Daily Radio Program with Charles Stanley - In Touch Ministries - Cautions Against Complacency

Episode Date: July 1, 2026

Learn the two primary reasons we get complacent in our walk with God.Donate: https://store.intouch.org/donate/generalSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the In-Touch podcast with Charles Stanley for Wednesday to lie first. Are you preoccupied with what you think is right? A self-centered focus undermines our effectiveness for the gospel. Take a moment to evaluate your perspective as we're caution against complacency. If you'll turn to 1st Corinthians chapter 4 and Paul is talking about complacency in the life of the church or in the life of believers and he begins by say, you're already filled. You've already become rich. You've already become kings without us. And I would indeed that you'd become kings so that we also might reign with you, which is sort of a sarcastic way of saying it. For I think God has exhibited us apostles last of all as men condemned to death,

because we've become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ's sake, but you're prudent in Christ. We're weak, but you're strong. You're distinguished, but we are without honor. At this present hour, we are both hungry and thirsty and a poorly clothed, and are roughly treated and a homeless. We toil working with our own hands when we are reviled, we bless, when we are persecuted, we endure, when we are slanded, we try to conciliate.

We've become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. The Corinthian Church, in fact, was the church that Paul had more trouble with than all the other churches he ever went to. They were boastful. They were proud, they were arrogant. One of the attitudes that was so evident among them was that they were very complacent, smug in their relationship to God.

So when you and I begin to think about what is it that causes us to be complacent, what is it about us that having the great commission and saying that we believe this book from cover to cover, how is that we can be so satisfied being so personally uninvolved in winning, the world to Jesus Christ when God says it is hellbound without him. It's very simple. We're very complacent. And I think there are two primary reasons we get complacent. Number one, we take God's blessings for granted.

And watch this. We take God's blessings for granted. Secondly, because we take men's applause and recognition too seriously. And one is about as bad as the other. taking God's blessings for granted and taking men's recognition and their applause too seriously. Both of them cause complacency. And what happens is we become complacent. We become desensitized in our relationships to others, desensitized in our relationship to God.

And we just sort of settle down in enjoying life. But you see, the one thing, if you recall, that Paul talked about in this first and second chapter, over and over and over again. He says, but you keep seeking the wisdom of the world. And what had happened to them was they had allowed the world to creep in until they were no longer a threat to the people of Corinth. They were so much like the rest of the Corinthians that to be a Corinthian and to be a Christian wasn't really that too far separated. And so they had settled down in their complacency. They were accepted by the city. They accepted the city. And after all, nobody's perfect, and they had begun to do what complacency always evolves into, and that is

compromise. Complacency always breeds compromise. That is, well, it isn't so bad after all. Before complacency comes, there is a sensitivity to things of God. We're sensitive to him, sensitive to others, sensitive in our own heart, sensitive to sin. But you see, when we take the blessings of God for granted and too seriously the applause of men, we begin to get a little smug and satisfied. Now, after all, listen, when we acknowledge the applause of men, what is the natural result? We don't want to hinder that. We don't want to break that. We don't want to lose that. We don't want to threaten that. So we compromise our conviction to keep the applause coming. And nothing can so stifle or deaden the church than that kind of compromise. And so this is exactly what was happening

to them here. Now, listen to what Paul says. First of all, he says, here's what's happened to you. in your prosperity and in your plenty and in your position, your position of compromise. He says you're sitting smuggly, but he says you are complacent about the things of God. Paul says, here's where you are, but verse 9, here is the contrast. Now listen, he says, we are fools for Christ's sake.

That is, from the world's point of view, they say, well, that's a bunch of fools. In fact, look at Paul, educated he was, statesman that he was. and he says, I've thrown all that aside for one thing. I want my life pulled out for Jesus Christ. Will that be foolish to some folks? When Paul was stoned in Listera, you know what he did? He just got up and brushed it off.

Got patched up and went back the next day preaching. He says, we have become the scum of the world, the dregs the scum. He says that's what we are. And Paul says, I'm not even complaining. You know why? Because he knew that all of this was the way the world saw him. But Paul knew that he was a prophet of God, a child of God, committed to Jesus Christ, and the only thing that mattered to him was that Jesus Christ be seen in his life.

