times. And pastors and leaders can use these notes for teaching a class or preparing a sermon as well. To access the Searching the Scriptures guide for Chuck's daily teaching go to insight.org slash studies. In addition Chuck is recommending an insightful book by pastor and author Vody Baucom. In Fault Lines Vody helps Christians understand the nuances of the social justice movement. This isn't an academic book. Fault Lines is written for anyone who truly wants to understand how to engage in conversations about social justice from a biblical perspective.

Again the book is called Fault Lines and you'll find all the details for purchasing a copy at insight.org slash offer. We are deeply grateful to those who understand that these daily programs are made possible through the voluntary contributions from people who value Chuck's teaching and want to see Insight for Living continue. To give a donation right now call us. If you're listening in the United States call 800-772-8888.

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Our goal is to create special moments when you deepen your love for the Bible and draw closer to your Lord. Experience an unforgettable 12-day tour to Israel with Chuck Swindoll and Insight for Living Ministries March 6 through 17, 2022. To help you grasp the significance of each site you'll be accompanied by hand-picked Israeli guides and we choose the best along with seminary trained pastors and professors to enhance your spiritual journey. No organization I know of offers this level of exceptional in-depth instruction and personal care for Holy Land travelers.

To learn more call 1-888-447-0444. Just imagine walking along sacred sites and watching the Bible come to life. Make your reservation by calling 1-888-447-0444 or go to Insight.org slash events. Insight for Living Ministries Tour to Israel is paid for and made possible by only those who choose to attend. I'm Wayne Shepard sitting in for Dave Spiker now inviting you to join us Monday when Chuck Swindoll continues our study in the book of Matthew on Insight for Living. The preceding message when Jesus lowered the boom was copyrighted in 2017 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R Swindoll Inc. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.