Do all things without complaining and disputing
The biggest threat in or to the church today isn't gay marriage, its not getting drunk, or doing drugs, or gambling. The biggest threats to the church come from within and it's the members of the church who do not mature, grow, or transform in their faith and the results of that is they bring a disharmony, disunity, dissension, and trouble into the church.
It may be subtle or not so subtle, but it's usually in the form of gossip, griping, grumbling, criticizing, and complaining. These are the things that destroy the unity, harmony, love, and growth of the church. So many people want to run the church, or have a say, or be in control and all these things go against God and His Word, and folks that's SIN.
Christ is the head of the Church and the local church should appoint Godly qualified men to serve as Elders/Shepherds of the congregation and these men are who lead and make decisions in the church. The church is not meant to be a democracy, the squeaky wheel gets the oil, or ran by a one person or one family. The church is meant to be led by men who are led by God.
As members of the church is it our responsibility to first be obedient and faithful to God and follow His Word(you have to read and study it to know), secondly, we have to be obedient, supportive, and respectful of those who lead us within the local congregation. Whether that's Elders, deacons, preachers, or ministry leaders, we show our obedience and love to God by being obedient to those He's called to lead.
With all this being said, one of the biggest issues in our churches today is those who attend church and sit in the pews, who bring nothing positive to the church, but only use their time and energy to complain and gripe about what they don't like or what's not being done the way they think it should be done, or they don't have a say, or they're not in charge or control of something. People, this hurts the church and you are being disobedient to God.
There are people dying and going to hell everyday who need Jesus, there are Christians out there in our churches who are struggling or have real problems and yet there are those who want to complain about color of the carpet, or what were going to serve at the potluck dinner, or how the preacher didn't visit them when they had an ingrown toenail, or how the leaders of the church spent too much money fixing the parking lot, or pick some other nonsense issue, it's doesn't matter, the point is people are spending their time complaining or grumbling over selfish things that don't matter in the kingdom, when they should be repenting of their attitude and behavior and get busy serving, worshipping, loving, supporting, obeying, and encouraging Jesus through His church.
Before we open our mouths, we should stop and ask is this selfish? Is this legitimate? Is this my business? Am I being immature? Is this my place? Am I being nitpicky? Is this helpful? Am I being positive? Is this beneficial? We are the only ones who can ultimately change and grow our faith and stop being a negative or divisive part of the church and start being a positive and useful part of the church.
How much money you give, how long you've been a member of the church, now many or how long your family has gong to that church, how much you serve, or what your last name is, none of that matters to Jesus. It's HIs Church, His rules, and His way not yours or mine. If we aren't helping, we're hurting, and if we're complaining we're being disobedient to God.
It's time we close our mouths and open our Bibles. We need to stop being a problem at our churches and start being a solution. Instead of complaining how about complimenting? Instead of griping, how about giving? Instead of grumbling, how about growing? Instead of criticizing, how about comforting? Instead of hurting others with your words, how about helping others? Instead of using your time and energy to be negative and focusing on selfish matters, how about using it to encourage, uplift, support, and be obedient.
Let's stop complaining and start changing. Let's make a positive difference in the church and then the church will make a positive difference in the world. That is why Jesus wants us to be "one" and unified" and we can't do that when we are complaining and being self-centered. If we'd change our attitudes and start being obedient and focus our energies in the right places, how much better would we be as Christians and how much better would we make the church?
Jude 16 (NKJV)
16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.
