DISCLAIMER:  This text is not a verbatim transcript.  Communication Access Real Time Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication credibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings.    >> First, go to our website, firstcolonychurch.org, and go there often. We have a unique page dedicated to resources for you during this season. You'll find links to our worship services; Bible study options; online giving; and our new podcast, Anchor Point. You can also download our church app. Just search for "First Colony Church of Christ" in the App Store or on Google Play. Every link is there; the app is a get resource where you can stay connected to First Colony Church. Anchor Point is our new podcast. We are posting a new episode every weekday. In addition to finding our podcast on our website and the church app, you can find it across all podcasting platforms. Our Children's Ministry is posting a weekly kids' online Bible lesson. Be sure to check that out. And our Student Ministry is creating lots of new content on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Be sure to follow them. Thank you for joining us online today. We are glad you're here. ¶ >> Thank you for joining us online today. We want to let you know about a few items of interest. First, go to our website, firstcolonychurch.org, and go there often. We have a unique page dedicated to resources for you during this season. You'll find links to our worship services; Bible study options; online giving; and our new podcast, Anchor Point. You can also download our church app. Just search for "First Colony Church of Christ" in the App Store or on Google Play. Every link is there; the app is a great resource where you can stay connected to First Colony Church. Anchor Point is our new podcast. We are posting a new episode every weekday. In addition to finding our podcast on our website and the church app, you can find it across all podcasting platforms. Our Children's Ministry is posting a weekly kids' online Bible lesson. Be sure to check that out. And our Student Ministry is the creating lots of daily content on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Be sure to follow them. Thank you for joining us online today. We are glad you're here. >> Ryan: Hi, everyone, and welcome to the live worship service of First Colony Church of Christ. We're so glad that you're with us this morning, everyone here in the building and all of you watching at home online. We come together to give praise to Jesus, who came to us to be the Hope of the world; so let's stand, lift our voices, and worship together! >> Richard: Merry Christmas! ("Joy to the World [Unspeakable Joy"] playing) >> Richard: He rules! ¶ >> Richard: Yes! Joy to the world! The Lord is come! (Applause) ("He Shall Reign Forevermore" playing) ¶ He will reign forever ¶ >> Richard: You may be seated. >> Corey: Good morning, church! Whoo! Good morning! It's so good to be in the house of the Lord. Hey, today I want to talk to you about a principle of something I think we have all dealt with at some time or another. I'm Corey Waters, Campus Minister for Cornerstone Christian Academy. I want to talk about rage and will channel my inner Joel Smith for this illustration -- so I may work; it may not work -- but we will have a good time trying. One of my favorite and beloved Disney characters is Donald Duck. He is awesome but has a problem. That brother needs anger management. And what I want to show you today is this little cup represents us. And this is our anger. What happens is if we don't learn to control our anger -- the Bible says in Proverbs 29:11, “Fools give full vent to their rage; but wisdom, wise people, bring comfort.” I want to be wise. I don't know about you, but I don't want to get full vent and release my rage like Donald Duck when he flips his lid and go everywhere. I want to walk with Christ and be wise. (Popping sound) It worked. (Applause) I think we're all honest. We have at one point or another lost our temper -- maybe moms and dads with their kids; kids with their parents or their friends. That is not coming from God. That is coming from the enemy. God wants us to bring peace and calm into our families and lives, and you can only do that by leaning in to Jesus. Don't lean in to your rage or your anger. Lean into your Savior. God bless you. (Applause) >> Ryan: Thank you, Corey. Today is the beginning of Advent, meaning the arrival of a notable person or an event. As Christians, we celebrate the arrival of Jesus as our Savior and as the Light of the World. For the Sundays leading to Christmas, we will have a special Advent reading and candle lighting. Today will be led by the Granville family. >> As we begin this long-await with Advent season, we have hope because of the promise of Jesus, the Son of God, who came to earth as our Perfect Lamb. We light this candle because Jesus is our sure foundation and ever-present Hope and Light in this fallen world. >> Jeremiah 33:14-16. (Reading) >> Ryan: The Granvilles will lead us in communion. If