Indifference

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(No Transcript)
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Indifference
A Common Problem
Many who have it dont know it Those that do
dont care! Affects Every Congregation
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Indifference
Defined

• Apathy, unconcerned, and disinterest.
• 1. Characterized by a lack of partiality or
  bias. 2. Not mattering one way or the other of
  no great importance. 3. Having no marked
  feeling one way or the other...4. Having no
  particular interest or concern... 8. Not active
  or involved (AHD, p. 655).
• Lack of diligence, dedication and devotion.
• Attitude and actions that say, I dont care!

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Indifference
Gods People Have Always Been Plagued

• Lam. 11-12 Judah is doomed act as if
  nothing
• 1 Cor. 5 Fornication in midst done nothing
  not even upset
• Rev. 315-16 Church at Laodicea was lukewarm

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Indifference
Is Like a Cancer
Eats away at the life of a Christian a local
church
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Indifference
People of God Should Be Diligent, Devoted
Zealous

• Matt. 633 - Seek first the kingdom of God
• 1 Pet. 315 - Sanctify the Lord in your heart
• Rom. 1211 - Fervent in spirit serving the Lord
• Col. 323 - Put everything you have into the
  service of the Lord
• Ecc. 910 - Whatever do - do it will all your
  might
• Tit. 214 - Zealous of good works

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Indifference
I. Its Subtlety
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A. Develops Gradually Slowly
1. It doesnt happen overnight. a. Not diligent
/ enthused one day indifferent the next b.
This makes it hard to recognize 2. It strikes
first at the heart then manifest itself in
action
I. Its Subtlety
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Hebrews 21
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to
the things we have heard, lest we drift away
(NKJV)
Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed
to the things which we have heard, lest at any
time we should let them slip. (KJV)
Footnote KJV run out as leaking vessels
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Gradually Slowly
Heb. 21
Jan. 2007
July 2007
Jan 2008
July 2008
Jan 2009
July 2009
July 2010
Jan 2010
Jan 2011
July 2011
Jan 2012
July 2012
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Gradually Slowly
Heb. 21
July 2012
Jan 2013
July 2013
Jan 2014
July 2014
Jan 2015
July 2015
Jan 2016
July 2016
Within 10 years Complete Change!
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A. Develops Gradually Slowly
B. Harder To See What Not Doing
I. Its Subtlety
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B. Harder To See What Not Doing

• 1. Heb. 511-12
• 2. Overt acts are easily seen by self Others
  (Lie, curse, steal, drink)
• 3. Even sin in attitude involves doing. (hate,
  lust, bitter, envy, jealous, anger)
• 3. Harder to see what I fail to do!
• 4. Even harder to see
• That I dont care as much as I ought to
• That Im not involved as I ought to be
• That Im not as dedicated as I should be
• That I should have grown more by now

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A. Develops Gradually Slowly
B. Harder To See What Not Doing
C. We Focus on Signs / Fruit Rather Than the
Real Problem
I. Its Subtlety
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C. We Focus on Signs / Fruit Rather Than the
Real Problem
1. When we see the symptoms, we deal with
them a. If one doesnt attend as he should we
preach on attendance. (It may not help) b. If
one doesnt study and grow, we talk to them
about study growth (It may not help) 2. The
real problem is the heart (Prov. 423 Matt.
1519) a. Problem is they dont care! b. Cure
the indifference symptoms will be gone
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Indifference
I. Its Subtlety
II. Its Causes
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A. Lack of fear of God
1. Fear involves
II. Its Causes
Afraid of Displeasing God 1 Sam. 117 Psa.
119120 Isa. 662 Heb. 1031 1229
Respect Awe Luke 716 Jonah 19 Deut. 2858
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A. Lack of fear of God
1. Fear involves 2. Those who fear will
II. Its Causes
1. Do what God says (Duet. 62 134 1719) 2.
Be dedicated (Deut. 1012, 20 3112)
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A. Lack of fear of God
B. Focus on the present world
1. Get wrapped up in this life a. Spiritual
pushed aside b. Matt. 1322 cares of the
world c. 2 Tim. 410 loved present world 2.
Materially blessed a. Tendency to forget God
(Prov. 308-9 Deut. 610-12) b. Beware when
at ease (Amos 61-6) c. Riches make us
overconfident in material things (Psa. 306)
II. Its Causes
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A. Lack of fear of God
B. Focus on the present world
C. Ignorance
II. Its Causes
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C. Ignorance
1. Ignorance destroys Gods People (Hosea 46
Isa. 513) 2. Reasons why there is
ignorance a. Not been taught (cf. Matt. 2820)
we leave them to sink or swim b. Forgot
what knew (Heb. 511-12) c. Ignore what taught
(Rom. 103, 17)
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C. Ignorance
1. Ignorance destroys Gods People (Hosea 46
Isa. 513) 2. Reasons why there is ignorance 3.
What we dont know makes a difference a. If we
dont know commands cant obey (Eph 517) b.
If we dont know about judgment cant fear
(Heb. 1027) c. If dont know truth led into
error (2 Pet. 316-18)
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A. Lack of fear of God
B. Focus on the present world
C. Ignorance
II. Its Causes
D. Softness
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D. Softness
1. Soft Preaching a. Comforts those who are
indiff. (Isa. 3010) b. Does little to prick the
heart c. Positive preaching make people who
are in sin (and indifferent about it) feel
good! 2. Lack of teeth in message a. Not
enough to preach truth must correct, rebuke,
withdraw if no repentance b. Often want the
truth taught nothing more done about it
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Indifference
I. Its Subtlety
II. Its Causes
III. Its Signs
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A. A Loss of zeal
III. Its Signs
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A. A Loss of zeal
1. Dedicated people have a burning zeal (Rom.
1211 Luke 2432) 2. Possible to lose fire of
enthus. (Rev. 24-5) 3. Judah let her service
deteriorate into a weary routine (Isa. 299-14
Mal. 16217) 4. When a church has members
lost their zeal it has a problem with
indifference
When service to God is Ho-hum, no big deal Fire
has gone out!
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A. A Loss of zeal
B. Loss of spiritual interest
III. Its Signs

