Sermon Part 3: “Only Count Your Blessings, and You Will Stop Complaining!”
A Wiseman once said, “Don’t fight like hell, fight like heaven, so that your enemies will always be blessed with God’s best!” Quote from Rev. Dr. DWJ (Rom. 8:31 & Matt.5:44-48)
Introduction:
Praise the Lord Saints of the Most-High God. Last week we took a close-up look at Satan, the father of lies, and his tempting of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. (See Sermon dated, Mar.19, 2023.) By lawlessly eating of the forbidden fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve in effect consumed the complaint of Satan against God—rebelling and exalting themselves above the knowledge of God—just as Lucifer had done in the before times.
By their sinful actions, Adam and Eve became the children of Satan, and plunged all humanity and the world into death, hell, and destruction. But, thanks be unto God for His great love and mercy, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (John 3:16-18 & Rom. 5:8) We need to shout praises unto God always for Jesus’ sacrificial death, burial, and Resurrection from the dead on the third-day—for we are “saved, Saved, SAVED” by His power divine! (Acts 4:12)
Now, I want to circle back to the Garden of Eden, and let’s think about how Adam should have responded to the Serpent (who Satan had inhabited) when he tempted Eve to partake of the forbidden fruit. (Gen. 3:1-3) In Christ, we have an opportunity to learn from Adam’s grave mistake, and see to it that we never fall again into “Situational Complaining” against God, which only leads to speaking evil and guile, and cuts your life short and brings about many evil days.
Indeed, God has given to us a powerful and full-proof method for putting away all murmuring and complaining. That is, “Only Count Your Blessings.” It’s a very simple tool that confounds the wisdom of Mankind, but brings about mighty miracle working results in the lives of born-again Christians.
God’s purpose for having you become a “Blessing Counter,” is so He can fulfill the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God in your life. God wants you to have Peace in Christ Jesus—without want! You cannot empower the voice of belly-aching (murmuring and complaining) and have God’s will for your life fulfilled. Scripture witnesses this truth. Examine the Apostle Paul’s writing to the Saints at Philippi, as recorded at Philippians 2:13-16.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Do all things without murmurings (Amplified Bible:) grumbling, faultfinding, and complaining—against God) and disputings (questionings and doubting among yourselves):
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
Holding forth the word of life (to all men); that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.
Now, as we travel back to the Garden of Eden, think with me for a few moments. What if Adam, Eve with him, had estimated and appraised the “Forest of Eden, greater than the one forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Sadly, Adam did not appropriately value the Garden of Eden, and the world, God had given to him. So, he permitted the thief, Satan to steal everything from him.
Adam Could Not See the Forest Because of One Forbidden Tree
Please let us read together Psalm 107:31.
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
With great exaltation, the Psalmist encourages the people of God, to focus on praising God for His unfailing love and marvelous handiworks—His works the beauty to behold—and then spread the good news to their children and throughout their generations. Notice, the Psalmist points us in the direction of only praising God for what He has done. In the Scripture, there is no instruction, not even a hint given, to complain about how hard life is; nor what we perceive is missing, lacking, or broken in our lives. Rather, we are to bless the Lord at all times; with His praise continually flowing from our mouths. (Psalm 34:1)
Now let’s take Psalm 107:31 and apply it to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We could quote the Scripture this way, “Oh, that Adam and Eve (the father and mother of us all) would have praised the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” Just imagine if Adam and Eve would have valued more and expressed an unfailing appreciation for the “Forest of Eden, above that of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
The Garden of Eden, paradise, which Adam and Eve called home and kept, was chock-full of trees that were good for food to eat. What would the world be like today, if Adam had fully appreciated the perfection and beauty of the Garden of Eden with all of its trees, streams, nature, and resources God had made for them to enjoy—above and beyond the fruit hanging on one forbidden tree ?
I mean really, shouldn’t the whole Garden of Eden have been more desirable, than the fruit of one tree God said not to eat from? (Genesis 2:16-17) Why lust after one forbidden tree, when you can enjoy the fruit of every other tree in Eden?
Isn’t it a reasonable expectation of God for Adam to look around him and see, and stand in awe of all the wonderful works of God that had been placed under his stewardship?
Indeed, in the midst of temptation, Adam and Eve had two options to think through and make a quality decision. (1) Whether to obey God and eat of every tree in the Garden, live forever in prosperity and fellowship with Him in the Garden—never to grow old or sick. (2) Obey the voice of Satan and partake of the fruit of one tree that would bring them into eternal death, hell, and the grave. Eternal life or death are the choices—Adam and Eve were playing the game of life. By their decision, they would choose for all humanity who would be their father God, or Satan.
