Illus: A woman went to a dentist to have a tooth extracted.
• She asked the dentist how much will it cost?
• He said it will cost seventy five dollars.
• She began to grumble about the fee.
• “Seventy five dollars for pulling out a tooth!, ” she exclaimed. “And it’s only a minute’s work. ”
• The dentist said, “Well, if you wish I can drag it out slowly if that will make you happy.
• The scriptures has a lot to say about complaining.
Why? Because people complain about everything.
• It is to COLD or to HOT,
• No RAIN, to much RAIN.
For example, the Bible tells us in Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without murmurings and disputings:”
My translation of that verse is “QUIT YOUR BELLYACHING!!!
The Greek word translated “complainer” means literally “one who is discontented with his lot in life.”
Complaining has:
• Destroyed Churches
• Destroyed friendships
• Destroyed marriages
• Destroyed communities
• Destroyed jobs
Illus: A monk joined a monastery and took a vow of silence.
• After the first 10 years his superior called him in and asked, “Do you have anything to say?”
• The monk replied, “Food bad.”
• After another 10 years the monk again had opportunity to voice his thoughts.
• He said, “Bed hard.”
• Another 10 years went by and again he was called in before his superior. When asked if he had anything to say, he responded, “I quit.”
• His superior said, “It doesn’t surprise me a bit. You’ve done nothing but complain ever since you got here.”
Today we hear all kinds of complaints. You do not have to go very far before you hear someone complaining.
Illus: A customer was badgering the waiter in a restaurant.
• First, he asked that the air conditioning be turned up because he was too hot.
• Then he asked it be turned down cause he was too cold, and so on for about half an hour.
• Surprisingly, the waiter was very patient, he walked back and forth and never once got angry.
• So finally, a second customer asked him why he didn’t throw out the pest."
• Oh, I really don’t care or mind," said the waiter with a smile. "We don’t even have an air conditioner."
Illus: One man said, for the past 20 years my wife has been complaining about me not putting the cap back on the toothpaste.
• Last anniversary, I decided to change this bad habit and make my wife happy.
• For a week, I was diligent, always capping the toothpaste. I was expecting my wife to thank me, but she never did it.
• Finally last night, she turned and looked at me and said - "Why have you stopped brushing your teeth?"
Illus: If I had in my hands a large box of badges, and distributed them among you, then I asked you if you would take this badge that has the one word “complainer” written on it, and pin it on someone, who in this congregation would you pin it on?
Some of you would be covered with those badges from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet.
Why? Because some of you are known for your murmuring. Regardless how God bleses they can only find something to complain about.
There would be others in this congregation who would not have one single badge pinned on them.
Why?
Because they have built a reputation that they love the Lord, and they are always thankful unto the Lord for His many blessings.
Illus: Kathleen Parker, in the Orlando Sentinel said, “It is so much easier to fix blame than to fix problems.” - The Speaker's Digest (Oct./Nov./Dec. 1992). Christianity Today, Vol. 37, no. 6.
Unless we are willing to be a participant in solving the problem, we should not open our mouths.
Illus: These remind me of people who are always complaining about this country. But the fact is, they do not care enough about this country to go to the polls and put someone in office who can solve the problems this country has. They just love to murmur, and politics is something they always murmur about.
Never complain about anything unless you are willing to do something about it yourself.
Illus: This reminds me of the cowboys who were driving cattle across the country and everyone complained about the food. Finally, one day the cook got enough of it, and went to the foreman and was threatening to quit because of all the complaints he was receiving. The foreman talked him into not quitting, and told all the men that the next time he heard someone complain about the food, they would be the next cook.
Sure enough, the next meal came and the very first man got his plate, sat under a tree, took a big bite out of steak and screamed out, “This steak taste like shoe leather!” Then he remembered what the foreman said about the next one to complain becoming the cook, and he immediately said, “But that is way I like it!”
So, what did you complain about this morning?
• The person driving too slowly in front of you on your way to church?
• The temperature of your coffee?
• That this room was too cold, too warm, the sound too loud, not loud enough?
• Your kids, your wife, your husband ... ?
Complaining in America has become as popular as American apple pie!