you're at home, you will want to get your supplies ready. Everyone here in the Worship Center, you can take your packets out. If you're not able to get one on the way in, we have some available on the tables at the back. When you're finished with those, you can put them in the baggies, and there's baskets at the end of the aisle where you can leave them on your way out today, or just in one of the trash cans as you exit the Worship Center. And we appreciate that. Now we'll take communion. >> Zion: Hello, church, I'm Zion and my mom Gretchen. We will lead you in communion. Please pray with me. Dear Lord God, thank You for this sacrifice that You shed for us. I pray that You may humble us. We do not deserve what You did for us. I pray that we may not be conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Lord God, as we take the bread, may we reflect Your body that was put on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. As we take the cup, we remember Your blood that was shed for us. In Jesus' Name, amen. >> Gretchen: Today I will be reading from Romans 5:2b through 6. The Scripture will be on the screen for you to follow along. (Reading) ("Jesus Messiah" playing) >> Ryan: Amen. Thank you to the Granvilles and Worship Team for leading us in communion. One of our elders, Tim Smith, will lead us in our offering prayer. >> Tim: Good morning, church. It's always a good season to be grateful, don't you think? >> Yes. >> Tim: One of the things I'm extremely grateful for is the partnership in the kingdom that we share together in this place so for the time, the ministry, the money, and the love that you have invested in this congregation and its many ministries, I want to thank you. As a reminder, there are numerous ways to give. The online option is an excellent one, and many have taken advantage of it because it's secure and quite convenient, especially for recurring giving. Also, there are giving boxes for those of you here in person. They're at the rear of the auditorium. And, of course, for those of you online, you'll see a button on your screen and can click there to give a gift remotely. Let's pray. Lord, we have so many resources at our disposal. Lord, You have given us energy and time and talents; money; influence; relationships; and many more things. Lord, every one of those comes from Your hand so we gratefully and with full acknowledgment of Your provision hold an open hand towards You. Father, please multiply and bless Your kingdom through this act of worship, growing our faith and our generosity. All of this for Your Name's sake we pray in Jesus' Name. Amen. >> Ryan: Amen. All right, everyone, it is time for our fellowship greeting so let's all stand and say hello to one another with a wave or an air fist bump. If you're watching online, again, thank you for joining us. This is a great time to join the chat box and say hello. ("Endless Light" playing) >> Richard: God be exalted! >> Richard: God be exalted! >> Richard: God be exalted! >> Richard: You may be seated. >> Kyle: Thank you so much, Richard and team. Good morning, everyone! My name is Kyle, and let me again welcome you. If you are here in person and let me welcome you online to the First Colony Church of Christ. Let me be among the first -- Richard beat me this morning -- but let me be among the first to wish you all a very, very merry Christmas. Ronnie Norman, our senior minister, is not here today. Both he and Martha, his wife, have been dealing with COVID-19; but they are doing very, very well now, and they anticipate returning to normal life this week. We praise God for that for their healing and the healing of those who have been affected by COVID-19. Today is last sermon of our message series called "Capital Vices." For the past few weeks, we have discussed what are more commonly known as the seven deadly sins. Today we end this series talking about the capital vice of anger. So I want to begin today by showing you a clip from one of my favorite Christmas movie of all time from Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." This was released in 2000, starring Jim Carrey. The Grinch, you know, is having an existential crisis here and really loves Christmas. You find that out at the end but gains his hatred and hatred for the Whos, who live in the valley below. And here in this short clip, his animosity reaches a boiling point. See if you can relate. Let's turn our attention to the screens. >> Narrator: So whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes, he stood outside his cave, hating the Whos. >> Grinch: Ebenezer Who. I -- HATE YOU! Benson Who -- I hate -- you. Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, double hate. LOATHE entirely. >> Kyle: That anger is pretty relatable. You know it is. We are living in an anger incubator. Recent polls suggest that our communal sense of anxiety and stress and worry, they have all intensified significantly in the past few years and even more so in the past few months. We, as a society, are angrier now than ever before. A global pandemic, civil unrest, and economic uncertainty have only fueled the flame that has been burning since the birth of anger among the sons of both Adam and Eve. Now, let's be clear: anger alone is not a capital vice. Anger alone isn't even sinful. In fact, anger can be justifiable, even necessary, especially when Jesus is trivialized; or when the Gospel, God's power of salvation, isn't given station. When people are oppressed and exploited, anger is justifiable and necessary. These things, they're no small matters. And they deserve our attention and our anger -- and you want to know why? Because following Jesus will often make us angry. Following Jesus gives us a clear sight for injustice in the world. In fact, it is that sight for injustice that produces anger in God. God has justifiable anger, and He acts on it with what the Bible calls His wrath. His anger and wrath are pure and holy because of our sin. We deserve a just punishment for such; and God, being just, must exact that punishment; but in a major plot twist, His wrath for sin produces mercy for the sinner because He executes His wrath not on us but upon Jesus. Jesus, Who was perfect in every way, bore God's wrath for our sins. He was the Holy Outlet for God's wrath. Listen, both the action and the execution and the reception of God's wrath are what Paul calls acts of unimaginable above. You can read that in Galatians 2:21. That intolerance for injustice that produces anger in Jesus. Jesus famously exhibited anger in two places in the Gospel of John, chapter 2. You remember this story. Jesus famously cleared the temple courts, which were full of merchants charging exorbitantly high prices for sacrificial animals, making it difficult for the poor to fully participate in full temple worship. You remember this story. He fashioned a whip, which took time and effort to drive out both the cattle and the sheep. He scattered the coins and He overturned tables; but then surprisingly we see Jesus with His rage under control by ordering the doves, which were in cages, to just simply be taken away. Jesus was angry at a system of injustice that kept people from God. The second story from the Gospel of John is in John 11. Jesus was clearly angry right before He resurrected Lazarus. John 11 verse 38 says that Jesus was deeply moved. That's an English phrase that doesn't quite capture the emotion of the Greek phrase there. Maybe a word picture would help us here, commenting on Jesus' emotional state in John 11:38. John Calvin wrote that Jesus stood before Lazarus' tomb as a wrestler before a contest. He stood there, filled with rage and aversion at death itself. So we clearly have anger, and God clearly has anger; and Jesus clearly has anger; but -- and you know this -- not all anger is equal. The difference between the anger of God and the anger of Jesus and our own anger is that the anger of God is incorruptible; and the anger of Jesus is incorruptible; but our anger is absolutely prone to corruption. And this is why anger is listed among the seven deadly sins. So let's do two things today. First, let's look at the rise of outrage. Let's look at how anger becomes sin self and how it becomes corrupted. And second, let's look at the fall of outrage and how to keep our anger in check. So for the rise of outrage, let's go to James 4. Now, it's obvious if you have ever read the letter of James that James who was the half-brother of Jesus and the first elder of the Jerusalem church -- it's obvious James was well aware of the tension between our initial moment of salvation and our future moment of perfection. Following Jesus and living in Jerusalem in the time of James was not easy. In fact, just a few short years after he wrote this letter, James was martyred for his belief in Jesus. So his letter, the letter of James, actually speaks into this tension. In fact, his letter has been called by some scholars the most robust treatment of ethics in the entire New Testament. In other words, James offered practical teaching on how to follow Jesus when it's tough. So we should not be surprised to read James' take on the rise of outrage. Let's listen to his words from James 4. (Reading) >> Kyle: That's a hard word there. (Continuing to read) This right here is a REAL time look at the rise of outrage; but we're going to need some more of James' discernment here because he include this word "desires." He said that is the source of our fighting. This word "desires" conjures up all sort of ideas about how our anger gets the best of us, but James actually defines those desires. Listen to what he wrote in James 3. We'll start with verse 13. >> Kyle: Those are the desires, by the way. (Continuing to read) >> Kyle: These desires, which cause the rise of our outrage, are defined here as two phrases in particular: bitter envy and selfish ambition. So let's define those. First, bitter envy. The context here suggests that James was thinking of the kind of jealousy or envy that we display when someone challenges us. When someone challenges our opinions, when someone