False Complacency - Part 1 — Joshua Daniel

Now, you know, in the busyness of life today, we suddenly lose our bearings. Where are we? Where exactly are we? Is religion only a big talk, or are we really imbibing the spirit of Christ, that very nature that we, you know, somehow, the more I look at it, I don't like to be looking at something at a great distance.

You know, when you see a beautiful picture, what is the normal reaction? You will just go up to it and get lost in the detail. All right, you know, of course, in surgery or matters of dealing with your internal disease or sicknesses that requires surgery, while most of us have never conducted any surgery, we at least know that it must be something very intricate, you know, just to get to the right spot and deal with it.

Now, that means we want scientific precision. You see, on one occasion, the British Airways plane on which I was coming over had such strong headwinds that they exhausted the fuel, barely made it across and landed at the closest port, unscheduled landing.

At least they knew exactly how much fuel they had and how far they were from the destination. Somehow, when it comes to matters of religion and Christ, there's nothing like scientific precision, which is sad, which is unrealistic.

Spiritual Precision in Walking with God

If in life we want to be so exact, you know, how much are you earning? You know what you're earning. Of course, you do. How much is your bank balance? You can't write off checks without knowing what your bank balance is.

You know. Even if you can't tell it to the last penny, you know. Oh, yes, I have money enough in the bank to cover this check. There is a certain normal precision which is required in everyday living.

And yet, precision in the things of God is totally missing. However, the Bible literally opens with the question, Adam, where art thou? You know, friends, quite apart from yourselves, I want to know where I am.

Assessing Our True Spiritual Position

I want to know my exact status, you see. All of us know where we stand, middle rung, top executive, or the lower cader. All of us know where we stand, in an office or in a profession. But how come that we never stop?

You see, the thing about walking with God is God never plots your position in a wrong place. Never. This is exactly where I am. God never navigates irresponsibly or ignorantly. That is very clear. So, when we say, hey, I'm going to navigate.

I'm going to do the job. Well, you see, if you expect me to navigate anything, I'm afraid I would land you in the wrong place. Simply because I don't know. That's all it is. Now, when we are dealing with things that are eternal, can we judge our position amiss or exaggerate?

You know, there was a time just a couple of years ago when the chief of the Fed said, this is an unnecessary exuberance. Exuberance. He used the word exuberance. Excessive excitement. Well, he did not know the crash was coming.

But at least he had one statement which warned of what was ahead. Now, of course, people would look back and say, well, we considered that he was a great authority, but he miscalculated. Well, whatever.

People may say, he did warn of unjustified exuberance about the economy. Now, all right. God also warns us. If you turn to Revelation, the third chapter, here is a completely wrong diagnosis. Now, all right.

Laodicea's False Estimate and Lukewarm Faith

If an ignorant man chooses to make a false calculation and adds three zeros to his bank balance, well, you will say, that's unpardonable. Now, this fellow has only a thousand and he has made it a million.

He just added three more zeros. That's all he thought of. How could he do it unless he's a complete cheat? You won't have much patience with such a person. But here is a church miscalculating completely.

The third chapter of Revelation and the 14th verse, and unto the angel of the church of Laodicea, write these things, said the Amen. The faithful and the true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

I know your works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would thou art cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth, because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing.

Now, my dear friends, when I look at the Lord Jesus Christ, I say, how little of Jesus I know, how little I know of my great Savior and God. I can't help seeing that. That's a fact. I will proclaim it.

Of course, I should be ashamed of it, because I should say, how can a man like me that has preached so long be so unlike Jesus? In some ways, it is an unpardonable thing. But here is a church, which has a completely wrong estimate of itself.

Well, you and I also can be just like that. If the early church in Laodicea could have made this big mistake of thinking, I have need of nothing. But what I say is, I need Jesus, more of Jesus. If you give me more of Jesus, yes.

But don't give me Thanksgiving gift and that Christmas gift. I don't want any such gift. Now, here is a church which feels, I don't need anything. I can't understand that. In other words, it's a kind of self-satisfied, stagnant situation.

