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Philippians 2:14-15, Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 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,
Believe it or not, a number of people have taken God to court for various grievances. In 1969, Betty Penrosa sued God for $100,000 when her home was struck by lightning. She won her case but was never able to collect the money. In 2007 Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers sued God for causing natural disasters and the deaths of millions. He sought a permanent injunction ordering God to cease causing floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, plagues, and more. The judge dismissed the case.
You may not believe this, but every time we grumble we are taking God to court! Regardless of what or whom we are grumbling about, grumbling says, “God, we don’t approve of how You are doing things and we think you ought to stop and desist.” Grumbling seems to be a favorite pastime activity in America. Children can be trained to grumble when parents give them everything they want. Did your parents ask you what you wanted for dinner?
Grumbling is a BIG sin in God’s book. He takes it personally. He has been known to kill grumblers, in fact. God killed more Israelites in the wilderness for grumbling than for any other sin! We’re going to prove that this morning. But imagine if you were struck down every time you grumbled. Would you be here?
THE PHILIPPIANS WERE PRONE TO GRUMBLE…JUST LIKE US.
Why does Paul put this prohibition against grumbling and disputing right here? He just got done telling them God is at work in them, and he’s going to tell us we are to shine as lights in this dark world. But first He has to warn us to do all things without grumbling and complaining. Here’s why. Though these Philippians are believers in Christ, they’re not yet glorified and if there’s one thing about human beings, saved or not, we tend to grumble, whine, and gripe. Grumbling is an ugly sin. A grumbler is spreading darkness, bad mouthing God, and often poisoning others with their grumbling. Satan started the grumbling bandwagon when he wanted to be like God. Adam was the first human grumbler, who accused God of giving him his wife, “The woman you gave me….” As we’ll see, we grumble in our tents just like Israel did!
NO GRUMBLING ALLOWED.
Philippians 2:14, Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
Let’s take this verse apart. “Do all things.” How many things does this include? It goes back to verses 12-13, we are to obey the Lord and work out that beautiful salvation God has given us by His grace without grumbling in all things. That’s a high standard. Couldn’t Paul have been more realistic? Try to do most things, under most circumstances, with most people, with most of what your spouse or kids or those people at church without grumbling. No, do all things. Paul likes those absolutes. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 he says rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks. Not most things – all things.
Do all things WITHOUT grumbling. The Greek word has the idea of a space with nothing in it, the absence of something. Do everything with the absence of grumbling.
And then these two words, grumbling or disputing. Grumbling is gongusmos, an onomatopoetic word. “gungungung.” The King James translates it murmuring, “murmurmurmurmur.” It speaks of a droning sound of disgruntled dissatisfaction, smoldering discontent. You have it in Matthew 20:11 when those workers who worked all day were paid what they were promised, but those hired for only part of the day were promised the same thing. That set them a grumbling against the owner even though they got what they were promised.
That second word is disputing, dialogismos, speaking of inner reasoning, often in a negative, argumentative way. Connected with grumbling it’s that inner reasoning convincing myself it’s not fair so I have every right to grumble. If you knew what I was going through, you would understand why I go home and grumble in my tent.
WHAT GOD THINKS ABOUT GRUMBLING.
The most famous grumblers in the Bible were those Israelites in the wilderness after God graciously brought them out of Egypt. Paul is probably thinking about that generation here in Philippians. He refers to them in 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 10:10, Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.
Philippians 2:13 tells us God is powerfully at work in you, energizing you to will and to do what pleases Him. God has brought you out of the world through the Passover Lamb, through the blood of the Lamb, and now it’s time to shine His glory in our darkness. Then Paul warns them, DO NOT GRUMBLE. Let’s learn from Israel.
Exodus 15 – Israel had just finished their walk across the Red Sea with God’s mighty miracle and great display of power when the grumbling began. First they sang a glorious song of praise with Moses and Miriam in Exodus 15:21, “Sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted!” Then almost immediately verse 24 says, “The people grumbled at Moses.” What will we drink?”
Exodus 16 – Then in Exodus 16:2-3 they grumbled at Moses and Aaron about food. “We should have stayed in Egypt with its meat and bread. You’ve brought us out here to kill us!” A grumbler isn’t thinking straight! In verse 8 Moses tells them, “The Lord hears your grumblings. You’re not grumbling against us but against the Lord.” All grumbling is against the Lord.
