Complaining~The Cancer of Faith

Well good morning, grace and peace be multiplied to each one this morning. Let's see, last week I was asked to preach back at Living Hope and I felt that this message that I preached and prepared for there would be applicable here. So I wanted to preach it here too, but I will say if any of you listened or those of you who are along with me last week, I'll just ask you try to listen for something new.

Try to listen, ask the Lord to show you something you missed last week. You know Peter himself said that he'll continue to not forget to remind you of these things, so you know even as preachers we've got to go over that same subject ten times it feels like sometimes as we prepare, so you can just run along with us those that were here last week. I'd like to start off with a story.

In the chaos of a subway train there sat a man with three young children. The children seemed unrestrained, their energy boundless as they bounced from seat to seat. Their laughter echoing off the walls of the train car.

Passengers around them exchanged glances, some rolling their eyes in annoyance and others sighing in exasperation. The children's antics only seemed to escalate their energy unchecked by their father's tired attempts to calm them. Frustration mounted among the passengers, murmurs of annoyance spreading through the crowded space.

Finally unable to bear the disruption any longer, a few passengers approached the man with irritation. Excuse me, one of them began. Could you please try to keep your children under control? They're disturbing everyone on the train.

I'm sorry, he said softly. His voice trembled with sorrow. Their mother just passed away and we're on our way home from the hospital.

The words hung heavy in the air, silencing the murmurs of discontent. Suddenly the passengers saw the scene before them in a new light. In an instant the atmosphere on the train shifted.

Empathy replaced, replacing annoyance as passengers offered their condolences and assistance. Some offered snacks to the children, others helped to entertain them. Their gestures small but filled with compassion.

Please take your Bibles and turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 10. I think maybe two, three weeks ago as I was praying what the Lord would have me preach, I was reading and this passage just stuck out to me very, very emphatically and I knew that the Lord wanted this to be preached to his people. So let's read it.

1st Corinthians 10 verse 1. Moreover brethren, I would not that you should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and were all baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ but with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. Neither be idolaters as were some of them as it is written the people sat down to eat and to drink and rose up to play.

Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell on one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer.

Now all these things happened to them for in samples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the end of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with that temptation also make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it.

As we see in this passage they all started out well it says they were baptized to Moses they ate of that spiritual drink they and they ate of the spiritual food also and yet it says many of them were not God was not well pleased with them. They started out well but they were overthrown in the wilderness. You know I think this morning if one of our brothers came in here and confessed that they were had fallen into some kind of fornication this last week we would take it pretty seriously.

If somebody would tell us that they had a little Hindu God or a little Buddha in their home and they've been worshipping it we would take that pretty seriously. But how serious do we take murmuring and complaining? Do we take it as serious as God takes it? And that's what stood out to me as I read this passage. Paul lists murmuring right along with all the other serious sins and yet I think sometimes we put that just a little bit lower on our list of grievous sins and so I hope my goal today is to do what Paul said.

He said look at Israel as an example. He said they were our example upon whom the end of the world has come us and they are written for our admonition. So I want to do that this morning.

I want to look at Israel and learn some things from them. So the title of what I titled this message is complaining the cancer of faith. Bob heard it the other night and he thought it was the answer of faith.

No it's not that. It's the cancer of faith. You know cancer is one of those things that just slowly eats away at things and that's what complaining does in our hearts.

It just slowly eats away at faith. So to begin with let's jump back. We're going to do a little survey through the Old Testament here back to Exodus chapter 14 and we're going to just pick out a couple of stories where they complained and we're going to learn some we're going to draw some parallels some examples from the passages that Paul told us to do in Exodus chapter 14 in verse 10.

Now this is after God had rescued Israel mightily out of the land of Egypt the mightiest nation on earth when you think about it. He had rescued them. He had he had brought Pharaoh to nothing and now the people are leaving Egypt and they're cornered and Pharaoh is chasing after them and in verse 10 of chapter 14 verse 10 and when Pharaoh drew nigh the children of Israel lifted up their eyes and behold the Egyptians marched after them and they were sore afraid and the children of Israel cried to the Lord and they said to Moses because there were no graves in Egypt hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt with us to carry us forth out of Egypt? And they go on to complain and they say that it would have been better than to be in Egypt than to die in the wilderness and so we see first of all right as the get-go as they leave out of Egypt they're already complaining.

