Apathy

One Sunday, a minister began his sermon in this way: "I'd like to make three points today. First,
there are millions of people around the world who are going to hell. Seond, most of us sitting
here today do not gi!e a damn about it." After a lengthy pause he ontinued: ""y third point is
that you are more onerned that I, your pastor, said the word damn than you are about the
millions of people going to hell."
#opi: Apathy
I looked up a farm one day,
that one I used to own$
the barn had fallen to the ground,
the fields were o!ergrown.
#he house in whih my hildren grew,
where we had li!ed for years . . .
I turned to see it broken down,
and brushed aside the tears.
I looked upon my soul one day to find it too had grown,
with thorns and nettles e!erywhere, the seeds neglet had sown.
#he years had passed while I had ared for things of lesser worth.
#he things of hea!en I let go while minding things of earth.
#o %hrist I turned with bitter tears and ried, "O &ord, forgi!e'"
I ha!e not muh time left for #hee, not many years to li!e.
#he wasted years fore!er gone, #he days I an't reall.
If I ould li!e those days again, I'd make (im &ord of all.
#opi: Apathy
It has been more than )* years sine +itty ,eno!ese was stabbed to death in a suburb of -ew
.ork %ity, but her tragi death ontinues to be a symbol of publi apathy.
In the early morning hours of "arh /0, /123 she returned home from work. A man attaked
her with a knife. She sreamed, "Oh, my ,od, he stabbed me' 4lease help me' 4lease help me'"
&ights in apartments went on. #he killer left momentarily. -o one ame to her aid. 5hen the
lights were out again, the killer returned and stabbed her again. She sreamed for help. &ights
ame on again. #he killer fled but returned a third time to inflit the fatal wounds as ,eno!ese lay
slumped at the door of an apartment where she had rawled for safety.
6uring the 07 minute ordeal, 08 people wathed or heard all or part of the attak. -o one ame
to her resue. Soial sientists launhed studies to e9plain the +itty ,eno!ese "phenomenon."
#hey attributed it to feelings of anonymity, being out of touh with other people and a publi
refusal to take responsibility.
Some witnesses later said, "5e were afraid," "I was tired," "5e didn't want to get in!ol!ed."
"In most ases," said :ihard ;!iller, professor at the %olumbia ;ni!ersity Shool of &aw,
"doing nothing still is not a rime."
#he <ible says, "#o him that knowth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" =>as. 3:/?@.
#opi: Apathy
I url up on a omfortable ouh ;naware of those who rouh In the dark, alone in the park,
5ith nowhere to go . . .
Inside my bed I o!er my head And shut out ries of the dying and dead #he wail of the midnight
speials: ,rass for sale, <odies for sale, Souls for sale, ,oing, going, gone. . . .
>onah sleeps upon the deep, 6o not wake the baby .
Thesis: Apathy blinds our eyes, closes the door of our heart, and paralyzes the body of Christ. We are called to
have the transforming love and compassion of Jesus Christ.
Introduction
I'm going to give you a quic quiz. !on't "orry, it's easy# I'll give you a "ord and you give me the opposite.
$%A!&'
(he opposite of )ast is... *lo".
(he opposite of +ong is... *hort.
(he opposite of Cold is... ,ot.
(he opposite of &oung is... -ld.
(he opposite of *oft is... ,ard.
(he opposite of *our is... *"eet.
(he opposite of ,igh is... +o".
(he opposite of $ich is... .oor.
(he opposite of +ove is... ,ate'''
Are "e sure about that' )rom my o"n e/periences, I'm coming to realize that the greatest insult against
someone is not to hate them, it's to be apathetic.
,ere's a definition of apathy0
It's a lac of emotion or concern, especially "hen it relates to matters of general concern.
An Irish author, 1eorge 2ernard *ha" said, 3(he "orst sin to"ard our fello" creatures is not to hate them, but to
be indifferent to them0 that's the essence of inhumanity.3 1eorge 2ernard *ha"
If you please, turn your 2ibles to 4atthe" 5067869. In this passage, Jesus addresses the issue of apathy.
Matthew 9:35-38
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the
kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,
because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 hen he said to his disciples, !he
harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 3" #sk the $ord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his
harvest field.!
1) SAW THE C!W"S #E$ES)
A: Jesus 3sa" the cro"ds3
2: It all starts "ith opening our eyes.
C: When Jesus sa" a need; he didn't turn a blind eye.
!: ,o" can "e mae any difference in our "orld if "e're not a"are of "hat's going on'
%: Apathy blinds our eyes,
Apathy urges us to avoid those "ho need us.
Apathy maes us loose sight of the <ingdom.
,o" are "e doing "ith looing at the cro"ds'
Who have "e seen that is harassed, helpless, sic, or "ithout a shepherd'
Who have "e tried to 3not see3 or 3avoid3'
%) &E'T C!M(ASSI!) #HEAT)
A: Jesus 3had compassion on them3.
