The Battle With Complacency

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>The Battle With Complacency</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id169.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Being An Example Others Can Follow"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id181.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gods Solutions to Our Spiritual Needs"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Ministry Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Joshua 18.1-10, “The Battle with Complacency” Berean Bible Church, Feb 25, 2001pm</B></div> <bR> <div>      Webster’s Dictionary defines complacency as “a calm or secure satisfaction with one’s self or lot.  Self satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.” For seven tribes of Israel that had a significant deficiency about which they were complacent. Israel had not yet taken all the land God was given them. Seven tribes did not yet have territory to call their own and pass on to their children. Maybe it was due to fear, comfort, laziness, ingratitude, or unbelief. </div> <div>      Joshua gathered everyone together at Shiloh, in the center of the land. some time has elapsed, vs. 3. While the south and central areas were settled, the rest of the tribes lived as nomads in fertile land. Maybe they liked this supposedly casual, easy lifestyle compared to going and doing battle to claim their own territory. This was a time of living off the work of the others. The were complacent, comfortable, and content, even though their work was not done.</div> <div>      In what areas are you complacent, at ease, feeling content when there is more yet to do?  Some task? Some area of disobedience? A lack of spiritual growth? An opportunity that you should take advantage of? Some conviction that you haven’t acted on?  Some burden you have ignored?</div> <div>      We must avoid complacency so that we can be all God wants us to be. That includes us an individuals, as well as our church together.</div> <bR> <div> <B>1.  Face the Challenge (vs. 3).</B></div> <div> <B>     </B>How long will you wait?  What will it take to get you to finish?  Face the challenge. Step up to the plate. Recognize what it is that you are leaving undone, such as sharing Christ with someone, or pursuing your own personal growth, or living in unity with others.</div> <div>      Joshua encouraged the tribes because he knew the dangers of allowing the Canaanites time to reorganize and rebuild, and he had a personal commission from God to see the land distributed to all the tribes. We need encouragement from one another to tackle the challenges before us. Do you encourage others to avoid complacency? Do you let others encourage you?</div> <bR> <div> <B>2.  Be willing to work (vss. 4-11).</B></div> <div>      Did you know that there was such a thing as an explosive golf club? You hold the driver to the ball and pull the trigger, and it sends the ball 200 or more yards! While we have the Holy Spirit to give us the power, it does not replace our need to work and put forth effort. Doing the will of God demands our best efforts in God’s strength. It seems that these seven tribes were complacent in part because they did not want to work hard to achieve what was there.</div> <div>      Get started, even in small steps. The tribes had to send 3 people from each to survey and describe the land, and Joshua would then divide. It was a small start, but it was a start that would lead to completion of the task. Starting small may mean that we start by spending 20 minutes a day reading the Bible and praying. Or that we begin to develop relationships with people who need to hear the gospel. Or we may begin to do some research on a creative ministry idea.</div> <bR> <div> <B>3.  Be Decisive (vs. 10).</B></div> <div>      People who accomplish things and go places are people who make choices and stick with them!<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New" > </FONT>So discern the path God has for you and follow through with it. E. G. Robinson said, “It is ordained of Almighty God that he who dips into everything will never get to the bottom of anything” (quoted by F. F. Bruce in <I>In Retrospect</I>, p. 307).</div> <div>      Decide to follow through on what God gives you to do.  In this case, the decision was made for them and they followed (as evidenced in next chapters).</div> <div>      Accomplishing the work of the church is not just going to happen. Avoid complacency by facing the challenge, being willing to work hard, and being decisive. What vision do you have? What would you like to see God do in you and through you? What challenge are you willing to tackle?</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2001, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>