Now watch this. What a contrast. Plenty, prosperity, position, pleasure. on the other hand fools dead men walking around poorly clothed hungry thirsty reviled criticized persecuted he says the scum of the earth the dregs the very bottom what a contrast that's what the Christian life in the ministry that God called Paul to required of him and watch this and Paul submitted to whatever God required of him and he lived that life victoriously he says I fought a good fight I've kept the faith I've finished the course I'm ready to go home

God is interested in our walking in absolute faith and obedience to him that's all he's interested in He's not interested in the acclaim and the praise and all that stuff That is all foolishness and froth God is interested in men and women walking in faith and obedience to Jesus Christ Now listen We need to be obedient to God where He's put us with what he's given us If God's made you rich he's made you rich to give it away It isn't how much you have is what you're doing with what you have

And what you're doing with what you have and what you're doing with what he keeps giving back and if you keep giving and he keeps giving and you keep giving he keeps giving you don't have to feel guilty about that here's what complacency does really beginning to enjoy the things of God and finally complacency begins to be concerned about its security it closes its fist on the blessings of God only one day to open them and find out that what was there has become come ashes. You want to keep the flow, then you have to keep your hand open. Because you see, you and I don't belong to us, and whatever's in your hand doesn't belong to you, belongs to Almighty God. And as long as God's people keep their eyes upon Him and their heart upon

others, if he amasses wealth in your life, if he blesses you financially, it is because he wants you to be a channel. Let me ask you one question, my friend. What under God's name are you giving away. Did you know you can backslide and be absolutely totally out of God's will go into Bible studies? If the only thing you're doing is running to Bible studies to get this knowledge and this knowledge and this knowledge and this knowledge and not allowing God to pour through your life into somebody else's life, what you're gaining, you can get complacent sitting in the most fired up church in the world if your life isn't being poured out into somebody else's life.

Well, now, Paul says, there are four things in the latter part of this chapter. I want to run through them briefly. Listen to this. And I think there are principles here all of us ought to catch on to. Look, if you will, beginning in verse 14. He doesn't say, therefore, you complacent,

Corinthians, I wish God would wipe you out. He says, I don't write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. So when you and I confront people who are complacent, we ought to confront them. Listen, and they ought to be confronted, but they ought to be confronted in compassionate love, not a wipeout. God's finished with you. He's not finished with any of us. Second thing I want you to notice here, in verse 16, he says, I exhort you, therefore be imitators of me. There's no legitimate scripture way for somebody

saying, now, don't you do what I do, you do what I tell you. Listen to what Paul says. I exhort you, therefore, be imitators of me. Paul said, if you're going to get somebody out of a problem, out of complacency, you give them a pattern to go by. Now, Paul wasn't bragging when he said, Be imitators of me. He was simply saying, I've learned some things. And I want you to get out of that old complacent spirit.

And he wasn't just talking about himself, but other godly men that they'd heard preach, heard teach. He's saying, be imitators. That is, here's a pattern. And all of us have met people whose life challenged us to go deeper and higher, be more disciplined, more diligent, more prayerful, more in the word. And so Paul says, be imitators of me. So when we confront people, he says, confront them in love and compassion. Give them a pattern to go by.

And then if you go back up to verse 14, he says here, and at the same time, don't put them in a box, preserve their liberty. He says, give them enough liberty for God to work in their lives in such a way he can get them out of whatever situation they find themselves in. And then if you'll notice, he says in verse 19, 18, he says, some have become arrogant as though I will not coming to you. And see, Paul as an authority in the church, they were arrogant, say, well, he's not coming. He says, but I'm coming to you soon at the Lord Wills, and I shall find out not the words of those who are arrogant, but their power. The kingdom of God doesn't consist in words but in power. And here's what he's saying. He's saying, when you and I are confronting people who are complacent,

confront them not with mere words, but in the power of the Holy Spirit. In loving compassion, don't box them in, give them liberty. Encourage them, but confront them honestly, seriously, and sincerely about their relationship to Jesus Christ. But don't you agree that if there's something that needs to be done and you belong to Jesus Christ and he's living his life in you, you at least ought to offer to do something? Think about this for a moment. Can you honestly and truly be content with all that God has done in your life

when there are needs that are not met and you have the ability, the gift, the talent, or the resources to meet them. If the need is there and you know it and you're capable and you don't yield yourself to be a part of the solution, I think you would have to agree. That sounds like it has the smell of complacency all about it. You say, well, what's God's attitude about a complacent church or complacent Christian? Look, if you will, in Revelation chapter 3, and I want to close this.

