You believe in God. You pray and sometimes go to church, and you try to be a good person. You’re all set. Right? I mean you’re busy enough as is, how much time and effort do you really need to put into your faith? And what’s the harm of just dipping your toe in religion? Let’s talk about it!

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MESSAGE NOTES

“When we are carrying heavyweight, we will look for any opportunity to put it down.” Fortunately, God has not called us to carry heavy weight. In fact, the bible says:

 

[Hebrews 12:1]

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

 

What is complacency?

A feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one’s achievement. 

 

Spiritually: It’s coming to a point where you become over confident with where you are at in God and his provisions and believe you are no longer responsible for participating in intentional growth towards God’s mission and agenda in the earth.

 

The truth is that, the fruit of complacency is consumption. 

 

[Hebrews 10:19-25]

And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.

Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

 

6 Anti-Complacent commands found in this Passage of Scripture

  1. Hold tightly without wavering in the hope we affirm. (Action)
  2. Trust God (Action)
  3. Think of ways to motivate others (Action)
  4. Commit acts of love and good works (Action)
  5. Don’t neglect meeting together (Action)
  6. Encourage one another (Action)

 

What makes these action commands a challenge is when “We become more confident in the provisions over the provider.

 

A great theologian: AW Tozer said, “Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.”

 

3 Traps of Complacency

  • Cuts of communication- Stop interacting with God and possibly community
  • Breaks trust- Stop Trusting God
  • Kills motivation- Kills motivation to reach others for God

 

When we become complacent, others suffer as a result of us not being in place.

  • People lose access to Jesus at work through usThere are way too many opportunities for people to seek things that pull them away from God. Our spiritual complacency should not be one of those reasons.

 

Overcoming Complacency

  • Examine your life for areas where you have become spiritual complacent.
  • Confess your sins
  • Keep the purpose of your life clear (You belong to God and he is always at work making calling us to be more and more like Christ)

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Application Questions

1. What stood out to you from this message and why?

2. What is one thing God is telling you to START doing because of this message?

3. What is one thing God is telling you to STOP doing because of this message?

4. How will this message change how you act at home, work and in the your relationships?