THE SIN OF MURMURING
The churches of Christ
Greet
You (Romans
Read Text: “They also that erred in spirit shall come to
understanding,
and they that
murmured
(grumble or rebel) shall learn doctrine” (Isaiah 29:24).
Introduction
1. The sin of murmuring is almost as old as time.
a. We have no record of Adam and Eve
murmuring (or complaining)
b. but Cain did and it was prevalent
among
the Israelites.
2. God had so graciously led them from the land of bondage,
a. yet at the first difficulty they
murmured against Him.
b. They murmured against Moses
repeatedly
(Read Ex. 16:2-3, 7-8).
3. Loved Ones, please notice
a. that when we murmur against one of
God's ministers or leaders
b. God considers it an affront to Him.
1. If we
really believed this
2. surely
there would be less murmuring in the church today.
4. Look around us, can’t we see that God is among us?
a. This addition; all these new souls in
Christ...
b. the faith, hope, and love that is
growing
in this congregation?
5. Brethren, why in the world should we be murmuring
a. or complaining about anything?
b. I believe it’s our pride - that old
deceptive
pride (Oba. 3),
c. The pride of our heart causes us to
sin
(1 John 2:15-17).
6. This sin of murmuring is a serious matter
a. and many are going down to perdition
b. either from lack of teaching on the
subject
c. or who are willing to be ignorant or
disobedient.
I. Murmuring is Unreasonable
1. Jeremiah wanted to know
a. just what right a man has to complain
b. when punished for his crimes?
(Lamentations 3:39).
2. The thieves on the cross recognized this
a. when one railed at Christ.
b. The other said, "Dost thou not
fear
God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation;
And
we justly; for we receive due reward of our deeds: but this man hath
done nothing
amiss" (Luke
II. Murmuring Tempts and Provokes God
1. Read Exodus 17:1-3, 7.
2. The Israelites did this numerous times and received
punishment.
3. Do we think God will overlook our murmuring?
a. Verily nay.
b. These things were written for our
learning
(
III. Murmuring is a Characteristic of the Wicked
1. Paul tells us of a people who were
enemies
of the cross of Christ;
a. and whose end is destruction, whose
God
is their belly
b. and whose glory is in their shame,
1. who set
their on mind earthly things (Phil. 3:18-19).
2. Does
this
not have a familiar ring today?
2. The child of God must refrain from murmuring.
a. We are commanded to “do all things
without
murmuring and disputing”(Phil. 2:14).
b. We are to glorify God with our body
and spirit (I Corinthians 6:20).
c. Solomon said the foolishness of man
perverts or twists his way,
and his heart frets (gets angry) against the Lord (Proverbs 19:3).
3. The Psalmist admonishes us to rest in the Lord and wait
patiently
for Him.
a. We must cease from anger and stop
fretting (Psalm 37:7-8).
b. Paul points out the folly of
murmuring against the Lord: "But indeed,
O man, who are you to reply against God?" (Rom. 9:19-20).
4. The fact that we derive no benefit from murmuring should be
deterrent enough,
a. but that we shall be punished for
murmuring (cf. Num. 14) should be an added deterrent.
b. Malachi 3:14 says, "Ye have said it
is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have
kept his ordinances, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord
of Hosts?"
1. How often we
hear
this today - especially by the babe in Christ -
2. or by one who
is steeped in sorrow over the loss of a loved one
3. who was a
faithful child of God when rank sinners live and prosper.
5. It is difficult, by man's reasoning, to understand,
a. but God has a book of remembrance
before
Him
b. for them that fear Him.
6. We must ever remember that we walk by faith - not by sight (2
Cor. 5:7).
IV. Examples of Murmurers
1. We are reminded of Jonah.
a. He is one of the most pitiful
examples
of murmurers
b. found in the Bible.
2. First he fled rather than accept the assignment God gave him,
a. but when he decided to go preach to
Nineveh and they repented,
b. he became angry because God did not
destroy them.
c. He murmured about everything (Read
the
book of Jonah).
3. There are several lessons to be learned from this incident in
Jonah's life.
a. Though Jonah was a prophet of God he
could sin.
b. It shows the presence of God cannot
be escaped.
c. It proves God is also God of the
seas.
1. It
proves
God condemns sin in all nations
2. and is
merciful to the penitent of all nations.
d. It proves the foolishness of being
angry
with God.
e. It showed Jonah that God's love
crosses racial boundaries.
f. And, it rebuked Israel in their
rejoicing over the calamities of outside nations.
1. They
did
not understand that God's selection of them as His chosen people
2.
was
for a specific purpose and for a limited period of time.
4. God had not forsaken His other peoples.
a. They received the same material
blessings
as Israel,
b. and had they been obedient
c. they would have received the same
spiritual blessings.
5. The brother of the "Prodigal Son" (Luke 15)
a. reasoned much as did Jonah,
b. and I fear that same reasoning is
among
us today.
6. The great prophet Elijah murmured.
a. In his contest with the prophets of
Baal
b. he incurred the hatred of Jezebel,
who
vowed to take his life,
1. and
fled
to the wilderness beyond Beersheba
2. and sat
under a Juniper tree indulging in self-pity,
3.
requesting
that he might die; saying, "It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my
life;
for I am not better than my fathers."
7. There is a note of humbleness in this
a. for which Elijah is to be commended
b. but note his attitude even after God
had sustained him
c. forty days and forty nights.
8. He hid himself in a cave
a. and when the word of the Lord came to
him he tried to defend his actions
b. by saying he was the only one left
and
they sought his life.
1. God
told
him He had left yet 7,000 in Israel
2. who had
not bowed unto Baal (1 Kings 19:3-18).
3. Note
especially verses 11-18.
9. We find the Jewish people and Pharisees
a. murmuring against Christ on several
occasions (Read John 7:11-13).
b. Murmuring was found among the
disciples
(John 6:59-61).
1. On one
occasion even the apostles began murmuring over
2. who
should
be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Luke 9:46).
10. Another time a woman anointed Christ's feet with an expensive
ointment.
a. Some had indignation, calling it a
waste.
b. John identified him as Judas Iscariot
1. and
said
he cared not for the poor;
2. but
because
he was a thief, had the bag,
3. and
bear
what was put therein (John 12:4-6).
Conclusion
1. Human nature is the same as in the days
of
Jonah.
a. Without the love of God in our hearts
for fallen man
b. we would be in the same condition he
was.
2. In the 13th chapter of first Corinthians
a. we have what is sometimes referred to
as the love chapter of the Bible.
b. It would be profitable if each child
of
God would memorize this chapter
c. for it is the fulfilling of the law
(Romans 13:10).
3. The first and great commandment is love.
a. Love of God and for our neighbor
(Matt. 22:37-40).
b. If we love as we are commanded
c. we will have no room in our hearts
for murmuring.
4. Paul wrote, "Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured,
and
were destroyed of the
destroyer" (1 Corinthians 10:10).
5. "Jesus therefore answered and said to them, Do not
murmur among yourselves" (John 6:43).
The lesson is yours...