Nov 30, 2014 - The seeds of complaining will not grow in the soil of a thankful heart. One thing .... we are trying to b
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Stop Complaining
Dr. Brandon Park | November 30, 2014
Complaining is the exact opposite of Thanksgiving. It i s i mpossible to be grateful and to grumble at the same time. The seeds of complaining will not grow in the soil of a thankful heart. One thing we hat our our words are only a symptom of the real issue that takes place in our heart. eart. have to realize is that _________________ of of our heart. The words that we speak reveals the __________________ If you want to make your life miserable, just complain about every single detail of it. Complaining is the easiest way to ruin your happiness, take the joy away from your job, and destroy your relationships. In the books of Exodus and Numbers, we see how God miraculously delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. God had pledged to bring them safely into the Promised Land. God had led them and God had fed them, but they soon began to murmur and complain not just against their leaders, but against their Lord. As a result, Israel was s tuck wandering i n the wilderness for 40 years. It took one year to get Israel out of Egypt, but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel.
MAIN IDEA: The more you ____________, the less you _______________.
What is complaining? The Dictionary defines “complain” as “to express pain, grief, or discontent.” Complaining is known by several words that have the same symptoms: whining, griping, grumbling, bellyaching, and that Old Testament word, murmuring! Complaining is an expression of discontent, dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Complaining is the _____________ expression of _______________ discontent. Complaining exaggerates everything negative! It amplifies frustration and invites the devil into your mind and heart. Every time you complain, you allow the _____________ to think he is winning. The Bible says that our complaints can give the devil an open door to come in. It can also become a self-‐fulfilling prophecy – what you whine and complain about can actually come upon you.
WHY DO I COMPLAIN? •
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My Selfish Desire to Get _________________. Someone has said the tiniest package in the world is a person all wrapped up in himself. Whiner are self-‐absorbed. Job said in Job 10:1, “I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint.” My Desire to Be Seen As ______________________. Genesis 3:11-‐13 – God asked Adam, “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you n ot to eat?... the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” My Propensity to Glorify the _____________ -‐ We become nostalgic about the “Good O le Days!” – the way things used to be. Israel had spent 430 years in Egypt. They have personally witnessed the plagues, the Passover, and the parting of the Red Sea. Yet just 45 days after seeing the movements of God we read in Exodus 16:2-‐3, “The whole congregation o f the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the LORD’S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the p ots of meat, when we a te bread to the full; for you have brought us o ut into this wilderness to k ill this whole assembly with h unger.” When you glorify the past, you forget the whole story. Having an attitude of __________________________. People who complain tend to think that everyone is there to take c are of them and their needs. “What can you do for me next?” (See the Parable of the Vineyard in Matthew 20:1-‐16). Sociologists are actually noticing that the more ______________ that people are, the more critical and complaining they become. The wealthiest are the whiniest. We who have the most, complain the most. Refusing to have my _________________ stretched. Read Numbers 14:1. The Israelites didn’t believe God could be faithful. They are simply refusing to have their faith stretched. If you constantly whine, you actually c ome to believe what you are whining about. Because I’m _________________ with God. We may not want to admit it, but a lot of our whining is rooted in the fact that we are really unhappy with God and have an unbelief i n His Word. We feel like God is better to our neighbors than He is to us.
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WHAT DOES COMPLAINING COST ME?
A __________________ mind will never produce a ___________________ life. Thinking about our problems is our greatest addiction… we need to break the habit and talk about our joys. • It Makes Life For My ________________ Miserable. Moses said to God, “Did I conceive all these people? Did I give b irth to them?” Numbers 11:12. ARTICLE: “Listening to People Complain Drains Intelligence.” Quote from article: “Prolonged exposure to negativity and complaining apparently diminishes the brain’s capacity for problem solving.” Basically, listening to complaints turns your brain to mush. • It Causes Me to ____________ What God is Doing __________. One would think that the same Israelites who had witnessed God do the impossible would fall on their knees in worship every day. Why didn’t they? Because whining and worship are _______________________. You can do one or the other, but you can’t whine and worship at the s ame time. When you worship God, what naturally flows out of you i s thanksgiving and praise. If I live my life i n constant complaint, I am actually missing what God i s doing – even though I am there. When you complain, you become part of the _______________ rather than part of the ___________________. A whiner reacts, but a winner responds. • Complaining __________________ the Heart of God. Numbers 11:1, “Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord.” God takes our complaints personally. God had promised to bring them into the Promised L and, yet they looked God straight in the eye and said, “We don’t believe you.” In effect, they called God a liar. Every time you doubt the Word of God, you discredit the worth of God. • Complaining Turns _______________ ____________ From You. Complainers lose friends. Negativity repels people away from y ou. Someone once said that complainers have spiritual bad breath! FACT: When you complain about tasks i n your workplace – it actually causes people to think less of you. • Complaining is _________________________. It drags down c onversations. Whiners carry this contagious toxin – you can catch it from others and others can catch it from you. Negativity snowballs and spreads. • Complaining Short-‐Circuits ___________ _____________. From the R ed Sea to the Promised Land – i t was a straight shot distance of 240 miles. They c ould have gotten there in a week! But what could have taken a week, ended up taking 40 years. Complaining has a way of getting us stuck i n a rut and missing out on God’s best. • Complaining Carries Significant ______________________. Read Numbers 14:27. God told them that as a result of their complaints, He was not going to bless them with what He wanted to bless them with. Whining and complaining will i nevitably become a self-‐fulfilled prophecy. Not only that – but because of this spirit of rebellion, God sends judgment to them in the form of fiery serpents (see Numbers 21:6).