2: (he 1ree origin of the "ord 3compassion3 is splangh8nid'8zom8ahee =*plagchnizomai:
(he root 1ree "ord is *plagchnon means bo"els or intestines.
C: ,ave you ever seen something so intense that it affected your stomach' 2utterflies, queasiness
!: 1erman (heologian, <arl 2arth gives us a revealing loo at to "hat this 1ree "ord means0 3(he term
obviously defies adequate translation. What it means is that the suffering and sin and abandonment and peril of
these men not merely "ent to the heart of Jesus, but right into ,is heart, into ,imself, so that their "hole plight
"as no" ,is o"n, and as such ,e sa" and suffered it far more eenly than they did. *plagchnizomai means that
,e too their misery upon ,imself, taing it a"ay from them and maing it ,is o"n.3
%: Jesus didn't insulate himself from their pain and suffering.
): ,e lo"ered his guard and made himself emotionally vulnerable.
1: *ome of the most amazing signs and "onders happened immediately after Jesus e/pressed emotion. >:
"eeping; ?: anger; 6: rebue; @: moved "ith compassion; 7: being deeply distressed; A: deeply sighing.
,: Apathy closes the door of our heart. Apathy reBects the poor and the oppressed. Apathy suppresses the
transforming love of Jesus Christ.
,o" are "e doing "ith feeling compassion'
What are some of the barriers to feeling compassion'
>: 3(he almighty I3 8 Are "e too "rapped up "ith ourselves to care about others' -h, I have so many problems
right no". I'm so busy. I have no time.
?: .ermission 8 !o "e give ourselves permission to be emotionally vulnerable to bear another person's burden'
6: $ationalize 8 ,o" do "e rationalize the situation and mae ourselves feel better about not helping'
,omeless0
a: If I give him money, he'll Bust spend it on drugs. I don't "ant to enable him.
b: 1iving him a buc "on't have any impact on getting himself out of this mess.
c: I "ould give him a big financial gift to get him bac on his feet, if it "ere ta/8deductible
d: Why doesn't he Bust get a Bob at 4c!onald's'
.eople "ho are stuc on the side of the road0
a: I'm in such a hurry right no"; I don't have time to pull over to help.
b: I'm alone right no"; I don't "ant to put myself in danger.
c: ,uh, I thought everyone had a cell phone. -h "ell.
d: -h shoot, I didn't see him in time to pull over. 4aybe another person "ill help him.
@: !isassociation 8 It's not my problem. (here are good church ministries, non8profit organizations, and
government8funded services to help those people. (he 3us and them3 mentality.
I'd lie you to ponder this quote from !orothy !ay. *he "as a social activist and co8founder of a charity called the
3Catholic Worer 4ovement3. (he Catholic Worer 4ovement "as a ministry that offered hospitality for the
impoverished and do"ntrodden. !orothy !ay once said, 3I really only love 1od as much as I love the person I
love the least.3 4y question for us is, "ho are "e 3loving the least3' Who are "e pushing out of our heart'
3) T!!* ACTI!) #M!+TH, HA)", &EET)
A: Jesus too action.
2: ,e 3"ent through all the to"ns and villages3, 3taught in their synagogues3, 3preached the good ne"s of the
ingdom3, 3healed every disease and sicness3
C: (heir pain became his pain, so he restored them physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
!: (hroughout the 2ible "e read of Jesus raising the dead, casting out demons, bringing sight to the blind, giving
speech to the mute, restoring hearing to the deaf, curing the leper, and healing the paralyzed.
%: Jesus "asn't a bench"armer#
): +isten guys
Apathy paralyzes the body of Christ.
Apathy robs us of our salt.
Apathy covers our light.
Apathy neutralizes our effectiveness in the <ingdom.
,o" are "e responding to the people that "e see and the emotions that "e feel' Are "e doing the stuff or are
"e Bust sitting on the bench'
1od hasn't called us to be bench"armers. +et's re8read 4atthe" 506C869. 6C (hen he said to his disciples, 3(he
harvest is plentiful but the "orers are fe". 69 As the +ord of the harvest, therefore, to send out "orers into his
harvest field.3
C!)C'+SI!)-MI)IST$ TIME: THE HA.EST IS ('E)TI&+' /+T THE W!*ES AE &EW
I'd lie to leave this time open to respond and pray for each other. (he harvest is plentiful, but the "orers are
fe". .erhaps 1od has been speaing to you about ho" you interact "ith a specific individual or certain people
groups. .erhaps 1od is taling to you about getting involved "ith a particular ministry, or leading a ne" ministry,
or leading a home group, or even going into full8time ministry. I "ant us to pray for you to be sent out into the
harvest field.