STOP COMPLAINING AND START PRAYING

“Do not complain, brethren, against one another, that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.” 
James 5:9

The Early Church was confronted with a relationship hindering, unity busting issue in its congregations: Christians complaining against Christians.

Sad to say, it is no different today.

Churches are packed with complaining Christians.

Everything from the length of the Pastor’s sermon, his personal style, his family’s lifestyle, the worship team’s performance, ministry workers care for children, to campus décor, to expenditure of God’s funds, and on and on and on….. all are subject to subjective judgment by believers who take upon themselves the mantle of judge and jury.

The word complain means groan, murmur or bear a grudge. Ouch! Do we really realize what we are doing when we complain against a brother? I think not. For if we did, I think we would think twice before murmuring against our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We should be ashamed of ourselves. I have done my share of complaining over the years, and you probably have too. I have come to the conclusion there is no biblical justification for me passing judgment on any Christian brother by complaining about them. 

James had a word from God for the Christians in his day and ours. Complaining was out! “DO NOT COMPLAIN” is the word.

Brothers, do not complain against your brothers. Why? Because when you do, you will be judged. The Judge, God Almighty, the Judge of all judges, will pass judgment on you for passing judgment on others. Note “the Judge is standing right at the door.”  The Judge is Johnny on the spot! Right at the door. Listening to our words. 

Criticizing, complaining, murmuring, gossiping, groaning and moaning against one another. A scourge and curse in the church. Complaining is immature at best, sinful at the worst. James tells us in chapter 3, verse 17 “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, to him it is sin.”  We know as Bible-believing Christians to complain against our brothers is not right. So if we do it, according to God’s Word, it is sin. Pure and simple. It is sin because we are judging one another and we are commanded not to judge each other. (Matthew 7:1-5).

How many of our brothers and sisters have been hurt and disheartened by complaining? How many churches have been torn apart by strife and division because of complainers? How many pastors have been discouraged and burned out having to deal with constant criticism from the people they serve?

Criticizing and complaining is not a spiritual gift.

 Ten Simple Steps To Stop Complaining

1. Do you like it when others complain against you? Probably not.
2. Take your complaint to God and pray for your brother.
3. Forgive your brother for all offense against you.
4. Control your tongue. Resist the fleshly temptation to murmur against a Christian.
5. Never tear down your fellow Christians. Always build them up.
6. Speak highly of your brother in the presence of others.
7. Check your motivation. Why are you complaining against a brother?
8. Is it Christ-like to complain against fellow Christians?
9. Stop and think. What will my complaining against a brother do to him/her and the body of Christ, and my witness to an unbelieving world?
10. Remember you are accountable to God for your treatment of your brother.

Think with me for a moment. If Christians stopped complaining against one another:

• The devil would not have opportunity to divide the body of Christ.
• Strife and disunity in the church would be non-existent.
• Believers would have clear consciences toward one another.
• Energy given to complaining would be directed to soul-winning.
• The world would be attracted, not repelled, by Christians and the church.
• The Lord would be pleased with how we treat one another.

Are you a complaining Christian? Do you have such a critical spirit toward others that you hardly realize that you complain against your fellow Christians? Would those who know you best say you are infected with a complaining spirit?

Is there someone you need to go to with a humble heart and ask for forgiveness for complaining against them? If so, go.

Maybe spiritual revival and renewal would come to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ if we stopped complaining against our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Just a thought.  

“And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against another, just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”

Colossians 3:12-14

Jesus said in Matthew 7:1-5, “Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye” and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye?     

A Word For Your Week: Stop judging other Christians by complaining about them.

Do not be partakers in Gossip or complaining

"BE CAREFUL LITTLE TONGUE WHAT YOU SAY"

INTRODUCTION: This is one of the lines from a little children's song that we often teach our kids and sometimes sing it during Vacation Bible School. We think of it as a "kids' song" but it is far more than that! We should be very careful what our tongue speaks! The uncontrolled tongue is especially harmful and dangerous to the body of Christ.

BODY

I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT CONTROLLING THE TONGUE?

A. The Old Testament warns us about avoiding gossip and evil speaking.

1. Leviticus 19:16- "'You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD."2. Psalm 50:16-20
3. Proverbs 20:19- "He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets; Therefore do not associate with one who flatters with his lips."

B. The New Testament tells us to put away the wicked use of the tongue.

1. Ephesians 4:31- "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice."2. Titus 3:1-2 "Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, 2- to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men."

II. WHY IS AN UNCONTROLLED TONGUE SO DANGEROUS?

A. Because words rashly spoken can have serious consequences.

1. Jephthah made a rash vow with an uncontrolled tongue which caused him great grief.

a. Judges 11:30-40

2. It was because of rash speaking that King Herod ended up having John the Baptist beheaded, even though Herod did not want it done.

a. Mark 6:22-28

B. Because it will affect the lives of individuals for a lifetime.

1. James 3:6- "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell."2. It hurts the person you are talking about, his/her family, friends, neighbors, etc. It can affect them for a lifetime.
3. Proverbs 26:20- "Where there is no wood, the fire goes out; And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases."

C. A man who has an uncontrolled tongue brings pain and hurt upon himself.

1. Proverbs 21:23- "Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles."2. 1 Peter 3:10- "For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit."

D. It makes our religion useless in the sight of God.

1. James 1:26- "If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless."

III. GOSSIP AND MURMURING IS ESPECIALLY HARMFUL TO A CONGREGATION OF THE LORD'S PEOPLE!

A. The Scriptures speak of the kind of person that will gossip and speak evil among God's people.

1. Titus 1:9-11 "holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. 10- for there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11- whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain."

B. Murmuring against the church and it's work is destructive to the body and earns the displeasure of Jehovah God..

1. God showed his displeasure at His people murmuring in the Old Testament.

a. Exodus 15:24- "And the people complained against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?""b. Exodus 16:2- "Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness."
c. Numbers 11:1- "Now when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; for the LORD heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp."
d. Numbers 14:27- ""How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the complaints which the children of Israel make against Me."

2. 1 Corinthians 10:10-11 "nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. 11- Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come."3. Philippians 2:14-15 "Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15- that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,"
4. Jude 1:14-16 "Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15- to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. 16- "These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage."

CONCLUSION: "I am more deadly than the screaming shell of the cannon. I win without killing. I tear down homes, break hearts, wreck lives. I travel on the wings of the wind. No innocence is strong enough to intimidate me, no purity pure enough to daunt me. I have no regard for truth, no respect for justice, no mercy for the defenseless. My victims 
are as numerous as the sands of the sea and often as innocent. I never forget and seldom forgive. My name is Gossip."