Numbers 14 – Go over to Numbers 14 for more grumbling. Those twelve spies brought back all kinds of beautiful, delicious fruit from the promised land. They said, “It really is a land flowing with milk and honey!” But then they added, “But there are giants in the land. In fact we looked like grasshoppers in their eyes!” Boy did that set off a chorus of grumbling and whining. They wept all that night and then in Numbers 14:2, “All the people grumbled against Moses and Aaron. We should have died back in Egypt, or even in this wilderness.” Grumblers make dumb decisions. They even said, “Let’s appoint a leader and return to Egypt!” Can you believe it? You never grumble like that, do you? Joshua and Caleb tried to knock some sense into them, “The Lord is with us; do not fear them.” What did they do? They all said, “Let’s stone them with stones.” They are really pushing God’s patience. Finally God tells them.
Numbers 14:27-29, “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. 28 “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ says the LORD, ‘just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; 29 your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me.’”
God actually gave them what they asked for. As for the spies who brought back a bad report, they died on the spot. This teaches us the dangers of spreading your grumbling.
Numbers 14:36-37, As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, 37 even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the LORD.
Numbers 16 – A couple chapters later in Numbers 16, Korah and his crew rebelled against Moses and Aaron. They were Levites who didn’t like submitting to Moses and Aaron. Jealousy will breed all kinds of grumbling. In verse 11 Moses charged them with grumbling against Aaron. To make a long story short, God came down in wrath, the earth opened and swallowed up Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and all their families. Also verse 35 says 250 other rebels were burned with fire. God does not tolerate grumblers. If this weren’t enough, the next day these wilderness grumblers accused Moses and Aaron of causing the deaths of the people (verse 41). Oi Vey! Can you believe it?
Psalm 106 – Grumbling is a capital offense against God. It’s only God’s mercy that we’re still alive. One other Old Testament reference describes these wilderness grumblers. Picture a vast flat land with thousands of tents over the whole area. When you listen, you hear this low, murmuring drone, the low-pitched whine of grumbling and smoldering discontent coming from all these tents.
Psalms 106:24-25, Then they despised the pleasant land; They did not believe in His word, 25 But grumbled in their tents; They did not listen to the voice of the LORD.
Have you ever done that? Has that low drone of grumbling ever come out of your tent?
Jude 16 describes Christ’s return in judgment and notice the first group mentioned as worthy of judgment.
Jude14-16, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” 16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.
THE ANATOMY OF GRUMBLING.
Where does all this grumbling come from? Jesus clearly said all these evil thoughts and reasonings come out of the heart (Matthew 15:19). We grumble out of a proud, self-loving, self-pitying, self-centered heart of unbelief. We’re not getting what we think we deserve or we’re getting what we think we don’t deserve. I deserve to be treated better than that. Why is this happening to me? I can’t believe it. What did I do to deserve this? He or she doesn’t deserve that. Grumbling is the height of spiritual arrogance, even blasphemy. “God doesn’t know how to run His universe, or at least my life. I could run things much better.” Grumbling is a BIG sin. It’s the very opposite of a Christ-like way of thinking. Christ humbled Himself and submitted to the Father’s will. If you’re a grumbler, ask God for forgiveness. Maybe you’ve infected others with your grumbling. You need forgiveness for that, too.
There are habitual grumblers and occasional grumblers. Some are stuck in the grumbling mode, like a scratched record. It’s a habit. They are the people with the entitlement mentality. “I deserve the be treated better than this; I deserve more than this; I don’t deserve this.” You can hear the low drone grumbling when you’re around them. Spurgeon said, “The wisest course is to keep out of the way of a man with the grumbles.”
Hopefully most of us aren’t habitual grumblers; but let’s face it, we do grumble from time to time. We wouldn’t take God to court, but we’re not happy with how He’s handling things. We’d like God to fix everything in our lives just the way we like it. We’d like a perfect spouse, obedient kids, a great job. We’d like everything to go swimmingly every day!