Just imagine though, if Adam had taken authority over the situation, interrupted the conversation between the Serpent and Eve, (Gen. 3:1-5) and told the Serpent (Satan) that they would not ever eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Furthermore, if during the fiery temptation, the couple started “Counting Their Blessings” into the ears of the Serpent. Remembering and thanking God aloud that God had created them in His own image and after His likeness, given them dominion and authority over the whole earth, blessed them, made them fruitful, caused them to multiply, given them every tree in the Garden to eat from, provided wisdom and guidance to them not to eat of the forbidden tree because they would surely die, given them a wonderful marriage, and daily fellowship with God in the cool of every evening.
Oh yes, Adam and Eve should have shouted in the Serpent’s ears—“Glory be unto God for the things He has done, for He has done great things whereof we are glad!” Moreover, on that day, Adam and Eve should have invited the Serpent to come and join them for evening worship and fellowship with God. How about that?
If Adam had “Only Counted His Blessings,” Satan would have stopped-up his ears in terror and fled from them! (Ps. 8:2-6 & James 4:7) In the midst of temptation, there is no greater way to defeat Satan and every demonic presence than to praise and thank God and His Word!
From there, if Adam and Eve had gone on to teach their children, in their generations, to be “Only Blessing Counters” for the things God has done, the world would never have been acquainted with the complaint of Satan. The people of the world would never speak evil and guile, and ultimately sin against God—which destroys not only Mankind, but the world—the atmosphere, environment, land, seas, and societies. Thus, Satan would have been nothing more than a spiritual nomad under Mankind’s feet!
The world would have forever been an oasis of holiness, purity, and without blemish before the Lord, as God originally created it to be. Imagine it, Mankind would only have had one thing never to do—to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. We all would be “Blessing Counters” and seeing the manifold works of God in greater proportions unfolding throughout the world in perpetuity. The Garden of Eden would have spread all over the world bearing only the glory of God!
In the Holy Bible, we have accounts of men and women who faithfully, “Only Counted Their Blessings,” and saw the will of God unfold and fulfilled in their lives. Joseph the son of Jacob (re-named Israel) is one such example that I will specifically mention.
Joseph the Blessing Counter
When I think of “Blessing Counters” in the Bible, Joseph the son of Jacob, whose grandfather was Isaac, and great grandfather Abraham comes to mind. You see, Blessing Counters, bless God all the time, as they are consistently the same regardless of how difficult times get for them, and their latter days are always exceedingly greater than their former days! (Ps. 34:1 & Job 8:7) As born-again Christians we should take the time and go back and read the story of Joseph, as written by Moses in Genesis Chapters 37-50. Joseph beautifully illustrates how we should live as “Blessing Counters.”
Briefly speaking about Joseph’s life, from a teen-ager through his young adult life, he suffered many atrocities. Recall that his brothers vehemently hated him for Jacob’s favor shown toward Joseph. They beat Joseph, stripped off his coat of many colors, threw him in a pit without water; sold him into slavery; lied to their father about Joseph being killed by a wild animal; he spent years in prison for choosing not to engage in sexual immorality with his master’s wife; and he was forgotten by those he helped for quite some time while in prison. Yet, during all of his trials, Joseph never uttered a disparaging word against those who wronged him.
Instead, Joseph—whose name means “Increase,” prospered everywhere he went—for you see, God was with him. Ultimately, Joseph rose to power, wealth, and prominence—becoming second in charge of all of Egypt, Prince of Egypt. Dark days were unable to hold Joseph because he refrained from speaking evil and guile and refused to walk in un-forgiveness.
Joseph’s story provides a very important lesson, especially when we find ourselves in the midst of hard times and oppressed by others. That is, to “Only Count Your Blessings.” For consider when Joseph was reunited with his brothers in Egypt, after Jacob died and was buried, the brothers were greatly fearful that Joseph would exact revenge on them for all the evil they had done, and they asked forgiveness, bowed down before him and exclaimed to be his servants. Joseph spoke these famous words to his brethren, at Genesis 50:19-21. Joseph said:
And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God?
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them.
When God promoted Joseph to be second in command over all Egypt, Joseph demonstrated forgiveness and kindness to his brothers, instead of vengeance and hatred for their wickedness. Joseph recognized that all the travails he had gone through were ordained by God to ensure the survival of Egypt and the surrounding countries during a tumultuous famine and to bring his family into unity with one another.
