The Cancer of Complaining - I Corinthians 10:6-13
Dakota Christian Chapels • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? “We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna.”
The rabble was the mixed company that came out of Egypt with the Israelites.
It was the rabble that started grumbling and that grumbling spread to the point that the Israelites were embracing it.
It became a cancer that spread.
We see throughout the story or Israel’s journey to the Promised Land that the grumbled and complained over and over and over. Just like cancer, it continued to infect.
Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.
Idolatry
Sexual immorality
Test the Lord
Grumbling
onomatopoeia - Greek word for grumble - gogguzo
What does grumbling speak about our heart?
I don’t trust God.
I don’t trust the way that God does things.
I don’t trust that God will work things out.
I don’t trust His ability to guide.
I don’t trust His ability to provide.
When you read through the story of Israel in the wilderness you find out that it was their grumbling that lead to the previous three sins.
Why we shouldn’t grumble.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
Not grumbling proves that we are blameless and innocent…and Paul adds in disputing or arguing here.
So, the opposite would ring true here.
If we grumble we have some blame to shoulder
If we grumble we are guilty
If we grumble we are not acting as a child of God
If we grumble we are not above criticism ourselves. The thing we are grumbling about, is the same thing someone else can grumble about us.
If we grumble, our witness is damaged.
We are supposed to shine in this crooked and perverse generation.
The thought is that if we are grumbling it ruins our ability to shine.
The cure?
There are only a handful of ways that we can get rid of cancer.
cut it out
radiate it
kill it with chemicals
With that analogy, we need to take drastic measures and kill the cancer.
If you don’t want the cancer to spread, stop grumbling.
Keep each other accountable and point it out.
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
Endure the hard situation. Don’t complain.
Difference between complaint and complaining.
There is nothing wrong with expressing a grievance for a wrong you feel you have suffered.
But do it with humility, a willingness to accept whatever the answer, and go to right person to express it.
There are many Psalms of complaint in the Book of Psalms, but you will always hear the author voicing them to God and not others.
Job wanted to offer a complaint over his circumstances, and pleaded with God for an audience.
On a human level that means someone in a position of authority who can do something about it, or a person of confidence and wisdom that can help you work through it.
Complaining is just going on and on about it, without working towards a meaningful solution or handling it in the right way.
Complaining really is just another form of gossip.
Spreading around information that others have no business hearing, or need to hear.
If someone is not a part of the solution, then it doesn’t need to be repeated.
Complaining is selfishness exposed. Why do we complain? Because we didn’t get our way.
Stop it, cut out the selfishness, don’t gossip.
But there is also another cure.
There has been success with some cancers treating it with vitamin C intravenously introduced in high concentrations.
This is the positive measure.
Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.
prayer - a settled attitude of dependence on God.
This is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
This will help remove the cancer of complaining.
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Jesus is the first person to take the complaint to.
He is the right person to take the complaint to.
Jesus understands whatever it may be. If anyone had a right to complain it was Jesus. The way He was treated, betrayed, mocked, and crucified. He gets it.
What does He offer:
Mercy in our situation
grace to handle it the right way.
Don’t let the cancer of complaining spread throughout the body. Cut it out and inject some good medicine - rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving.