Complaining

What We Think

We live in a discontent culture

In fact our discontentment is encouraged by our culture.

This world wants you to whine

We live in a society of the next best things. We always need an upgrade, update and the 2.0 turns into to 13.0.

Every marketing technique is based off of our dissatisfaction and thats why every new product is; better, faster, easier than the one you have

Influencers are just people with more money, nicer things and easier lives. That everyone envies even in little ways.

This is why jake paul can charge 64 dollars to attend his School for “Social Media Stars” because even he knows that the world is discontent and is willing to pay for a cure.

We think we are deserving

Any form of discontentment is pretty much saying “I deserve better”

My parents are dumb… I deserve better

My friends are fake… I deserve better

My teacher is boring… I deserve better

My wardrobe is empty… I deserve better

My phone is SO SLOW… I deserve better

I have no boyfriend/ girlfriend.... I deserve better

And finally although typically an exageration

I HATE MY LIFE… i deserve better

We will get into this in the next point BUT WHY do we think we are deserving of anything? What are you discontent with in life right now? Could be as big as the parents you have or as small as the cracked screen on your phone, WHY DO YOU DESERVE BETTER?

We think we are just making conversation

What makes a sin respectable is its subtleness.

When you are outside 1st period and its cold and you're waiting for your teacher to show up, what else would you say to those around you?

Theres nothing else to do but say, “Ugh why is she taking so long?”

You may think yeah okay that is no big deal, in fact thats me being friendly and making conversation.

If you have been here for the other sins in this series you may think yeah I can see how things like gossip and pride are actually REAL SINS but this one is really not that big of a deal, ITS NOT THAT DEEP.

What He Thinks

God clearly states that ANY complaint about what He calls us to do or a circumstance we are in is Sin.

Phil 2:14 “Do all things without grumbling or disputing;”

James 5:9 “Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged;

And complaining is no small matter to God. In Numbers 11 we see Gods response to His people when they complain Num 11:1 “Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the Lord; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.”

Complaining provokes the anger of God. So much so that he consumed with fire some of those in Israel who complained. The God that many of you here claim to believe in and love, the very same God DESTROYED people for complaining.

The question shouldn’t be “Is complaining really a sin?” BUT “WHY is complaining a sin?”

And the answer to that and the main point of the night is because EVERY COMPLAINT IS VERTICAL

Meaning, whatever you complain about is actually a complaint about and against God.

God is sovereign

Psalm 139:16 in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them.”

“Days ordained for me” does not just refer to the length of your life but every single event and circumstance that happens within each day.

God is in complete and perfect control of every aspect of your life. From how smart you are, to how tall you are, to how pretty you are, how rich you are, how old you are. God has ordained everything about you and around you to be the exact way he wants.

2. God is good

Rom 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

So not only does God control everything BUT everything that he does is GOOD.

Sure this verse is in direct reference to believers BUT the reality is if God is good than He CANNOT do anything that isn’t good.

So He isn’t a cruel God who made you a certain way that you don’t like just cuz

He also isn’t a God who is just doing his best to please you and messes up every once in awhile, so you need to be patient and love Him

He is a completely sovereign and good God. That does everything for His glory and our Good.

3. Complaining is sin against him

If God has purposefully ordained every circumstance in your life to be for your greatest good and yet we say “UGH” we have just told God “not good enough”

Have you ever been around a spoiled kid on Christmas? The kid with more presents under the tree than everyone else combined. He just tearing through present after present, and has created a mountain of toys in his corner and they are all amazing. (This wasn’t me, one time the only present I got was an Ihome even though I had an Android but Im not complaining) ANYWAYS, this kid is just the king on Christmas but then some extended family comes, they bring him a present and of course they don’t know what he likes so they play it safe and get him socks. He opens them and just goes “Ugh socks? Why would I want socks?” then Aunt betty starts crying, because this 4 year old tyrant just annihilated her present.

Kids like that are the worst, and I cringe when they complain about a gift they got in front of the person who gave it.

Yet WE ARE THAT KID. Every complaint we make is like telling God “ugh seriously”.

We are the ungrateful and discontent kid but not just with a material, with the very life God has given us.

This is why he responds so seriously and why HE HATES the sin of complaining

Jeremiah addresses this kind of attitude in Lam 3:39 “Why should any living mortal, or any man, Offer complaint in view of his sins?”

Nothing that dissatisfies or disappoints us even comes close to how much our sin dissatisfies and disappoints God.

We have no room to complain about anything in light of our sin.

Don’t like how someone treated you? What about how youve treated God? A life of rebellion, opposotion and hatred towards him

Don’t like the circumstance God put you in? What about the circumstance Jesus was in BECAUSE of your sin?

Your complaints are not just simply passing comments, they are symptoms of a heart that distrusts Gods will, wisdom and grace. EVERY COMPLAINT IS VERTICAL and God will punish every complaint you make either on you or on Christ if you repent and beleive in Him.

So What?

Fear Him

Hebrews 12:6 “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.””

Just like a loving father disciplines a rebellious child, so our loving heavenly father will discipline us.

If we walk away tonight with no change and deceive ourselves into thinking Im okay, Im not that bad, we can expect God to bring his hand of discipline on us.

This is only true for those who are truly children of God

No discipline is even scarier because no discipline is evidence of no relationship

Those who do not know God will not be welcomed to eternity with him, they will be sent away from Him forever.

Discipline from God comes in many ways but its never comfortable, its often painful, and although we don’t necessarily like it we need it.

Repent from your sin of discontentment and ultimately your heart of distrust in God TONIGHT, do not let a serious sin linger.

Thank Him

1 Thess 5:18 “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

What do we do when we put off complaining? We put on thankfulness

What do you have to thank God for? If that takes you more than a second to answer there is most likely a discontent heart.

Thank him first and foremost for salvation

What else do we have to thank God for?

Know Him

Psalm 16:11 “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

There is no satisfaction for you if you do not have the satisfier of the soul

Maybe the reason your complaining is actually much deeper than a difficult circumstance. It could be because you have a gap in your soul, a longing in your heart THAT you have tried to satisfy with friendships or dating, or drugs, or reputation, or followers or whatever BUT it doesn't work because like a kid trying to put a circle where a square goes you're trying to put finite things where an INFINITE GOD goes.

You want to stop complaining? You want satisfaction? It can only come through submission to Jesus Christ. Trusting that the wrath you deserve for every sin you commit was poured out on the only person who deserved no wrath, Jesus Christ

Turn from your life of sin and pursue of life of obedience to God

I see so many high schooler and many here who are never fully satisfied, your