Sermon Tone Analysis

*When Good People Do Nothing*

*All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

* \\ Edmund Burke /(1729 - 1797)/

 

So much of the history of the struggle between good and evil can be explained by Edmund Burke's observation.

Time and again those who profess to be good seem to clearly outnumber those who are evil, yet those who are evil seem to prevail far too often.

*When good people do nothing then death is the result.*

Adam stood by and did nothing, did not say a word, while the snake beguiled his companion Eve into eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Gen.

3:6 is clear that Adam was there "...and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat," because a good man did nothing Death came into the world.

*When good people do nothing, they get nothing good done*.

To be good, one must do good.

The Lord commands his people to do good (Luke 6:35; Eph.

2:10).

Christ "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works" (Titus 2:14).

In the parable of the talents, Jesus described a man who did nothing.

When he received his Lord's money, he "went and digged in the earth, and hid his Lord's money" (Matt.

25:18).

When his Lord returned, he returned to the Lord just what he had been given (Matt.

25:25).

Notice, the servant did not do any outright evil, such as stealing the money, but then neither did he do anything good.

He did nothing and he got nothing good accomplished.

Jesus said he was a "wicked and slothful servant" (Matt.

25:26).

Jesus rebuked the church at Laodicea for doing nothing.

"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.

   Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked"  (NKJV Rev. 3:15-17).Too many Christians and too many churches do nothing.

They are standing idly by, they are mere spectators.

They sit on the sidelines instead of actively participating and working for the good.

If good wins, they join in the celebration though they did nothing to produce the victory.

If evil wins, they will complain long and loud though their own apathy helped produce the undesirable result.

When Jesus found a fig tree with "nothing thereon, but leaves only" He cursed the tree and "presently the fig tree withered away" (Matt.

21:19).

What will He do with those who claim to be good and yet who do nothing?

John the Baptist warned, "And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire" (Matt.

3:10; John 15:2).

*When good people do nothing, evil triumphs*.

Evil, sin and sinful men must be opposed.

God commands those who are good, not just to avoid evil but actively oppose it.

Christians are not only to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but (also) reprove them" (Eph.

5:11).

Those who do nothing about sin and evil, help the sin and evil to prevail.

One who is silent when there are those around him in sin becomes a partaker with them (Eph.

5:7).

In the days of Elijah, the silence of many had allowed the evil of Ahab and Jezebel to prevail throughout the land of Israel.

"And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions?

If the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him.

And the people answered him not a word" (1 Kings 18:21).

The silence of the people spoke volumes of their indecisiveness and inaction.

Their failure to stand up, speak up and speak out permitted wicked and evil men to run rampant.

Jesus told of a traveler who was robbed, beaten and left him half dead.

The men who did this were wicked and did a very wicked thing.

But the Levite and priest allowed this evil to continue unanswered by doing nothing as they each "passed by on the other side" (Luke 10:31-32).

Fortunately for the traveler there was one man, a Samaritan, who was willing to stand up for what was right (Luke 10:33-36).

Jesus warned "He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad" (Matt.

12:30).

In the fight against evil there is no middle ground, no gray area, no neutrality.

Those who are not actively and vigorously fighting against evil are helping evil to triumph.

* *

*When good people do nothing, they are no longer good.*

Many have the mistaken notion that good is merely the absence of doing that which is wrong.

Not so!

One is good not merely because he does no evil, but because he is actively working for what is good.

"Let him eschew evil, and do good" (1 Pet.

3:11).

James explained, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James 4:17).

The eldest of Israel, Reuben, knew his brothers' murderous plot against their younger brother Joseph was wrong.

He started an attempt to deliver Joseph, but as he hesitated and vacillated, the other brothers sold Joseph into slavery.

When Reuben heard what they had done, he realized his failure to act had helped to bring about this evil result.

Instead of correcting his error, Reuben sought to cover his guilt by agreeing with his brothers to lie to their father about Joseph's disappearance (Gen.

37:18-35).

Reuben had "good intentions" and he was not even present when Joseph was sold into slavery, but he knew his inaction and absence made him just as guilty as the rest of his wicked brothers.

This guilt continued to haunt him through the years (Gen.

42:21-22).

*When good people do nothing then God will not hear us!*

The solution is still the same, as God spoke to Solomon in 2 Chronicles 7:14

*If*

*My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways,*

*then*

*I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.*

Notice here who God is speaking to; “If My people who are called by My Name.”

God’s people, Christians; those God has chosen.

That is you and me.