Leading The Way

Guest (Male): Dr. Michael Youssef reflecting on the increased and increasing apathy in our day.

Dr. Michael Youssef: In this generation, like every other generation, there are those who are always superficial. There are those who are always indifferent, those who are always focused on things that are important to them instead of the things that are important to God. And in the face of it, they become indifferent.

Become indifferent. In the face of God's urging and the urgency of the time, their words are, "So what? So what?"

Guest (Male): Welcome to Leading the Way audio, featuring author and internationally respected Bible teacher Dr. Michael Youssef. Through serving many years as a local pastor, Dr. Youssef clearly understands that some people are deeply committed to seek and to follow God's word. And he's deeply grieved that others only lightly engage with faith, leading to apathy and indifference.

Today on Leading the Way, Dr. Youssef continues his practical and relevant series called "I Belong." Timely words for passionate members of the local church and the indifferent ones too. So listen with me as he begins today's teaching time.

Dr. Michael Youssef: I think most parents would be familiar with this following scenario. A toddler just woke up from a nap, and then we say he or she is just out of sorts. So you say to the toddler, "Do you want milk?" He says, or she says, "No." "Do you want to eat?" "No." "Do you want to play?" "No." "Do you want to go back to bed?" "No." "Do you want Uncle Bob to adopt you?" "No." The answer is always no. And we say, "He's just out of sorts."

The problem is there are adults who are out of sorts all the time. They really are. Thankfully, in the case of the toddler, he or she will grow up and grow out of it. But the problem with the adults who are out of sorts are continuously out of sorts. Except, of course, they are too mature and too sophisticated to say no. They won't do that. Because in their maturity and in their sophistication, they express their discontentment by being indifferent.

In their maturity and in their sophistication, adults express their self-absorption by being impervious. In their maturity and sophistication, adults who are unfulfilled will express themselves in saying, "Who cares? So what?" Somebody said this is a "so what" generation. "What difference does it make?"

In fact, they remind me of a preacher who one time was preaching his heart out about the problems with society. He was really getting carried away, and he said, "The problems of our society, the root for all the problems of our society are basically two in nature. It's ignorance and indifference." And then he leaned over the pulpit, looked at the man in the front pew, and he said, "Is that not so?" What he did not anticipate was the man to respond. The man said, "I don't know and I don't care."

Now you know what I'm talking about. The main reason for indifference, especially in regard to matters of eternal importance where the eternal future is hanging in the balance, is that they are so into themselves that they cannot see anybody or anything beyond themselves. This problem of being into oneself had reached a ludicrous level in our culture today.

So much so that the Wall Street Journal printed an article explaining that there are thousands of Americans spending millions upon millions upon millions of dollars set aside in their will. Not for charitable causes, not for doing good things with their money, not even leaving it to their heirs. There are millions upon millions upon millions of dollars are bequeathed in the wills of so many Americans to themselves.

How is that possible? Go read the article. They're bequeathing their money to be saved in a trust for themselves while they have their body frozen on ice. So that in 100 years' time, their body can be defrosted. They figure that the science will improve by then, that the body can be defrosted and they can live for many, many years.

The article said that there are at least 1,000 Americans who belong to this group called the Cryonics Society, which comes from the Greek word "to put on ice." The brochure of the Cryonics Society puts it this way—listen carefully—that if you leave $10,000 in your trust for yourself, when you are defrosted 100 years from now, it will grow to about $8.7 million. And with that money, the brochure says, "You will be able to buy youth and health for centuries."

But the amazing thing about this as I read the article, I realize that it's nothing new. In every generation, those who are into themselves somehow get the scam artists working hard. The following advertisement was actually printed, and I want to read that to you. "Wish you were rich? You can be if you are one of the growing millions who are convinced of the reality of the reincarnation. Here is once-in-a-lifetime offer."

"First, leave us $10,000 or more in your will. After you pass away, our professional medium will contact your spirit in the other world. There you tell us when you're coming back and under what name. Upon your return, we regress you to the age of 21 of this current life through hypnosis, and then ask you for your seven-digit account number. Once you give us that number, we will give you a check on the spot for your original investment plus interest."