• Easily follows a loss of zeal
• Lack of desire for word (Psa. 119 1 Pet. 21-2)
• No interest in studying
• Dont want to know what text means
• Not bothered by sin in self or others (Prov.
  813)
• Not bothered by false doctrine (Psa. 119136)
• Not concerned about the lost (Mk. 1615-16)

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A. A Loss of zeal
B. Loss of spiritual interest
C. Missing services
III. Its Signs
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C. Missing services
1. May start as occasional absence a. Maybe
allow work to hinder. Bothers us at first,
then we adjust b. May miss once in a while for
other reasons c. Now becoming easier to miss d.
May begin missing BS, or Wed. then Sunday PM
and then AM
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C. Missing services
1. May start as occasional absence 2.Every
service we miss miss out on spiritual
growth a. If being present builds us up (Heb.
1025 Eph. 519), then if we miss we are
weaker! b. Thomas Missed out (John 2020-28) 3.
Do you forsake for reasons within your control?
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A. A Loss of zeal
B. Loss of spiritual interest
C. Missing services
III. Its Signs
D. Consumed with secular interest
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D. Consumed with secular interest
1. This life is merely a land we are passing
through (Heb. 1314) - Means this is
temporary - Secular things should rank below sp.
things 2. When our secular concerns overshadow
and crowd out the spiritual are indifferent -
When dont have time for worship - When dont
have time to study - When making money is more
important - When having fun is pushed ahead of
service
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A. A Loss of zeal
B. Loss of spiritual interest
C. Missing services
III. Its Signs
D. Consumed with secular interest
E. Not bothered by things used to
Heb. 37-13
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A. A Loss of zeal
B. Loss of spiritual interest
C. Missing services
III. Its Signs
D. Consumed with secular interest
E. Not bothered by things used to
F. Big contrast in what I used to be
Gal. 16-9 57
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Indifference
I. Its Subtlety
II. Its Causes
III. Its Signs
IV. Its Cure
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A. Preach Warn
IV. Its Cure
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A. Preach Warn
1. Col. 128 - Goal present every man perfect
(not indiff) - How? Him we preach, warning 2.
Preaching is Gods remedy - Gospel has power
(Rom. 116) - Dont need gimmicks, social
programs, entertainment, etc. - Just need to
preach warn
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A. Preach Warn
B. Repent

• Churches with indifference were told to repent
• Rev. 24-5
• Rev. 316, 19
• Repentance is a change of mind
• Prompted by godly sorrow (2 Cor. 710)
• Results in change of life (Rev. 25)
• If you recognize signs of indifference need to
  repent!

IV. Its Cure
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A. Preach Warn
B. Repent
C. Study
IV. Its Cure

• Faith is based upon word (Rom. 1017)
• More we study stronger become (2 Thess. 13)

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A. Preach Warn
B. Repent
C. Study
IV. Its Cure
D. Be doer of word

• Jas. 121-25
• Activate the faith you have (Jas 2)
• More we exercise our faith easier it is to
  continue in the practice

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Indifference
I. Its Subtlety
II. Its Causes
III. Its Signs
IV. Its Cure
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