THE SIN OF NEGLECT

INTRO:

1. DEFINITIONS: NEGLECT, Greek, "to be careless, not to care" Matt. 22:1-6. "Made light of it". 1 Tim. 4:14; Heb. 2:3; 8:9. It can also mean overlooking a situation, Acts 6:1. The KJV of 2 Pet. 1:12 says: "I will not be negligent to put you in mind..." Severity, as is used in Col. 2:23, means negliecting.

2. In Webster's definition we find this: "To disregard. To omit to notice; slight." "To be remiss in attending to; fail to do, care for, etc." Some of the synonyms of neglect are: omit, disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, forget.

3. Some of the antonyms of neglect are: consider, respect, notice, observe, regard, esteem, tend, attend, foster, study, give diligence. "Be diligent" in 1 Tim. 4:15, is in apposition to "neglect" in 1 Tim. 4:14.

A. What is it that is sending most people to hell?

• A. Is it ignorance?
• B. Is it prejudice?
• C. Is it rebellion?
• D. Is it poverty?
• E. Is it greed?
• F. Is it disease?

B. Certainly, all of the above are deplorable things in a sense.

1. But the thing that is going to cause most of us to come to everlasting grief in the day of judgment is NEGLECT!

C. Neglect is a canker; it destroys homes and bridges; ruins farms and health; breaks up families and eats away love;

1. Neglect brings on bankruptcy, and damns man's soul. Prov. 18:9; 24:30-34.

D. It appears in the forms of forgetfulness, slothfulness, and procrastination.

E. Neglect wrecks trains, brings cities down in ashes, leaves widows and orphans without provision. "Nero fiddled while Rome burned."

I. NEGLIGENT CHRISTIANS:

A. Neglect to act at all.

1. "Be ye doers of the word and not hearers only." Jas. 1:22.

2. "Being not a forgetful hearer of the word, but a doer." Jas. 1:25.

B. Neglect doing our best--careless. God requires us to be all we can be and to do all we can do.

1. "Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah negligently; and cursed be he that keepeth badk his sword from blood." Jer. 48:10; Our sword is the Word of God. Eph. 6:17.

2. "My sons, be not negligent; for Jehovah hath chosen you to stand before Him, to minister unto Him, and that ye should be His ministers, and burn incense." 2 Chron. 29:11.

C. Neglect of worship on Lord's day. Heb. 10:24-27.

D. Negledt of talents. 1 Tim. 4:11-16; Matt. 25:14-30.

II. WITH NATURE AND GOD ONE LAW IS UNCHANGEABLE. (Neglect brings about ruin or loss.)

A. A great singer neglects his practice, notes become flat.

B. The finest kind of wheat left to itself in the plains will revert to inferior grain.

C. Virginia farmers, after the Civil War, found that their fine strawberries and roses had almost become weeds.

D. If sap neglects to rise in a tree, the limbs will wither.

III. USE IS LIFE ----NEGLECT IS DEATH. A. The youth who gives all of his time to PHYSICAL development is weak MENTALLY.

B. The youth who gives all of his time to MENTAL development is weak PHYSICALLY.

C. Just as this law of nature, "Neglect and Loss", is unchangeable in the physical world, the Master would impress upon our minds that the same law is unchangeable with God in the spiritual world. Heb. 5:12-14.

D. Earth's greatest tragedy ---Fine talents, physical, intellectual, or spiritual, perishing, dying because they are neglected, unused.

IV. NEGLIGENT SINNERS.

A. No sane person wants to be lost.

1. The majority who know anything at all --- though it may be little --- intend in some far-off tomorrow (which too often never comes) to serve God.

2. Under this class might come:

a. The five foolish virgins. Mt. 25:1-13.

b. The rich man of Lk. 16:19-31.

c. Agrippa --"Almost persuaded." Acts 26:27-29.

d. Felix -- "When I have a convenient season." Acts 24:24,25.

B. The man of today who is too busy, the youth who is too much wrapped up in "good times", and the lazy minded who hate to take the trouble to investigate, are negligent sinners.

V. WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF NEGLIGENCE?

A. When the ant fails to store up sufficient food for winter?

B. When the owner fails to insure his house before it burns?

C. When the sailor finds all too late that he has no lifeboat?

D. When we neglect so great salvation? Heb. 2:1-4.

VI. "DEPART FROM ME YE CURSED; I NEVER KNEW YOU..." WHY? Matt. 25:31-46.

CONCLUSION:

Friend and Brother, are you guilty of the sin of neglect? If so, hasten to repent before it is too late!

by Jim Sasser

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