This is Larry Jones. You are listening to the Grace and Glory Hour of the Dyer Baptist Church with our co-pastors David M. Atkinson and Dr. Lee Atkinson. We are coming to you from Dyer, Indiana. Our prayer is that you will be strengthened by the Word today. Now, here is our pastor. Would you please find Mark chapter 12 in your Bible? Mark chapter 12. When we complain, we are worldly. So there. Being worldly isn't just a controlled substance that you use or a clothing style. It's not a place you go. Being worldly, among other things, is complaining. That's what unregenerate people do. That's what unsafe people do. That's a natural thing to do. But if you've been born again, if you begin new life, if you've been translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of his dear son, you ought not complain. Some of you are thinking, Pastor Lee, you preached on this for two weeks. I'm really tired of you preaching about this. And you're complaining about the preaching. Man, oh man. Last two weeks, we've looked at how our thinking affects our complaining and how the world thinks about its rights and other people and blaming others for problems. But today, unfortunately, we're going to get even deeper beyond our thinking to our hearts. The fact is when we complain, it's because we love ourselves. We love ourselves more than we love others, more than we love God, more than we love His Word, and that's why we complain. We don't like our circumstances because we love ourselves. We don't get to do what we want. We don't like how others are treating us, and we love ourselves, and we're complaining that they're not treating us the way they should treat us. As Christians, our affections are to be set on things above. Colossians tells us that. Our love, our desire, our value system is supposed to be such that it makes us different from those around us. We are to love differently than the world loves. The world loves itself. Every person loves him or herself. Our love is to be different from that. Our affection is to be set on things above. And if we can get If we can allow God to change our loves and our affections and our hearts, it can help us grow in this area of complaining, because here's something that I've realized. Sometimes I feel like I'm doing a really good job if I'm really upset about a situation, but I just don't talk about it. I don't verbalize the complaint, so I'm good. But inside, oh my goodness, the things that I'm saying to me are just really, really negative. I'm that person, and I tell you what, if I can give my people, right? And I just sound like this. I'm not complaining. Actually, I'm not supposed to complain. Is that really being different from the world? This is wearing a mask, isn't it? So for us to be Christians, to be transformed, it needs to go beyond just biting our tongue. It needs to go to the heart. It needs to be more than just restraining our behavior or having our behavior restrained. It needs to be a willingness to be led in a different way. Sometimes I think dogs are the best preachers. I'm going to preach from testimony of my dog today. I've told you a couple things about him. He's still a puppy. He's about eight months old, I think, something like that. His name is Sherlock. He's black and white. He looks like a border collie, acts like a border collie. He's got apparently some Australian shepherd in there too, but either way you look at it, the dog is born to run. I mean, that he would rather run than anything else. I'm not kidding you. He loves to run. We don't have a fenced yard. That makes it interesting. But we do have an abandoned railroad track not far from our property, and we'll go out there. And as Sherlock, when he was a little puppy, you know, when he was a seven-pound dog that loves to run, that's one thing. But when he gets to be, what is he now, 40-pound, 30-something-pound dog that loves to run, and you're on the other end of the leash, it matters. So we care for our dog. We're good, humane head owners. So we bought our dog some jewelry. We like calling it a jewelry. Some people call it a choke collar. But nonetheless, we got him jewelry. So when we take him for a walk, he's got to wear this extra collar. Because it's either his neck or my shoulder, you know? And there'll be times you walk along and you don't honestly choke him. You just give him that little pull him up short kind of thing. You tug on it and he's, oh yeah, there's something on the other end. Oh yeah, there's something on the other end. But it's funny, even with the collar, you know how dogs are. He's, ha, ha, ha, ha. And he's trying to get just a little bit farther ahead. And I'm like, dog, we're going to get there. If you would just pull back like six inches, you could be so comfortable. You wouldn't be choking. You wouldn't have that thing in your throat. And we could all be happier if you would just relax. He doesn't know how to relax. He does not. Well, I'm glad to tell you that he is learning some things, including a little bit of obedience. There were some times when I thought it was hopeless, but he's coming along. And now he obeys occasionally. You know, sit and shake. The