But this person, whomever he or she may be, just does not see it coming or know what to do about it when it starts.

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Mabel Griffith
5 years ago
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1 10 Ways to Love: Enjoy Without Complaint Philippians 2:14-18 INTRO: Love. We are learning how to love well. Love is an important part of our lives of faith. God loves us. God loves everyone. God acts on his love to make a way for relationship with us. We allow that love to live through us that others that might be grasped by this love too. By now we are listening without interrupting, speaking without accusing, giving without sparing, praying without ceasing, answering shoutout arguing, and sharing without pretending. How are you doing with all of this? Well I hope! This morning we will consider how to enjoy without complaint. ME: Do know anyone who thinks it makes them attractive, and magnetic, and some other such word... to complain all the time? Constructive criticism is useful and helpful. I am talking about the person with the constant stream of nit picky commentary on every little thing that could be slightly different to conform to their view of how things ought to to be. Do you know anyone like that? My family does! And the person they know that does this means well by it. I really do! But this person, whomever he or she may be, just does not see it coming or know what to do about it when it starts. YOU: Do you find yourself doing this? Or, do you know someone... else... who does this? It can be a real problem, because it is no fun to listen to this... is it? If only God could help us with this problem. I am sure he can! Let look together: GOD: 1

2 Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. 16 It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out as a libation over the sacrifice and the offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you 18 and in the same way you also must be glad and rejoice with me. (NRSV) And here's the same passage in another translation: Do everything readily and cheerfully no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns. You ll be living proof that I didn t go to all this work for nothing Even if I am executed here and now, I ll rejoice in being an element in the offering of your faith that you make on Christ s altar, a part of your rejoicing. But turnabout s fair play you must join me in my rejoicing. Whatever you do, don t feel sorry for me. (THE MESSAGE) WE: No bickering, no second guessing allowed! Go out and breath fresh air into this polluted society! This is an important way in which we can show Love to someone. If Adria asks me to do something for her and I sigh loudly as I roll my eyes and complain about it even as I go about doing whatever it was she needed me to do, then I have not really loved her well. I may have done the job, but I made her feel bad or guilty about asking. Perhaps this is something I do way too much. This is when my yes sounds like a no. I have been working on this, I have really been trying to be more enthusiastic with my yes es After all, if the action is something I end up doing anyway, whether I am in the mood to do it or not, then I have the choice of serving her and letting her feel loved. 10 Ways to Love: Enjoy without complaint, Just how do you get sopmeone to go from Do everything without grumbling or arguing to Enjoy without complaint" Well, we can continue reading: 2

3 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Paul now brings this entry level teaching about the relationship of the human and the divine in the work of salvation to focus on a conflict in the church in Philippi. Do everything without complaining or arguing (2:14). There have already been hints of this in the words about being of one spirit and one mind. An direct reference to contention between two leading women in the church is seen in 4:2. The Greek words for complaining and arguing are the same also found in the Greek Old Testament about the murmuring of the Israelites in the wilderness in Deut. 32:5, 20. Why aren't we joyful all the time? God loves us. Did you hear that? God loves you, and me, and the person we think is least worthy of his love. God loves us, so what do we do about this? Someone said it like this: It is God who saves but there is a human responsibility to take hold of that salvation. Paul lists three marks of a holy life. The Philippians must be blameless and pure without fault (2:15). 1 - First, they must be above reproach or accusation. 2 - The second says they should be unmixed and unpolluted. 3 - The third, faultless, is frequently used in the Old Testament to describe sacrificial animals. Only those unblemished were acceptable as offerings to God. These are the marks of the children of God. Paul looks for them not in some far away future, but in the present. Then the believers stand in visible contrast with the depraved generation in which they live. On the basis of the holiness of their lives, the Philippians will be able to fulfill their God-given mission. The quality of their character will make them stand out from society just like stars stand out against the blackness of the night sky. 3

4 But wait, there's more! It will show on the day of Christ that Paul s labors have not been in vain. Paul took the day of judgment, Christ s day seriously. Paul knew how important it was to remember that the holiness of one s life will bear scrutiny on that day and equally that the worth of one s labors will be beyond dispute. Paul s ministry to the Philippians has been like a hard-run race. He is anxious that its results will give him cause for rejoicing at the final test. Paul is not worried about the possibility of dying. He thinks it is a cause for rejoicing. It will be the seal on both their service and his own. Both are offerings to God. Charles Wesley s lines express his thought perfectly: Ready for all Thy perfect will, My acts of faith and love repeat, Till death Thine endless mercies seal, And make the sacrifice complete. Beautiful, theological, and so very poetic! But how is it practical? It all goes back to Loving someone well. When I know that I have done something for Adria or Susannah, or one of you lot... if it helps out or makes someone feel good then that brings me joy. Maybe just maybe the blamelessness and purity are not things we pursue directly, but it are the more exciting result of Loving people well. As I seek to Enjoy without complaining, may I add value to the lives of those around me and by my example encourage others to consider giving it a try too. Another way to put this to practice is to not be the one, who knows everything that is right and wrong about whatever it happening in life. Quit complaining about it unless your words can do some good, and if they can't, keep your mouth in the closed position! And while it's sitting there closed, why don't you let it smile? THE SERMON IN A SENTENCE: Love people by Enjoying without Complaining. 4

5 YOU: I know you know a lot of stuff about life and are eager to share the wealth of your knowledge with who ever can hear you at whatever time it is in whatever place you currently are. I know this, you know this, but is it loving to always say what is on your mind? Why don't you take a breath... take another... Look around you... Live your life... Enjoy your life... Without complaining? CLOSE: There's this short film on Amazon I watched that I wish I could show you right now. It is called Adadilisdi- a meditation on grace by Brenna Carnuccio. Since I cannot show it to you, let me tell you about it. It begins with an older teen aged girl trying to get to sleep while her family is making noise enjoying themselves in another part of the house. She shouted for them to keep it down because she had to get to sleep. It shifts to morning where the same girl drags pout of bed and gets dressed. She heads downstairs where her mom had made her some breakfast. She trips over her brothers lacrosse equipment in the hall. Her mom tries to talk to her but she silently walks away with breakfast in her mouth, puts on her jacket and says, "Well, see you later." through the piece of toast in her mouth. Her mom watches her through the window as she drives away. The title appears and Brenna talks about a time where people lived lives slowly. She wonders how is it in our advanced age that we find our full lives progressively empty. "Could it be we live too fast?" The Cherokee people called it Adadolisdi- grace. A goofy, underserved, unearned and freely given. what if we paused? Slowed down. What would we see? What have we missed? The film reverses all the way to her trying to get to sleep the night before. Wasn't she kept awake the nought before by the voices of those she loves speaking to one another, loving? Is this not a gift? Don't we face each day with sun to see by and feet to walk by and hands to work by? Aren't Therese's things all gifts? Could the mess in the hall be evidence of the presence of a beloved brother? How many of these graces fill our moments? Our many moments of our many days spent distarvcted by pasts iunchanged and futures that may never arrive? How much grace do we lose by failing to roesent where we are? 5

6 If we want to love well, we should be where we are... loving who we are with... and saying what we mean. We can enjoy without complaining. Will we give it a try? Let's pray for Adodilsdi, for grace... 6

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both