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Forward movement for
believer is perseverance. When Daniel Webster was a young lawyer he took a case for a fee of $20.00. It was a difficult case and in preparing for it he had to make a trip to Boston, which in itself cost more than he was getting as a fee. He was determined to do a thorough job on
case and win it, which he did. Many years later a big company wanted him at short notice to undertake a case for what was in those days a fabulous fee. Webster looked over
case and found it was almost identical with
one he had researched and won 20 years before! Although it took 20 years to turn profit, his perseverance paid off.
Remember this point to safe-guard yourself against complacency: Resist
temptation to rest on your laurels and live in
past. Keep yourself moving forward in
Kingdom of God. Steadfastness has its rewards in time.
III. Thirdly, complacency comes when we lose focus. The object of our faith is Christ alone. Christ is our focus.
There are two ways to see something. I can see an object with my eyes. But, I can also see an object with
eyes of my spirit. One of
greatest gifts God has given man is to visualize something internally. I can’t see Jesus with my physical eyes. But, I can see
Bible. I can read
Bible. And as I read
Bible, I begin to visualize internally what Jesus is like. In fact,
Holy Spirit is sent for this very purpose—to help us maintain our focus on Christ. As our focus is maintained, we become changed in to His likeness.
Many people today fall to complacency because they take their eyes off
Word of God. They simply lose focus. They place their focus on other “things.” Before long they become transformed by
“things of this world.” The “things of this world” become their focus and then their god. With your eyes on Jesus, you avoid misdirection in life. The best way to hit a bull’s-eye every time you throw a dart is to throw your dart at a blank target. Wherever
dart strikes, select that spot as
bull’s-eye and draw concentric circles around it.
Crazy, you say? No more absurd than an aimless person who stumbles into one day after another, setting today’s goal on
basis of yesterday’s deed. Wouldn’t you agree? A steadfast gaze upon
Master will direct you on a straight pathway.
With your eyes on Jesus, you can see what He’s up to. Isa. 45:11 tells us to ask God about
things to come. I can tell you this. Jesus is up to something big! In fact it wouldn’t surprise me if He’s no longer seated, but standing before
Father and ready to carry out this order, “My Son, it’s time. Go and gather up your bride. I’m calling them home.”
Remember this point to safe-guard yourself against complacency: Stay focused on
Word. Stay in fellowship with your Christian brothers and sisters. Keep communicating with
Lord—pray without ceasing!
Concluding remarks: I have shared with you
danger of complacency. Be very cautious after great victories. To let down your guard and revel in
victory is to invite disaster. Stay alerted to
advantage you have when
enemy is on
run. Pursue
darkness, and crush it with
light of Jesus! Resist
temptation to live in your past accomplishments. Keep moving forward. And above all, keep your eyes on Jesus. Stay alerted to what
Spirit of Grace is doing around you. Don’t miss
move of God in this latter day.
What about you? Has complacency slipped into your relationship with God? Are you distant and needing a change? May I re-introduce you to
solution? His name is Jesus. The Bible says that there is “no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” The name Jesus is greater than
name, complacency. Just as light overcomes darkness by driving it away, so does
name Jesus when spoken with meaning from
heart, overcomes and drives away all
uncertainty about your eternal future.
You see God has provided you an eternal home in Heaven, but you must ask Him for it. And when you call upon God’s Son to save you,
Bible says that He will save you to
uttermost. He will name you as one of His own. He will nurture you and care for you in your relationship with Him. And then one day, He will call for you and carry you home. I must say though, heaven is not a place for
complacent. It is not a place for
“lovers of this world.” Heaven is home to those only who love God, who want to serve God, and who can stand in His courts of praise forever and ever, rejoicing with
saints.
Only Jesus makes this happen. Call upon His name—JESUS.
Keep
faith. Stay
course. Jesus is coming soon.
Pastor T.
