Overcoming Complacency
Overcomers – Week 7 – 9/26/21
Overcoming Complacency
I’m Complacent in what area:________________________
I’m Committed in what area:________________________
You can be complacent until the need becomes bigger than the want
One of the most dangerous traps that a Christian or a church can fall into is the slippery slide from commitment to complacency.
1 Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” ~Joshua 6:1-5 (NLT)
Commitment results from our dependance on God
6 So Joshua called together the priests and said, “Take up the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, and assign seven priests to walk in front of it, each carrying a ram’s horn.” 7 Then he gave orders to the people: “March around the town, and the armed men will lead the way in front of the Ark of the Lord.” ~Joshua 6:6-7
Faith is believing and Obedience is proving that you believe it
21 They completely destroyed everything in (Jericho) with their swords—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, goats, and donkeys. ~Joshua 6:21
Complacency Causes Us To Lose Focus or lose the Desire to move forward.
Joshua sent some of his men from Jericho to spy out the town of Ai, east of Bethel, near Beth-aven. 3 When they returned, they told Joshua, “There’s no need for all of us to go up there; it won’t take more than two or three thousand men to attack Ai. Since there are so few of them, don’t make all our people struggle to go up there.” ~Joshua 7:2-3
Complacency is one thing that can get into every area of our lives if we stop growing in Christ.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. ~2 Peter 2:5-9
Repentance doesn’t stop the consequences but is the starting point for re-commitment.
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” This promise still holds true for all of us even today. So repent, break free from complacency, and bring honor to God. ~James 4:8
Three things that are intended to move us from spiritual complacency to spiritual fervency:
1. Gather together
2. Seek
• The Lord
• Righteousness
• Humility
3. Don’t Compromise