They'd seen God's mighty hand. They'd seen the ten plagues that God brought down on Egypt. They'd walked through.

They're right up against the scene. God walked them through and here they are not long after leaving and they're beginning to murmur and to complain and notice what Moses says in verse 13 he says and Moses said to the people don't fear fear you not Moses has a heart of faith he says stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which he will show you this day for the Egyptians whom you have seen today you shall not see them again anymore and then in verse 14 he says the Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace and we know the story it says that God divided the sea and and caused a wind to blow you know some of these new scientists they want to say that I read this article oh we finally figured it out God blew the sea way up way up the up this area and they had this nice open area but what is the Bible says it says there was a wall to them on the left and there was a wall to them on the right this was a miracle as they look through and not only that was the ground the ground was dry as they walked through and saw this wall on both sides and they walked through and God delivered them and it says in verse 4 why he delivered them he says it tells us God wanted to be honored it says I will be honored that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord and then verse 17 I will get my honor upon Pharaoh so God knew this bigger picture he was doing here he was trying to bring honor to his name among the Egyptians but as we see they began to murmur they were looking at their their close by circumstances they were afraid and then after the Lord delivered them in the last verse of this chapter it says and it verse 31 Israel saw the great works which the Lord did to the Egyptians and they believed and they feared the Lord now let's jump to verse 5 chapter 15 three days later just three days later they've they've seen all of this they praise the Lord they're now walking into the wilderness and three days after seeing this miracle we read this in verse 22 so Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea and they went out into the wilderness of sure and they went three days into the wilderness and they found no water and then jump to verse 24 and the people murmured against Moses and so it appears to me that within three days they'd already forgotten the mighty hand of God and now we're thinking about no water they'd forgotten the miracle of the Red Sea and they if they questioned whether God was with them all they had to do is look up right what was right above them a cloud was leading them at daytime and at night they had a pillar of fire and yet they were already complaining so we can draw an example from this that complaining always has a legitimate reason you ever find that in your life that when you want to complain there's probably a legitimate reason to complain that's right what would you be like if you had not had water for three days think about it what would it be like to have no water after you all probably had coffee who had coffee this morning there you go you all had your coffee you sit on your padded chairs this morning and you think you know those wretches those Israelites they had no water for three days think about that that would be that would be difficult I heard I don't know who told me that I actually I do I think it was Conrad he said what was the difference between us and them the Israelites and and us today what's the only difference between us and them three days three days you think you're doing good right now give it three days with no water we'll see where you're at in three days if you'll be complaining the difference between us and them is three days they had babies crying they had animals moving and doing their thing they had no water for three days and what do they do they began to murmur against Moses what should their response been anybody okay Thanksgiving what's that I don't know what else could there is France been prayed and that's what happened Moses cried to the Lord that you'll see Moses the meekest man on earth he does that and I'll just say this little plug right now in the in Philippines it says it says let your request be made with Thanksgiving so we are to pray we are to supplicate it says mixed with Thanksgiving and but they didn't do that they murmured against God and God was gracious he made the bitter water sweet even though they murmured now let's jump into Exodus chapter 16 next chapter this is a month later according to my calculations is about a month in now from this water no water experience and in verse 2 we read and the whole underline that the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness and the children of Israel said unto them here's what they said would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the flesh pots and when we did eat bread to the full for you have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger notice what they said they said we wish God would have just let us die or even maybe killed us would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord they said so number one I'd like to draw the example that complaining seems to have a selective memory do you think that they're remembering everything back in Egypt no does anybody remember what it said back way back in the beginning of Exodus what they were doing when they were under their task master to the slaves what were they doing remember making bricks and they were crying it says God heard their cry they were it says the word sorrow they were under sorrow their task men masters were brutal to them but what are they remembering they're remembering the flesh pots and the bread to the full notice they're they're having a selective memory they're only remembering the good and maybe even exaggerating a little bit I don't think they could just stop making their bricks and go have their bread to the full when they wanted to they forgot and so complaining tends to have a selective