Text: Genesis 4:1-12
Topic: How to overcome anger.

• In Genesis 4, God asks Cain, "Why are you angry?"
• Anger: We've all felt it, and the bottom line is, you put a d in front of it, and you get danger.
• Anger is quite dangerous if it is not handled in a healthy way, because it becomes destructive in our relationships, our physical lives, and our spiritual lives.
• Anger isn't always expressed outwardly; sometimes it's expressed inwardly and can cause stress as well as depression and many other things.
  • Illustration: Anderson shows the presence (and power) of anger through the old comic-book-turned-movie The Incredible Hulk.
• Here's our reality: two people are inside of us, one that's nice and sweet and normal, and one that is Hulkish.
• Today, I want to offer a few practical tips for how to deal with anger.

• Prior to the fall of man, there didn't seem to be any problems with negative emotions, but once they ate of the fruit, they engaged in blame, shame, fear, and hiding.
• Adam and Eve had two children, Cain and Abel, and their story shows the power of anger.
• Genesis 4:3-7
• This is the first worship service, the first offering where Cain and Abel are bringing an offering to God.
• Abel brings an offering of fat portions and the firstborn, the first fruit of all the animals, while Cain brings something that didn't require all that much sacrifice.
• As a result, when God received the offering he had favor on Abel's offering but not on Cain's offering.
  • Hebrews 11:4
  • Jude 1:11
• Anger consumes Cain's heart. So what does God do? He gently confronts Cain to give him an opportunity to change his heart.
• God asks Cain, "Why are you angry?"—not because he doesn't know the answer, but because he wants Cain to understand the answer.
• God is saying: Sin is crouching at your door trying to have you. But I'm stepping in to give you a way of escape so you can make it right with me, no consequences.
• The Bible makes it clear that there is no temptation that would take you, that he wouldn't at least give you a way of escape.
  • James 1:13-15
  • 1 John 3:12.
• Nonetheless, Cain still rebels and takes his brother's life. So what was the root cause?
• There are four reasons why Cain killed, and it spells the name cain.

• We see in the text that there are two offerings, and evidently Cain's was not accepted. The comparison between brothers—and the competition for the acceptance and affection of God—divided them.
• God comes to Cain and asks him to resist (master) the temptation that is before him—something his parents failed to do.
• This text shows us that God will give you an opportunity to master that which your parents couldn't. Whatever the addiction, whatever the sin, whatever the brokenness, you don't have to fulfill that destiny.
• But I want you to see how the Enemy also tries to prey on one generation to the next. He is thinking to himself, I got Eve and Adam in the Garden; I think I can get Cain in the field.
• The Bible tells us in Ephesians that the door of anger is open wide where the Devil can get a foothold.
• And one of the chief areas where the Devil loves to work is in the area of comparison. He loves to get you thinking about everybody else.
• God says, "But it's not about Abel; it's about you."
• One of the worst games we can play is the looking-at-everybody-but-ourselves game. We start comparing ourselves to everybody else, and before we know it, we're getting angry because we don't have what someone else has.

• Cain's issue was an issue of acceptance: God would not accept his offering; therefore God didn't have favor on him.
• Sometimes we want the favor God has on other people, and God is saying, I have my own favor for you but you have to obey.

• There are times where, like Cain, we get in a field alone, and with plenty of time to think about things, we get angrier and angrier.
• But the enemy wants to get you isolated, off in a corner all by yourself so he can mess you up. He wants to divide and conquer.

• Abel was a good man, but Cain entertained so many angry thoughts, that he soon thought his brother was the Devil himself!

• Now I want to tell you how to deal with anger in a way that is healthy. These five ways spell out the word REGNA.
• Proverbs 18:19
• Some of us can be so angry, so vengeful, and so hurt that we're like a fortified city that nobody can get through. But in moments of anger, we need to request help from God immediately.
• Ephesians 4: "Don't let the sun go down on your anger, or you will give the Devil a foothold."
• The Devil is looking to come through the door of anger to take control of you.
• So what do you do? You request help from God: God, I have to pray right now, because I'm about to kill somebody. I'm feeling the spirit of Cain come over me right now, Lord.
• When you start talking to God, you realize you can deal with things, and the Spirit of Christ begins to flow.

• For some of you, exiting a volatile situation may feel like self-defeat. But some situations can be so volatile that the best thing you can do is exit the situation.
• Whatever you have to do to express your anger and get it out of you, go do that as long as it's a healthy way.
• Give yourself a countdown; don't write a quick email; don't respond quickly to a negative voicemail.
• Psalm 4:4: "In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your heart and be silent." There's a time when you have to pull away. Just take a deep breath and be silent.  

• This may sound insensitive, but just get over your anger as quickly as you can!
• Cry a river and then build a bridge. Get over it! If you don't, it's going to get a hold of you.
• Some of us save emails or hang onto voicemails because we're so mad. Push delete. Keep a short account.

• We know the root cause for Cain was his not being accepted and his comparison issues.
• We need to make note of the roots that are causing our own anger.
  • Illustration: Anderson dug up a bush with many roots to show that despite the pretty-looking bush, there are some ugly roots of bitterness and anger.

• You're the master; act like it.
• That's a good word for some of us, because some of us don't feel like we have control.
• God said to Cain, and he says it to you: "You must master it." In other words, you can master your anger. You do have dominion over your emotions.
• Proverbs 16:32
• Proverbs 14:17
• So start talking to yourself in a positive way, not a negative way.

• Cain's anger kills for four reasons: comparison, acceptance issues, isolation, and negativity.
• There are five ways to reverse the rush of anger in your life so the devil doesn't get a foothold: REGNA: Request help from God; Exit volatile situations; Get over it quickly; Note the root cause; Act as the master, not as the slave.
• So if you take REGNA and turn it around, it would be ANGER.
• We're going to flip the script, and the next time we feel anger we're going to say REGNA.