24th Sunday after Pentecost

Opening

Have you ever had a bottle of wine sit on your shelf for months- like forever? What happens? Sediment.

Today is briefly, about complacency.

Complacency in Zephaniah

Isreal has already fallen, the Philistines and Assyria are boiling over and Babylon is about to swoop in. (meh)

Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah: An Introduction and Commentary i. Judgment of God’s People (1:8–13)

‘The great causes of God and Humanity are not defeated by the hot assaults of the Devil, but by the slow, crushing, glacier-like mass of thousands and thousands of indifferent nobodies. God’s causes are never destroyed by being blown up, but by being sat upon.’

During the reign of Josiah (640-609BC) Things were pretty good. (list reforms)

The southern Kingdom is not content- they are COMPLACENT.

Zephaniah 1:12 ESV

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are complacent, those who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do good, nor will he do ill.’

The idea is you can’t hide

As a kid did you ever play hide and go seek in the dark? Easy if no one had a flashlight. Terrifying if you’re hiding and they do.

What this is about is that Israel, and often we, do not even consider the role of God in our lives or situation. (likens us to a kid hiding in the dark) “I think it’ll be ok” (False Security)

Their trust is that God - won’t do ANYTHING (good or bad)

Practical atheists- God is not a consideration (hiding in plain sight)

The opposite of contentment is not want, it is complacency.

During this extreme time of stress, have you voiced your concerns to God? Israel denied God’s role in their situation. Do you?

The Psalmist picks up this idea of self assuredness and gives us a move to counter it.

Complacency in the Psalms

The reason why we are often slack is that It’s tempting to fall into spiritual fatalism:

Psalm 90:3 ESV

You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!”

God’s got it figured out. We can’t do this.

The office - Michael Scott drives into the lake because the GPS tells him to. Have you considered that God wants you to be a participant in His plan?

The answer from the Psalmist is to be cognizant of your end and more importantly, the path that will lead you there.

Psalm 90:12 ESV

So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

To number (menoth) is to make ready or to align, not just count

Is the path that you are walking current in alignment with the life and work of Jesus?

There is a chance that if you are just ambivalent about what comes out in the future that you may need to reconsider your course.

There is a chance that if you are fraught and fearful about tomorrow you need to reconsider your readiness.

This is what was happening in Thessaloniki:

Complacency in Thessalonica

They thought they had missed the resurrection! NOW WHAT!

If you ever want to see true sadness, talk to someone who used to believe in the resurrection. There hope has been extinguished. To quote on friend, sadly you get used to the dark.

Paul gives an important piece of care to these saints who thought maybe they were just people and not saints.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 ESV

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

οἰκοδομέω - this is the same verb used about Jesus in Mt 16

Matthew 16:18 ESV

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

If you want to be solidified in your hope, reassured in your salvation you cannot expect to hear that good news anywhere else but in the church.

Hobby Lobby is owned by baptists and they have all sorts of trinkety Christianese.

Platitudes are not a substitute for the gospel. simply saying, “God’s got this” is not the same as receiving God’s gifts. The body of christ FOR YOU.

Sacraments God objectively does something - physical and spiritual (Word, Promise, Physical element)

This leads us to Matthew

Complacency in Matthew

Herein lies the rub. The body of Christ is by it’s very nature, from start to finish- meant to be invested in, participated in by many.

More than evangelism, life together (holding babies, cooking meals, weeping and working)

Sadly, we forget this seal. Too often we do not build our faith out of fear that we don’t know enough or will somehow get it wrong or we don’t have the abilities. Our actions are too often driven Self -Preservation

The man didn’t invest because he was afraid.

Philemon 6 ESV

and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.

This is more than evangelism, it is participation.

Wordsworth said:

“What we love, others will love and we will show them how.”

God loves you through His own self giving. He is not complacent in your present distress, He is still giving you His very presence of peace and hope.

In Summation:

For the times of Zephaniah complacency came from doubt in the potency of God.

For the times of Paul complacency came from fear that one missed the promises of God.

For the times of Jesus complacency came from self preservation

Jesus did not just hold onto His riches instead he shared them. Jesus has given you much!

Romans 8:32 ESV

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

These passages challenge us to discover God’s continuing radical action in the world and to reinvest. May you see see how He loves you today and always. Amen.