Shane Idleman passionately addresses the difference between faithful and unfaithful servants, emphasizing that true faithfulness comes from an inward change rather than mere outward appearances. He warns against hypocrisy, highlighting that many who claim to be Christians lack a genuine relationship with God, which leads to foolishness. Idleman critiques modern Christianity's complacency and calls for a return to fervent faith, urging believers to seek God earnestly and live out their faith authentically. He stresses the urgency of being prepared for Christ's return, as the time is short and the stakes are high. Ultimately, he challenges the congregation to reflect on whether they are wise or foolish servants in their walk with God.

A faithful servant is not a hypocrite. A faithful servant is not a hypocrite. And I'll warn you up front, I've got my blood boiling in my body this morning. Because of this topic. One servant had outward reform but not inward change. The faithful servant had changed. He was faithful to God. The unfaithful servant had outward appearance but he had not truly changed. Here's the difference. They were both called servants. They were both given the care of the Master's home. We don't know what happened while the Master's there, but as soon as the Master leaves, what happened? The true colors come out. The faithful servant and the unfaithful servant. And the unfaithful servant, it's called hypocrisy. They look like the church, but they're not the church because the church isn't in them. And that word hypocrisy in the Greek, if we could break it down, it's an actor or an actress playing a role. So if I were to up here saying, let me tell them all this good stuff and then we'll do a big tithe offering. Collect and let me just see if we can milk the people. It's a hypocrite. You're acting one thing. And that's what a lot of people who claim to be Christians. They're in church, but the church isn't in them. They talk about God, but they've never experienced God. They're a hypocrite. And that's an unfaithful servant. And it's always linked to foolishness. Foolishness. Sometimes when we say the word fool, we think of like a little clown or a little guy with his little crown on and just a little joker and funny guy. That's not a fool. The Bible says that a fool is a person who says that there is no God. You look at the strand of a DNA and the tiny little strand of a DNA and has more information, they've said, than some of the Encyclopedia Britannica. And one little strand of DNA. So who in their right mind were going to say this just all came together? This book. But the book of life just all came together. It's impossible. That's why the fool has said in his heart, there is no God. So that's a foolish. A person who says there's no God and then lives accordingly. And I'm going to bring just a modern example. I don't take joy in naming names. I actually would prefer not to. And it actually happened this morning. I went on early. Some of you know I write for the Christian Post. They put the articles on their website and I wish all the comments were positive and they're not. So I learned about a year ago not to read the comments. Yeah. And I wish I could reply but the Holy Spirit convicts me every time. Because you know it's not going to be pretty, right? Well, next to my article over on the side was an article about somebody named Rob Bell. I don't know if you know Rob Bell. He would be someone I would consider heretical. He writes a book, Love Wins, and says the possibility of hell is not there. Jesus is probably not the only way. Support of gay marriage. And goes on Oprah Winfrey often and things like that. And if you can get on Oprah, you're probably not a believer. If she's going to let you talk about, because the media will look for pastors and teachers to tell them what they want to hear. Or they'll sit and they'll sound bite and they'll clip everything. That's why I've turned down some things because they'll just take clips and they'll make you out who you want to be. But the article was titled this and Rob Bell said, I don't use the word Christian. Jesus would be mortified that a religion started in His name. Really? What do you do with all the scriptures where Jesus said, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. I gave my life for you. You will become disciples. They were first called Christians in Antioch. Why? Because they were Christ followers. They resembled their Savior that died for Him. This is borderline blasphemy. Jesus would be mortified that there's a religion after Him? No, that's why He came, people. This is a foolish statement. Foolish statement. A word idiot was going through my mind all morning, but I said, I'm not going to say that this morning. Well, I mean, look it up. Idiot just means a fool. Idiosyncrasy. It's foolish. And anytime I talk about this guy or other people, you know, people inevitably say, you know, this is the problem and you're bashing a fellow believer. And I'm saying, no, he's not. When he leads, when