Illus: We now have talk radio where people listen to complaint after complaint through out the day…GOD HELP US!!!.
Never complain about anything unless you are willing to do something about it yourself.
And sometime you can not do anything about it so let me say as nice as I know how…JUST SHUT UP, NO ONE CARES TO HEAR IT!
The Bible has a great deal to say about murmuring. For example, let us look at-
I. THE SERIOUSNESS OF MURMURING
Look at Numbers. 21:4-6, “And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.”
Notice, they complained against God and God’s man Moses.
Now listen, there are people today who will complain about God who is perfect. There are those who think they know more than God.
Also, they complained about Moses one of the greatest men who ever walked in shoe leather.
But listen, it is foolish to think:
• All brick layers are good brick layers.
• All doctors are good doctors
• All painters are good house painters.
• And all pastors are good pastors.
Illus: Makes me think of the house painter who would thin the water base paint down with water over and over again to make it easy to paint with.
• After the first rain all the paint washed off the house.
• His boss man came to him and said…REPENT AND THIN NO MORE!
In all occupations there is good men and evil men.
But to listen to some of these complainers:
• There is no good preachers
• There is no good policemen
• There is no good politicians
• There is no good school teachers
• There is no sincere christians that love the Lord. They are all hypocrites.
But make no mistake about it; a complainer will do two things for certain:
(1) He will find something to complain about
(2) And he will complain
How many of you have ever received a chain letter? Here is one you might really enjoy:
Illus: This chain letter is meant to bring you happiness and joy. Unlike other chain letters it does not cost money. Just send a copy of this letter to 6 other churches that are complaining about their pastors. Then bundle up your pastor and send him to the church at the bottom of the list. In 1 week you will receive 16,436 pastors, and one of them should work out. Have faith in this letter. P.S. I feel I must warn you, one church broke the chain and got their old pastor back!
There are so many unhappy people in the world, but what is sad about this is that it seems so many of these people are church goers that claim they know the Lord Jesus as their personal Savior.
You see, the devil knows if he can get church members complaining who would want to come to their church.
Illus: Let me ask you something. Suppose you drove up to a restaurant with your family and people were coming out of the door vomiting as they came out of the front door.
You looked across the parking lot and people are vomiting in the parking lot WOULD YOU TAKE YOUR FAMILY INSDE FOR A MEAL…I DO NOT THINK SO. IN FACT, I KNOW SO!
And the one thing that is churches is that many churches are filled with COMPLAINERS!!!
Now I am not preaching this sermon because that is the case in this church. We are bless with good godly people.
I am preaching this sermon to this congregation as a CAUTIONARY SERMON TO KEEP THIS CHURCH FROM BECOMING SUCH A CHURCH.
The children of Israel were murmuring, and God was so displeased with their murmuring that He made them wander in the wilderness for forty years. FORTY YEARS!
There are complaining churches today who can not:
Remember when someone gloriously saved.
Remember when the last time someone got baptized.
And it will remain this way until these churches get right with God and quit their complaining.
Look at Jude 14b-16, “... Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, TO EXECUTE JUDGMENT UPON ALL, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Who are these that God is going to execute judgment on? We continue to read, “These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.”
We have seen THE SERIOUSNESS OF MURMURING, now let’s look at:
II. THE SAMPLES OF MURMURING
Listen, there is a lot of murmuring and there are a lot of different kinds of murmurings. And the Lord is displeased with every one of them.
Let’s look at the types of murmuring:
A. THE IDEALISTIC MURMURING
This is a person that complains about ANYTHING and ANYONE that is less than perfect. That is a lot of folks to complain about.
That is, every time they see something that:
• Does not meet their standard of perfection
• They do not agree with
They will murmur.
When a person lives each day God gives them like this, it gives them a lot of things to complain about, and they take advantage of every opportunity.
You know something that I have come to notice, if you…
• Want an excuse not to come to church God will give you one!
• Want something to complain about the devil will give you something to complain about!
This is IDEALISTIC MURMURING. Then we also have -
B. THE PESSIMISTIC MURMURING
This person sees no good, absolutely none whatsoever! For example, in their sight:
• All policemen are crooks
• All politicians are crooks
• All Churches are filled with hypocrites
• All School teachers are incompetent
• There are incompetent schoolteachers
But to make a blanket statement and includes all of these is UNFAIR!
