From conquerers to hiding out.
- Complacency defined – Proverbs 1:32– Turning away (backsliding, waywarding). The complacency of fools will destroy them.
- Complacency leads to hiding out – Judges 6:1-2 – The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years. 2 The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds.
- The Devil is playing a script – and we want to run and hide – for example, Gideon
- We’ve bought into the idea of tribulation and persecution – our current situation
Idle hands are the Devil’s playground.
- 2 Thessalonians 3:6-7– And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. 7 For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you.
- Idle hands lead to the color of carpet syndrome – blame everyone else
- We need to keep working hard, believing, and loving others otherwise leads to this – Hebrews 6:12 – Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent – backslidden
- Believing God and being lazy is an oxymoron – lukewarm – Revelation 3:16
We’ve lost our saltiness.
- Matthew 5:13 – You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
- How many just want to make it into Heaven?
- Part of the sermon on the mount – Lost our influence – don’t recognize the value of what we have – don’t believe
- We want to protect our little pieces of salt. We’ve conformed instead of transformed – continuous process – We need to be reset.
We get tired of nailing things to the cross.
- Galatians 5:24– Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.
- The altar is the thing that stands between the outer courts (our will) and the Holy of Holies, the presence of God (God’s will) – Romans 12:1-2– a living sacrifice
- The cross is the new covenant altar, where things are to be nailed to and killed before we can enter His presence
- God will not put more on you than you can handle, can give up – 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 – If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. 13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.
What are we to do?
- You are living stones – 1 Peter 2:5 – … you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
- Living stones are moving stones – stationary rocks are much harder to move
- What is the work of the Church, to believe – John 6:29– Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
- Believing leads to doing – James 2:20– don’t lie to yourself about believing
The Church needs to be awakened.
- Matthew 25:1-11 – all the virgins need to be awakened
- Judges 6:14-16– Then the Lord turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have, and rescue Israel from the Midianites. I am sending you!” 15 “But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” 16 The Lord said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.”