Joyce Meyer - Stop Complaining - 2/10/13

Here are my notes from Joyce Meyer's message at Lakewood Church in Houston, TX on Sunday February 10, 2013, the 11 am service:

Stop Complaining!

·        At the beginning of the year God spoke to Joyce to share this

·        She felt the Lord said “If you’re going to complain about something don’t bother to pray about it.”

·        God is not in charge of complaints

·        He answers prayers of faith

·        If we really believe God heard us then why complain?

·        Joyce believes all the complaining going on in the world today is hurting our society more than we can imagine

·        It should be Christians who are not complaining

·        The antidote for complaining is being more grateful

·        An exercise Joyce does is to stop several times a day and say Lord I want to just live this moment that I’m in

·        Too much of the day flies by

·        Stop several times a day and think about what you’re thankful for at that particular moment

·        Joyce did a meeting with only 9 people and she brought 5 of them with her

·        So she’s grateful for all of us [the huge congregation of people]

·        We should be grateful to be here because lots are having hangovers, etc

·        Joyce has preached in some not so pretty places so she’s grateful to be here

·        God told her if you can not complain about where I send you for meetings then the day will come when you can go anywhere

·        Some people can’t get where they wanna be because they won’t stop complaining about where they are

·        Complain means to remain

·        If you want to get raised out of that situation then start praising God

·        The easiest thing to do is complain

·        Our flesh must be disciplined by walking in the spirit

·        The flesh doesn’t like to be uncomfortable or inconvenienced

·        The moment it is your body will show it

·        God wants us to startle the world, by being a body of people that don’t complain and murmur and find fault and are grateful for every little thing they can find to be grateful for

·        Joyce believes we will get this today

·        And study it on our own

·        We can have thank power in our lives

·        Being thankful is powerful

·        So many people are complaining about the government

·        Complaining doesn’t change anything; it just makes the devil happy

·        Habakkuk had a complaint

·        He went to God with his complaint

·        God said get a vision and write it so all can see it

·        We don’t need a complaint; we need a vision

·        We don’t need to complain about the government and the nation

·        Believe God can use us to change things

·        Get a vision

·        What can I do to make this better?

·        Passivity and complaining is only compounding the problem

·        It takes energy to complain

·        It drains you

·        It sucks the life right out of you

·        Joyce is thankful she doesn’t have a headache today

·        For 10 years she preached with migraines

·        She’s thankful her back isn’t hurting

·        For years she had severe back pain

·        She’s grateful that she doesn’t look as old as she is

·        Thankful at her age she’s working out at the gym regularly

·        She still shops in the young ladies’ department

·        What am I thankful for right now?

·        Capture that moment and own that moment

·        It will cheer you up

·        Everyone in here has something to be thankful for

·        That I can walk, and talk, and see and hear

·        Philippians 4:6 Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (^[a]definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God.

·        When we are not thankful… we quench the HS

·        Be thankful and say so

·        1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

¹⁶ Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always);

¹⁷ Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];

¹⁸ Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will].

¹⁹ Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit;

·        Joyce isn’t saying we don’t have anything to complain about; she’s saying it won’t do any good to complain

·        Don’t waste your energy on the wrong things

·        Joyce is conserving her energy so she can do what she needs to do

·        It takes a lot of energy to get mad

·        Joyce doesn’t have the time to get upset over little things

·        You don’t have to feel something to be something

·        I don’t have to feel confident to be confident

·        A big problem is waiting to feel something

·        If we’re happy, glad-hearted and thanking God is throws the door open for God to work

·        Joyce is committed to being thankful

·        We need to tell the people in our lives that we are thankful for them; how we appreciate them

·        It takes a whole lot of people to run one service

·        Dedicated volunteers

·        What a shame if you never say thank you and are quick to complain

·        Joyce decided to take 8 weeks and keep a list of unexpected unwanted events

·        She has 37 things

·        Injured back, broke fingernail, left luggage on plane, etc

·        Joyce shared several stories about opportunities to complain

·        10 years ago Joyce would’ve been so angry, complaining

·        Not one of these things disturbed or bothered her

·        She even laughed at many of them

·        No matter how mad Joyce got the crackers weren’t going to get up off the floor

·        So be happy

·        Stuff happens

·        If we will enter this year with a new attitude, and not complain but get a new attitude we’ll see things change

·        Is it your problem that is the problem, or is it your attitude towards your problem that is your problem?

