Don't Be a Complainer!

My sermon on Sunday is entitled, "Don't be a Complainer!" Have you ever noticed how many people complain, whine, grumble and nitpick things around us? Especially now that our economy is hitting an all-time low with unemployment skyrocketing and gas prices and groceries raising right along with it. If you go to a typical church on Sunday morning, there is a good chance that you'll hear someone complain about the music being too loud or too slow, the sermon was too long, the doughnuts were too stale, etc. It seems that there are more people complaining now-a-days than there are people praising God.

As I was studying for my message, I saw similarities with the Israelites in Numbers chapters 11, 14, and 20. In the book of Numbers, Moses records the journey of the Israelites upon leaving Egypt to go to the promised land. He recorded how Israel was complaining about everything from the weather to the food provisions. People started complaining and God talked to Moses and said that He was angered at their complaints. So all those who had been counted in the census and who were 20 years old and over would die and never enter the promised land. Forty years later, the people are still complaining. This time Moses became frustrated that he lost focus of what was truly important and that was to obey God. This time, God became angry at Moses and Aaron, because instead of speaking to a rock to bring forth water for the people; Moses got angry, took credit for providing the water, and struck the rock twice with the staff. What difference did that make? Moses and Aaron were told by God that they no longer were going to lead the people into the promise land.

We can learn lessons from this. First, God always hears our complaints. Second, complaining leads people to rebel against God. Third, complaining brings God's anger and punishment. Forth, complaining can make leaders lose focus of their purpose.

Instead of complaining, let us start praising God for every little blessing as well as the big blessings, so that we can enjoy the Christian life and everything that God has in store for us.