memory and exaggerates number two complainers look for someone to blame in this in this example here what do they do they turn to Moses and they turned to Aaron and they started blaming them and said notice they said did you bring us here to kill us this whole assembly with hunger they turned to Moses and Aaron and said you're trying to kill us that's what you brought us here now we all know the story was Moses trying to kill them with hunger Moses was just following what God said to do right his intentions weren't to do that and so another third example is not only do we look when we complain for someone to blame we also assume the worst of people's intentions and motives which is a terrible thing to do assuming the worst of people's motives and number four we can learn from this example is when we complain we're not just complaining against the circumstance and the people that seem to be involved we're also complaining against God notice what he says here he says verse 8 for Moses tells him for the Lord heard your murmuring and it's not against us it's against the Lord when we complain we're complaining ultimately against God do we really believe that God is on the throne when this bad circumstance happens do we really believe that he is doing this and and and as the passage says he's not allowing a temptation above that we are able just remember Moses and Aaron were still out there they were still surviving they were still living and they were still trusting God right but the the congregation had gotten their eyes off God was gracious in this circumstance and he gave them manna to eat okay now let's turn to Exodus chapter 17 and let's draw another example in verse 1 it says here in all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of sin after their journeys according to the commandment of the Lord don't forget that they were out there according to the commandment of the Lord and they pitched and referred him and there was no water for the people to drink and the people did chide which means to drive away with scolding anger they chided with Moses and said give us water that we may drink and Moses said to them why are you chiding with me notice what he says why do you tempt the Lord and the people thirsted there for water and the people murmured against Moses and said wherefore is this that thou has brought us out of Egypt notice what they say now again why did you bring us out of Egypt to kill us now they not only add them our children and our cattle with thirst and Moses cried to the Lord saying what shall I do to this people they would be almost ready to stone me so I'd like to draw our first example from this story that difficult times happen even when we are in the will of the Lord how many times you hear people whose faith crashes they go through a temptation and then they turn to God and say what I you know they get angry at God because they're going through a difficult time what did the passage say it says they were journeying according to the commandment of the Lord they were doing the Lord's will they were following him and now they have no water they could look up they could see the pillar they could see the pillar of fire at night they were in a real trial a real trial but their response was wrong notice how Moses responded he prayed to the Lord he cried to the Lord number two our second example it's hard not to complain when it affects us our income and our family right it says here did you kill come to kill our children and our cattle what is the cattle that's our income and what is the children that's our family it's hard not to start to complain when it goes past us and starts affecting everything around us to number three the third example when we complain we can very well become hostile look at what they did they picked up stones to stone Moses because of because of their disgruntled spirit number four complaining what is it what is the passage say it says that why do you tempt the Lord complaining temps God temps the Lord tempting means to provoke tempting means to put to trial for proof like prove it to me God are you really with us that's notice what this says here I think it says it a little bit later yeah it's in verse 7 how do they tempt him by saying in verse seven is the Lord among us or not so how do they tempt the Lord they put to trial for proof that what testing and questioning God by saying are you even with us God versus the opposite of tempting is humbly trusting his will I like to say it like this accepting the situation as the Lord brings trials into your life my life each one's life here do we say okay Lord we don't understand why we're going through this but we know you're with us we may even be in your will but we know that you're allowing this for my good and we humbly trust him what did Moses do he did the right thing once again and he prayed to God he cried to God and God had mercy God had mercy Moses provided provided water by by the rock and water came flowing out of a rock okay now I want to jump to the book of Numbers we're gonna pass through all of that Mount Sinai experience and the Ten Commandments and all the amazing things the children of Israel saw there and how they corrupted themselves by the way and now they have journeyed out of that they've the Lord has told them you know to to move on and I love what Moses said he said wherever rise up O Lord and as we go wherever wherever your spirit goes may your enemies be scattered and then when we stop may your spirit come back and be with the children of Israel and and and so they're going out three days and once again look at how this passage starts in Numbers chapter 11 and notice this time the words not use murmur it's actually you the word is complain and when the people complained it displeased the Lord it displeased the Lord it grieved the Lord it hurt the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled kindled means sparked and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp and the people cried to Moses and when Moses prayed the Lord the fire