The Not So Silent Killer Series

Trans. I need to be brief in these last two truths.

E. Criticism Can Sometimes Be Just A Stumble.

1. Look at V. 11 (read). Sometimes a critical attitude can be a stumble and not a sign that a person has gone totally downhill. Remember that man I mentioned earlier who was critical of my sermon? Well after getting his letter I shot off one to him. It was kind but it was direct. I told him that he missed the whole point of my sermon. I told him I agree that to me the message didn’t come out as I wanted it to but that it hurt me deeply that he chose the method he did to communicate with me. That Saturday I got a phone call from him and he asked if he could come and see me. He came to my office that day and with tears in his eyes he apologized for his words and told me he wanted to be an encourager to me. He stumbled but he didn’t fall.

2. Just because I stumble and fall sometimes doesn’t mean I no longer know how to walk so I go out and buy a wheel chair. I just need to be more careful so that I don’t’ stumble again. Sometime I just need to pick my feet up instead of dragging them.

F. Criticism Will Stop The Flow Of God’s Blessing.

1. Mike Bayer keeps asking me to preach a sermon called “The Big Little Word”. He wants to me to preach a sermon on the word “If” because the bible is full if “ifs”. God wants to do so many things for us but He is hindered and limited because we are choosing not to do what will release those blessings. If we chose to keep a critical attitude then we are also choosing to cut off the flow of God’s blessing in out lives.

2. I have seen this happen over and over again where people get upset and leave a church and then move to another one they think is better. Usually if they are Nazarene’s they will pick out the closest Nazarene church. The problem with many of these people is that they never dealt with that heart issue I spoke of before. They thought that a change of scenery would change their attitudes but it didn’t and I have witnessed in those churches where pastors had a nervous breakdown because of all the complaining and critical attitudes that filled those churches. Remember, no matter where you go, there you are. You may need to leave that church but will you be open and honest with the pastor or leader you are upset with before you leave? If not you will take those same bitter and critical attitudes to the next church.

LIFE APPLICATION:

A. Well I have spent a long time on this attitude but I believe it is a very important attitude for us to know about and beware of. All of us need to understand that criticism will come to us. If you or I think we will be able to avoid all criticism we are very wrong, and the fact is there is some criticism we need. What you and I have to be careful of is that we don’t catch the disease. I think that criticism is an infectious disease. If you hang around critical people you will eventually become a critical person. So be careful of the company you keep.

B. The best way to deflect criticism is to hand it over to God. 1 Peter 5:8 CEV says, All of you young people should obey your elders. In fact, everyone should be humble toward everyone else. The Scriptures say, "God opposes proud people, but he helps everyone who is humble." 6 Be humble in the presence of God’s mighty power, and he will honor you when the time comes. 7 God cares for you, so turn all your worries over to him.