• B. What ignorance can do
  • 1. Cause us to miss salvation
  • 2. Cause us to miss obeying God's will
  • 3. Cause us to practice religion instead of biblical faith
  • 4. Cause us to build monuments to ourselves instead of God
  • 5. Cause us to miss God's purpose for us in the world
II. THE ENEMY OF UNBELIEF
  • A. Unbelief is a problem for both the saved and the unsaved
  • 1. John 8:24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins. (NKJ)
  • a. this is the simple fact -- people will die in their sins unless they believe in Jesus Christ
  • b. it is a matter of life and death
  • 2. 2 Cor 4:3-4 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (NKJ)
  • a. It is a terrible thing to be blind -- more terrible to be spiritually blind
  • b. Satan can blind people to the glory of the gospel
  • 3. Heb 3:12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; (NKJ)
  • a. Normally we only think of the unsaved as being unbelievers
  • b. The Hebrew writer addressed himself to his brethren
  • B. Unbelief can keep the church from moving forward
  • 1. How might unbelief affect us?
  • a. we might know, but not believe, God's word
  • b. we might not believe that God cares how we live
  • c. we might not believe that God has a plan to save the world
  • d. we might not believe it matters how we worship
  • e. we might not believe it matters how committed we are
  • 2. We should be like the man who cried out to Jesus
  • a. Mark 9:24 Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! (NKJ)
  • b. Charles Spurgeon "Be great believers. Little faith will bring your souls to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your souls."
III. THE ENEMY OF APATHY
  • A. A man asked his wife, "Do you think the world's problems are caused by ignorance or apathy?" She replied, "I don't know and I don't care."
  • B. Apathy is very similar to the attitude expressed by the church in Laodicea, for which Jesus soundly condemned them
  • 1. Rev 3:15-16 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. (NKJ)
  • 2. Someone may say, "No this church was lukewarm."