SERMON BRIEF
Date Written: January 31, 2001
Date Edited: May 21, 2003
Date Preached: January 31, 2001
May 21, 2003
Church: BBC (PM) Wed Night
OZHBC (PM) Wed Night
FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS
Series: Great Imperatives for the Christian Walk
Title: The Imperative Regarding Grumbling
Text: Phil 2:14-15
“…Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,…”
Introduction:
A politician once met an emigrant from Russia. "I guess you left Russia because you wanted more freedom,"
"No, I had plenty of freedom," replied the Russian. "I could not complain."
"Then it must be that there were no opportunities in Russia," the politician said.
"I had opportunities!" the Russian insisted. "I could not complain."
"Was it that you could not find a nice place to live?"
"Not at all. I had a beautiful apartment. I could not complain."
The politician looked confused. "If everything was fine in Russia, why did you come to America?"
"Aha!" the Russian chortled. "Here I can complain!"
In America we believe that it is our “God given right” to be able to complain, and we DO have freedom of speech in this nation. The problem comes when people do not understand that freedom of speech does not guarantee that anyone has to listen to you.
So with that in mind, here is something I want us all to remember before we burden other people with our troubles.
Half of the people we want to tell aren’t the least bit interested in our complaints, and the rest are happy that you’re finally getting what they think is coming to you!
-Vance Packard
We have no more right to put our discordant states of mind into the lives of those around us and rob them of their sunshine and brightness than we to enter their houses and steal their silverware.
- Julia Moss Seton
In looking at Webster’s definition I find it tells us that to complain means:
to protest,
to criticize,
to grumble,
to nit pick,
to whine,
nag,
find fault or
to object to a certain situation or set of circumstances.
I have also found that the very opposite of complaining or grumbling is PRAISE!
Let me ask you this evening…
Are you a grumbler or complainer?
Do you complain towards God?
Do you gripe about your family situation or whine about your fellow church members or co-workers?
Now while I believe that we all do this to a certain extent, I believe that in tonight’s passage the Apostle Paul is going to address that issue to the church in Philippi. But for good reason. The church is Philippi had become a haven for complaining and grumbling, and Paul wanted them to see past mere life circumstances and see what God had done, was doing and would continue to do.
Tonight I want us to look at what Paul said about this subject by taking these 2 verses of Scripture and breaking them apart and looking at what they have to say.
First I want us to look at the areas where we should or should not grumble or complain.
Let’s notice what Paul said in the very first part of this verse…
“…do ALL things without grumbling or disputing…”
If we look at what Paul says here, where or what in our lives do we have the right to complain or grumble about?
If you read this as I do, you’re answer will be the same as mine…we DON’T have the right to complain or grumble! It does not matter what goes on in our lives we do not have the right to complain or grumble.
This verse goes hand in hand with the faith that we claim so boldly every time we read Scripture such as Phil 4:13 where Paul says, “…I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength…”
Or when we read Romans 8:28 when Paul writes, “…God works ALL things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose…”
Or when we read later in that very chapter when Paul writes, “…if God be for us, then who can be against us…”
There are many other passages in the Bible that we can turn to and claim the promise that Christ will always be there to meet our needs and make things all right. However, the key factor to remember here is, “Do I believe what I read in my Bible and what I hear preached from the pulpit?”
Can we truly go to our prayer closet and tell God that we want to do His will and that we trust in Him completely…and still complain and grumble? We can, but how effective of a life could we live before our co-workers, or family?
To fully understand the significance of this particular imperative that regards grumbling and complaining, I believe we must examine the context in which Paul was writing the letter.
Paul was speaking to a fellowship he held near and dear to his heart because he led many of these people to Christ when he was there in Philippi. He desired that they reflect Christ in all they did and said.
He expressed to them that his JOY would be in seeing them fulfill the commandments of Christ. He would experience that joy in this life and again when Christ came back and the next world came to be.
Paul spoke a little earlier in this chapter about God’s good work begun in the believer and how that was the source of our strength.
In v. 13 of this chapter we find the Apostle Paul writing, “…God is at work IN you…” This good news is letting the believer know that God is NOT an impersonal, unmoving and uncaring God. He created us and He desires to be involved in our lives.
God came down to man in the form of Jesus Christ and now He chooses to dwell within all humans who will accept Him in the form of the Holy Spirit.