·        Every person here has more to be thankful for than we have to complain

·        When we praise God and are thankful it opens the door for the HS to work

·        Complaining opens a door for the devil

·        Numbers 21:4-7

⁴ And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom, and the people became impatient (depressed, much discouraged), because [of the trials] of the way.

⁵ And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and we loathe this light (contemptible, unsubstantial) manna.

⁶ Then the Lord sent fiery (burning) serpents among the people; and they bit the people, and many Israelites died.

⁷ And the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord, that He may take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people.

·        The Israelites took 40 years to make an 11 day journey

·        We do the same thing

·        Is it always the devil that’s keeping us from what we want?

·        The devil can’t control a really content happy believer

·        It wasn’t their enemies that held the Israelites back

·        It was their attitude

·        Numbers 21:4 And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom, and the people became impatient (depressed, much discouraged), because [of the trials] of the way.

·        Don’t complain about cleaning that big house that you begged God to give you

·        Don’t murmur about wishing that car that God has so graciously given you

·        Don’t complain about the kids you begged God to give you

·        Don’t complain about the person you married; you asked God to marry for 15 years

·        ⁵And the people spoke against God and against Moses, Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water, and we loathe this light (contemptible, unsubstantial) manna.

·        Why do we have to get into a big mess before we realize that our attitude is getting us into trouble

·        Slam the door in the devil’s face by being happy

·        Pray with thanksgiving

·        God can’t move if all we do is complain

·        ⁷ And the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord, that He may take away the serpents from us. So Moses prayed for the people.

·        ⁸ And the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent [of bronze] and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.

·        The pole was a representation of Christ on the cross

·        Let’s get smart enough not to get into trouble to start with

·        Listen to God before you get in trouble

·        Every time we get into trouble God has tried to tell us not to several times

·        Johnny don’t touch that stove, it’s hot

·        1 Corinthians 10:8-11

⁸ We must not gratify evil desire and indulge in immorality as some of them did—and twenty-three thousand [suddenly] fell dead in a single day!

⁹ We should not tempt the Lord [try His patience, become a trial to Him, critically appraise Him, and exploit His goodness] as some of them did—and were killed by poisonous serpents;

¹⁰ Nor discontentedly complain as some of them did—and were ^[a]put out of the way entirely by the destroyer (death).

¹¹ Now these things befell them by way of a figure [as an example and warning to us]; they were written to admonish and fit us for right action by good instruction, we in whose days the ages have reached their climax (their consummation and concluding period).

·        This is very important

·        Don’t take this message lightly

·        Study on your own

·        Buy the CD and listen every week

·        It’s our nature to murmur, grumble and complain

·        So we really have to work at it [being grateful instead]

·        1 Corinthians 10:9 We should not tempt the Lord [try His patience, become a trial to Him, critically appraise Him, and exploit His goodness] as some of them did—and were killed by poisonous serpents;

·        God told us about the Israelites in Numbers so we don’t have to repeat their mistakes

·        In every circumstance give thanks

·        No matter how many things are wrong with the person you’re married to start giving thanks for what’s right

·        I’ve learned how to be content

·        Satisfied to the point where I’m not disturbed

·        It’s not enough just to do it in church

·        We need to do it everywhere, in public

·        Philippians 2:14-15

¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [^[a]against God] and ^[b]questioning and doubting [among yourselves],

¹⁵ That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the [dark] world,

·        Don’t ever be ashamed of the name of Christ

·        ALL THINGS!

·        Wait in line, do the dishes, sit in traffic

·        It’s in these little things that our character is tested

·        Can you get in and out the grocery store without complaining about the prices?

·        Complaining isn’t changing the prices

·        God is not something you try

·        These are life changing principles you live by

·        Devil you will not use my mouth to grumble because God is good to me!

·        I am not going to hell (at the least)

·        My sins are forgiven

·        I AM going to live forever

·        You can really turn your light up bright if you stop complaining

·        If you’re going to complain about something don’t bother to pray about it

·        What do you have to be thankful for?

·        So many things

·        If you’ve got 5 body parts hurting be thankful for the ones that aren’t

·        Joyce prays God will preach this message to us unto victory (not condemnation)

·        Help us to be bright lights shining in a dark world

·        Forgive us for complaining

·        Shut all those doors we opened with complaining

·        Altar call