he's coming against my, to lead my children astray and your children astray, when he's a prolific author and a motivational speaker and he's reaching the masses of young people, I have a biblical obligation to call him on the carpet. You have to refute, this is ridiculous. Well, if you're not fired up, you will be in a minute. His interview, his interview with Oprah Winfrey in February 2015, his wife Kristen and himself claimed that the American church would inevitably accept gay marriage. And they questioned the Bible's relevance to modern society. We're moments away, he said. I think the culture is already there. And the church will continue to be even more irrelevant when it quotes letters from 2000 years ago as their best defense. Folks, that is modern day Christianity in many circles. Letters written 2000 years ago is our best defense. It's our only defense. And you're quoting, you're, you're quoting Jesus Christ himself. He said, I died for these truths. He said, proclaim these truths. When Paul said Timothy out, he said, Timothy, preach the whole counsel of God's word. Because the time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine. Folks, they are here. This is one. They don't want to hear sound doctrine. They want to love their sin and not their Savior. The church is irrelevant because we've lost the power and the passion of God. That's why we're irrelevant. We're a social club. Let me say something that is going to hurt and it's going to step on toes, but we need that. The reason many people don't want God is because they don't want the God they see in us. There's no difference. There's no distinction. There's no power. There's no love. There's not God in us. We're like, why don't my friends come to know the Lord? Why don't my kids come to know the Lord? Because they don't see the Lord in us. If they would truly see Christ in us, it's a magnet. It draws people to them. There's a man I used to, I've read his sermons, Robert Murray McShaney. He died at 29 years old in Scotland. And when he would just, he would come up to the pulpit, people would begin to weep. He wouldn't even speak. He would just come up to the pulpit, people would begin to weep. What about when Peter's shadow fell and people were healed? Did his shadow heal them? Of course not. It's the anointing. It's the power of God. And that's what the church needs. The church is irrelevant. It's because we're powerless. Now, let me encourage, that can be changed immediately through a heart on fire again for God, broken before God. And last night we had extended worship, and I asked the people, what's more important, worship or dinner? Because seeking God, and I followed my own advice, it was hard, but I went to bed with an empty stomach, woke up, and just the love of the Lord was in my heart. I don't know if you heard that song, Christy Knuckles, if you ever heard her, I don't know if I even pronounced her name right, Just Give Me Jesus. His name is, and I just kept rewinding that, rewinding that, rewinding that, rewinding that 10 times, finally getting to a place of just brokenness before the Lord, saying, God, we don't know you like we should. I read the Bible, and I said, where is that in the early church? When's the last time we saw somebody get healed or delivered or set free? When was the last time there was weeping during worship and tears coming down versus just a stagnant, dead religion that we're ready to leave and go eat? Where is that? Now, part of why I'm saying this is to spark that hunger, not to condemn, not to hurt, but to spark that hunger and say, yes, that's what I want. Because listening to people like this, you're not going to get it. And then icing on the cake, of course, he has to throw this in there. I don't think the heart of Jesus' message has much to do with boycotting Target. No, it doesn't, but it does have to do with securing the little ones and being wise stewards of our families. Folks, I don't know if you realize this, but we are very close to seeing extreme persecution. There are justices sitting in black robes in Washington, D.C. that will dictate the course of our nation. As the laws go, so goes the nation. And people often get real macho. Well, it doesn't matter. Politics don't matter. Well, okay, good. Go move to North Korea. And I know what they're saying because of the politics in church, but whoever told us that, politics just means governing or leading a group of people. And I think God has something to say about godly leadership. I think God has something to say about a nation that chooses to follow him. If my people who are called by my name, if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Blessed is that nation who calls upon the name of the Lord. There's nothing wrong with that. Everyone else is coming out of the closet. It's time the church comes out of the closet as well. You know what? Let's do this. Everyone's coming out of the closet. Let me come out of the closet. When a nation is more concerned about political correctness and biblical