was quenched so here they are they're stopped three days in they start to complain and it says on the out uttermost parts of the camp somewhere on the outskirts the fire of the Lord started burning people up that's intense and they complained why why did this displease the Lord because it showed little gratitude for what he had done in the past and it also it showed little faith for what he could do right now right they had already forgotten what he'd done in the past little gratitude for what he had done in the past and little faith for what he could do right now that's what complaining does number two we can learn that complaining causes God to burn do we do we really believe that God's anger is that strong against this kind of sin we think about it like that it causes God to burn is it somehow different in the New Testament that God doesn't get so angry at complaining right from there we go right into verse four so we have this complaining story and we go right into another complaining story verse four it says this and the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting so there was some kind of I don't know if it was Egyptians or what that were brought with them and they started lusting they started having strong cravings and desires and that it says the children of Israel wept and said who will give us flesh to eat they're weeping they're weeping that they want some kind of different food than what the Lord is providing for them we remember the fish and that we ate in Egypt freely the cucumbers the melons the leeks the onions the garlic but now our soul is dried away there's nothing at all beside this manna before our eyes the first example I'd like to draw from this is that there is a link between complaining and lusting or an intense desire when we feel that intense desire for something and we can't have it it it has a link between that and complaining versus having contentment and gratitude now I don't know it's hard once again to say this but we all sit in our American grocery stores you know we just go down here and get whatever we want down at the grocery store you know we have we have you know so many amenities so many nice things and we look at the children of Israel remember they were only eating manna every day that would go that would grow would you be grow wearisome if every day all you could have was corn tortillas like just think about it how many days till will you be tempted to complain and not like maybe no butter or nothing on it like or beans or cheese like nothing that's it it grow difficult and and we look at this and we say why do you guys do this but we you know it's interesting is why is it so often the richest countries complain the most that's an interesting thought why is it that you hear these missionary stories they go off to like Africa where these old women are all they've lost their their their husbands and you know they have nothing to eat hardly and they're just joyful they just love the Lord and then they come back to America and people are complaining why is that anyway so here we can learn number two that complaining often exaggerates what do they say did anybody pick it up what do they say that exaggerated verse six there's nothing at all and our soul is dried away like complaining often exaggerates the problem somehow Moses and error we're still surviving number three complaining despises the blessing and even overlooks the blessing of God brother Glenn just said it there's nothing beside this man it's almost sounds like the loath God's provision and but we probably would too after you know so many days of just eating the same thing so complaining often despises the blessing of God so brothers and sisters we must focus on what God has provided for us and not what we don't have now in numbers 11 verse 10 Moses heard the people weep throughout their families every man in the door of his tent this just gives such an interesting picture like these grown men are standing in the doors of their tent weeping whining wailing for what for food that they want different than you know what the Lord has provided and what does it say happens the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly this made him very angry that that they were so selfish and so we can draw an example that complaining leads to incessant selfishness to childish disappointments like they're wailing and weeping and whining in the door of their tent because they don't have what they want and number five we can learn that this is causes God's anger to be kindled the word was used greatly it wasn't just a little bit I mean think about how frustrating God is with them he's very we think about how frustrated he was at them force for what they did adulterating themselves at the bottom of Mount Sinai but the long term what was he frustrated at them the most of we'll see here in a little bit it was their complaining their murmuring verse 19 what was God's response to this complaining that they didn't have food watch what God does he says this in verse 19 you will not eat one day not two days not five days not ten days not 20 days but even a whole month you're gonna eat you're gonna eat he says until it comes out your nose I mean you can tell God's frustration here you're gonna you're gonna eat so much that it's gonna make you sick and it'd be loathsome to you because you why because you have despised the Lord well how they despise the Lord they despise his provision they despise not trusting in him what for what he thought was for their good and notice and have wept before him their incessant selfishness and you're saying also why came we out forth out of Egypt you've despised him you've wept before him and you're saying why are we come why did we come out of Egypt so what does he do he brings this isn't this this is crazy he brings in quail from the sea it says and it says if they fall all over the place and it says a day's journey to one side of the camp a day's journey to the other side that's about 15 to 20 months think about that a circle that is if it's 15 