Don't be complacent - Pastor Oduro advises Christians

Christians must endeavour to avoid being complacent in order to realise their full potentials in the Lord, Pastor Charles Oduro, the Yennyawoso District Minister of The Church of Pentecost, has advised.

Pastor Oduro gave the advice in his homily on the topic: “Complacency” to conclude the Yennyawoso District 2021 Easter Convention in the Yennyawoso Zone on Sunday, April 4, 2021, at the Central Assembly auditorium.

Taking his foundational text from Amos 6:1a, the District Minister pointed out that it is not just enough for believers to come to Jesus Christ and enjoy the peace and the freedom in Him, but they must go all lengths to fulfil their Christian obligations.

The man of God illustrated from Matthew 11:28-30 that every believer is yoked together with Christ. However, he said, the yoke of Christ is easy and light. The yoke of Christ, according to Pastor Oduro, is to partake in the suffering of Christ and ensure the progress of the kingdom business.

He explained how terrible it will be for believers who rest in comfort in the church and are not committed to the work of God.

“Woe to the complacent in the church,” he warned, adding, “If you do not concern yourself with God’s work, God cannot use you.”

He, therefore, charged the congregants not to be mere passengers in the church, but they must take on the yoke of Christ by winning more souls and making substantial offering to support the kingdom business.

Defining complacency as self-satisfaction, especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers and deficiencies, Pastor Oduro bemoaned the fact that majority of Christians appear relaxed about prayer, reading and studying the Bible and attending evening services and other church programmes, thinking that all is well with them.

He identified some of the things that make Christians complacent and cautioned them to be wary of such acts and make every effort to sidestep them.

Among the things which induce complacency, he mentioned, are over reliance on the rich history of the church, strong academic background, abundant resources, and one’s exceptional skills and advantages.

Touching on the dangers of complacency, Pastor Charles Oduro said that it destroys ambitions and excellence, blinds people from optimising their potentials, makes them unrealistic and affects one’s prayer life.

“Complacency prevents people and blocks the flow of God’s grace (2 Kings 4), it does not add value to people and leads to stagnation,” he added, saying, “Whoever is stagnant in life stinks.”

He also admonished Christians to channel their energies and resources in pursuit of divine glory, and not earthly materials which do not guarantee eternal life.

The 2021 Easter Convention of the Yennyawoso District was held from Thursday, April 1 to Sunday, April 4, 2021, under the theme: “He Is Our Peace; He Has Made The Two Into One” (Ephesians 2:14) at two zonal centres (Yennyawoso & Dichemso) in the district.

Present at the service was Mrs. Gladys Nana Yaa Animah Oduro (wife of the District Minister).