challenges our social media posts or ideals about politics or theology or even sports. It's the desire that happens within us when we get triggered because someone disagrees with us. We know James meant this because James paired “bitter envy” with the phrase -- the second phrase -- "selfish ambition." The word we translate as "selfish ambition" is used only here in James in the entire New Testament. When it was used outside of the New Testament in other writings, germane to the time, we have a clearer sense of the meaning. There, "selfish ambition" is described by one scholar as -- get this -- "The narrow partisan zeal of factional, greedy politicians." In other words, selfish ambition was NOT a polite term. To be accused of having selfish ambition was NOT complimentary. Our desires, then, our bitter envy and our selfish ambition, produces outrage because we interpret disagreements as insults to our character and insults to our intellect. It's a "How dare you disagree with me?" kind of mentality. We wear our air of superiority as a badge of wisdom; and friends, this is nothing more than self-righteousness. James speak to this. Listen to his words from 3:15. (Reading) Those are three VERY powerful descriptors. Self-righteous wisdom is earthly because we failed to consider the will of God in the world; earthly as in a narrow-minded sense that we know exactly what God would think in any given situation; self-righteous wisdom is also unspiritual because we let our emotion and intellect have sway over our emotions or our actions; unspiritual because we have become completely detached from God's very Spirit, His very Presence in our lives. And self-righteous wisdom is demonic because we actually participate in a partnership with demons and allow demonic forces to navigate our responses to frustration. And that is just scary. Our anger is so corruptible that demons salivate at the chance to hijack our anger to produce disorder and every evil practice. I imagine that demonic forces, particularly appreciate the immediacy of social media as a vehicle for us to flippantly post our outrage, inviting and welcoming dissension because of our own self-righteousness. And some of us may need to repent and apologize and ask for forgiveness for the dissension that we've caused on such platforms. We may not need to repent for what we think is right, but we may need to repent for how we've dishonored Jesus with our anger. There is an alternate path for us, though; and James, again, aware of the tension between our initial moment of salvation and our future moment of perfection, he speaks to this alternate, better path. Listen to his words from chapter 3:17-18. (Reading) >> Kyle: The grace of God here called wisdom gives us the power to love peace; to resist defensiveness in the midst of provocation; to listen instead of attack. The alternate path for us, the path that God paves for us, is to be binding agents instead of destructive forces. So yes, according to James and according to the experience of our own lives, outrage CAN rise; but it can also fall. It can also fall. I want you to listen to how Paul describes the fall of outrage in Ephesians 4. You know this verse. Verses 26 and 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. Evidently here we have a license to be angry. We know that we have a license to be angry at injustice but have to be angry the RIGHT way. And there are at least three ways we can be angry the right way. There are at least three ways that we can let outrage fall. I will share those with you, and then as we close, I'll share with you what it means to express anger the right way. How we let righteous anger prevail. So first, how do we let outrage fall according to Ephesians 4? This is how we do it. First, to let outrage fall, we must be angry without sin. Our anger is SO easily corrupted by sin. Our moral fervor at injustice can be so easily coupled with violent outbursts and here's why: William Edgar in his essay called "Justification and Violence," writes that the reason season is born from anger is because we forget we have been justified ever God because of Jesus' death. We forget that our identity is in Jesus alone. Anger tempts us to think, though, that we can be justified by what we think are acceptable outbursts and by doing so, we leave a trail of victims in our wake. William Edgar calls this our counterfeit Calvary. The second way we let outrage fall is to be angry without grudges. Self-righteous anger born from bitter envy and selfish ambition relishes the suffering of those who offend us. It loves a good grudge. It loves fights and quarrels, but righteous anger does not hold grudges. It doesn't let the sun set while anger still festers. It loves, above all, peace. It seeks reconciliation without sin, without vengeance, and without retribution. And the third way that we let outrage fall is to be angry without vulnerability. Paul cautions here that anger actually makes us vulnerable because our anger is corruptible. It cracks the door of our hearts to the devices of