WHAT WOULD MY LIFE LOOK LIKE IF I DIDN’T COMPLAIN?
The 21 Day “Stop Complaining” Challenge. It takes 21 days of a new behavior to become a habit. We are giving you a wristband as a reminder to “Stop Complaining.” Whenever you catch yourself complaining, switch the bracelet to the other wrist. You may also want to use a “money jar” in your home or workplace. Every time you complain, put $1 in the jar and donate it to Hope Network to support people who have a lot less than what you are complaining about! Philippians 2:14-‐15, “Do all things without grumbling or complaining, so that you will p rove yourselves to be blameless and innocent children of God above r eproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.” 1. You will be __________________ and above _________________. Blameless means that you are faultless before a watching world. Complaining is a heart issue because at its root, we are trying to be the center of our own universe. When we remove ourselves from the center and put God i n His rightful place, we stop complaining. 2. You will appear as a true _________________ in the world. Paul says that when you live this way, “you appear as lights in the world.” 3. You will __________ m ore like Christ by ____________________ to Christ. Stop complaining about your circumstances and start looking to the God who controls those circumstances. R ead Numbers 21:1-‐9. When Israel was being bitten by deadly vipers because of their complaints, God had Moses raise up a brass s erpent on a staff. Those who looked to it were saved. A serpent raised upon a s taff healed the twelve tribes; but a Savior raised upon a cross is the healing of our lives.
1
Stop Complaining
Dr. Brandon Park | November 30, 2014
Complaining is the exact opposite of Thanksgiving. It i s i mpossible to be grateful and to grumble at the same time. The seeds of complaining will not grow in the soil of a thankful heart. One thing we hat our our words are only a symptom of the real issue that takes place in our heart. eart. have to realize is that _________________ of our heart. The words that we speak reveals the __________________ of condition If you want to make your life miserable, just complain about every single detail of it. Complaining is the easiest way to ruin your happiness, take the joy away from your job, and destroy your relationships. In the books of Exodus and Numbers, we see how God miraculously delivered the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. God had pledged to bring them safely into the Promised Land. God had led them and God had fed them, but they soon began to murmur and complain not just against their leaders, but against their Lord. As a result, Israel was s tuck wandering i n the wilderness for 40 years. It took one year to get Israel out of Egypt, but it took 40 years to get Egypt out of Israel.
MAIN IDEA: The more you ____________, complain the less you _______________. obtain
What is complaining? The Dictionary defines “complain” as “to express pain, grief, or discontent.” Complaining is known by several words that have the same symptoms: whining, griping, grumbling, bellyaching, and that Old Testament word, murmuring! Complaining is an expression of discontent, dissatisfaction and unhappiness. outward expression of _______________ inward Complaining is the _____________ discontent. Complaining exaggerates everything negative! It amplifies frustration and invites the devil into your mind and heart. Every time you complain, you allow the _____________ enemy to think he is winning. The Bible says that our complaints can give the devil an open door to come in. It can also become a self-‐fulfilling prophecy – what you whine and complain about can actually come upon you.
