Hometown - Pt. 1 - Cry . . . Baby! Series

Hometown

Pt. 1 - Cry . . . Baby!

Introduction:

Apathy. The word is defined as and literally means "without feeling". Little or no concern. From the Greek it perhaps carries the most revealing and what should be the most frightening definition for us today . . . Without passion! How devastating, what a shame if we are passionate only in name? The name of this body was not chosen because it was cool. It was chosen because in one word it speaks to the standard that we are called to uphold and to live up to. If we can't live up to that, then we are guilty of false advertising. You can not brand yourself "Passion" and at the same time find yourself consumed by apathy. If you choose to attend this church then you have are also accepting the demand that our name places on us!

As we have marched through the principalities that we are trying to defeat I believe that this principality is the toughest because if you connect until you are no longer isolated, if you get freedom financially to breakout of poverty and if you are filled with hope, but then you continue to be bound by apathy you will have relationships, resources, and what others need and you will sit on the sidelines, bored, uninvolved, unmoved and unconcerned. A form of godliness without the power to prove it! Over the course of the next few weeks we are going to attack our apathy toward people and towards God. You may think those are backwards. However, I think that if we can't love those we see how can we love the One we can't see? I am asking you to allow the Holy Spirit to talk to you - apathy will try to get you to think this is for the person next to you!

Prayer

Oklahoma is ranked among the highest in the nation for women killed in domestic disputes. 593 Oklahomans, mostly women, were killed by their intimate partners between 1998 and 2013. Half of the counties in Oklahoma lack a shelter for victims of domestic violence.

A quarter of all children in Oklahoma are at risk of going to bed hungry tonight. Nearly 700,000 adults are unsure about where their next meal will come from. 1 in 16 Oklahoma seniors are also at risk of going to bed hungry tonight.

Over 10,000 children are in DHS custody due to neglect, abuse or they are simply unwanted. In 2014, 14,182 children were confirmed by DHS as victims of maltreatment.

Oklahoma has become the pipeline for sex trafficking of children in the United States. Oklahoma ranks first in the nation in “Child Abuse” and “Children Going to Bed Hungry,” second in “Homeless Youth” and “Teen Pregnancy”, third in “Divorce”, and fourth in “Women Murdered by a Husband/Lover.” These conditions combine to make the children of Oklahoma some of the most vulnerable in the nation.

The average sex trafficking victim in America is now twelve years old.

In 2014, 4,916 babies were aborted (murdered) in Oklahoma.

In 2014, 626,906 Oklahomans lived below the poverty level which is less than $23,000 a year income for a family of 4. 209,022 children living in poverty in 2014. 284,000 Children in families where no parent has full-time, year-round employment. The Oklahoma City Public School District had 3,187 homeless children enrolled in the 2014-15 academic year. Oklahoma had 43,643 homeless children in 2012-2013.

Overholser Elementary across the street - 87% of students live under poverty level.

317,000 kids in 2014 live in a single parent home.

Statistics. Numbers on a page. We have become numb to the plight of those around us. We have become programmed to simply turn the channel. We've been trained to turn our attention to something pleasant. Consume our time so that we can ignore and apathy continues to reign supreme. Entertain us in 1 hour so we can keep keepin' on never stopping long enough to do anything more than pleading with God that those things don't touch us. We want to be protected we just don't want to prompted or picked to do something about it! We are apprehended by apathy!

Text: Luke 19:41-44

When the city came into view, he wept over it. “If you had only recognized this day, and everything that was good for you! But now it’s too late. In the days ahead your enemies are going to bring up their heavy artillery and surround you, pressing in from every side. They’ll smash you and your babies on the pavement. Not one stone will be left intact. All this because you didn’t recognize and welcome God’s personal visit.”

Jesus approached His hometown . . . when the city came into view He wept.

A challenge and question...

Our hometown must come into view!