Paul speaks of the ‘good work’ Christ has begun in us, but what good work was that?
God works within us to help us to make the right choices (v. 13)
God works within us to help us to follow through on our right choices and do the right thing (v.13)
God works in us to make us blameless and without fault or flaw in the eyes of this evil world.
God works in us to shine His light into this dark world (v. 15)
The reason that God works in us to accomplish these things is that God desires to give us MUCH more than a mere ticket into heaven. He desires to give us much more than just keeping us safe from the flames of hell.
It is God’s will that we display our heavenly citizenship here in this life so that more people would come to know Him and accept Him as their Lord and Savior.
So that we could lead more people away from their life of NO FAITH…and into a life of FAITH and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
That is the work that God has begun in us when we are saved and he continues to build upon that work in us, but we must be willing and cooperative to His spirit.
I believe that God’s good work can be found in all Christians; it is simply that some do it more willingly than others.
The message in this verse tonight is that we cannot allow the ‘happenings’ of our life overcome our joy in the Lord. Because if the world only sees the complaining and grumbling…and they NEVER see the JOY that God brings into a life He has changed.
And that leads me to the 2nd part of this passage in which Paul says:
“…do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation…”
Here Paul gives the reasoning behind the charge to NOT complain and grumble. It is so that we [Christians] will be a light in a dark world.
So that the world would look at us and not see anything to prevent them from desiring to come to know Christ as we do.
Ask yourself these questions tonight.
Am I doing anything that would prevent someone from wanting to become a Christian?
Am I grumbling and complaining about the things of life to those around me?
Am I complaining about the people I work for or with?
Am I criticizing the way people are doing things in our church or at work?
Do I nag or find fault in things and express them in a negative manner?
What Paul is saying here is that we MUST not complain or grumble because it tells the world that our joy is false and tells the world that Christ is not what we make Him out to be.
Finally the last part of this passage tells us why we should desire to appear blameless and innocent to this world.
“…among whom YOU appear as lights in the world…”
Here Paul drives home the purpose of our lives as Christians…to shine the light of Christ in all that we say and do.
Let’s go back to some of those Scriptures that we viewed at the beginning of tonight’s study.
In Phil 4:13 Paul says that he can do all things through Christ, but what was the situation and why was he saying this…
The situation that Paul addresses early in chapter 4 was one of dissent and disagreement between 2 specific members of the fellowship there in Philippi.
Euodia and Syntyche were at odds, there was complaining and bickering between these two and those who supported them.
Paul expressed to them that they are to be anxious for nothing, but be thankful in all situations. Why and how could they do this…in v.7 he details why and how… “and the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehesion shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus…”
He goes on to tell them to concentrate on the good things and not the bad. He did not tell them this without experience. He goes into how he had learned to be content wherever God placed him.
v.11-12 “…not that I speak from want for I have learnt to be content in whatever circumstance I am. I know how to get along with humble means and I also know how to live in prosperity…”
Paul wanted them to understand that the situation in life was not to change our Joy in Christ or our outlook to the world or how the world saw us!
It glorifies God when we can go through life bumps and bruises without complaining or grumbling! That draws people TO Christ, whereas grumbling and complaining drives people AWAY from Christ!
In the book of Romans we looked at 2 particular passages (v.29 and v. 31) What was Paul driving at when he wrote this passage?
Paul was speaking to the church in Rome about their ultimate victory in Christ.
Let’s look at the entire passage to get a broader picture of what he was saying. [read 8:26-39]
Do you see how Paul’s words here tie into what Paul was saying to the Philippians?
Here Paul lets the Christian know that Christ will overcome ALL situations in our lives.
Therefore there is no reason to worry or fret. Or as he told the Philippians there is no reason to complain or grumble. After all if the God of the universe is on your side…what is there to worry/complain about!
As Christians today we are concerned about many things. We tend to allow the ‘things’ of this world to distort or even block our view of Christ.
[Use example of Peter walking on water here]
If we allow the things of this world or the situations that we encounter in this world to be the closest to us…then we lose sight of what we SHOULD be seeking and that is the face of Christ.
So as fellow believers…let’s do what Paul suggested and… “do all things without grumbling or complaining…” Because in the end Christ will be glorified and people will be drawn TO HIM!
