“The hard heart must be broken, or it will still refuse the Saviour whose glory lies very much in his being sent to bind up the broken-hearted. There are some things which men may or may not have, and yet may be saved; but those things which go with the ploughing of the heart are indispensable, and therefore men must have them or perish hopelessly. The heart must be broken up: there must be a holy fear and a humble trembling before God. There must be an acknowledgment of offences committed, and a penitent petition for mercy. There must, in a word, be a thorough ploughing of the soul before we can expect that the seed should bring forth fruit.” – Charles Spurgeon (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Volume 25)
Dear Friends and Supporters of Serve the King Ministries,
As we press forward in the work the Lord has called us to, I want to address a real issue that plagues many in the church and the world at large: spiritual apathy. It is a silent killer of faith, a barrier to obedience, and a hindrance to the advancement of God’s kingdom. I’ve been spending my free time trying to understand historically what this looked like and I want lay out the biblical imperative to break free from this apathy, the absolute necessity of preaching the Gospel, and the urgent need for more workers in a world that stubbornly refuses to fight for the spread of the Light. As an addendum, want to also share our vision at Serve the King Ministries to acquire a 14-bedroom campus house right in the heart of the city, from which we can launch evangelism and preaching efforts to reach the lost and see souls saved.
Spiritual Apathy
Spiritual apathy. What is it? It is the state of indifference toward the things of God, a lukewarmness that Scripture condemns outright. Revelation 3:15-16 warns, “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.” This apathy manifests in us in many ways: We attend church but never share our faith, we prioritize comfort over conviction, and we even promote the sins we commit and let darkness flourish unchecked in those we love. Our time in history isn’t helping us: endless entertainment, material pursuits, and self-focused living are all around us, and it numbs the soul to the eternal realities of heaven and hell.
We must break this apathy. It directly opposes the command of Christ. Jesus did not call us to a passive faith but to active discipleship. In Matthew 28:19-20, He instructs, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.” Apathy keeps us from going; it chains us to our seats when we should be on the move. It is the enemy’s strategy to render the church ineffective, turning potential warriors for the kingdom into spectators. If we do not break free, we risk standing before the Lord one day and hearing, “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23), for faith without works is dead (James 2:26).
Preaching the Gospel
This has ultimately brought me to the importance of preaching the Gospel. The Gospel is not optional; it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Paul declares, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.” The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ, His life, death, burial, and resurrection to reconcile sinners to a holy God. It begins with the truth that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), meaning every person is guilty before God, incapable of earning salvation through their own efforts. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), an eternal separation from God in judgment. Yet, in His infinite love, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to live a sinless life, die on the cross as a substitute for our sins, and rise again on the third day, defeating death and offering eternal life (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The Gospel is the message of repentance, turning from sin, and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, trusting in His finished work alone for salvation (Acts 20:21; Ephesians 2:8-9).
I must also be clear on what the Gospel is not. It is not a vague call to “be a better person” or to follow a set of moral guidelines. It is not a promise of earthly prosperity, health, or wealth, as some falsely proclaim. The Gospel does not bend to cultural preferences or seek to appease human pride by affirming sinful lifestyles. It is not a message of self-help or self-empowerment, nor is it a suggestion to “find your own truth.” The Gospel is not negotiable; it is the unchanging truth of God’s Word, confronting sin head-on and demanding a response. It does not coexist with other religions or philosophies that deny Christ as the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Any attempt to dilute or distort this message strips it of its power and leads souls astray. As Paul warns in Galatians 1:8, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” Preaching the true Gospel means proclaiming these truths without compromise, regardless of how the world receives it. Without preaching, how will they hear? As Romans 10:14 asks, “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”
In a world drowning in falsehoods (religions that deny Christ, philosophies that exalt man, and cultures that celebrate sin) preaching the Gospel is the only antidote. Jesus Himself preached repentance and the kingdom of God (Mark 1:15). The apostles followed suit, turning the world upside down through bold proclamation (Acts 17:6). The cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). We must preach without compromise, for the time is short, and eternity hangs in the balance.
Yet, as we confront this necessity, we face a stark reality: the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Jesus observed this in Matthew 9:37-38: “Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'” The fields are ripe—billions of souls without Christ, cities teeming with the lost, neighborhoods filled with those in spiritual darkness. But where are the workers? The world refuses to fight to spread the Light. Secular society mocks the Gospel, governments suppress truth, and many choose ease over engagement. This refusal is not neutral; it is rebellion against God. John 3:19 states, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”
Workers/Laborers
We need more workers: men and women willing to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Christ (Matthew 16:24). These are not mere volunteers but soldiers in a spiritual battle (2 Timothy 2:3-4). They must be equipped with the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and driven by the love of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14). At Serve the King Ministries, we are committed to raising up such laborers through training, discipleship, and hands-on ministry. But the need is immense, and we cannot do it alone. Pray for workers, send people to us that want to spread the Gospel, that are willing to leave it behind to engage these students with the Hope of the world.
Our Oppurtunity
In light of this, I want to share a specific vision the Lord has laid on our hearts at Serve the King Ministries. We desire to purchase a 14-bedroom campus house nestled in the middle of the city. This property would serve as a strategic base for evangelism and preaching. I imagine a hub where teams of believers live, pray, and launch out daily to proclaim the Gospel on street corners, in parks, and at Mcihigan Tech. From this house, we could host Bible studies for the newly converted, train young evangelists, and provide shelter for those coming out of darkness into light. It would be a fortress of faith in enemy territory, a place where the lost can encounter Christ and be saved.
The location is key: right in the heart of the city, surrounded by the very people who need the Gospel most. Urban areas are battlegrounds of spiritual warfare, with high concentrations of broken lives, addictions, and false ideologies. Houghton and Hancock are known for alcholism and isolationism, two things we need to seek freedom from. By establishing this campus house, we aim to penetrate these areas directly. The 14 bedrooms would allow us to house students from tech, short-term mission teams, and even those in need of discipleship after conversion. We envision a place for fellowship to happen, for students to hear truth, evangelism, and the space for retreating from the work in the evening. This is not a retreat center for comfort but a launchpad for war against the powers of darkness.
Of course, acquiring such a property requires resources: financial support, prayer, and partnership. We currently have one family who is willing to contribute to half of the monthly cost of the mortgage we would get on the building. If you feel led to contribute, whether through donations, volunteering, or spreading the word, please share this email. Every soul saved through this effort will be worth it, for what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul (Mark 8:36)?
I’ve become so convinced of these things because of my time reading of the men who went around the Keweenaw preaching the Gospel from lumber camp and mine to lumber camp and mine. They marched miles just to preach the Gospel in these little camps because there was no churches, there was no infrastructure. I want to be committed to preaching the Gospel unashamedly. Please pray fervently for more workers to enter the harvest fields, even as the world resists the Light. Pray for us to get this funding and this building so we can continue to serve our ~50ish students that we have now. We are pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). Join us in this work. The King we serve is worthy, and the souls He died for are precious.
In Him,
Charb