family's working on rollover a little bit. But my favorite term for him to obey is this command. I love this one. It's no. That just means whatever you're doing, stop it. And we use that one quite a bit. So this past Friday, I had some time to spend with Sherlock. And you can do the whole pull on the choke collar thing. And he can be miserable, and you can be miserable. But because he's getting a little bit more obedient, we did something special. We went to that abandoned trail. And I took him off the leash. And I had my bike. And I rode the bike, and he ran with me. And he could easily outrun me. I was riding ahead of him and he passed me. He passed on the right too, did not use his signal. But he ran back. But here's the thing, not only does this dog love to run, this dog on both sides is a shepherd. A border collie, an Australian shepherd. And so he loves to herd anybody and anything. If you make a fast move in our house, she's like, what are you doing? Where are you going? He's going to check on you. So I'm riding, and at one point he was in front of me and I was gonna catch up to him, and I'm gonna pass him just to see how he freaks out or what he does. So I'm riding pretty fast, it's a narrow trail, I come up beside him, and he decides he wants to herd me. We're going pretty fast, I'm on my bike, and his head is right about the level of my foot on the pedals. And I watch, he's running, and he turns, and he looks at my foot, and I'm watching him. I'm like, just take me back, just take me back. And I just said, no. He turned his head straight and just kept running. I'm like, oh, this is good. This is good. We're running for a while. Then he turns and he looks at the tire. And he's got this look. And I said, no. He turned and he just ran. And we were able to have this wonderful time together because he would let me guide him with my words instead of the choke collar. Remember the scriptures tell us, don't be like the horse or the mule that has to be led by a bit. And it's a lot more pleasant for the horse or the dog or whatever if you'll be led. And it's not about you're forced and restrained, but your heart has changed. Sherlock's heart was changed. He wanted to do what I asked him to do, and it was better for him. When it comes to complaining, you can force yourself to not say those words. But if your heart is changed, how much better that you don't even have to hold the words back, because there's not bad words in your heart. Remember how Jesus said that it's not the things that go into you that defile you, it's the things that come out of you that defile you, because out of your heart come all these awful things. And the fact is, when I'm complaining, all I'm doing is letting off what's already in my heart. When we say Christians are supposed to be different, it's not just that they have the same stuff in their heart, they just don't tell anybody. That would just be hypocrisy, right? That's not virtuous. But that our heart has changed, our affections are changed, our love has changed so that we can be guided by the Spirit and we don't have to have a choke collar, I guess, if I can say it that way. So if our love were what it should be, this complaining thing would be taken care of. And so if you're in Mark chapter 12, let's look at these familiar verses where somebody comes and talks to Jesus and asks him, hey, what's the most important thing for me to do? And in Mark 12, 29, Jesus answered him, Mark 12, 29. And he said, the first of all the commandments is, hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. The most important commandment is for us to love God. What does that have to do with complaining? Well, if our heart is changed, if we love God like we should love Him, it won't just restrain our tongue like a choke collar, it'll change our attitude. And we won't just avoid negative comments. Our hearts will be filled with the freedom of contentment and gratitude. So I don't want us as Christians to just be people that don't verbalize our complaints. I want us to have a heart that's full of gratitude, a heart that's full of contentment, and if we love God the way we should, I think that will happen. How does that follow? Well, Jesus gives us an example in John 12, 27. John 12, 27, if you haven't learned this verse, I encourage you to write it on something portable and put it someplace visible. John 12, 27 is a tremendous example from Christ of how we should face our daily circumstance. John 12, 27, I know it's early in the number of chapters, but chronologically, this is close to the end for Jesus. Chapter 13, he's washing their feet. Chapter 14, we have the beginning of the upper room discourse. So this is right towards the end. And in John chapter 12, verse 27, Jesus said this, now is my soul troubled. Have you had a day like that? My soul is troubled. Maybe for you it's Monday. Maybe it's every day that you go to work. Maybe it's a day when traffic is bad, or when something breaks, or you get a bill that's unexpected. And you see, now is my soul troubled. Maybe it's interpersonal relationship. Maybe it's somebody who's not working with you, and you're just churned up about it. Jesus said, now is my soul troubled. I have bad circumstances. I have circumstances that are troubling. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? Take these circumstances away, make things the way I want them to be, make it pleasant for me so that I don't complain. He says, I'm not going to pray, Father, save me from this hour. For this cause came I to this hour. This is why I'm here right now. This is your plan for me. This is your design. Understand, please, that every circumstance you face is part of God's design. He is the master conductor, composer. He has put it all together. He is the leader of human history. Whatever you're going through is part of his plan. I don't understand it. I don't know how it's going to work out for good, but God doesn't make any mistakes. If you're suffering right now, if your circumstances are troubling as Jesus were, you can say with Christ, for this cause came I to this hour. Thy will be done. God, I am uncomfortable. I am troubled. I do not like this. God, I want your will to be done. And so rather than complaining about the circumstance, catch this, I can actually embrace the circumstance. I can say this is unpleasant, but it's from God, so I'm not gonna fight against it. When we complain, we're saying God messed up. When we complain, we're saying, I don't like what God gave me. Send this back. Can I get something different, please? We are rebelling against God when we complain, because nothing happens to you that's outside of His care. Is that hard to swallow? I mean, we know it theologically, but do we live it practically? When that person cuts you off? When the boss lies about you? When your co-worker is lazy and you have to make up for it but you don't get any extra pay? When those things happen, can you say, for this cause came I to this hour? God, what do you have for me? What are you doing here? I don't understand it. I don't like it. But not my will, but I'd be done. If we would love God deeply and truly, we would understand that our circumstances are part of His will. It's part of His plan and we can embrace them. If this is what God wants, then I want it too. Next time you're tempted to complain, try saying that instead. If this is what God wants, then I want it too. If I have to go to the hospital, then that's what I want. If God wants me to learn this lesson the hard way, then I want to learn it the hard way too. If we really loved him, we'd be willing to go along. Remember what Peter said, 1 Peter 4, 19. Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful creator. He says, if you're a suffering Christian, and all of us suffer in some way, Commit your soul to God and say, well, God, this is your will. You're a faithful creator. I'm not going to buck against you. I trust you, God. I love you, God. If this is what you want, that's OK. I'm not going to complain about it. Hey, listen, I'm not minimizing it. Some of you have some tough stuff going on. You're hurting, maybe in a variety of ways. But trust God, love Him, and embrace what He has for you. How can we practically do this? How can our love for God help us with a heart of gratitude and contentment that doesn't complain? Let me tell you, first of all, you need to cultivate your relationship with God. I think when I complain most, it's when I'm furthest from the Lord. Like when I'm, I'm saved, I'm avoiding bank robbery, not doing anything super terrible, but I just haven't been walking with him. Fellowshiping with him, and I get grumpy. I get complaining. But if I'm walking with God in a living, breathing kind of fellowship, I'm not gonna complain. And secondly, you need to connect your circumstances to God. Because isn't it easy, okay, so maybe you did have your quiet time, you are praying to God, but he stays in the prayer closet and you go out into the world and leave him behind. God has nothing to do with my job. God has nothing to do with my car repair. God has nothing to do with the thing that just broke at my house. God has nothing to do with this relationship that I, it's just not working. No, no, no, he does. He's not God in a compartment. He's God of the universe. He's king of every area of your life and he cares and he's involved. So whatever that circumstance is, connect God to it. And then when you love him and understand that he is working in and through your circumstances, You can't complain. You can't. I love the text from that song, Day by Day, which says, help me, Lord, when toil and trouble greeting, e'er to take, how, as from a father's hand. We say that every good and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights. The problem is sometimes God gives us gifts that we don't recognize. They're not in pretty paper. They don't have a bow on them. And they're a gift from God. We just don't recognize them as such. Learn to connect God to your circumstances. Listen, when something happens that's a disappointment to you, it's not as if, you know, God fell asleep. I'm not meaning any disrespect, but that's how we act sometimes. Oh, this one got past God. Whatever that thing is that's chafing you, that thorn in your flesh, or that interpersonal