correctness, they are foolish. When the nation calls good evil and evil good, they are foolish. When the church enjoys sin more than their savior, they are foolish. When the church lies in a coma, unwilling to wake to the things of God, they are foolish. Jesus actually said in Luke that you fool. God says you fool. Tonight, tonight your soul will be required of you. Where is the urgency? Where is the desperation to seek God? People say, Shane, you're just mean spirited. You're just angry. No, I'm not. I'm passionate. We have to tell people the truth. I'm going to borrow a story. Not a story, but just an application. I heard from Paul Washer. I'm going to quote a little bit of what he said many years ago. Now it's applied recently to me. He talked about his mom, but I'll talk about my mom. Recently, I think it was about a week ago, we took her. The cardiologist said you need to get her to a specialist ASAP. Not knowing what that means, we drive down to Loma Linda. We get in there and we're talking to the cardiologist. My sister is just a mess, of course. She lives with her. He showed us the scans and the aorta descending. I can't remember what it's called, but the blood vessel is double its size aneurysm. In her neck and different areas, you've got three aneurysms. When your blood vessel doubles, it's not a good thing, because it's like a balloon about ready to pop. So they're recommending surgery within a couple weeks. That's a life changer. When he explains it, they stop your heart. They stop your brain. They cool your body. Are you dead? What's going on here? This is serious stuff. They explain everything. Here's what you need to do. Here's the procedure. Here's this. That man hurt my family. My sister cried all the way home. We're still trying to deal. What are we doing? That man hurt us, but he told us the truth. You see the difference? Had he said, oh, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. Go stop by In-N-Out Burger. Don't worry about any of that. You're good. He would lose his practice for malpractice. Why shouldn't pastors lose the pulpit because of spiritual malpractice? When they don't tell people the truth, they go, no big deal. God loves you. Just leave. We'll see you next week. Those people go out there. Some of those never return. You fool tonight. Tonight, your very soul will be required of you. That's speaking the truth in love. That's why. But pastors can come up like this guy and make heretical, blasphemous statements. The problem is, and I have no problem with saying this, he's a false prophet. He's unconverted. He's foolish. It's what the Bible says. He's got all the characteristics of that. Listen, we don't have time for jokes in the pulpit, worship concerts that resemble pagan rituals, and church services designed to draw the masses. We need God. We need God. I'm at a point, I don't know what it looks like, but just telling God, we need you. God, we need you. Let's turn that clock around. I don't care how many worship songs are done. I don't care how many people are offended because it's too emotional. We need you. Who told us emotions were bad? I mean, I've had altar calls at men's conferences where you couldn't get the guys off the altar for an hour and a half. Praying and weeping. Where is that now? Where? Where's it gone? Where? Because we need God. We need you. Because the closer you draw to God, the more your emotions will be changed and challenged. You can't truly seek his face and try to save face at the same time. You know what save face means? I don't want to be embarrassed. I don't want to be humbled. I'm saving face. Well, you'll never seek his face if you're worried about saving face. If you're worried about what the person next to you is thinking, or God, what would they think if I'm at the altar? Well, I'd be the first one up here. I'd be the first one up here saying, God, create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit within me. I need you. God, I need you. Jesus is the only thing I need. And we need to get back to that heart, like a deer panting after the brook, like a heart on fire for God, like a heart seeking God with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their strength, with all their mind, not this passive form of Christianity that gives God an hour and a half on Sunday. I'm going to cross-reference something in Matthew 25 that we're not going to be able to get to today. It says, cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. People go into outer darkness because they reject God and His will. And it's ironic that we are one breath, and I went looking at my mom's monitor there, heartbeat. It's just the brevity of life just hit me that day. That one heartbeat, one breath, that's all you're away. You realize that? One heartbeat, one breath, and you're gone. And we're not urgent about this? And we're scared of what people might think? Oh, they're going to think I'm that? Yeah, probably so. They killed your Savior. They put Him on the cross for what He said. And He said, if the world hates me, they're going to hate you. But everybody wants to be liked. Now, please don't misunderstand. I want people to like me. I don't want to, I don't want to, you know, what I try to remember in my life is, the truth will offend, but my attitude shouldn't. The truth will offend, but my attitude shouldn't offend others. But when those two clash, and they don't like the truth, it's going to offend. It's going to hurt. I'm going to close with the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. Verse 25, Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise and five were foolish. Here we go. We see this parallel again. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight, think about this, at midnight the cry was heard, Behold, the bridegroom is coming. Go out and meet him. So what, this night of expectation, they're sleeping. And at midnight, here goes his call. He's coming. Get ready. Get ready. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise said, No, lest there should be not enough for us and you, but go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves. And while they went out to buy, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding. And the door was shut. Afterward, the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Assuredly I say to you, I do not know you. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. I'm just going to pull a quick thing from this. The foolish virgins had a form of godliness. They had a form of godliness. They had the appearance of being the bride. They were part of the group. They dressed the part. They looked the part, but they were not ready. So that's why in church you can't assume that everybody in this room is a believer. You can't assume that everybody we talk to and says they're a Christian is a Christian. And often, this is a good, just as an extra word for young adults or if you're not married yet, you come home and say, Mom, Dad, but they said they're a Christian. Run for cover. Run for cover. Look at the fruit. Look at the fruit. Do they have a love for God and His Word? Do they have a love for obedience? Are they concerned with protecting you and purity? Or are they not concerned with those things? Because many people say, I'm a Christian and there's no fruit. They're foolish. They looked the part. They dressed the part, but they were not ready. And it's amazing. Jesus says, I do not know you. So all these virgins are ready. Five are prepared. Five aren't. Jesus says, I don't even know you. What's He talking about? I don't know you. Of course He knows them. We talked about this a few weeks back. I don't have to go into detail. But that word know in the Greek is oida, O-I-D-A. And it actually means to know somebody relationally and experientially. See, too many people have head knowledge. Jesus, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm a Christian. He's that guy that died for me, right? No, not unless you embrace that gift. Oh, I go to church. No, I mean, we could do that here, right? The same thing applies here today. What about, would you guys be upset if I start, I'm not gonna do it, don't worry, but if I start at the balcony and just work my way down to everybody, are you ready? Yes, I am. Tell me how. Well, I'm here, aren't I? Well, no, that doesn't, that doesn't, no, that doesn't work. Why are you ready? I've been a Christian all my life, Shane. Mm, mm, mm, no. Well, I'm a Baptist. Mm, mm. Are you ready? Yeah, my mom says I'm a Christian. I was baptized as a little baby at that Catholic church, and you know, I'm a Christian. No, you're not. If that's all you're resting in, are you ready? Yes, I'm a good person. I don't care if you're a good person. Nobody's good. Nobody's good to the core. You're not ready. You see how we can go down that same list? A person who's ready says, I have repented of my sin. Jesus Christ is my Lord and my Savior. That's it. How's he ever? So I want to encourage you. I want to encourage you. Have you ever, have you ever experienced that? Because you should know God relationally and experientially. I've experienced God, because when you know, when you've truly been converted, you go from light to darkness. I'm sorry, you go from darkness to light. I'm thinking the wrong way. You go from darkness to light. You go from evil to good. You go from wrong to right. You go from loving the world, now disdaining the world, but the flesh is loving the world, and there's this battle, and there's a clear difference. You spend time in his word. The word of God ministers to you, and you know that song, Mighty to Save, that we sang, I think it was up there, or How Good is Our God, How Good is Our God, and as you sing those worship songs, they penetrate your heart, and your heart cries, Abba, Father, because the Spirit in you is crying out to God, Abba, Father, you experienced God. You felt his joy and his peace. Nothing can take you away from that. That's experiential knowledge of God that lines up with truth. So you have a relationship, and you've experienced him. And as