Apathetic Christianity (Pastor John Franklin)

Spiritual Apathy and the Danger of Empty Worship

Now I want you to pay attention it wasn't anything in Israel wasn't their military.

Good morning, we're not getting a chance to say good morning. Pastor Jeff and I kind of swapped roles today. So in light of that if you're from Mississippi or redneck and don't know anything my wife can't cook.

What else go balls? Is there anything else? I'm missing when? Hacking it ain't shacking it. Oh Yeah. Much more gooder. All right, we're gonna be much more gooder today. All right, so no, you know, you guys will notice you didn't get handouts today either.

That kind of actually goes along with the topic today. But I promise you I am gonna have those posted this week and there's a reason I didn't give you handouts. I'm gonna be all over Scripture today. We're not doing the normal expository we've been doing this one's gonna be more topical.

And I got this directly from the survey we did because one of the comments we got during the survey was about What do you do when you're apathetic? So today we're gonna be talking about spiritual apathy.

What does it look like. What do I do about it? How come I'm in I am apathetic for those of you who don't know What apathy means? The definition of apathy and by dictionary is a lack of interest enthusiasm or concern.

Medically.

Apathy is the lack of a goal-directed activity. So those times and I don't know if any of you guys have ever felt like this when you just don't feel. Much like being a Christian.

Right.

You're going through the motions, but. Man, you just don't feel it. You're here, but you'd rather be anywhere else. Right, I don't know if any of you guys bet I've felt like that. Even after becoming a pastor a licensed order.

I still have felt like that. Right. My worship is boring. Because I'm more focused on it entertaining me than actually truly worshiping. And all this all worship is done. All church going to church has done has become a task to do on my to-do list.

Just one more check box during the week. Guys God does not want. Just another task to do during your week. Isaiah 1 10 says hear the word of the Lord. You rulers of Sodom. Give ear to the teaching of our God.

You people of Gomorrah. What to me is your multitude of their sacrifices says the Lord? I've had enough of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts. I did not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or of goats.

When you come to appear before me who has required this of you. The trampling of my courts. Bring in bring no more vain offerings. Incense is an abomination to me. The new moon and Sabbath in the calling of convocations.

I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me. I am weary of burying them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you even though you make my many prayers.

I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood. Christian God does not want you here. If you don't truly want to worship him. Because it means nothing to go through the motions and I'm speaking this to myself, too.

And I'm speaking to Christians today because that's what this assembly is for. It's for them. It's great. If you're if you're not a believer here and you're here today, it's great that you're here today.

I'm welcome. I'm glad that you're in the house of God. But this assembly is for the believers. This assembly is for us to worship our God and. A lot of times it's hard. A lot of times we choose to do other things and to participate in worship.

We let other outside distractions. Get in the way of why we're truly here and it becomes an outward disobedience to be here rather than to been an obedience. Rather than obeying God we're serving self.

You see God has dictated the works. He wants us to do the good works. It tells us that in Galatians, right? He has prepared good works ahead of time that we should walk in them. But we choose not to do it.

Proverbs 18 9 says whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys. God has prepared good works for you to do but scripture says if you're slack and doing those works you're a brother to him who destroys.

If you're not serving God.

Who are you serving?

So we choose not to participate. James 4 17 said so whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it for him. It is sin Christian, you know what you're supposed to do and I'm not saying that it's easy every day.

Yeah, most of the time for me It's harder to serve God than to serve myself, I don't know if any of you guys have ever felt like that. But sometimes it's hard for me to deny myself and actually serve God and guys.

This is a very dangerous place. We find ourselves in when we become apathetic spiritually. Because at the best-case scenario you're stagnating your spiritual growth that sanctification process that process of being made more Christlike you're you're stagnating that you're sluggish in that and You're at a plateau.

That's at the worst case or the best case. The worst case is as it said to church as it said in Revelation chapter Three to the church of Laodicea. I know your works you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either hot or cold.