we'll just say 30 miles a 30 mile circle of quail and it says it was how many cubits it says it was two cubits that's three feet high just stop and think about what the Lord is trying to show them by their complaining three feet high of quail 30 30 miles circle and it says they went out and gathered listen to this in verse 32 they stood up all that day all that night they didn't stop to sleep and all the next day gathering quail that's a lot of quail it says they pulled in 10 homers of quail I looked that up you know how much that is that's 1,900 birds that's 475 pounds I mean you could see one guy has got like he's the way the scripture puts it they spread itself all over the camp be like this is my quail you know 475 pounds of quail that's a lot of quail they you can see their selfishness and it says he spread them all abroad for themselves around around the cap this infuriated the Lord there they complained the Lord's like fine have it your way and then not only do they take they don't repent from it they're like oh give me more you know it becomes greedy complaining can lead us to have a greedy outlook and what did God do his response was very angry he says while the flesh was still between their teeth they're still gnawing away on the flesh before it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague very great disease sickness to this complaining brought God's anger and they had a great sickness come upon them and so we can learn that number seven God's looks at complaining as despising the Lord and number eight that he brings great sickness and disease on people when they complain reminds me of in first Corinthians when the communion table some are sick among you numbers 13 one more story here that we can learn from this is when Moses verse 17 when Moses sent them out to spy the land they're finally at the at the edge of the promised land and he said go into the land and see if it's strong or if it's weak if there's many or few people he said see if the cities are like tents or strongholds it's good or bad see if the land is fat or if it's lean see if there's wood there and so he sent them in and he told him be of good courage bring back some of the fruit of the land and when they came back in verse 27 they said we went like you said and surely it is a land flowing with milk and honey just like God had said and they said in here's some of the fruit but then they said this nevertheless the people are strong and the cities are walled and very great and moreover we saw the children of Anak there that I don't know why this stood out to me as I was reading through this but the word moreover like somehow this was a big deal to them like we saw great cities we saw great crazy things there but the worst thing we saw there were the children of Anak whoever these were it's kind of interesting because it goes back to in the beginning in Genesis when it says the sons of God came down and were with the daughters of men you remember that passage and it said and they had the word I think in Greek is like Nephilim they had these children they were very great stature they had wisdom some angelic beings are having children with humans and they're giants and they're called the Nephilim well this same word is here we saw the children of Isaac these giants these Nephilim it's it's almost like they had heard about these things and now in this land there's these creatures over there and we can't go over there we can't can't go over there we're all gonna die notice Caleb's response in verse 30 he says this let us go up verse 30 let us go up at once and possess it for we are well able to overcome it notice the words of faith he has here but those men that went said we are not able to go against this people they are stronger than we and they brought up an evil report remember that word an evil report they brought up an evil report and notice what they said they said the land eateth up the inhabitants and the people we saw are of great stature and we saw giants the sons of Anak they bring it up again like there's a big deal and they were like crap we were like grasshoppers in their sight now look in chapter 14 what the people do so these ten spies they bring this evil report and how does it affect Israel and the congregation lifted up the their voice notice the word all and all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried and the people wept that night and all the children of Israel murmured against Moses you know it's not wrong to cry it's not wrong to pray to God but don't let it take you to murmuring they murmured against Moses and against Aaron what did they say you know I always wondered why did why did God say you had to die 40 years out in the wilderness like but watch what they say in their complaining would to God that we had died in the land of Egypt and then they say this or would to God we had died in this wilderness they actually complained about what God gave them God told him you will all die in the wilderness they actually said it right here would to God we had died in this wilderness and wherefore hath the Lord why did the Lord bring us into this land and notice what they put now on the Lord to fall by the edge of the sword that our wives and our children should be pray should be victims you know you brought us here to kill us Lord and to take our children kidnap them all and then they said let us make a captain and go back to Egypt so we can learn from the story that number one complaining contaminates others when you complain you actually contaminate others notice the ten brought an evil report it affected the entire congregation all the congregation began to murmur you're complaining isn't just affecting you it's affecting others number two fear can lead us to complaining it's notice what they said it's a land that eats up its inhabitants and we're gonna fall by the sword they were fearful the sons of Anak they were very fearful and we would be too but notice Caleb he had a different spirit the scripture says he said we can do this the Lord is with us if we will just fear him and follow him number three so number two fear leads to complaining number three complaining can even lead us to rebel against God ordained authority was Moses ordained by God and what do they do they started let's make us a captain let's go back to Egypt they rebelled against Moses complaining can get us to even turn and rebel against God ordained authority number four and complaining here suggests that God harbors evil intentions even to the Lord you can get to the place where you look at God and you say did you bring us here to kill us and our children that they would be kidnapped complaining suggests that God harbors evil intentions so Joshua and Caleb verse four six said it says they tore their clothes and they begged them they said if the Lord will delight in us he will bring us into the land it is a man land that flows with milk and honey only rebellion not against the Lord don't fear the people notice what he says for they are bred for us notice his words of faith they're bred for us it's just bread we can we can do this it's just a simple loaf of bread the Lord will be with us their defense these children are manic the defenses departed from them notice his words of faith and they the verse 10 all the congregation baby stone them they didn't want to hear any of these words of faith get the stones let's kill them and right then it says the glory of the Lord appeared and he has some words to say to his children verse 11 this is what the Lord says as the glory of the Lord appears as they're holding even the stones in their hand to kill Moses and Aaron the Lord says to Moses how long will this people provoke me and how long will it be air or until they believe me notice the difference in the connection of faith how long will it be till they believe me for all the signs which I have done among them how long will it be air they believe me so we can learn from this that complaining is the opposite of faith when we complain it is not faith look in verse 21 and this is one that just stood out to me verse 22 especially that really inspired me to preach this and that is 21 as truly as I live this is his response all the earth this is after Moses said please forgive them you forgive them all the way till now so please forgive them now Lord forgive them again and he says this as truly as I live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord but because all those men which have seen my glory and my miracles which I did in Egypt in the wilderness and then now tempted me these ten times here his frustration towards complaining ten times you have you have pushed the limits you have continued to complain how long will I bear with him verse 27 how long will I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me say unto them as true have you have spoken in my ears so I will do to you what did what did he spoke in his ears what did they say in his ears what's that they said okay they said what to God we had died in this wilderness right as you have spoken to my ears so I will do to you you will go right back out to that wilderness and die as you have complained in my ears you're gonna get what you complain for may we learn from that and they got what they got what they complained about and so we can learn an example here that God may bring what you complain about to reality in your life now I'd like you to turn to the New Testament in the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 3 this after I read through all those passages and then I read Hebrews 3 think about everything we just learned and all the examples we harvested Hebrews chapter 3 says this wherefore sorry verse 7 wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith today if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation or in the day you provoke me in the day of temptation in the wilderness when your fathers tempted me they proved me they saw my works 40 years I was grieved with them and that generation I said they do always err in their heart how do they err they constantly murmured they constantly complained and they have not known my ways so I swore my wrath they shall not enter my rest now this is the New Testament warning take heed brothers lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another daily while it is called today lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin for we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast at the end how did they not hold the beginning of their confidence they murmured they complained they got their eyes off of God and they got their eyes on their circumstances and so how can we become and have an evil heart of unbelief how can we have that how can we depart from the Lord in the same way well complaining and murmuring are good indicators I heard it said complaining first it complaining is your first indication that you are falling away from the Lord that's a pretty tough statement complaining is your first indication that you are falling away from the Lord these events these events happen for our examples in our admonition as Paul said in 10 Corinthians he said for whom the end of the world has come so we need to take these very serious scripture says we must through much tribulation somebody complete the rest of us enter the kingdom of God much tribulation that is it's not enough to start well we need to end well and so I have four things here I want to draw from for new covenant things that complaining does and then I have a quick short closing story but let me say this we are in a new and a better government covenant we have grace right brother Roger preach on a couple weeks back we have grace that empowers us to be long-suffering grace that empowers us to be joyous and have peace we have the Spirit of God who works in our hearts we have the blood of Christ who cleanses our conscience not just forgives but cleanses and we have Jesus who is our forerunner who showed us how to do it all and so we are so much better off than these children of Israel right but complaining these four things I want