WHY DO I COMPLAIN? •
•
•
•
•
•
My Selfish Desire to Get _________________. Someone has said the tiniest package in attention the world is a person all wrapped up in himself. Whiner are self-‐absorbed. Job said in Job 10:1, “I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint.” My Desire to Be Seen As ______________________. Genesis 3:11-‐13 – God asked Adam, blameless “Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you n ot to eat?... the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” My Propensity to Glorify the _____________ -‐ We become nostalgic about the “Good O le past Days!” – the way things used to be. Israel had spent 430 years in Egypt. They have personally witnessed the plagues, the Passover, and the parting of the Red Sea. Yet just 45 days after seeing the movements of God we read in Exodus 16:2-‐3, “The whole congregation o f the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the LORD’S hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the p ots of meat, when we a te bread to the full; for you have brought us o ut into this wilderness to k ill this whole assembly with h unger.” When you glorify the past, you forget the whole story. entitlement Having an attitude of __________________________. People who complain tend to think that everyone is there to take c are of them and their needs. “What can you do for me next?” (See the Parable of the Vineyard in Matthew 20:1-‐16). Sociologists are actually noticing that the more ______________ blessed that people are, the more critical and complaining they become. The wealthiest are the whiniest. We who have the most, complain the most. Refusing to have my _________________ stretched. Read Numbers 14:1. The Israelites stretched didn’t believe God could be faithful. They are simply refusing to have their faith stretched. If you constantly whine, you actually c ome to believe what you are whining about. Because I’m _________________ with God. We may not want to admit it, but a lot of our unhappy whining is rooted in the fact that we are really unhappy with God and have an unbelief i n His Word. We feel like God is better to our neighbors than He is to us.
2
WHAT DOES COMPLAINING COST ME?
A __________________ mind will never produce a ___________________ life. Thinking about our negative positive problems is our greatest addiction… we need to break the habit and talk about our joys. • It Makes Life For My ________________ Miserable. Moses said to God, “Did I conceive all leaders these people? Did I give b irth to them?” Numbers 11:12. ARTICLE: “Listening to People Complain Drains Intelligence.” Quote from article: “Prolonged exposure to negativity and complaining apparently diminishes the brain’s capacity for problem solving.” Basically, listening to complaints turns your brain to mush. • It Causes Me to ____________ What God is Doing __________. One would think that the miss now same Israelites who had witnessed God do the impossible would fall on their knees in worship every day. Why didn’t they? Because whining and worship are _______________________. You can do one or the other, but you can’t whine and worship incompatible at the s ame time. When you worship God, what naturally flows out of you i s thanksgiving and praise. If I live my life i n constant complaint, I am actually missing what God i s doing – even though I am there. When you complain, you become part of the _______________ problem solution rather than part of the ___________________. A whiner reacts, but a winner responds. • Complaining __________________ the Heart of God. Numbers 11:1, “Now when the offends people complained, it displeased the Lord.” God takes our complaints personally. God had promised to bring them into the Promised L and, yet they looked God straight in the eye and said, “We don’t believe you.” In effect, they called God a liar. Every time you doubt the Word of God, you discredit the worth of God. • Complaining Turns _______________ ____________ people away From You. Complainers lose friends. Negativity repels people away from y ou. Someone once said that complainers have spiritual bad breath! FACT: When you complain about tasks i n your workplace – it actually causes people to think less of you. • Complaining is _________________________. It drags down c onversations. Whiners carry contagious this contagious toxin – you can catch it from others and others can catch it from you. Negativity snowballs and spreads. God’s _____________. best • Complaining Short-‐Circuits ___________ From the R ed Sea to the Promised Land – i t was a straight shot distance of 240 miles. They c ould have gotten there in a week! But what could have taken a week, ended up taking 40 years. Complaining has a way of getting us stuck i n a rut and missing out on God’s best. • Complaining Carries Significant ______________________. Read Numbers 14:27. God told consequences them that as a result of their complaints, He was not going to bless them with what He wanted to bless them with. Whining and complaining will i nevitably become a self-‐fulfilled prophecy. Not only that – but because of this spirit of rebellion, God sends judgment to them in the form of fiery serpents (see Numbers 21:6).
WHAT WOULD MY LIFE LOOK LIKE IF I DIDN’T COMPLAIN?
The 21 Day “Stop Complaining” Challenge. It takes 21 days of a new behavior to become a habit. We are giving you a wristband as a reminder to “Stop Complaining.” Whenever you catch yourself complaining, switch the bracelet to the other wrist. You may also want to use a “money jar” in your home or workplace. Every time you complain, put $1 in the jar and donate it to Hope Network to support people who have a lot less than what you are complaining about! Philippians 2:14-‐15, “Do all things without grumbling or complaining, so that you will p rove yourselves to be blameless and innocent children of God above r eproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.” blameless reproach 1. You will be __________________ and above _________________. Blameless means that you are faultless before a watching world. Complaining is a heart issue because at its root, we are trying to be the center of our own universe. When we remove ourselves from the center and put God i n His rightful place, we stop complaining. 2. You will appear as a true _________________ in the world. Paul says that when you live light this way, “you appear as lights in the world.” 3. You will __________ to Christ. Stop look more like Christ by ____________________ looking complaining about your circumstances and start looking to the God who controls those circumstances. R ead Numbers 21:1-‐9. When Israel was being bitten by deadly vipers because of their complaints, God had Moses raise up a brass s erpent on a staff. Those who looked to it were saved. A serpent raised upon a s taff healed the twelve tribes; but a Savior raised upon a cross is the healing of our lives.