Paul wrote to the church of Thessalonians and said, in 1 Thess 5: 12-13a, “And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.”
We can find GOOD in everybody, it just depends on what you are looking for.
Paul is telling the church that there are some godly men and women, seek them out, and when you find them, “…Esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.”
But there is another kind of a murmuring we need to look out for. That is-
C. THE SKEPTICAL MURMURING
This person is a doubter. Because they lack FAITH IN ALMIGHTY GOD they complain constantly.
Peter was a DOUBTING COMPLAINER. Look at Luke 5:4-6, “Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing.”
The Lord had given Peter some very specific instructions:
• Launch out into the deep
• Let down your nets
But notice, Peter complained, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing.”
In other words, Lord, I doubt that will do any good, we have done that all night and it did not work, why will it work now?
But notice, Peter stopped his complaining, and the Bible says he said, “…nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”
He stopped his doubting and complaining and obeyed the Lord, and looked what happened. We read, “And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.”
D. THE ENVIOUS MURMURING
Jealously and envy will prompt all sorts of murmuring. Even Pilate knew why the chief priests had brought Jesus to him.
Look at Mk. 15:10, “For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.”
That is, the reason they brought the Lord to Pilate was because the chief priest was jealous of Him. And he came to Pilate murmuring and Pilate knew he was jealous of Him.
E. THE UNGRATEFUL MURMURING
Thanklessness is often the root of faultfinding.
Job had the right attitude: Job 1:21 “And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Something the Lord has taught me anytime I yield to devil and complain I try to find two thing to praise the Lord. I call this my 2 and 1 system and the devil does not like it!
We have seen:
I. THE SERIOUSNESS OF MURMURING,
II. THE SAMPLES OF MURMURING,
Now let’s look at:
III. THE SOLUTION OF MURMURING
The apostle Paul was a man that learned the secret to overcoming murmuring.
Look at Phil. 4:11, “Not that I speak in respect of want: For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
Notice, Paul teaches us this is a LEARNING PROCESS. Evidently there was a time in Paul’s life he was a complainer.
BUT NOW HE HAS LEARNED TO BE CONTENT!!!
HOW DO WE LEARN?
By practicing something over and over.
Illus: Everyone here could learn to play the piano if they took the time day after day to practice something over and over.
When tempted to murmur, we do well to ask:
• Is the situation as bad as it seems? Most of the time it is not.
• Can anything positive be done to improve the situation? Most of the time it can.
• Do I love the Lord enough to do something about it?
The prophet Isaiah did.
Look at Isaiah 6:5, we read, “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”
Look at Verse 8. We read, “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, HERE AM I; SEND ME.”
Our churches are filled with people who murmur about lost loved ones and friends who are not saved.
Listen, it is time to stop griping about this sinful world we live in and do something about it. Isaiah said, “HERE AM I, SEND ME.”
Illus: I want you to look across this congregation, IS THERE ANYONE HERE BECAUSE YOU TOOK THE TIME TO INVITE SOMEONE TO COME TO CHURCH.
• Are you willing to do something to help, besides talk?
• This is where the rubber meets the road.
Sometimes, we may need to put up or shut up.
Remember this: Nobody ever erected a statue in honor of a critic.
Conclusion:
Phil. 2:14 “Do all things without murmurings and disputings:”
When God has so graciously blessed us the way He has, it makes you wonder why we would ever murmur about anything.
Illus: Counselors say that complainers are the hardest people in the world to help. You can’t satisfy them.
No complainer can ever win anyone to Christ BECAUSE NO LOST PERSON DOES NOT WANT TO BE AROUND THEM!
But listen, if there be a Christian here today that complains all the time I want to encourage you not to never invite anyone to come to this church.
Why?
Because they might think everyone in this church is just like you!
But if you are a thankful, godly person please invite your family and friends to come to church with you. Because they will think everyone is like you.
I. THE SERIOUSNESS OF MURMURING
II. THE SAMPLES OF MURMURING
III. THE SOLUTION OF MURMURING
