By: Pastor Cecil Lovelace
THE CURSE OF COMPLACENCY
I Samuel 2:12-l7ff
INTRODUCTION:
(1) In the previous passage there is a wonderful story on Christian Consistency in the home. We see Hannah, who, against all odds, remained committed to her family, her faith, and to her faithfulness. As a result of her consistency, she received her request from the Lord. The request for a child.(2) Here in this passage I want to speak on the Curse of complacency in the home. The word "complacent" means content or "self-satisfied."
(3) This attitude of complacency and contentment is killing churches and destroying homes and effecting the future of the children that are growing up in it. When we become self-satisfied with things as they are, we are in trouble because we have lost our will to go forward...our desire to excel.
(4) We have here in the early chapters of I Sam. a perfect example of what a complacent attitude in the home can do. Not only to the parents but to the children as well. There is a tremendous cost when we take the risk of being complacent or self-satisfied when things are not as they should be.
Parents have a tremendous responsibility to take the lead in guiding the family in the right direction and to bring about correction and administer discipline when and where it is needed.
Eli the priest had two sons who also minister-ed in office of priest. Let's look closely at this family at the tragic result of a complacent attitude in raising his children.
I. THE PROBLEM OF COMPLACENCY...
Eli had been very complacent. .contented, in raising these two boys. He turned his head too often when they went wrong. They didn't mind and he didn't make them.
If Eli lived today he would be one of those parents who would say, "I can't do a thing with my child!" His self-satisfied, content-ed attitude toward raising his kids is very evident here. NOTICE:
A. He did not set an example before them... (2:29) God had laid down certain rules and given certain privileges.
(1) He had not given God his due. V-29
(2) He had pleased his own children first. V-29
B. He did not restrain them.(v-3:l3) "restrained not" He did not correct or chasten them when they went wrong.
(1) He was well aware of their wrong. v-l3 "..he knoweth.." When a parent sees a child going wrong. .they are responsible to try to help them.. .even if adults.
(2) He was complacent about it.. tongue in cheek .. "so what" attitude. He turned his head when they sinned.
C. He had no influence over them.. (2:25)Here he tried, but had waited too long to start. It does little good to try to smack a teenagers hand age 15 . That should have been done when they were still in diapers.
It's so sad to see parents with no influence over their children. It's often the result of a complacent self-satisfied, contented attitude when they're little.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THE PROBLEM, NOTICE:
II. THE PRODUCT OF COMPLACENCY..
How did these boys turn out.? Not so good, daddy die not discipline them. He was too soft on them. He was complacent in his responsibility as a father. A. They knew not God.. (2:12) "they knew not the Lord." Their father was a man of God! They were even doing the work of the Lord themselves. But were "Sons of Blial". evil.
LISTEN MOM and DAD
B. They were filled with greed.. (2:12-17)
(l)not satisfied with the reg. offering for priests.
(2) They demanded more. .became hostile if refused. V-16
(3) Their sin was very great before Cod. v17
C. They were sexually impure. .v-22 "lay with the women.."
(l) these women were involved in the Lord's work too. Just in the wrong sort of way!
(2) Eli knew of their sin. he disapproved, but they would not listen.. .v-25 He had waited too long
SO WE SEE THE PROBLEM. .THE PRODUCT AND THEN:
III. THE PENALTY FOR COMPLACENCY... The cost in Eli's case was very great.! Little did he know that when his sons grew up, that his own contented, complacent attitude toward correcting them would come home to haunt him.
A. God sent a messenger.. (2:27) "a man of God.." He said, "God has said:"
(1) "I appeared to your father's house..."
(2) "I chose him... out of the other tribes..."
(3) "Why do you kick at my sacrifice and offering?" Kids know your attitude toward these things!!!
B. God set a mandate. .2:3lff Note his promise:
(l) He would cut off his father's house. .the family line, as a means of judgment....
(2) He would destroy both his sons in a day. .2:34
(3) He would raise up a faithful priest. .2:35
CONCLUSION
Did God's promise come true? Indeed it did! 4:11. . they both died the same day! Then in 4:l8 when Eli heard that the ark of God had been taken by the enemy and that his two sons were both dead, he himself fell backwards and broke his neck and died.
What a sad way for a family to come to an end just because a parent took a complacent. .contented, self-satisfied attitude toward disciplining his children!
Eli's daughter-in-law gave birth just before she died and named the child "Inchabod" meaning the Glory has departed (because of her husband and father-in-law.) 4:19-20
You may think you are being good to your children by being complacent.. .turning your head when they do wrong, or failing to give proper discipline when they need it. JUST REMEMBER.. .the cost in the long run may be very great!:: If you are content with your children being lost, they may grow up and never be saved. Their lost condition should worry you.