He focused on all the good that God had shown toward himself and others, rather than focusing on how he could exact revenge on his brothers. This enabled Joseph to speak words of life and repay animosity given to him, with an abundance of benevolence.
From the beginning of Joseph’s story, in several dreams, God had shown him that he would one day rise to a position of leadership over his parents and brothers. (Gen. 37:5-11). It was this promise that Joseph held onto no matter his circumstances—from the pit, to the palace, to the prison, to the Prince of Egypt where he ultimately ruled for 80-years, and lived to be 110-years old. (Gen 50:26)
Like Joseph received a promise of longevity and prosperity from God, and made good on it, through Jesus Christ every born-again Christian has the same promise of prosperity as an assurance. (Gal. 3:6-9, 13-14) In Jesus Christ, we have been made a “Blessing” and owners of all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. (Eph. 1:3) Not only are we blessed to prosper in our own lives in all things, and called to be a blessing to others; (Gen. 12:2 & I Pet. 3:9) but we are also called to be a blessing to God—a “Blessing Counter of the Lord forever! (Psalm 136:1-4)
Therefore, in every situation whether in good or bad times, just like Joseph, we must be “Blessing Counters,” and give no voice to murmuring and complaining—knowing that we will prevail over the enemy in every situation. Check out James 3:9-16 and see for yourselves the importance of only speaking blessing and not cursing with and onto others. Also see the following Scriptures which assure our victory in every situation of demonic encroachment into our lives. Thus, obviating the need for evil speaking:
I John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
I John 5:4-5
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Rom. 8:35-39
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Whatever trouble you are facing right now, know that God is working through you to give you the expected end of Peace—longevity, health, and prosperity—just like God did for Joseph. Now, to close this Session, let me share with you a secret about the fortune that is inherited behind “Only Counting Your Blessings.” If you will become a Blessing Counter, you will surely stop complaining every time the clouds begin to darken and thicken over your life.
Counting Your Blessings Causes the Next Blessing to Unfold in Your Life
Check out the lyrics to this very-old, but powerful song the Saints of God use to sing entitled, “Count Your Blessings.” The song says:
When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings; name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
- [Chorus]
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your blessings;
See what God hath done.
Count your blessings;
Name them one by one.
Count your many blessings;
See what God hath done.
- Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings; every doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by.
- When you look at others with their lands and gold,
Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold.
Count your many blessings; money cannot buy
Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.
- So amid the conflict, whether great or small,
Do not be discouraged; God is over all.
Count your many blessings; angels will attend,
Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.
This is truly an amazing and anointed song of God—totally in line with Scripture. In reading the lyrics, did you see the fortune of the Blessing Counter? The first Verse captures it all! That is, when you count your blessing, naming them one by one—“you will be surprised at what God has done!” This is what Blessing Counting does. When you think about and acknowledge the Garden-full of blessings God has given you—God will surprise you with a new blessing greater than the blessings before! The blessings of God are progressive in nature. (Prov.10:22) When you sow to the Spirit blessings, of the Spirit you reap the next blessing that God has placed in store to fulfill His will and good pleasure in you. (Gal.6:8) Moreover, the Apostle John pinned these words at John 1:16:
“From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.”
So, I encourage you to make it your life-style to “Only Count Your Blessings”—to only see and count all that God has given to you and bless His holy name. Sit down and think about the goodness of God in your life, write it down, and then stand up and declare out-loud to yourself and others the things God has done for you. (Ps.118:23) Especially in times of temptation to murmur and complain, stop and refrain from speaking evil and guile—and instead, choose on purpose to “Only Count Your Blessings.”
You will be as surprised as a child opening presents on their birthday at the next blessing of health, security, and prosperity that will come your way—giving you more to be thankful for! Here are some more blessing minded Scriptures to wrap around your brain for your edification. (Ps.34:1, 68:19, and 103:1-22).
To wrap things up, take a look at I Peter 3:8-11.
Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:
Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.
Praise the Lord, God has called and ordained you to walk in the Blessing—empowerment to prosper—and as we bless His Holy Name, we inherit (possess) the blessing. So be content in whatever circumstance you find yourself. Whatever human weaknesses you are experiencing (illness, persecution, hardships, crises) know that in your weakness God is making you strong. (II Cor.12:10)
Appreciate your forest above the current crisis in your life! Let the blessings of God flow out of your mouth, and God will bring forth more good things into your life to bless Him for, and the spirit of murmuring and complaining will leave you forever! Remember you have been made a “Blessing,” and to speak otherwise, is contrary to the decency, order, and honor God has established for your life.
Thanks be Unto God for the Word of the Living God shared with you today!
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