Sermons
Do All Things Without Grumbling
DO ALL THINGS WITHOUT GRUMBLING
Sermon By Terry Siverd
Cortland Church of Christ / March 17, 2019
Grumbling in any measure is not very attractive, but chronic grumbling is really quite ugly.
As a springboard for this morning's sermon I want us to reflect on the words of Paul recorded in Philp.2:14-16 - -
Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may 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, holding fast the word of life, so that in the
day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
Many years ago, in the Middle Ages, some prominent church leaders wrote and spoke often of SEVEN DEADLY SINS.
Sloth … Lust … Anger … Pride … Envy … Gluttony … and Greed.
Their general contention was that most all sins flow forth from these seven major dispositions.
Unfortunately the codification of these so-called, “deadly seven”
inadvertently works to downplay the harmful nature of numerous other sins.
We have been in an extended sermon series which I have titled, “Joy Robbers”.
From the very outset of this series and repeatedly throughout, we have attempted to underscore how our sinful behavior erodes (steals away) much of the JOY that God our Father and Christ our Savior has intended for us to savor.
As we discussed two Sundays ago, “holding a grudge” has dangerous and dire consequences. It might not be
listed by some as a capital vice, a cardinal transgression or a deadly sin, but it has life and death ramifications.
Now, for this morning we want to consider GRUMBLING.
Please don't try to convince me that this human weakness, while indeed a shortcoming, is not actually sinful.
Before you dare to take such a stand, it might be helpful to go back and take a careful look at The Scriptures.
The Bible clearly shows grumbling to be a SIN.
And while some medieval writers may not have viewed grumbling as a “biggie”, as compared to
some other sins, the degree to which grumbling impacts our lives is quite serious.
Grumbling is pervasive - - it's everywhere - - and few, if any among us can rightfully claim to be immune to this sin.
Grumbling is also a very big concern, in terms of how it provokes the wrath of God.
Our grumblings can be divided into two basic categories:
grumblings against God and grumblings towards others.
Let's begin our study this morning by looking at this first category - - grumblings against God.
It is here that we come to grasp the severity of this sin from God's perspective.
Open your Bibles to the Old Testament books of Exodus and Numbers.
Read Exodus 15:22-27
Note also how their grumblings are cited in Ex.16 and 17.
Numbers 14:1-4 & 14:26-30 and Numbers 16:41-49a
Throughout their forty-year journey in the wilderness (a sojourn from bondage to freedom - - a pilgrimage
from Egyptian slavery to an abundant life in the promised land - - the nation of Israel was full of grumblings.
Despite the fact that God did marvelous things for them throughout those four decades, Israel grumbled.
Biblical precedence helps enlighten our understanding of God's view of sin.
From this Num.16 text we can faithfully extrapolate the following.
(1) When the nation of Israel became consumed with grumbling, God consumed them.
(2) When Israel became plagued by a spirit of grumbling, God visited them with a severe plague.
We cannot read these ancient texts and not correctly conclude that God hates grumbling!
While our loving Heavenly Father may be patient with our once-in-a-while occasion grumblings, He will neither
tolerate nor excuse us when our grumbling becomes the predictable and prevalent pattern in our lives.
Ps.106 is a powerful psalm that extols God's goodness (cf. Vss.7-10).
There is one verse (located in the midst of the psalm) that summarizes the people of Israel - -
Ps.106:25 / they grumbled in their tents
This spirit of discontent became their way of life.
Their (tents) homes were polluted with grumblings.
Sometimes I fear that we are all too much like Israel of olden days.
Read from 1Cor.10:1-12.
Notice the company.
Paul details the displeasure of God.
Do not be idolaters (vs.7) … Let us not act immorally (vs.8).
We would expect those two to be on a list of things that anger God.
But vs.10, Nor grumble! ?
In the New Testament we read of horizontal grumblings - - brethren against brethren.
Lk.5:30 / the Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at Jesus' disciples
We expect this.
But this is not what we expect in the church.
Acts 6:1 / a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Jews.
Paul writes to the Christians in Ephesus / let all bitterness and wrath and anger
and CLAMOR and slander be put away from you, along with all malice (Eph.4:31).
The apostle James writes (Js.5:9) - - do not complain (grumble), brethren,
against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged.
Peter admonishes (1Pet.4:9) - - be hospitable to one another without complaint (grumbling).
If we decide to move forward with plans to construct a Family Life Center I have a fund-raising idea.
Canning our Grumbling.
Every “tent” (home) has a coffee can that serves as a collection container for grumbling fines.
$1/any kind of grumble … $5/church grumblings … $10/grumblings against God.
Once every three months, all the funds in our grumbling cans (murmuring monies)
are added to our special quarterly offering.