Let me just remind you of who's doing the talking right here. I want you to think about this before we see what he said. In the first chapter of Revelation, look there, if you will, the Bible says that John heard a voice, and he turned to see what was going on in verse 12 of Revelation chapter 1. Think about this for a moment. I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me, and having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. In the middle of the lambsstand, one like a son of man, that is Christ,

clothed in a robe reaching to his feet, girded across his breast with a golden girdle, his head and his hair were white like wool, like white wool, like white wool, like snow, and his eyes were a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze when it has been caused the glow in the furnace and his voice was like the sound of rumbling many, many waters.

In his right hand, he held seven stars. Out of his mouth came a two-edged sword and his face was like the sun shining at noon day in its strength so he couldn't look upon him. When I saw him, I felt at his feet as a little bit. dead man and he laid his right hand upon me saying don't be afraid I'm the first and the last the living one I was dead and behold I'm alive and forevermore he says I have the keys of death and of Hades that's Christ now listen to what this same Jesus said about complacency

chapter three verse 15 I know your deeds that you are are neither cold nor hot, you've compromised. I wish you were either cold, just totally out of the picture, or hot fired up for me, so because you're lukewarm, you've compromised, walking in the middle, straddling the fence, you're not black or white, you're gray. Neither hot nor cold, he says, I will spit you out of my mouth. That is, it is detesting. because you say I'm rich, become wealthy, have need of nothing.

That is, like the Corinthians, man, what else do I need? He says, what you don't realize is that you're wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. And then listen to what he says, those whom I love, I reprove, rebuke, and disdue, and disliked. discipline, be zealous, therefore, and repent. Let me ask you something. Let's just be, let's just get real dead honest for a moment. Listen to me. I'm not talking about whether you go to church on Sunday morning or not. I'm talking about real commitment to Jesus Christ. I mean that he's first, that whatever he wants is what you want, that your heart is bent toward God. The most important person in your life is Jesus Christ, and the guiding principle in your life is to

obey God. If that's hot, if the ruling desire of your heart is to obey God and the walk in faith, to know him and to learn of him and to serve him, if that's hot, and living like the devil 24 hours a day is cold, would you say that you're cold, hot, a lukewarm? Now, you know what he's saying? that fence straddling, lukewarmness, shaped like the world, acting like the world, courting the world's favor, pleased with the applause of the world,

smug and satisfied and content with my little old thing going on, God says that is absolutely and totally foreign to his purpose. And so he says, therefore, I can't stand that. I spit that out of my mouth. You know what he's saying? Man, we can get so blind in God's blessing and the world's acclaim that even God has, listen to what I'm going to say, even God in all of His grace who accepts us just the way we are, loves us with all of his love. That's what he said right here, those whom I love, loves us just the way we are, accepts us just the way we are,

that our actions and our attitude is totally disliked. tasteful to you. Doesn't mean he rejects us. Doesn't mean doesn't love us, but it means that our actions and our attitudes are far under his purpose and his heart is grieved. And when he says, I'll spit them out of my mouth, doesn't mean he rejects us. That's his way of expressing how grievous it is to pour so much into us and to get so little in return. I want to tell you something, friend. If you're going to live a Christian life, you ought to do one or two things. You ought to close the Bible. Just forget the whole thing and call it quits or submit your life to Jesus Christ to tell him, wherever you lead, I'll go.

I'll follow my Christ who loves me so. Wherever he leads, I'll go. Because Luke warmly, is grievous to God. Thank you for listening to Cautions Against Complacency. For more inspirational messages like this one, visit our online 24-7 station. And if you'd like to know more about Charles Stanley or InTouch Ministries, stop by intouch.org. This podcast is a presentation of InTouch Ministries, Atlanta, Georgia.