Scritpture Reading-Ezekiel 33:1-9
A. Today we will be covering a topic that can be difficult to confront at times.
1. This topic I first learned of at a young age from my favorite movie.
2. A character in the opening scene is a Monsignor in the Catholic Church and is recounting a murder that happened in Boston, and he says that many people claimed in the reports of the event they heard and saw what was happening and he proceeds to lament how not a single one of them did anything to help the poor woman, stating the line, “We must all fear evil men, but there is another kind of evil that we must fear most… and that is the indifference of Good men!” The movie itself isn’t a good movie in terms of content but the writing is good and the dialogue is intriguing.
B. What is the “Indifference of Good Men”? In the context of the movie it means Good People who understand right and wrong, doing nothing in the face of evil acts, as injustice is actively being committed, just standing and watching and doing nothing about it.
1. As Christians we too can be indifferent, and in today's lesson I’ll explain why as well as how to avoid this spiritual apathy.
I. Silence V.S. Righteousness:/h2>
A. Proverbs 24:10-12 James 4:16-17
1. In proverbs we read that silence is not innocence it is guilt by omission, for us to see wrongdoing and not act to right it, it is indifference it is to be spiritually apathetic, “well that probably doesn’t concern me” but it does we are called to be as Christ is, to be full of mercy, righteousness, truth, we can’t be complacent in the face of adversity and also be bearers of these things.
2. In James we read to know good and not do good is sin, it is not enough to avoid evil, to avoid sinning but we are called to oppose it, recently brothers Patrick and Earl have covered “War” based sermons, how we are to battle the forces of evil in this world, it is righteous to confront the adversaries of God, to make right the wrongs of our wicked generations, or at least go to sleep knowing we fought the good fight.
a. Righteousness is not passive, it moves, it stands, it speaks, it is the reward of being active Christians as we’ve been commanded to do. Think about David challenging Goliath as he cursed and slandered God’s then chosen people, or Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego refusing to kneel to the image of man claiming to be a god. These men had righteous action in the face of evil
A.Revelation 3:15-16
1. Here John sends the message he was given to the Church in Laodicea in what is now modern day Turkey,
a. they were “lukewarm”,
b. they were blind to their own indifference as they were self sufficient and wealthy,
c. they got to a point where they were just going through the motions.
B. To be lukewarm is like to be room temperature, not hot neither cold, a center ground if you would, in the infantry we call this type of area, the “Kill Zone”
1. Because anything in the kill zone that is not with us is against us and will be cut down swiftly and and without hesitation.
2. So too are those who are lukewarm, when the final day comes there will only be two groups, the faithful and the wicked, maybe they weren’t wicked as a human would say but they didn’t obey the gospel, and thus they are wicked.
3. Let us not be lukewarm and let us not have our fellow man fall to the wrong side of God’s Grace.
A. Matthew 25:31-46 This parable as well as the parable of the Good Samaritan are very good examples of not just combating the evils of the world but opportunities to be mirrors of God’s light in the darkness.
1. An indifferent person would continue on their way, they would turn away the one knocking at their door.
2. A righteous person will feed them, clothe them, provide shelter, and share the good news with them. Every act of Mercy, every act of Love, they are reflections of God’s light that sin and evil cannot overcome.
3. Evil flourishes not because it is mighty, but because Good Men stand silent.
A. I leave you with this, Romans 12:21-“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
B. Invitation: If have need to repent of a public sin, or want to obey the gospel, or any other need of the church come forward as we stand and as we sing.