a closing point, it was interesting this week, I was reading in Hosea, it's one of the minor prophets, and God would send prophets to warn his people, to wake them up. Return to me, O backsliding Israel, and I will return to you. You're worshiping trees. You're worshiping idols. You're trusting in Egypt. Turn back to me. Turn back to me. And it's interesting, my eyes caught this line in Hosea. He's speaking to God's people, and he said, there is no knowledge of God in the land. Isn't that interesting? This is God's people. They know who God is. Intellectually. They know God from their forefathers of the rich Jewish history. They know who he is. But Hosea says, there is no knowledge of God in the land. Why? There's no faithfulness. There's no relationship. There's no obedience. That's why. See, they can know God, but there's no faithfulness, no relationship, and no obedience. You don't truly know God. That's why Jesus says, why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things I say? Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things that I say? And I want to really drive this point home because there's a concept out there that they think you can have Jesus as Savior, but you don't need him as Lord. That'll come later. Well, just give me one proof text. One verse supporting that erroneous concept. Now, yes, spiritual maturity is a process. Sanctification is a process. Growth is a process. You don't fully surrender your life sometimes when you're a young adult. Life needs to chew you up and spit you out, and then you come broken before God. Say, okay, I should have listened then. I'm listening now. But when a person genuinely is converted, they give their heart to the Lord, they repent of their sin, and he is their Savior and he is their Lord. End of story. He's not a divided Savior. Because he's my Savior, he's now my Lord. And he's also your judge. Have you ever thought about that? I mean, people like Rob Bell and different people, they love to quote the mild, meek, little Jesus, turn the other cheek, Jesus, but they forget about the lion of the tribe of Judah who's going to return with the armies of heaven, and out of his mouth is going to come a sword that he will strike the nations with a rod of iron. He will rule the nations with a rod of iron. He himself will tread the winepress and fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. That's Jesus. He's Savior, he's Lord, he's soon-coming king, and he is our judge. That's why A.W. Tozer said, I love him because he's my Savior, but I fear him because he's my judge. And that's another concern I have, just to close with this. Pastors say, just close with this a lot, right? And they keep going. But where's that fervency or where's that reverence, I should say, for the house of God? I mean, when I was little, when you walked into a church, you better take your ball cap off, you better walk, it's God's house. There's something about the presence and power of God. There's this reverence, there's this respect, there's this fear of God. People say, Shane, that's a terrible God that would make you fear him. No, that's a wonderful God. That's a wonderful God that would make me fear him. Fear, in that sense, is a wonderful thing. Go tell Southern California Edison to take off their 12,000-volt sticker off those big transformers and leave the lock undone. What's the difference? You better fear touching 12,000 volts. You better fear jumping off a 10-story building. You better fear Almighty God. Actually, the early church had power because it walked in the fear and reverence of the Lord, it says in Acts. The fear of the God is beginning of wisdom and knowledge. Fear God. God says, fear me, my people, not as an abusive stepfather, but as a loving father who says, come to me and I will hold you. I will give you rest, but go outside of my covering and my shelter. There's a thief that is sent to kill, to steal, and to destroy. Church, come back to the living Father and that safety and that protection. So it begs the question, are you the wise servant or the foolish? There's no middle ground. There's no fence. You can't stand on the fence because the devil owns the fence. He loves you to have one foot in the world, one foot in church. One foot in the world, one foot in church. One foot in the world, one foot in church. And then you get to judgment day and you'll hear, I don't know you. Because this is a sobriety check. There are two things you will hear. One or the other. You will hear, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Or you will hear, depart from me. I don't know you. Listen, I'm going to tell my kids this same exact thing. I want them to fear God. I want them to. And we do. Some of the kids are in our services. They hear this. Now I think we've got six kids being baptized next weekend. Over 12 people being baptized. And I ask them, this isn't just a swimming pool. What are you doing? I love Jesus. I repent of my sin. I need Him. The Bible says to be baptized. I want to show people that I love Him.