The Curse & Origins of Apathy

Is there an underlying reason we allow the garbage that is going on in church?

TRUTHNEWSTRUTH IN THE CHURCH

Matt Davenport

4/17/20243 min read

What is apathy? The topic came up last Sunday with our founding pastor. Apathy, according to the dictionary, is an absence or suppression of passion, emotion, excitement, or a lack of interest in or concern for things that others find moving or exciting. In short, not really caring what happens with a particular subject.

This was discussed concerning the absolute need for revival in the Church of God, it’s people, and, for that matter, all those who consider themselves human. And it’s really a much bigger problem than we think it is. But the thought we discussed got my mind to asking the question, “What causes apathy?”

It’s not a simple thing to just realize and understand. We aren’t gonna just say, “Well, I see how that happens…” And then just fix it. Apathy on the level we deal with now is borderline spiritual suicide. If we fail to care long enough, destruction is the end result. And that is not an option for the Church. Or at least it shouldn’t be.

Something that has been growing on a vast level that hurts the heart of God are the heresies and the demonic spirits that are creeping into the Church. I know, that is not what I usually write about, but it is becoming very evident and frightfully obvious.

I don’t usually call anyone out in my writing or recordings. And I really hate to do so now, but I watched a video today about a well-known pastor that was invited to speak at another well-known church. A men’s gathering at a mega-church with thousands in attendance. A performance took place that had all the earmarks of a striptease (including ripping off his shirt) by a man that proceeded to climb a pole, displaying his strength. The pole was a lot like a strippers pole.

When the invited pastor came up front, he called it out and was told (in front of the entire place) to leave by the senior pastor of the church. Which not everyone was okay with as many felt the same way.

The pastor that spoke up was Mark Driscoll. I know very little about him and have no comment on him. Or the church, James River in Ozark, Missouri.

Okay, that’s a real hotbed of garbage going on there and it really speaks of the mess we are in. Why? Well because most would say, “Whoopty doo!” No big deal. That is the example of apathy that I feel the church is swimming in right now. And has been for some time.

But you would never be okay with that behavior in church, right? Of course not. Would you be okay with just a service and a word from someone? Let’s take it a step further. Would you be okay with somebody not being in connection with Jesus daily? Do you think that it’s okay to have worldly things regularly active in your life and home. Like movies and programs that display nudity and foul language?

Think about this Christian! It’s going on all the time. When we become habitual in the allowing of impure actions in our lives, we are in a place of apathy. Then the idea of revival and a move of God and the change of those lost around us becomes a joke.

You want to know where it comes from? It stems from the way we treat God. Literally. And it’s really not hard to see the connection. When we choose to put God on the back burner even 2 or 3 days a week, we are endangering our hearts towards the things we are called to do as His followers. But, come on! Two or three days? No one does that. It’s probably more like 4-6 days!

We cry out to God for His miraculous hand in the lives of ourselves and others and, in reality, we hardly know Him. In this case, apathy comes from a lack of excitement concerning the things of the Kingdom. A lack of excitement comes from not doing the things He wants us to do in order to remain connected and thrilled about Him and what He can do.

Then it all spirals out of control from there…

How do you fix it?