"The longer you're gone, the more you receive. You may come back and find yourself a billionaire. Show your future self how much you care. Give yourself a generous welcome-back present, and we will take care of the rest." I'm sure they will.

Beloved, listen to me. People who are so into themselves create a whole industry to cater to their whims and their fantasies. Someone would say, "But how do I recognize this self-problem?" The evidence of such self-endearment is indifference to God and his word. The evidence of this self-problem is indifference to the truth. The evidence of this self-problem is indifference toward reality and is indifference toward even the dearest and the nearest. No matter what they say, we're going to ignore them.

And just in case you're tempted by what I just said of what is happening today and what was happening 20 years ago to think that at least this is a modern-day phenomena, I want you to turn with me please to Luke chapter 7, beginning at verse 31.

"To what then can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to each other: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance. We sang a dirge, and you did not cry.' For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'He is a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is proved right by all her children."

Father, in the name of Jesus, I come to you in brokenness and in humility, asking for the Holy Spirit to take these magnificent words and expound them to every heart. Father, in the name of Jesus, not one single person within the sound of my voice would be the same after today. In Jesus' name, amen.

Jesus was encountering a people in his generation who were so into themselves. I told you it was not a new problem; it's not a new phenomena. And Jesus was speaking to these people. They were so indifferent toward the truth that he had to do something drastic. He had to tell them a story that they can relate to. He paints this beautiful picture of what really had happened and would happen during his earthly ministry during that time. I want to explain it to you.

Back during Jesus' earthly ministry, very few, if any, had backyards. So kids cannot go back in the backyard and play with their neighbors' friends. So what they did is they gathered in the street and they went to a place always empty, except for certain days of the week where the market is opening when people are there to sell their produce. It was an empty space where all the kids of the neighborhood would congregate and play games.

They did not play soccer, they did not play football, they did not play baseball or cricket or any of the games that we know. Kids back then played act-playing. That was the most popular game, to act-play. They got together and they said, "What shall we play?" One of the boys probably said, "I know what we'll play. Let's play a wedding!" That was normal back then.

He says, "Mary, you be the bride. Ruth, you be the bridesmaid, and I'll be the groom. And Bobby, you be the groomsman. And Peter, you be the preacher. And then the rest of you guys, you can hum the wedding march." One of the kids, as is often the case, piped up and said, "That's a stupid game! That's a silly game." Another said, "Yeah, that's childish." Another said, "Oh, that's silly stuff." And soon the spirit of discontentment and disgruntlement took over.

Everyone was saying, "No, we're not going to play that stupid game." So probably the same guy said, "Okay, that's fine. Let's play a funeral." How morbid! But they did play a funeral. One thing you need to know about the Middle East is that in funerals, they hire what they call professional mourners. It's like you go and hire a singer, somebody who's got the ability to do poem and sing.

This woman normally would find out a few things about the deceased—how good he or she was or some of their activities—and then she was able to rhyme some words and some poem to sing about the deceased person. It's called a dirge. They would come in and they would talk about how good that person was, what he did, what she did, and so forth. This is designed, of course, to let people grieve properly. The beloved family and friends would just sob their hearts out.

One kid said, "Let's play a funeral. I'll be the funeral director and you'll be the pallbearers, and you be the professional mourner. You sing a dirge, and all the rest of you can cry." Again, a kid pipes up and says, "Oh no, this game is morbid. I hate that game. That's a stupid game." Another said, "I don't like this sad stuff." Another said, "You guys need to cut this out."

Finally, the guy just got so frustrated that no matter what game he comes up with, he gets criticized, he gets turned down, and he gets put down. He got fed up. He says, "You guys are just never satisfied! You guys are never happy. Nothing makes you happy. You can never get enthusiastic about anything. You're always discontented. You're always indifferent. You're always fractious, you're always fickle, you're always apathetic!"

He just about had it. It's over! "You guys can't get into anything. Nothing moves you, nothing satisfies you." And here's what Jesus is doing right here. After he tells them this, because of course he understood what he was talking about, he said, "Guys, that's you. That's you." That's what Jesus is saying. He turned to them and said, "That's you. You are like those kids who are never satisfied."