the enemy. We must be wise, knowing that our anger can be the devil's playground where his lies justify our outbursts and generate storms of irrevocable outcomes with horrible consequences that can last for generations. So the rise of outrage is because of our desires, our bitter envy, and our selfish ambition; but the fall of our outrage is to be angry without sin and without grudges and without vulnerability. Now, if you're like me, you're wondering what righteous anger actually look like. Just claiming what we should not do, that's just not enough. We need to know what we SHOULD do. How can we express righteous anger? Well, James actually speaks of this so let me close again by reading a passage we have already read this morning from James 3, verses 17-18. Listen to the words again. (Reading) Dissension and injustice and exploitation and oppression in both the meta narrative and narrative of our lives should make us angry. But we should also know our limits. Our anger may not, nor can it, change every situation. If it could, there would be no reason for Jesus to return. But the expression of righteous anger, though counterintuitive, is extremely productive. Righteous anger seeks to make peace. Here, James calls it "sowing peace." Our outlet for anger is sowing peace, planting it. This is what we do when we're angry. We don't create more victims. We don't plot vengeance. We don't willfully trigger others with salacious comments. We're in the business of making peace because peacemaking is the true work of justice. It's the work of God. With Jesus on the cross, because it produces not disorder but righteousness in a full harvest of it. Tim, if you'll come on up -- Tim will pray over us in just a moment. It is time to let our outrage fall, church; and it's time to let peace grow in its place. >> Tim: Let's pray. Lord, as we close this formal time of worship, Lord, we appeal to You, our Good, Good Father. As a group of individuals that make up this body, we recognize we are in different places and seasons in life. Lord, some among us face extraordinary challenges while others are enjoying stability and relative calm. Lord, we bring before You Your people who are struggling with things like disappointment; chronic pain; disease; addiction; strive in the home; broken relationships; mental illness; financial stress; unemployment; loneliness; unrepentant sin; and many other challenges. We ask You, Lord, in Your might; in Your power; and because of Your love and compassion to meet each of Your people in their specific needs. Lord, while we acknowledge these differing individual needs, we also have to acknowledge that we each, every within of us, have a common need, a need that surpasses them all. We bring to You now what Jesus taught in John 6 when He said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me draws him." Father, this we ask of You with all of our might. Would You draw each one of us to You? Would You draw us to You in relationship, which grows deeper day by day? Would You draw us into a deeper knowledge of truth through a love for You in an unquenchable thirst for Your Word? Would You protect us from any ways of thinking that mascaraed as the Gospel but truly are not? God, may we have hearts of flesh, not hearts of stone; and may they be fully tuned to Your voice. This is our greatest need, Lord, and is the cry of our heart; and as we go from here, may we walk in truth, in love; and an ever-deepening relationship with You. Through Jesus and for Your Name sake we pray, amen. >> Ryan: Amen. Thank you so much, Tim. Thank you, Kyle, for the encouraging reminder that as Christians we are crawled to be peacemakers. All right, everyone, it is time to give you a few highlights before we close today. The first thing I want to let you know is Ladies’ Night is coming up on December 4, a virtual one; so you can go to the First Colony website to register and learn more about that. Next Sunday will be the start of our Christmas series during worship services called "A Weary World Rejoices" so we're excited about that and look forward to that new series as we start the Christmas season. And December 13, we have our annual Care and Share, a great event we have been doing for a long time. You can help by donating toys or canned goods to Second Mile Mission. You have a couple of ways to do that. One is you can go online and send items directly here to the church; or on December 13 there will be a special drop-off time to bring your items outside and drop them off out front. Go to firstcolonychurch.org/careandshare and will get all the info how to participate. Well, thank you for joining us today. Our prayer for you as we go together is that in the beginning of this Advent season that the God of Hope will provide you strength as you go with him. Let's stand and sing one more song together. ("Joy to the World [Unspeakable Joy]" playing) >> Richard: Hey, everybody, thanks for coming today. Merry Christmas! Have a great week! We'll see you next time. You are dismissed! We'll see you next time.