The Danger of Complacency Joshua 23:1-16 11/18/2007 Dr. Dane Boyles

The Danger of ComplacencyJoshua 23:1-16

11/18/2007Dr. Dane Boyles

The Danger of Complacency

• Introduction– Israel now had reached a relatively

peaceful time, a time when they could enjoy the blessings of the Lord.

– They were enjoying a time of rest, a time when they could reflect on their labors and thank the Lord for his wonderful provisions.


– There is the danger in the midst of spiritual blessing to forget about the Lord.

13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, (Deut 8:13, NIV)


14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. (Deut 8:14, NIV)


• He reminds them of God’s Faithfulness.

1 After a long time had passed and the LORD had given Israel rest from all their enemies around them, Joshua, by then old and well advanced in years, (Joshua 23:1, NIV)


2 summoned all Israel-their elders, leaders, judges and officials-and said to them: “I am old and well advanced in years.

3 You yourselves have seen everything the LORD your God has done to all these nations for your sake; it was the LORD your God who fought for you. (Joshua 23:2-4, NIV)


4 Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain-the nations I conquered-between the Jordan and the Great Sea in the west. (Joshua 23:4, NIV)


– We need to be reminded of how God has blessed us.

2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--

3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, -(Psa 103:2-3, NIV)


4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psa 103:4-5, NIV)


– Our tendency, like Israel, is to forget.5 The LORD your God himself

will drive them out of your way. He will push them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the LORD your God promised you. (Joshua 23:5, NIV)


• He reminds them of God’s Unchanging Standards.– Concerning the Book of the Law (God’s

Word) 6 “Be very strong; be careful to

obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. (Josh 23:6, NIV)


7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. (Josh 1:7, NIV


8 Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Josh 1:8, NIV


32 So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left. (Deut 5:32, NIV)


– Concerning their Walk with God.7 Do not associate with these

nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. You must not serve them or bow down to them. (Joshua 23:7, NIV)


8 But you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have until now.

9 “The LORD has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. (Joshua 23:8-9, NIV)


10 One of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as he promised. (Joshua 23:10, NIV)


– Concerning their love of God.11 So be very careful to love the

LORD your God. (Josh 23:11, NIV)4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our

God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all

your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (Deut 6:4-5, NIV)


• He warns of the Consequences of Complacency.

12 “But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, (Joshua 23:12, NIV)


13 then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you. (Joshua 23:13, NIV)


– Loss of position. – Loss of power.– Loss of peace.


• He gives them a Solemn Farewell.14 “Now I am about to go the way

of all the earth. You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the LORD your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed. (Joshua 23:14, NIV)


15 But just as every good promise of the LORD your God has come true, so the LORD will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. (Joshua 23:15, NIV)


16 If you violate the covenant of the LORD your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the LORD’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.” (Joshua 23:16, NIV)


– Death will come to all.– Joshua reminds them that God has never

and will never fail.– Joshua warns of what will come to pass.• “Therefore it shall come to pass…”


• Conclusion– It is easy for us to forget the Lord and

what He has done for us.– There is so much to lose when we neglect

the Word of God…when we neglect our walk with God…when we neglect our love for Him.

The Danger of ComplacencyJoshua 23:1-16

11/18/2007Dr. Dane Boyles

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The Danger of Complacency Joshua 23:1-16 11/18/2007 Dr. Dane Boyles