So because you're lukewarm and neither hot nor cold I will spit you out of my mouth. Whereas King James say I will vomit you out of my mouth. So when you let allow yourself to remain apathetic at the best case.

Your sanctification is being stagnated. At the worst case you're at risk of being vomited out of his mouth because you just don't care and guy I'm here telling I've been there. I've been there recently.

Right. I actually was speaking to somebody this morning when they asked me what my topic where I told him what it was. I thought I was the only one who felt like that. Guys every single Christian has gone through this at some point in their life.

You're not alone.

Forgetting Who You Serve and Living as a Slave to Sin

So why are you like this?

And what can you do about it I got.

Three things. I want to talk about why you're like this and what to do about it. The first reason why you may be spiritually apathetic is you've forgotten who it is that you serve. You've become comfortable with God.

Oh Jesus and my friend. No, Jesus is your Lord. Yeah, he says that we can call him friend, but we need to remember he's still our Lord. And he will never be your Savior if he is not your Lord first. Right.

I'm already saved. What do I have to worry about right? I can go live my life how I want. The hard parts already done a lot of times we tell ourselves that what well Paul mentioned about that, didn't he?

He said that very thing or he addressed that very thing in Romans chapter 6 verse 15. It says what then are we to sin because we are not under the law but under a grace. By no means do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves.

You're a slave to the one whom you obey. Either of sin which leads to death or of obedience which leads to righteousness. Guys you are serving somebody every day other than yourself whether you think it's yourself or not.

You're either serving your sinful desires, which is in essence serving the principalities of the air or Satan or you are serving God. There's only two sides in this war and you don't get to sit on the fence.

That's why I said to pick up your cross daily and follow him. Now the good news is you get to pick up your cross daily. So if you've messed up today, you can still do it tomorrow. I'm already saved. I don't have to worry about it guys.

Remember he is your Lord first and foremost. Don't forget who it is that you serve. All things were made through him and without him. Not anything was made that was made all things. He is the creator out of nothing.

He spoke and it was. He's not your friend. He's a creator of the universe. Go back and look at what Joe what he's hold Joe when Job asked him Job 38 for where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Tell me if you have understanding. Who determined the measurement. Surely, you know? Or who stretched the line upon it on what were the basis sunk or the lay of the cornerstone? When the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy.

Or you shut in the sea with the doors it Burst out from the womb when I made the clouds its garments the thick darkness swaddling the band. I presented limits for it and set bars for indoors and stay and it stayed and Said thus far shall you come and no farther.

He'll show you proud waves be stayed. Have you commanded the morning since the days began? And caused the dawn to know its place. That it might take hold of the skirts of the earth and the wicked be shaken out of it.

In other words, where were you Christian when I did all this? Who do you think you are you can't serve me and I'm not to be worshipped and adored God because without him we are nothing. Everybody can quote that John 3 16 for God so loved what is great.

But remember what 3 18 says that without Jesus we already stood condemned before a mighty God. Because of our sin before him. So the first reason you may be apathetic today is because you've forgotten who it is that you serve and what he's done for you.

While you were yet sinners. Christ died for us, right? While you were spitting in my face. I took the cross for you. That's what he's done for you. God, I know the sins that I have in my past and They don't deserve his mercy.

Let alone his grace. But he loved us. Anyway that he did it. So if you think you're in this vote, what do you do about it? Well, first thing you need to do is check whether you're saved or not.

Right.

Because there may be a chance that you're just in church and not part of the church. You might just be sitting here because this is where your grandma always brought you and you just do it every Sunday.

And it's routine. Which is another reason why you're apathetic because it's just a routine remember. So you might want to check first to make sure you're saying make sure you are a child of God. Make sure you have surrendered to him.

I'm gonna thank pastor Josiah for this for his message at Briarcrest recently. A lot of these. Come straight from him. I'm gonna be a little bit more brief than he was on this. Oh. Last thing and I'm done, right?