problem, or that financial burden, or that employee who won't employ himself, or whatever it is, that didn't escape God's Godness. He's God of that circumstance too. He's not just God when there's a rainbow. He's God when there's a thundercloud, and He's using all of it. So love Him, love the Lord your God with all your soul, your mind and strength, and refuse to complain about what He gives you, the toil and trouble that you greet. And don't say, Father, save me from this hour. And don't say, this suffering, it's not fair, it's not right. Just commit your soul to Him that does well. Let's come to Ephesians chapter six. Ephesians six. Ephesians 6. Here's where our theology meets practicality because it's Paul telling servants how to relate to their masters. And then he'll turn around in the next couple of verses and tell masters how to relate to their servants. and all of it is centered around Christ. So in verse 5 and 6, he says, servants, you need to treat your masters and keep Christ in mind. And then in the next couple of verses, he says, and masters, you need to treat your servants, because you also have a master in heaven. But let's focus especially, please, on Ephesians 6, verses 5 and 6. Servants. Be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh. And we often apply this to the employer-employee relationship. And I think that's appropriate. But is that what this relationship is? Is it? It's a slave-master relationship. Slavery. Slaves Obey your masters, your physical earthly masters, with grumbling and complaining, with dragging your heels and just doing as little as possible to avoid a beating. Obey them with fear and trembling in singleness of your heart. And this is crucial to understanding the text. Don't have a divided heart. Don't have a segmented heart where, okay, here's how I'm going to serve my master, and here's how I'm going to serve Christ. No, no, you have one heart. And you're always serving Christ. And whether you're obeying your master, or whether you're singing hymns, or whether you're sharing the gospel, it's the same heart. You have a single heart. Everything you do is for Christ, even if you're a slave. Even if you've got an abusive master, you are serving that master as unto Christ, it says. In singleness of your heart, as unto Christ, not with eye service. Oh, here they come. Let's get to work. Because you're just pleasing men. That is not how Christians are supposed to think. Christians are not supposed to be men-pleasers. They are supposed to work as the servants of Christ. There it is again, doing the will of God from the heart. We are supposed to have a singleness of heart. We are supposed to do the will of God from our heart. And if we do, it will allow us as slaves to earnestly, fervently work for our master and not complain. So do you complain at work? You shouldn't. If you complain at work, there's a deficiency in your love for God. Because if you loved God, you'd be serving him in everything that you do. You wouldn't be thinking about your boss, you wouldn't be thinking about the customers, you wouldn't be thinking about the procedures, you'd be thinking about God. And hey, if this is the job God has for me right now, then I want to do the best I can for God. Maybe you're retired, maybe you're past the employee level, but you got chores to do, you got people to do stuff for, do you do it as unto Christ? Or do you complain, I gotta do this, I gotta do that? What kind of attitude is that? God has set things before us every day to do, we ought to We gotta embrace them. If we really love God, it'll change our hearts. We won't need to restrain ourselves like a choke collar. We'll be free. Say, wow, God has given me a job to do. God has given me a person to serve. God has given me someone to defer to. That's his will for me. That's what I want. And we'll have freedom and contentment. We won't have to think about, oh, can't let that slip out, because it won't even be there. That's what I call sanctification, when my heart doesn't even want to complain, because I love God so much that I wouldn't even say, Father, save me from this hour. I just embrace it as from Him. Keep your seats, please, as we pray. Father, you are wise and good. You're amazing. the way you orchestrate our lives and our circumstances. Help us to connect you to our circumstances and believe that nothing is outside your care and providence and that you don't allow anything into our lives that you can't use for our good. Lord, help us to trust you and respond and embrace what you allow and not grumble and murmur inwardly or outwardly. Lord, we do love you. but our love is tepid, it's weak many times. Would you help us to be passionate for you and help us to not put you in some little segment of our lives, but to live our whole life out of love for you. We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for joining us today. We'd love to hear from you. Our email address is GraceGlory7 at Juno.com. GraceGlory7 at Juno.com. Pastor David M. Atkinson also has a ministry on Facebook and invites you to connect with him there. Now, until the next time, remember to walk softly with the Lord.