How Not To Be A Grumpy Christian

So you wives tap your husbands on the shoulder and say, “Wake up! Listen, you need to hear this sermon!!!

I want to preach on this subject for two reasons:

(1) No one likes to be around a GRUMPY person…NO ONE!

(2) You can not be an effective Christian if you are a GRUMPY CHRISTIAN!

WHY ARE SOME PEOPLE SO GRUMPY?

People are Grumpy because they choose to be Grumpy.

Some would have us to believe that the reason they are GRUMPY is because they have a physical problem that makes them that way.

In other words GOD IS TO BLAME!!!

God has never made a GRUMPY CHRISTIAN.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

God’s plan for His children is that they have the ABUNDANT LIFE not a GRUMPY LIFE!!!

I do not buy they are a GRUMPY PERSON for one moment BECAUSE God made them that way.

They are a GRUMPY person because they choose to be GRUMPY!!!

God the Father wants His children to be JOYFUL!!!

But some cling to these PHYSICAL PROBLEMS because it gives them an excuse to choose to be GRUMPY!!!

Living a GRUMPY life has become a way of life for some folks.

Illus: When you see them coming you do not need to ask them how they feel? You know already how they feel…GRUMPY!!!

God is a God of JOY!

Listen, I as a Christian:

• Do not want to be a member of a GRUMPY CHURCH!!!

• Do not want to even attend a GRUMPY CHURCH!!!

• Do not even want to hang around GRUMPY PEOPLE!!!

• Do not want to preach in a GRUMPY CHURCH!!!

They are miserable and they will make your life miserable if you associate with them.

Illus: Let tell you about an old grumpy man and his wife.

While on a road trip, an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch. After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant, and resumed their trip.

When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table, and she didn't miss them until they had been driving down the road about forty miles.

She told her husband and he started GROWLING!!!

• By then, to add to the aggravation, they had to travel quite a distance before they could find a place to turn around.

• They had to return to the restaurant to retrieve her glasses and her old GRUMPY husband was GRUMBLING ALL THE WAY!

• He fussed and complained, and scolded his wife relentlessly during the entire return drive.

• The more he chided her, the more agitated he became. He just wouldn't let up for a single minute about her leaving her glasses in the restaruant.

• To her relief, they finally arrived at the restaurant.

• As the woman got out of the car, and hurried inside to retrieve her glasses, the old geezer yelled to her, "While you're in there…you might as well get my hat and the credit card I left there."

Illus: One man said my new neighbor is a grumpy old German.

• The man said what is his name?

• The man said I do not know his name but I guess you could call him Mr. Sour Kraut.

Listen God never intended for His church to be filled with a bunch of SOUR KRAUTS!

God wants His church to be a JOYFUL PLACE!!!

The Lord gives us His JOY each day, but the devil tries to rob us of it each day.

Remember that verse of scripture I read to you a few minutes ago. John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The devil will make sure every day GRUMPY people will enter our life to strip every ounce of joy that they can to extract from our life.

These PEOPLE spare no effort to rob us the JOY OF THE LORD:

• They will drive across town TO STRIP US OF OUR JOY.

• They will walk in the rain and snow for miles TO STRIP US OF OUR JOY.

• They will spend the last dollar they have TO STRIP US OF OUR JOY.

• After a joyful church service they will meet you in the church parking lot TO STRIP US OF OUR JOY.

They are GRUMPY people and the devil is using them to rob people of the JOY OF THE LORD!

Illus: Dr. Odell Belger tells the story as a young pastor starting a church he had to tear down a large two story duplex house to build a new church building on this site to build.