So, how do you check to see if you're saved first. John 5 13 says I write these things to you Who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know you have eternal life? So Christian it is possible for you to have assurance that you are saved.

So how do you do that? Well first if you've given up your past life. 2nd Corinthians 5 6 17. Therefore if any wasn't in Christ He is a new creation the old his paths away behold. The new has come. Does your daily routine.

Does your daily walk look different now that you have accepted Christ as your Lord. Is It different now than it was before. Are you truly that new creation? Or are you still lying with the same people?

Are you still serving the same self? Do you still find joy in the same sins? Are you truly following God. Has your heart changed? Have your desires changed? Have your priorities. Changed. Am I a new creature?

That's your first test. The second one if I say yes I have seen the change in me and I know that I'm. Am I being obedient? First John 2 3 through 6. And by this we know we have come to know him. Again, you can be you can be sure if we keep his commandments.

Whoever says I know him but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. I didn't call you a liar scripture did.

Right.

If you say that you love God and you disobey him Intentionally scripture says you're a liar. That doesn't mean if I've messed up and I've fallen and I've said that I can't get right. Where's your track record.

Do I strive to be obedient to my father Or do I strive to serve myself? It's not a minute by minute. It's a look at your day. Where's your focus? Do I want to obey God and I've just messed up or do I want to obey self and forget what God said?

So you say yes, there's. I've been a new creation. Yes. I'm trying to be obedient. What are your fruits of that? What's the evidence of that? Galatians 5 19 now the works of the flesh are evident. Means they're obvious.

It means it doesn't take much to realize if you're serving the flesh or you're serving God. Right, what is a sexual immorality impurity sensuality idolatry sorcery amnesty strife jealousy fits of anger rivalries dissensions divisions.

Envy.

Drunkenness orgies and things like these. I Warn you as I warned you before that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. So you can say yes, I've surrendered to God. Yes. I'm a new creation.

Yes I'm trying to obey but I'm still living in my sexual immorality. I'm still living and being angry at everything. I'm still Living my old life or I've just changed some sins for another one, right?

Oh.

Well, I stopped smoking weed, but I started drinking. Right, but the fruits of the Spirit.

Our love joy.

Peace patience kindness goodness.

Faithfulness gentleness.

Self-controlled. Against such things there is no law. Yeah, what fruit are you bearing. That passage of Jeremiah said an orange tree is not gonna bear apples. Right a sinful self-serving person is not gonna bear the fruit of the Spirit.

They might fake it for a little bit. But the true fruits gonna come out in the end. So if you have forgotten whom it is you serve first make sure you're serving him and not serving yourself. Your focus has gone off of God and on to self.

James 3 16 says for well jealous jealousy and selfish ambition exists. There will be disorder in every vile practice. You want to know why you're discontent with worship and with your love of God and your Christian?

Where jealousy and selfish ambition? Am I am I trying to serve me? Am I trying to make me better? Ephesians 5 15 says look carefully then how you walk. Not the unwise but the wise. Making the best use of your time because the days are evil guys.

This world is going to get harder and harder and harder for us to follow God the world I grew up in is totally different than one pastor Josiah grew up in and His son that he's holding his arms right now is going to live in a whole different world.

Each one of them progressively more depraved than the last and scripture says that's going to happen. So who am I gonna follow?

The world or God.

Who am I gonna serve myself or God? Because I promise if I serve myself, I'm gonna fail every time. I'm gonna feel discontent because I'm going to make mistakes. But if I'm truly following God and obedient to him He doesn't change.

His standard remains the same. Right. My focus has come off myself and on to or on to myself and off of God. Proverbs 18 1 whoever isolates himself seeks his own desires. He breaks out against all sound judgment.

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion. When wickedness comes contempt also comes and with dishonor comes disgrace. My focus has come off self. Oh, it's so nice out.

I want to go sit out at the lake right. I can worship God at the lake just like I can here, right? Well, you can but you don't. You go out and look if you're like me go out in the lake you throw that rod and a line in the water.

