Complacency

Text - Isaiah 32.9-12

Isaiah 32:9–12 NKJV

9 Rise up, you women who are at ease, Hear my voice; You complacent daughters, Give ear to my speech. 10 In a year and some days You will be troubled, you complacent women; For the vintage will fail, The gathering will not come. 11 Tremble, you women who are at ease; Be troubled, you complacent ones; Strip yourselves, make yourselves bare, And gird sackcloth on your waists. 12 People shall mourn upon their breasts For the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

Title - Complacency

Series - Hindrances to Victory, Part 4

Background

The prophet Isaiah calls on the women of Israel who seemed undisturbed or untroubled, and unconcerned, with the ongoing crisis around them, as if they will not be affected or touched.

Definition: complacency; complacent

complacency - noun, plural com·pla·cen·cies.

a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.

complacent - adjective

pleased, especially with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied:

Tagalog

kampante; tiwala sa presenteng kalagayan

“walang pakialam” (ABTAG2001)

“walang bahala” (ABTAG1978; ADB1905)

The Main Idea

Complacency is another hindrance to the believer’s victory.

WHY?

complacency makes one satisfied with what has been accomplished so far

complacency makes one trust in what he already has

complacency makes one unaware of potential trouble

complacency leads to idleness

complacency results in unfinished work

Examples of Complacency

Israel did not finish the conquest of Canaan

The Situation

Israel put them under tribute (forced labor; slaves)

Judges 1.27-28 -

Judges 1.29-30 -

Judges 1.31-33

Judges 1.34-35

The result - God was angered

Judges 2:1–3 NKJV

1 Then the Angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said: “I led you up from Egypt and brought you to the land of which I swore to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you. 2 And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars.’ But you have not obeyed My voice. Why have you done this? 3 Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out before you; but they shall be thorns in your side, and their gods shall be a snare to you.’ ”

their actions were direct disobedience to God’s command

their actions showed their complacency

subdued nations will not revolt in the future

subdued nations can be used as laborers

King Jehoash failed to destroy Syria completely

2 Kings 13:14–20 NKJV

14 Elisha had become sick with the illness of which he would die. Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, “O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!” 15 And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and some arrows.” So he took himself a bow and some arrows. 16 Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17 And he said, “Open the east window”; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot”; and he shot. And he said, “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.” 18 Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped. 19 And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times.” 20 Then Elisha died, and they buried him. And the raiding bands from Moab invaded the land in the spring of the year.

The Situation

Elisha, a long time prophet who guided the preivious kings, was dying

God gave him a command: strike the Syrians until they are destroyed

God gave him the arrow of deliverance: the promise of victory

The king’s failure

he did not see the significance of the prophet’s instructions

his action (struck the ground with the arrows only 3 times) revealed his complacency

The fulfilment

2 Kings 13:25 NKJV

25 And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz recaptured from the hand of Ben-Hadad, the son of Hazael, the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times Joash defeated him and recaptured the cities of Israel.

Christianity became complacent throughout history

the Ephesian church age left her first love

Revelation 2:2–5 NKJV

2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.

complacency made her neglect her first love - the pure doctrines of the apostles

the Thyarirean church age allowed Jezebel to thrive

Revelation 2:19–20 NKJV

19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first. 20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

complacency made allow Jezebel to thrive

The Sardisean church age was dying

Revelation 3:1–2 NKJV

1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.

complacency made depend on her “name”

complacency made neglect her works

the Laodicean church age became lukeward

Revelation 3:15–17 NKJV

15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—

complacency made trust in her material prosperity

complacency made her lukewarm

The Cure for complacency

Take your attention away from your personal feelings and needs, and focus on the will of God and His plans.

complacency comes in when we “feel” we have done a great job (even though the work is far from finished)

Romans 4:18–21 NKJV

18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

he did not pay attention at his body

he did not waver at the promise!

Be aware of your surroundings

complacency makes us unconcerned with whats happening

Ask - WHY are these things happening

did God say anything about this

Do not stop working for God

Philippians 2:12–13 NKJV

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Philippians 1:6 NKJV

6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Work out your personal salvation

even when no one is watching

your action shows you believe that God has begun a good work which He will complete

Philippians 3:12–14 NKJV

12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul did not consider himself perfected/completed

Paul pursued perfection, believing that Christ has already held him for that very same thing

Conclusion

God is calling the attention of “complacent women” in the last days.

be aware of what’s happening in the world today

know what you really need to do according to God’s will

stop focusing your attention to your present needs: focus on God’s word and do God’s work

Song