“Complacency”
By Joe Mack Cherry
I. Introduction
A. Not everyone who hears this message tonight is part of the problem we are going to discuss. However, we all as Christians are faced with the problems complacency causes.
B. What is its definition
1. First, he words complacent or complacency do not appear in all Bible translations; however, the idea and reality of complacency is scattered throughout scripture in all of them.
2. Def. – Showing smug and uncritical satisfaction of oneself or achievements.
3. It lends itself to arrogance. “I am self-sufficient and you are not; therefore, I am better than you.”
4. It is not a good state of mind in which Christians should remain.
C. Common among humans
1. Complacency attacks Christians at every level, none are exempt.
2. Some people figuratively call it “being fat and lazy”
3. Sometimes we take our eyes off the “Giver of all good things”, especially when things are going well.
4. We began to look at life in a more selfish way.
5. I have plenty of (fill in the blank) and I’m not worried anybody else.
D. God doesn’t play with those that feel no need for him!
1. God will not stand idlily by and be disrespected.
2. Amos tells the Israelites of the northern tribe that their summer and winter houses would be destroyed due to their complacency.
3. They were living in a prosperous time and lost sight of the need of God.
E. There are some serious sins that can rise out of complacency.
1. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
a. The story goes that a Canadian goose was flying by himself one day alone. He got lost and looked down and saw some geese of a different breed They were Toulouse geese. They get so fat that they can’t even fly. The goose says to himself, I think I’ll stick around a while. The old farmer’s wife feeds us every day and we don’t have to do anything (I’m complacent). He ended up staying until he died. The first few years when he heard his Canadian buddies migrating, he would think to himself, “Boy, I wish I was flying with them, again” but he never left the ground again. Finally, after years, he quit even paying any attention the Canadian geese (his old friends) as they migrated.
b. If we do not pay attention to God, we can drift away from Him just like the Canadian goose did from his ‘brothers” and find ourselves out of touch with God.
2. Look at the last part of Rom. 1.
a. The people mentioned here were sinful and even though they knew God, they chose not to obey Him.
b. God gave them over to a depraved mind because they made a conscious choice not to obey Him.
c. They committed many of the sexual sins that plague the world today. Is there a correlation to today’s times?
F. Complacency is tied to many things, so today I want to look at a couple and maybe we can escape the traps and help others to do so, also.
II. Body
A. Money
1. Truth is that money in and or of itself is not wrong or evil.
a. I Tim 6:10 – “The love of money is the root of all evil.”
b. Money can definitely be a false security.
2. Luke 12:17-20
a. … tear down my barn and build bigger ones.
b. I have stored up more than a plenty for me.
• “I’ll never see another poor day in my life!”
• “A poor man smells like a skunk to me.”
c. Eat, drink, and be merry.
d. Thou fool, tonight your life will be demanded from you.
3. Prodigal son got complacent in living what the bible calls a riotous life.
4. Church at Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-22)
a. A wealthy town (Bankers and Black wool merchants)
b. An earthquake hit the country in AD 17 and it was built back without monetary assistance from Rome.
c. They had everything they thought they needed.
d. The angel of this church says, “Because you are neither hot or cold so therefore, I will spew you out of my mouth!” Rev. 3:14-22
5. Money usually slows down when we get complacent.
a. I have plenty and no one can take it from me.
b. A lack of ambition comes shortly after complacency.
c. Prosperity does not always maintain its momentum when we quit working!
B. Power
1. Nebuchadnezzar
a. Daniel 4:30 – “Is not this Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power, and for the honor of my majesty?”
b. Twelve months earlier, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream where he was warned of what would happen if he didn’t change his ways.
c. For seven years he lived like a beast.
2. Complacency gives us a very distorted perception of ourselves but it does it very slowly and subtly. As I get older, the subtleness of Satan worries me as much as anything. Time is precious and when we do not use it to God’s glory. Time is something we can’t get back.
3. God will not play second fiddle to anyone or anything.
4. Several times the Children of Israel forgot who was in charge of their well-being.
5. Duet. 6:14-15 – In his last days on earth Moses reminds his people that God is a jealous God.
C. How is complacency effecting the Church, today?
1. Now that there is a better understanding of grace, many live their lives like the pressure is off.
a. For years, we couldn’t say, “I believe with all my heart, I’m saved.”
b. We sang Blessed Assurance with no conviction at all.
c. Now many have the conviction but no desire to share it with others.
2. Many see themselves as set and lose sight of discipleship and what it means.
a. The Great Commission, Mk. 16:15 – “Go ye into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature,” and Mt 28:19-20 “make disciples of all nations.”
b. I believe part of the complacency problem is due “Me” mentality. What it indicates to God is “I’m ok, they don’t matter!” There was an old gospel song that I sang as child entitled You Never Mentioned Him to Me. It still touches me. The loss of a soul is the most terrible thing in the world.
c. As I said a minute ago, I’m good therefore I am satisfied and the “Me” mentality in a way has quenched the Spirit. I Thess. 5:19
d. The Spirit of God is given to us to share not hoard.
3. We say, loud and proud, Love the sinner, hate the sin.
a. Many have the “hate the sin” part down pat but what about loving the sinner?
b. Complacency tells us, that hating the sin and hoping the person finds Christ or repents of that sin is enough.
c. Again, complacency has overshadowed our need to spread the word.
4. We have become overwhelmed by the needs of others and conceded that we cannot make it all right so we don’t do anything about it.
a. We become complacent when we look at the all the hungry in the world so hard that we don’t see the one in need right before our eyes.
b. It’s the same thing when we think about souls: there are so many who need saving and miss the neighbor or family member, again right before our eyes.
D. Where has complacency left the church?
1. Looking much like the world itself.
2. We are tasked now with trying to spread the Gospel to those who do not even know they need it.
3. We are truly living in a time similar to the Israelites at the end of Judges. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes. The lost ask, “Why do I need God, I’m doing fine and I am not sinning by living an immoral life.
4. What has taken 40 years to come to fruition will not change at the drop of a hat. We have no excuse for blaming others for the situation the world has become.
5. It has left the church today in a big hole or at a bad disadvantage.
E. What Do We Do?
1. You may not be part of the complacent people in the church. If you are not, that’s great; but …
2. We must realize that collectively, we are all responsible for the growth of the church. We must not let the complacency of others stop us from doing our work as a Christian.
3. We must face the consequences of those who have become complacent because they do not embrace the seriousness of saving others and the need for presenting the truth in love.
4. Blaming others for their complacency, does not cure complacency.
5. We have to work to overcome the effects of complacency in the world.
a. Not easy!
b. We are faced with presenting the truth in love in hope that God might touch their hearts and bring them unto salvation.
c. We must realize this world is worth saving and it is our responsibility to do all that we can to carry as many as we can to heaven with us.
d. We cannot sit still and lead anyone. We must flush out the complacency of the church.
