How Did We Get Here?

Don’t get me wrong I know that some of us are on a spiritual high right now. We’re on fire with the excitement of a new season or new found faith. I don’t mean to discourage those of you who might be on a spiritual bliss right now, but if you’re a normal person one day you will find yourself asking "how did I get here”.

Years ago when I went’ though a very dark time in my life I remember asking myself that very question. “How did I become so arrogant and weary in my faith?” The answer for me was revealed in a stroll down memory lane. I was reminded of who I used to be and then I started to remember how I used to be.

I think We all need to be reminded of those two things every once in a while.

Who was I?

What was my desire?

What was my character?

What kinda faith did I have?

What kinda love did I have?

But the second is just as important

How was I?

What are the things I did to get me where I was?

What are the things I did to express my desire?

How did I react to life's challenges?

What are the things I did to demonstrate my love?

If you are at one of those moments in life where you are wondering what happened to you and why you are in the shape your in then you should examine the man or woman you used to be.

That doesn’t mean that you revert to the same old person you used to be but that you learn from the person you used to be. Return to the first love that you had but let that love grow stronger and deeper. Especially your love for God.

Let’s dive into the word of God to get our bearings today.

Amos 6:1–7 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

1 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion, and to you who feel secure on Mount Samaria, you notable men of the foremost nation, to whom the people of Israel come! 2 Go to Kalneh and look at it; go from there to great Hamath, and then go down to Gath in Philistia. Are they better off than your two kingdoms? Is their land larger than yours? 3 You put off the day of disaster and bring near a reign of terror. 4 You lie on beds adorned with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. 5 You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. 6 You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph. 7 Therefore you will be among the first to go into exile; your feasting and lounging will end.

Six ways we can become complacent are.

Selfishness

When we start focusing on our feelings and our needs more than others we are on the verge of complacency.

When we focus on our selves we lose sight of God.

Far Too Easily Satisfied.

Woe to those who are at complacent in Zion.

Woe to those who are at Ease

Woe means great sorrow or distress.

Complacent means smug and uncritically satisfied with oneself or achievements.

IOW those who are comfortable or satisfied.

Zion means God’s dwelling place.

Be careful when you get to comfortable in your Christian walk or in His church.

Quick to Make Excuses.

When we grow complacent we often make excuses as to why we aren’t growing anymore.

We start saying things like “we just can’t do any better” or “This is the best we have to offer”.

Challenges are allowed to become obstacles, obstacles are allowed to become barriers, and barriers are allowed to become excuses.

Never Enough Time.

Often times we have plenty of time but we spend it doing things that aren’t as productive spiritually.

We spend our time on selfish desires.

We don’t seem to have trouble finding time to do the things we life to do.

No Longer Teachable.

We stuck on doctrine or theology and refuse to give ear to anything other than what we think is right.

Humility is a virtue.

Content with Early Success.

Just because you have accomplished a great victory doesn’t mean that you are finished running your race yet.

David spying on Bathsheba

The woman at the well in Samaria was complacent.

Complacency always leads to sin.

The woman at the well in Samaria was complacent.

She still worshipped God but didn’t even acknowledge her own sin.

Amos said woe to those who feel secure on Mount Samaria

Mount Samaria was a place for refugees and vagabonds who were runaways from Zion.

They argued with the Jews that Samaria was the official place of worship of Jehovah God.

Ephesians 4:17–19 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

When we ignore the conviction of the Holy spirit our hearts become hardened. We lose our sensitivity and turn ourselves over to our own physical desires.

IOW we give into Selfishness.

Proverbs 1:32–33 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.’

Proverbs

Gideon and his Golden Ephod

Had a great victory

Took spoils of war

Made a Golden Ephod

What were his motives?

The Ephod became an idol to the nation.

Ten Virgins

5 wise and 5 foolish

5 wise were able to maintain their lamps because they had extra oil.

5 Foolish waited until their lamps were almost out before they were concerned.

Their instinct was to borrow oil from the wise but some things we have to be responsible for ourselves.

Revelations 2:1-4

Revelation 2:1–5 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

1 ‘To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: you have forsaken the love you had at first. 5 Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

Revelation 2:1–4 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

‘To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: you have forsaken the love you had at first.

Revelation2:1-

Luke 12:13–21 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

Someone in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.’ Jesus replied, ‘Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?’ Then he said to them, ‘Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’ And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” ‘Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ ” ‘But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” ‘This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich towards God.’