Sunday Sermons
Shaky, Shaky
Shaky, Shaky
Our God is a God of intense love, and loves in us the qualities of zeal and fervency for all things good. And His reaction when we are otherwise?
- “And it will come about at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are stagnant in spirit, who say in their hearts, ‘The Lord will not do good or evil’” (Zephaniah 1:12).
- “Moab has been at ease since his youth; He has also been undisturbed on his lees, neither has he been emptied from vessel to vessel” (Jeremiah 48:11).
The expression “stagnant in spirit” is also translated “settled on their lees”. The background of this interesting expression comes from the world of making wine. The “lees” refers to the solid matter (dead yeast, etc) allowed to settle to the bottom of a jar of freshly made wine. Wine settled on its lees is a figure for undisturbed peace. Apparently, many people in the city of Jerusalem, including the wealthy and its leaders were indifferent to the preaching of the prophets. They felt that God was completely unconcerned with how they lived and that life would simply go on without any intervention from God (2 Peter 3:4ff). In the passage from Jeremiah, the nation of Moab is pictured as a bottle of wine that has been left undisturbed. In order to give wine a stronger flavor, they would often let it remain in this condition, and in this case of Moab, the nation had never been “shaken up”, and therefore had become both proud and very engrained in its evil ways.
The Danger of Complacency
God’s people in the Old Testament fell into the trap of becoming “stagnant” — a danger that still exists for Christians today. And while we may not read about Christians being “settled on their lees”, we do have these passages:
- “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, and you are dead” (Revelation 3:1).
- “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4).
- “So because you are lukewarm” (Revelation 3:16).
In fact, even very godly people can be in danger of becoming too settled. Even Timothy was told, “And for this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you” (2 Timothy 1:6).
Am I Complacent?
How does one know if or when one is becoming complacent? Are there any red flags? Consider this: Most of us are not familiar with sediment in a wine bottle, but we are all very familiar with the need to shake up a book of Italian dressing before we use it to access the “good stuff” that has settled to the bottom. We are in danger when the things of God (the good stuff) have all settled to the bottom in our minds, hearts and lives and become, rather than a daily pursuit, are confined to either one day of the week or a very small part of our lives. Ask yourself:
- Do the teachings of Jesus still permeate my relationships, my marriage, my personal and private life, my thoughts, my decisions, how I work, what I view as entertainment, and how I talk?
- How frequently, and with what level of intimacy with God do I pray? 1 Thessalonians 5:16.
- Can I sin and feel no hurry to correct it? Can I remain at ease in a sin for days and weeks at a time?
We Can Stir Ourselves Up
In fact, there are many examples of people stirring things up in the Bible—and many of those times, people are stirring up trouble: Psalm140:2; Proverbs 10:12; 15:1,18; 28:25; 29:22; Acts 17:8,13. Yet these passages all stand as proof that we can always change things—for the better or for the worse.
We Have Help
Near the end of his life, the apostle Peter talked about this very subject:
- “Therefore, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present in you. And I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthy dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder” (2 Peter 1:12-13).
- “This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder” (2 Peter 3:1).
The Importance of “Remembering”
In the previous two passages there is something about being “reminded” or remembering the right things that can motivate us and shake us up in a good sense. Often the difference between stirring up the good or the destructive, is what we allow ourselves to remember. If we are remembering all the real or imaginary slights, an old vice or are focused on what we don’t have instead of the many blessing we do have, we will likely stir up trouble.
What Should We Remember?
Remembering is a choice. “I shall remember the deeds of the Lord” (Psalm 77:11; Psalm 78:42 “They did not remember His power”; 106:7).
- We must remember what Jesus and the apostles taught: 2 Peter 3:2. It is hard to remain complacent when one is constantly reading what Jesus taught. It is very difficult to fall away, go into apostasy or lose our zeal when we are taking the word of God seriously. “And remember His precepts to do them” (Psalm 103:18).
- Remember that Jesus said that others would try to discourage and side-track us. Be ready to see through all that: Jude 17-18
- We must remember that what we have believed is historically true! 2 Peter 1:16. Why am I a Christian—because Jesus died for me and rose from the dead. 2 Timothy 2:8.
- Remember the blessing of giving of yourself, rather than sitting around and waiting to be served: Acts 20:35
- Remember your former life, the forgiveness of your sins, such a wonderful second chance! Ephesians 2:12 How beautiful that God does not remember our sins of the past: Psalm 25:7.
- Remember how far you have come and what you have accomplished thus far: Hebrews 10:32; Revelation 2:5
- Remember the example of older and faithful Christians. Let their consistency stimulate you: Hebrews 13:7
Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net
