We are so happy that God has blessed us with a Culturally Diverse Church in KCK. God LOVES diversity and we do too! There is a lot going on in our world and we want to touch every life from every place.
There is so much chaos in our world today. Does anyone remember the Las Vegas shooting? The Houston hurricane? The earthquakes in Mexico? The terrorist attacks in London and Paris? And just recently the shooting in Texas?
We are bombarded by so much violence and chaos that I think we are being desensitized.
The stories on the news are so graphic that nothing shocks us. Children being brutalized, pictures of war in Syria last year, threats of beheading and nuclear war, but does it move us anymore?
White collar crime, corrupt leaders, politicians that no one trusts, stories of sexual abuse unfolding. We are becoming numb to the very things that used to shock us.
In light of all this what is the greatest sin? Is it rape or murder? Prejudice? Hate crimes?
I believe the greatest sin is the sin of apathy.
Jesus also told them other parables. He said, “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!
“So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.
“The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. Matt 22:1-7
But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matt 22:34-39
Why do I say apathy is the greatest sin? First let me define that word.
Apathy is the lack of interest or concern. It’s an indifference.
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.
Loving God is the greatest commandment. It’s not one of the commandments, but the greatest. The first duty of a believer is to love God with everything we have. The second one,
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.
Is a manifestation of the first.
If the greatest command is to love God and and to love others than the greatest sin must be the opposite of this. To not love God, to not care about others has to be like a slap in the face of God.
“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!” Rev 3:15-16 NLT
To be be cold is to be backslidden. This is a place where God can bring you back. To be hot or on fire for God is good. It’s where we should all want to be. But to be lukewarm, to just blend in with the world, will cause God to say,
I will spit you out of my mouth!
Back in our text we read that the kingdom of heaven is like a king preparing a banquet. But the subjects of the kingdom made light of it. Something else preoccupied them. This wasn’t a complete rejection. There were just other things that were more important to them. They made light of the banquet and this made the king furious.
Everyone of us will deal with this.
I remember when I first got saved. I was so on fire. Then, after about two years, disappointment came. Real life kicked in. The temptation to replace my walk with God with other pursuits came.
At one time I had a job with a bread company. The pay was great but the hours were not. I was putting in 15 hour days. I was spiritually and physically worn out. I had very little time or interest for the things of God. Then a pastor intervened in my life. He was bold enough to tell me I needed to quit my job. I was so convicted I called in that same night to quit. My boss was so angry. He thought I was a fool to give up such a good job for “some dead Bible” as he put it.
There has to be a contending for God from His children. Coming to a church building does not save you. When you leave the building you have to put God first in everything. How is your heart for God? Are you really contending for His will or are you being pulled by the world?
It’s easy to take God’s grace and mercy for granted. It doesn’t happen in an instant. It’s a slow descent from passion into apathy. It’s like that story about how to boil a frog. You don’t throw a frog into hot boiling water because it will jump out. You put that frog in cold water and slowly turn up the heat. By the time the frog realizes he is boiling to death it’s too late.
There is something about our human nature that leans toward apathy. I want you to take inventory of yourself. If you’re doing good hold tight to that. But if not you better check yourself before you wreck yourself.
Listen we have all dealt with that touch of apathy. We know what’s right but we don’t do it. We are telling people one thing but doing another. Our theology starts changing to suit our lifestyle.
Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. James 4:17
What is going on in your life that you know is not right but yet you keep doing it? I’m not talking about stealing or murder. I’m talking about that thing that you know God is telling you.
Where is the passion in your worship? Are you praying for the mission God has given your church? Are you passionate for souls to come to Christ? If not then how do you combat this? I say the best defense is a good offense. If you’re driving the ball the other team can’t take possession.
If we wait around we will be deceived. Has it ever occurred to you that God is waiting on you? Have you taken the posture of faith? Forget how you feel. Do what’s right because it is right. Put into practical application what you speak. Pursue radically the call to be a passionate saint of God.
We must carve out time for God. We have to break habits instead of just accepting them. This won’t just happen. You have to let God help you. Pick up the Bible and let God change how you think. Meditate on the Word. memorize scripture.
The world is passionate about what it believes. You must love God with all your heart, soul, mind , and strength. Out of this you will have a passion to love people.
God wants you to live for Him. Stay in God’s Word. Stay passionate and choose to defeat apathy.
Father help me to love you with passion. Grant me a passion to love people. Help me to recognize apathy when it starts creeping into my life. Help me to be passionate for your Word. And through this renew my mind and mold me into the image of Your son Jesus. Amen.