“Complaints R-Us - The Cost of Complaining”

TEXT: Phil 2:14-15; Gen. 3:11-13; Gen 4:6-9; Exodus 16; Matt. 20:1-16; Num. 14

If you are living and breathing, chances are you are probably, daily complaining about something.  Whether it’s the weather, the weather man or something that’s gotten under our skin - “complaints R-us” The apostle Paul wrote “Do all things without grumbling or complaining.” (Phil. 2:15) Right now, I’ll bet you are thinking of somebody else who needs to hear this sermon besides yourself. 

Today we are going to talk about complaining and we will try to answer three questions:

Where does complaining come from? What does complaining cost? What would life look like if I didn’t complain? 

Where does complaining come from - where are it’s roots?

✦ Longing to be blameless

-         Gen. 3:11-13; Gen 4:6-9

-         Longing to be blameless is the foundational idea of where complaining comes from

✦ Longing for the good old days (past)

-         We become nostalgic about the way things used to be.

-         See Exodus 16

✦ Longing for what is rightfully mine

-         See Matthew 20:1-16 – The parable of the vineyard.

-         Every time when we find ourselves complaining, coming from the root within us is the thought – I am entitled - it’s rightfully mine.

✦Complaining is often simply a refusal to have my faith stretched.

-         We might think, I get really scared because things are going to be different.

-         We might think, I don’t really like change - I kind of hope we always do things a certain way.

-         That is quite a natural response, but God is doing a new thing among Christian’s today and what he is doing will always stretch your faith and cause you to think differently.

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What does complaining cost?

✘ Complaining makes life miserable for leaders

✘ Complaining causes us to miss what God is doing

✘ Complaining damages things God gives me to grow me

What would life look like if I didn’t complain?

-         “Do all things without grumbling or complaining.” (Phil. 2:15)

-         Challenge: What would it be like to go 1 day, one week, two weeks, or how about 21 days without complaining?  That is the challenge.