You never respond to any challenge. You're never going to be moved by anything. You're always going to be critical; you can't get over your critical attitude. You never stop your indifference. You don't even try to overcome your apathy. You never even move out of your comfort zone and do something. You're never going to impact anyone. All you do is criticize all the time. All you do is complain all the time, always telling us what is wrong with everybody.

John the Baptist came and he preached a message of repentance; he told you to repent. You listened to him for a little while, and then you criticized him. You criticized his austere lifestyle. You said he's too harsh. You said his message is too severe. You said that he doesn't eat well and he doesn't dress well. You said that he was not sophisticated and he was unsociable. He's unapproachable.

You said that he lives in the wilderness and he cannot live with civilization and civilized people. You said that he is an in-your-face preacher, and we don't want and we don't care. You even had the gumption to say that he is demon-possessed. So the Son of Man came—the one whom John the Baptist came to announce, the one who came to prepare the way for the Messiah, the Son of Man, the Son of God.

He comes in and what did he do? He preached the same message. If you read the Gospel of Mark chapter 1 verse 15, the Bible says that Jesus went about, beginning of his ministry, saying, "The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and receive the good news. Believe the good news." Same message that John the Baptist preached.

Oh, it was different. Jesus was different from John. He was gentle, he was loving, and he was sociable. He lived with people, he ate with people, he touched people. He dressed very nicely. In fact, Jesus' tunic was so expensive that those soldiers at the cross did not want to tear it; they cast lots over it. Because that was what he received from his mother when he turned 30 and became a priest. It was a very nice tunic—he obviously dressed well.

What do you say about him? What do you say about him? Did you listen to his message? Did you respond to his love? Were you moved by his miracles? Did you repent of your sins and receive forgiveness? No. You said he was too sociable. He eats and drinks too much. He is too friendly. He is too approachable.

You say, "What's going on here?" Well, here's what Jesus is saying—listen to me, beloved. He is saying, "In this generation, like every other generation, there are those who are always superficial, there are those who are always critical, there are those who are always indifferent. There are those who will always judge the style and not the substance, the preacher and not the message, the messenger and not the message."

Those who are always focused on things that are important to them instead of the things that are important to God. And in the face of it, they become indifferent. Become indifferent. In the face of God's urging and the urgency of the time, their words are, "So what? So what?"

But what would the righteous do? Verse 35 is the key verse here. Don't miss it. Jesus said, "But wisdom is proved right by all of her daughters. But wisdom is proved right by all of her daughters." Not by a critical attitude. Not by being indifferent. Not by the person who continues to sit on their hands and do nothing.

What does it mean? Here's what it means. That while the unwise, while the foolish people put their hope in phony schemes, like freezing their bodies or hoping for reincarnation, wise people respond to the message of repentance and forgiveness. While those who are into themselves become indifferent toward the message of eternal life, the wise people will put their whole confidence in the word of God.

Not only that, listen carefully. Those wise people will prove the message of the cross by the way they live. The wise people will demonstrate the power of the message of the cross by the way they witness to that power. Wise people will vindicate the truth of the gospel by their godly lifestyle. Wise people will be a living demonstration to the power of salvation, to the power of forgiveness, to the power of healing, to the power of restoration, to the power of peace and joy, and to the power of contentment and happiness.

Guest (Male): Thank you for joining listeners worldwide for Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Impacting eternities with the gospel for more than 35 years.

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Dr. Michael Youssef: In his sovereign wisdom, God calls us, compels us, and conscripts us. Only by his grace, only by his sovereign will, only by his good pleasure, only by his mercifulness, only by his graciousness. Not to believe a miracle or two, or reject some and accept some. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No.

My precious friends, this compelling, this conscripting, makes us want to abandon ourselves to him. Motivates us to contend for the faith. Empowers us to speak the truth in love. Compels us to live in the truth and to speak the truth and to abide by the truth.

Guest (Male): That was just a preview of what Dr. Youssef will be teaching next time on Leading the Way. Make plans to join him for this powerful message when he digs further into this thought. Today's program is furnished by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth around the world. Learn more at ltw.org.