You're waiting for that fish to bite and I'm not worried about worshiping God. I'm worried about the fish coming, right? Because my own selfish desire isn't to come in and worship. God is to go out and serve myself.

Oh, it's raining. I don't want to get out in the rain. I might get wet. So I'm not gonna come to church when it's sunshiny and pretty out. I'm not gonna come to church when it's wet and rainy out. Oh, it's too cold and snow and I can't come then.

And I continue to make excuse after excuse after excuse not to be in the house of God and then I wonder why I don't feel joy in my salvation because I've Forsaken the assembly just like Hebrews tells us not to write.

Guys there's a recharge that I get from being here. Yeah, I am very much an introverted person. I would I love sitting in my office with the door closed. Being with God's people more. It doesn't make sense to me because my whole life my recharge has been from isolating myself and Withdrawing into myself.

But when I'm focused on God, my recharge comes from God's people in his word. That I would rather be in or I love especially you guys aren't. I've had the pleasure of being here during the week some days.

Now and I've actually spent and I really truly love not the char but when the little kids are up here and they'll come into my office and That's the decoration. You haven't been to my office yet. But the decorations my off out of the drawings from the little kid from May.

May from Ava. From Jazzy. And I look up and I get joy every time I see them because I know That they're being raised in the admonition of the Lord and I am part And partial of helping to raise them in the admonition of the Lord they are my family.

I said something to Evan Wiser last week when I was holding little baby Colleen. About how much joy that gives me when she'll reach for me from her own dad's arms. And it's the instant love you feel being among people of God.

I don't get that from the world. I've been to foreign countries where I cannot speak to the people. But if I know they truly are following God and love God. There's an instant connection there and I need to serve them rather than self.

I find more joy in seeking after their needs and my needs. So what do I do if my focus has come off of my off of God and on to me? I go to work. I quit focusing on me and Start focusing on somebody else.

I seek after God. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied. You feel empty inside when you're work. Seek after hunger and thirst for it. Get into his word, even if you don't think you're going to get anything from it do it anyway.

Pray to him even if you think your prayers are only getting as far as to do it anyway. Because he does hear you. He may not listen to you, but he does hear you. Right seek after him. Colossians 3 1 if then you have been raised with Christ seek the things that are above.

Where Christ is seated at the right hand of God set your minds on things that are above not on things of this earth. God you want to get rid of that apathy. You want to get it rid of that just feeling worthless feeling tired of you.

Seek the things are of God and you're gonna be amazed how much your problems don't matter anymore. Focus on serving someone other than yourself. Spend time with his people. Show up to the events. Rather than going spending time with the worldly friends that you shouldn't be hanging with anyway find some people in here.

Hey, I'm struggling. Can we go do something together? Fellowship with believers. Now show each other one another in doing honor, okay. Christian you know somebody who is strong. Ask him over just being among you people.

Can lift my spirits and being away from you too long can cause Depression of it as each has received a gift use it to serve one another first. Peter 4 10 says everybody in here. Has received a gift from God used to serve somebody else.

Use it to put the focus off of you and on to them and watch How your attitude changes in worship, so you're feeling apathetic. Go to work and when it gets hard. And when you get tired do it anyway. Galatians 6 9 and let us not grow weary of doing good.

For in due season we will reap if we do not give up. So then when we have opportunity let us do good to everyone and especially to those of the household of faith. Christian when you get tired of serving.

Keep serving when you don't feel like serving. Do it anyway, and you're gonna be amazed.

At the change in you you're gonna be amazed.

How your problems, and this is the last thing I told you. I had three things you said. That you were saved. Even though you had Gotten comfortable with your salvation. You've gone to work thing that third reason you may be apathetic.

There's an unrepentant sin in your life. Because ultimately if you think about the first two are the same thing. That's really what all this ball boils down to. You want to know why your worship isn't as joyful as it used to be.