The Sermon on the Mount and the Sin of Anger

Now, towards the last lapse of my life, what do I see? So many areas which are without the gospel. So many areas. And I say to myself, what right have we to be sitting around in our big meetings when so many people do not even know, thou shalt not kill.

You know, when you read the Sermon on the Mount, one of the first things that Jesus taught, it was said by them of all time, thou shalt not kill. But I say unto you, you see, thou shalt be in danger of, it's good for us to look at that, so that in a world which is full of shooting and killing, as a matter of fact, I put down for the new Christ is victor, a prayer request.

Which is, pray that because of the terrible downturn in the US, people may not steal and kill at Christmas time. And if you turn to the fifth chapter of Matthew, this is what you see. 21st verse, you have heard that it was said by them of all time, thou shalt not kill.

And whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ says, not even anger, not even resentment, you will be in danger of the judgment.

He is actually equating it with killing. Yes, I want to tell you that bitterness and anger, it will, they kill. They will kill your soul. Your spirit will be killed. And your body will follow. But I can't understand how a church can feel.

The Church as the Body of Christ

A church is supposed to be the body of Christ, with all the facets of his beauty, all the gifts of the spirit. You see, it should be a place of great spiritual nourishment. It's almost a nursery where the most splendid kind of fruit bearing trees grow.

That should happen in a real church, not just one or two people with some extraordinary gifts. No, no, no, no. There should be a whole body of wonderful people. But does that happen? No, we don't see that happening.

And isn't there a need there? Of course there is much need. You know, I was thinking of a bank where everybody believes in borrowing and nobody believes in depositing anything. Do you think you could run that bank?

Serving Rather Than Merely Receiving

And how long could you run that bank? No. When you think of the church of Jesus Christ, it seems to be just like that. What can I get out of it? That's all. Somebody will pray for me if I get sick, or somebody will help me if I am in trouble.

But apart from that, what shall I do to add? You know, when you begin to think in this fashion, what shall I add? You know, I was also thinking, as you well know, I'm not a rich man. But somehow, when I see the misery and the fear and the economic state of collapse in so many, you know, in my reverie, in my imagination, I must tell you of one absurd thought that came to me.

I said, I wish I had the money to relieve all this stress. You know, nobody does have so much money. But that absurd thought came to me, because wherever I have seen need, I said, what shall I do for this need, to meet this need?

And when I see a situation where there is no pressing forward, I have need of nothing. I am dismayed. I'm shocked. How did this church come to that state of spiritual deadness? I'm need of nothing. Can anybody say that today?

Fulfilling the Great Commission and Building God's Kingdom

Living as we do in the midst of so much murder and bloodshed and religiously sponsored massacres. My dear friends, what did we do? Did we really fulfill the command of Jesus to take the good news to every creature?

No. We have run around to do this, do that, maybe build a house or build some, or buy this or buy that. But did we go ever running to build the kingdom of God? I'm need of nothing. Let us pray. Gracious Father, we humble ourselves before you.

Prayer for Eternal Perspective and Spiritual Renewal

Yes, I need a new vision. I may be in the last lap of my journey or the last laps of my journey, but I need this specialized self. I cannot go wrong in my vision and have a blurred vision. Oh, I want to see things as you see them so that the things of time just are put in their perspective and the things of eternity are put in their own perspective, their profound perspective.

Oh, my Father, please have mercy on us at such a time when the country and the nations around us are in such confusion and perplexity and fear and hopelessness. Oh, won't you give to us a word for them, a word from your heart which will lift them.

Oh, my Father, forgive us for the small way in which we think of ourselves, small way. We just think of our little purse and our little resources and our little strength and little time and so on and so forth.

Oh, my Father, some of that inexhaustible gold, that perfect gold of obedience which will vitalize our lives and make them dynamic, grant it to us, we pray. Hear our humble prayer. In Jesus' almighty name, amen.