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Spiritual Apathy
Introduction:
The word apathy means "A lack of emotion
or interest". In this lesson we will use the book of Haggai to show us
an example of God’s people having a lack of emotion and interest in spiritual
things. We will then take that lesson and apply it to us today.
Text: The book of Haggai
I. The problem presented in the
book of Haggai
A. God’s people were apathetic towards
building the temple of the Lord (Haggai
1:2; 4; 9).
1. There was economic failure
(Haggai 1:6).
a. There was economic failure
because they failed to build the house of God (Haggai
1:9-11).
2. The reason they did not build
God’s house was: Ezra 4:4-5.
a. They stopped building during
the second year of Darius’s reign (Ezra 4:23-24).
b. The second year of Darius’s
reign is when Haggai prophesied (Haggai 1:1).
B. God’s people were guilty of obeying
man over God (Act 5:29).
1. We must obey God over man.
Peter & John employed this attitude while in front of the Sanhedrin.
(Acts 4:18-20) "And
they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the
name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether
it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God,
judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."
2. We cannot fear physical harm.
(Matthew 10:28) "And
fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but
rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."
a. Hebrews
13:6 "So that we may boldly say, The
Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."
II. How was the problem handled
and taken care of?
A. About sixteen years after
the stopped building Haggai get’s through to the people (Haggai
1:12).
1. The goal of preaching to
people is to make them care and change.
a. Matthew
3:1-2 "In those days came John the
Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye:
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
b. I
Corinthians 1:21 "For after that in
the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."
B. God promises to be with them
(Haggai 1:13).
1. God is always with the obedient:
a. Haggai
2:4-5
b. Deuteronomy
11:27-28
c. Deuteronomy
30:15-20
d. Exodus
19:5 "Now therefore, if ye will obey
my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure
unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine."
e. I
Peter 3:12 "For
the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto
their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil."
f. I
John 3:22 "And
whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments,
and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."
C. About 4 years into the building
the people of God finished the house of God (Ezra
6:14-22).
III. Applications from this
lesson for us today
A. We have a temple today:
1. Hebrews
3:6 "But Christ as a son over his own
house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing
of the hope firm unto the end."
2. We are the temple of God through
the Indwelling Spirit by faith (Ephesians 3:17
and Colossians 3:16). I
Corinthians 6:19-20 "What? know ye
not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which
ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
B. We cannot be lazy and apathetic
towards building that temple:
1. Our temple can grow by consuming
the word of God. (I Peter 2:2) "As
newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."
a. God wants us building that
temple by studying His word(John 5:39,
Acts
17:10-11, and II Timothy 2:15).
b. By being obedient we will
be blessed eternally (Matthew 7:21).
C. Many today would have us to quit
the building of our temples.
1. We can say to them: "…
We ought to obey God rather than men." – Acts
5:29.
D. God needs doers!
1. Not Christians that would
bury their talents (Matthew 25:14-30).
2. Not Christians who say "all
is well with my soul" (Luke 12:16-21).
Conclusion:
Do you have the problem of apathy
towards God? Solve it today! Come and do!
 2002
by Brian Yeager may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes at no cost
to others.
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