Attitude: Complaining
Attitude: It Matters to God! • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 41 viewsWe must understand that a Complaining attitude is an offense to our Sovereign Lord!
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction
Introduction
Attention Step
Have you ever wondered around in a place, going in circles, unable to find your way out?
Many kids get lost inside a store
Have many of you have been to a Corn Maze during the fall?
Airports can be intimidating, trying to get to right place at the right time
How about the shows that have someone trek through the desert, they’re getting worn down, thirsty, begin seeing images of water, etc.
Interest Step
That’s how the Israelites throughout their journeys as they left Egypt
They were enslaved and then delivered out of Egypt
At Mount Sinai they were giving the Law and there established an entity guided by Yahweh
Leave Sinai to head toward the Promise Land (Land flowing with milk and honey!)
The travel was rough and exhausting only to find themselves being punished for 40 years before entering the Land
How were they punished? They were to wander in the wilderness/desert!
Many lost their lives and didn’t get to enter! Moses didn’t even get to enter!
Lead into Subject
What did they do to deserve this punishment?
Starts with ONE word..... ATTITUDE!
Attitude matters!
Not only to your parents, or to your spouse or friends
But throughout this series, we are going to discover that it means everything to our Creator, the HOLY God!
Transition
Throughout this series we will alternate weeks by going from: replacing a negative attitude to replacing it WITH a postive one!
All of which are BIBLICAL and necessary for a healthy walk with our Savior
Proposition
Today, we must understand that we need to: Replace a COMPLAINING Attitude
How many people love being around those who complain allllll..... the...... time..... (stop looking at your neighbor!)
Let’s examine the complaining attitude of God’s People… the Israelites in this morning
Let’s examine the complaining attitude of God’s People… the Israelites in this morning
1. Complaining is a Choice!
1. Complaining is a Choice!
By the way..... ALL attitudes are choices!
You take a circumstance or a statement someone has said to you and you DECIDE what attitude you will carry because of that
Look at it with me in verse 1....
“THE PEOPLE”
Did you notice that?
It doesn’t say: “Because of their heritage”, “Because of their circumstance”, “Because their families did”
THE PEOPLE decided on their own to complain
A Complaining attitude is NOT inherited!
Let’s pause there....
What is complaining?
We know WHEN people are complaining but for us to truly understand the DANGERS of a complaining attitude, we must know what it is
Simple Definition:
“To express ingratitude and discontent for an unjustified and/or in an unjustified way”
It’s from this general definition that we will get a more BIBLICAL definition later on today
Argumentation
CHOOSING a complaing attitude is dangerous because it becomes a bad HABIT!
Following the Israelites from the time they came out of Egypt up until where we are today and even beyond in Numbers, the Israelites developed a bad habit of complaining whenever something tough crept into their lives
: Cross the Red Sea on DRY LAND and then complain that they were thirsty just a few days later (in the same chapter!)
Leave Sinai where they experienced God, and three days later.... they complain again!
Look at verse 4 (through 10)
Application
Before moving on this morning, we need ask ourselves, “Do i have the habit of reverting to complaining when life gets rough and confusing?”
Because it’s a habit, it will take a while to overcome, but today needs to be the start!
The LORD IS ANGRY when His people complain!
Why is that? Is God being overdramatic?
2. Complaining is an Offense (to God!)
2. Complaining is an Offense (to God!)
“It displeased God...”
His anger was aroused
The fire of the Lord (lightning) burned among them
some of the camp was engulfed
Why did it anger the Lord though?
Think about all the Lord had done so far for the Israelites!
Turn with me to
5 Privileges!
SEE: Complaining is a result of forgetting the perfect provision of God and CHOOSING to dwell on your circumstances instead
ESV: “about their misfortunes”
Their misfortunes? God has been with them!
Remember? Complaining is showing discontent in an unjustified way
We truly complain when something at its core is NOT WRONG
Complaining is just taking the place of you taking action to correct the issue you’re complaining about
You don’t take action because it’s not wrong!
That’s why people’s responses to complainers is, “Would you just complaining!”
9 out of 10 times you complain is something that God has in control and you’re just not comfortable
Application
Which leaves us the question of: “Do you trust in God’s Provision over your life?”
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Complaining OFFENDS God because you are turning eyes AWAY from Him and turning them on your circumstances and ultimately on an idol in your life
The idol of a perfect, comfortable life
Because complaining is a result of an idol in your life we must realize our final truth this morning....
3. Complaining is a SIN!
3. Complaining is a SIN!
What was the result of the Israelites complaining here in ? We have two instances of DISCIPLINE
Fire burned inside the camp (v.1)
God struck the people with a plague as they ate the Qual (v33)
God disciplined the people because of their complaining towards Him because it was sin!
As you read through , Paul reiterates as he does in Hebrews as well, that God still disciplines His people today!
We must LEARN FROM THIS encounter so that we do not fall into the same trap!
Remember the Words this morning, “The people complained and the Lord HEARD THEM”
Conclusion
You complain when you take your eyes off of Christ and put them on your own circumstances
You whine because you’re mad because of something uncomfortable happening in your life because you worship the idol of the “perfect life”
You complain when that small idol becomes bigger than God is in your life
Illustration of small thing becoming bigger than something that is bigger
Beware of a complaining attitude because it will DESTROY YOU!
Friends, ANYTIME your eyes are not on the Savior and you are NOT walking with him, you are going down a destructive dead-end which ends up in Hell or God’s discipline in this life
For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.