us to think about are we living in the strength of the old or the New Testament complaining number one stops the flow of God's grace you know abide in the vine unless you abide in me the grace that flows in through that abiding complaining stops it it quenches the Spirit God only gives grace to the humble so that means as we humble ourselves as God brings a trial a temptation into our lives as we humble ourselves he gives us grace to walk through it but complaining stops that flow listen to this when you complain you are saying God didn't give you the fill-in-the-blank you deserve you know maybe it's the day you deserve right this day's just not going well right you're saying God didn't give me the day I deserve if it's your child God didn't give me the child I deserve your wife your spouse the car the phone you know it's just not acting right God didn't give me the I deserve you're declaring I could do better if I was in control and ultimately you're being proud and God resists that number two so complaining stops the flow of God's grace number two complaining diverts us off the path of faith what did they do it says God was frustrated God was angry at them and he said how long err they believe me that's the opposite of faith not believing him here's a quote I found very challenging complaining elevates a problem to where it has a greater influence on your heart and faith complaining elevates a problem to where it has a greater influence on your heart and faith is that true what does the Bible say the just shall live by faith so if we're not living by faith we're not just right complaining is not living by faith so complaining diverts us off the path of faith we're commanded by scripture to and everything give thanks giving thanks how does it say giving thanks always for all things doesn't leave much room for complaint number three so it's blocks the flow of grace it diverts us off the path of faith number three and I love this one it snuffs out the light of the gospel I never quite saw this until I was studying for the sermon in Philippians it says do all things without complaining and disputing and then it goes on this long list it says that you may be blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom you shine as lights in the world so we do we all agree that we live in a twisted perverse generation we don't have to go there thank you so how do we shine as lights in the world it says we shine as Christians in this twisted perverse generation as lights in the world by what how do we shine do you get it doing all things without complaining you know you watch these Muslims out there there's some pretty good Muslims have you ever met a non-christian that's pretty good person there's pretty good people out there that aren't that that but how do they act in the moment of trial that's the question how do you act in the moment of trial that's how we can truly shine as lights in the world as in the moment of trial you're at peace you're trusting God you're you even some people have joy and peace during that time right that's how we shine as lights in the world Jesus said it himself he said when men shall say all manner of evil against you we complain what do we do rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward and just two verses later he says you are the light you are like on a city on a hill men shall see your good works and they shall glorify your father which is in heaven how is that in connection notice the light they're seeing the good works are seeing is that you are rejoicing and you are being exceeding glad in trials and so complaining snuffs out the light of the gospel rejoicing and Thanksgiving makes it shine brightly I have a story here from Pete Lewis he said he was walking down the hall and it was when his son was dying and he heard a little hello come from one of the rooms and he walked in there and saw this lady I don't I don't know how old she was but she had this halo around her head and she had stainless screws all into her head and they were taking this thing and pulling her in traction somehow and pulling down with weights on her back of her head and pulling down with legs weights on her legs and it was so painful she had this little bulb she'd pump it it was morphine whenever she got in a lot of pain she just pump it you know get a little more more morphine and he walked in there she was going into her 27th surgery 27th some kind of spinal injury she had some kind of restraining order against her parents sounds like this lady was in some difficult trial and Pete said to her he said to her that looks like it's really awful he said it looked like a torture device and she said oh it's awful she said it's it's terrible it's very uncomfortable but then she smiled and she said this it's nothing compared to what Jesus suffered for me he said to this day that inspires him you know Pete he's in his probably maybe 80s but to this day he says that light she shined of Thanksgiving and rejoicing shines into his life to be and we all know Pete right he never has anything to complain about he says that he says the blessings always outweigh the trials that's his little quote you ever ask him how is his day all you know how does he say it he says how does he say it Glenn you remember yeah he's always saying he's blessed and and better than that I deserve that's what it is better when you ask him better than I deserve and so it out it that complaining snuffs out the light of the gospel number four complaining distorts our perspective listen to this quote and it'll help change your perspective before you complain today be grateful you have breath to complain with like changes the perspective a little bit right complaining changes our eternal perspective be thankful you had the breath to even complain with or how here's another one that got me do not complain about growing old it is a privilege denied to many and you stop and think about that and you think so how can we uproot complaining in our lives well first of all ask yourself is complaining even