Because. Some sin is separating you from God. Unconfessed sin leads us to feeling guilty. Now guilt isn't from God guilts from us. But when I know that I'm doing something. I'm not supposed to do I feel guilty about it, and that guilt leads to shame.

And.

That shame is gonna lead to unworthiness. Well who am I to even talk to God anymore. David said in Psalms 32 for when I kept silent my bones wasted away. Through my groaning all day long for day and night your hands were vent was heavy upon me.

My strength was dried up by the heat of the summer. When I kept silent confess your faults one to another so you may be healed. Guys you're feeling apathetic. Confess it. But don't just confess confess it to God.

You have an unrepentant sin in your life because apathy itself is a sin. Right, you know what to do, and I just don't feel like worshiping God. Well, that's a very selfish Position to be standing in. I Don't care whether you feel like it or not.

You don't do it the rocks will I? Don't he doesn't need us to serve him and one day. We will whether we admit it or not. This side of heaven not one day we will acknowledge him as Lord. Let's hope it's on this side of heaven.

Otherwise you're not gonna see it. Unrepentant sin breeds other sin. Galatians 6 7 8 do not be deceived. God is not mocked for what one sows that will he also reap. If I'm sowing sin guess what's gonna come into my life.

More sin. I'm actually getting ready to plant some stuff at the house. I'm gonna try to do a garden this year, but I can't plant tomatoes. And expect to get potatoes right if you're sitting there living in your sin.

And I promise you if you're doing it every day. You're not struggling with it Christian. You're wallowing in it. If you're sitting there every day living in your sin, then all you're gonna get in return is more sin.

If you're sitting there living in your misery all you're gonna get in return is more misery. So repent. You're like, but brother John. I don't even know what it is. I'm doing wrong repent anyway. I Promise you even if you can't name the sin God knows what it is.

He's all-knowing, right? If nothing else your apathy itself as I just said is a sin. Repent of that our laziness. That really leads to my apathy sometimes I'm tired. I don't want to read this week, so I don't.

I wonder why God's not talking to me. I didn't get in his word. That's why he's not talking to me. That's how he has that conversation with us. I pray to him. He speaks to me through his word. If I neglect either one of those it's just one of us talking.

It's not a conversation. Because I'm sorry I'm not one of those super Christians that actually hears the voice of God. When I pray and I can see it when I read his word. So ultimately your apathy Christian is due to an unrepentant sin and we need to repent of that sin.

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. James 4 says Cleanse your hands you sinner and Purify your hearts. You double-minded people draw near to God. You don't feel close to God draw near to him.

You say well, I can't identify myself. John first. John says if we say we don't have sin we're deceiving ourselves and we're and it's we're a liar, right?

Let me read it.

First John 1 8 if we say we have no sin we deceives ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us. So Chris each and every one of us in this room today have something we need to repent for each and every one of us should quit feeling.

Worrying about what people are thinking about us and come down this aisle and get on our knees and thank God that he has saved us and cry out in repentance. For our apathy for our selfishness for our laziness each and every one of us Need to be on our knees before an Almighty God and remembering who we served.

Repentance, Confession, and Returning to First Love

When God wrote to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2 2 through 5 he said I know your works your toil your patience Endurance and how you cannot bear those who are Are evil, but have tested those who call themselves Apostles and are not and found them to be false.

I Know you have endured patiently and bearing up for my name's sake that you have gone out grown weary. But I have this against you. You have abandoned the love you have at first. Remember therefore where you have fallen.

Repent and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come and remove the lampstand from this place. Unless you repent. Guys I've been at a church that was dying. Luckily right now Whitten's not one.

But if we continue to allow apathy to rule and laziness to rule God says he'll take away our lampstand. I want each of you to search where you are right now. Are you serving yourself today? Are you here for the just because today are you here just so someone can see you today?

Or to see someone. If you're here for any reason other than to worship the mighty God you need to come repent if you've been lax In your devotion to him. You need to come repent and if you just want to draw near to him.

Come and ask him today. You come as God leads.