A well-meaning fellow joined the “2-10” monastery where you were only allowed two words every ten years, and you said them to the abbot. After ten years our well-meaning fellow came before the abbot with his two words, “Food cold.” Back he went for his second ten years, then came back to the abbot, “Bed hard.” Back he went for his third ten years. He came before the abbot and said, “Want out.” The abbot responded, “You may as well leave. You’ve done nothing but complain since you’ve been here.”
Paul says God is working in you, energizing you, and leading you to a glorious place. He is moving you to will and to do His good pleasure. And this will include lots of rough places we don’t like. God is sure to bring difficult people into our lives to help us grow more and more to be like Christ, to learn to love others, even our enemies.
THEOLOGY FOR OUR GRUMBLING HEARTS.
Here’s the key to doing all things without grumbling or complaining. We have to learn to take our theology with us into the storms, the tough situations, the losses, the difficult relationships. Remember Who your God is.
Remember that God is sovereign and wise. God knows just what we need and He is sovereign. Nothing happens by chance. Remember Joseph down in Egypt in Potiphar’s house and jail. He could have griped and grumbled, “I don’t deserve to be here. I was sold by my brothers and then falsely accused and now that baker forgot to mention me to Pharaoh! But Joseph didn’t grumble. He found out God had it all planned for the good of his people.
Remember God’s goodness and love. Grumbling says, “The Lord hates me. God isn’t keeping His promises to me.” But God never loved His Son more than when they were spitting, hitting, and nailing Him to the cross. God is your loving Father and means only your good. Any grumbling declares to those around you that God is not loving or good or both.
Remember God’s power. Grumbling says, “Why don’t you change things, God? Aren’t you omnipotent?” Remember, God could change everything in your life right now, but He hasn’t. Why not? God has His timing and purpose in every one of our trials and difficulties.
Remember God’s purpose. God’s purpose for the obstacles and hard times in our lives that we don’t think we deserve is to expose our proud, self-focused hearts, and to show us how much we need Him. He strips us of our idols, those wrong things we’re living for, to make us more like His Son.
Remember God’s very presence with you. Verse 13 says He’s at work in you. I’m grumbling right in the presence of my gracious, redeeming God who not only rescued my soul from sin and hell, but joined me to His Son as a joint heir with Christ for all eternity. Grumbling is a BIG sin.
GRUMBLING OR GRATEFUL?
How do you fight a grumbling, critical spirit? Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
1 Thessalonians 5:18. in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
In everything give thanks. Everything. How inclusive is this? Things that please me? Give thanks. Things that don’t please me? Give thanks. This is God’s will – not God’s suggestion or some psychological trick to happier living. This is God’s will. This is what God wants in your life and mine, just like that one person with leprosy who came back to Jesus to give thanks. You may ask, “God, what do you want me to do today?” One definite answer would be, “Stop grumbling and start giving Me thanks for everything in your life, the good and the bad.” Is He disciplining you right now? Why? Because He loves you. “Those whom I love I discipline” (Hebrews 12:6).
Another thing to notice in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 is the last phrase, “for you in Christ Jesus.” Not for the other person, but for you. This isn’t psychology or tips for better living by Joel Osteen. Paul is talking to you who are in Christ Jesus. That means those who are redeemed, forgiven, purchased with the blood of Christ, and in union with Christ. You belong to Christ. You are infinitely blessed with absolutely no reason to grumble, gripe, or whine again. You deserved hell, but now you are headed for heaven. Praise God! You have no reason to go back to your tent and crank up the grumbling drone.
People, how good is your God? You may be an amputee; your God is good. You may have cancer, diabetes, arthritis, a bad back, a bad heart, bad lungs, liver, neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, or a quadriplegic. You may have a less than perfect husband or wife, kids that push your buttons, a boss who mistreats you. Count on it, your God is good and full of compassion. If you belong to Him, He is your Father who cares about you more than anyone else in this world.
SO WHAT?
Let me give you a homework assignment. Did I hear a grumble? Get with God and your notebook sometime this week and jot down thirty things for which you are thankful. Next page jot down at least ten things you appreciate about your wife and somehow let her know without her knowing you’re just doing it because the preacher told you to. Then jot down ten people you really appreciate, people God has used to bless you in various ways and somehow let them know. Then sing silently, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow! Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!”