going to help the situation sometimes it actually does people do things for you because you complain but that's not always the right you know but if but you might ask yourself that does it always help the situation not a lot of times it doesn't it's not constructive number two what can you be thankful for in the situation maybe uh you know we were flying home and I was I you know I somebody had mentioned something about the flight and it's taking a long time and and I just thought it's better than walking it's better than a whole lot better than driving you know there's always something to be thankful for in situations number three it could always be worse our dear sister you know that is has cancer two of them you know think about when you're when you're ready to complain you can just think well thank you Lord that I don't have cancer right now thank you Lord that I'm not going through everything that person is going through it could always be worse and it could always someone else could have it worse than you number four if I knew God's greater plan I wouldn't complain remember God was saying I was just trying to get honor on for me and if Israel would have known God's greater plan what he was doing they wouldn't be so tempted to complain remember that and number four God allows trials for your good I heard a quote don't waste good problems don't waste good problems you know these people who want to work out they go down to the gym and they they use the good problem like they bring all that pain and distress on their body to build up their muscles and and they go there and pay money to do it God brings trials into your life to make you spiritually strong to flex your muscles to and so don't waste those good problems he says he will never bring a temptation above that you are able now this is I heard a little comment Joshua said he was talking to somebody after I preached last week and they said they didn't understand that that surely people are tempted and they fall away but it says that you the promises he will never bring a temptation above that you are able in other words if you fall away it was because you didn't depend on him he will with the temptation suffer make a way however it says make a way to escape that you may be able to bear it so you obviously weren't looking for grace and you weren't abiding in him in the right way to find that way of escape so the promise is true he will never allow it to come in your life above you're able we need to trust that so every opportunity like that is a chance for us to die to self so I asked myself do I complain that often Lord I don't know do I I mean maybe I do I'm a trope probably say to you but I realized how much I complain in tones and sighs and gasps and huffs right ah like I realized that day I asked him whoa stood out so go home I want to encourage everyone here I encourage everyone back at living hope to take a 40-day complaining fast take a 40-day complaining fast go away from today say I'm gonna one week after Dennis's wedding I'm gonna make it till that date and I'm not gonna complain and and I'm gonna look for something to be thankful if I do complain I'm gonna repent seriously about it and ask the Lord not to let me do that again turn every complaint into a rejoicing and a prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving and remember that we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end they all started well but they didn't end well I want to read this last story here this is a story I've read it here before but I wonder on a Wednesday night I want to read it again it's Annie Johnson Flint she was him writer and she had a very difficult life her mother died soon after she was born then her father died from an incurable disease she was adopted and then she developed a love for poetry and aspired to become a composer but she got this thing called rheumatoid arthritis not long after both of her adopted parents died within a few months of each other her rheumatoid arthritis grew worse and worse until she was not able to walk her hands became so gnarled she was unable to hold a pen she lay mangled in her bed for many decades many decades and her hands became I sorry and some challenge her that the Lord would grant her healing if only her faith was strong enough she went to the scripture she searched she prayed she cried and she concluded that while God can and does heal in this way in some cases in others he does not he has seen fit to leave some of the most triumphant Saints deeply afflicted member Paul he prayed God remove this thorn she became convinced God intended to glorify himself notice the correlation with what God was doing with Israel through her weak earthen vessel she had prayed like Paul that Thor would be taken from her but she found assurance in God's promise my grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weakness she got cancer she lost control of her bowels she lived constantly in pain she's soon after all this she progressively became blind for more than 40 years there was scarcely a day when she did not suffer pain and she became increasingly helpless her joints became rigid she was not only able to turn her head in great pain she could write only a few lines on a paper before she died there were so many boils on her body from lying in bed she needed eight pillows just to cushion her but near the end of her life after all these experiences this is the hymn she wrote listen to the words he giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater he sendeth more strength when the labors increase to added affliction he added his mercy to multiplied trials his multiplied peace when we have exhausted our store of endurance when our strength has failed there the day is half done when we reach the end of our hoarded resources our father's full giving is only begun here's the chorus his love has no limit his grace has no measure his power has no boundary known unto men for out of his infinite riches in Jesus he giveth and giveth and giveth again let's pray together