WELCOMEVISITORS – You are our Honored Guests

Members - You are Greatly Appreciated.

Gospel Meeting July 31st – August 3rd

Greg Dismuke - Speaker

Bible Class - - The Results of Salvation A.M. Worship - - The Place of Salvation P.M. Worship - - The Free Course of

Salvation Monday - - The Doctrine of Salvation Tuesday - - The Alternative to Salvation Wednesday - - The Person of Salvation

Gospel Meeting Theme: "The Salvation of the Lord"

GENESIS 37:21, 22, 29,30

When Good Men Do Nothing

“Too many have the mistaken notion that good is merely the absence of doing wrong.”

Sometimes I like to get on the “Internet” and take a look around at what’s going on in other Congregations of the Lord’s Church, read their bulletins, look at their posted sermons and Bible Studies.

I found one and decided to borrowed it from Jeffrey W. Hamilton, minister for the La Vista Church of Christ located near Omaha, Nebraska.

I have made some changes and added my own thoughts here and there.

When Good Men Do Nothing

“By-Stander Effect”The bystander effect or Genovese syndrome is a social psychological phenomenon that refers to cases where individuals do not offer any means of help in an emergency situation to the victim when other people are present. The probability of help has in the past been thought to be inversely related to the number of bystanders; in other words, the greater the number of bystanders, the less likely it is that any one of them will help. The mere presence of other bystanders greatly decreases intervention. This happens because as the number of bystanders increases, any given bystander is less likely to notice the incident, less likely to interpret the incident as a problem, and less likely to assume responsibility for taking action

When Good Men Do Nothing

There are, in fact, many reasons why bystanders in groups fail to act in emergency situations, but social psychologists have focused most of their attention on two major factors. According to a basic principle of social influence, bystanders monitor the reactions of other people in an emergency situation to see if others think that it is necessary to intervene. Since everyone is doing exactly the same thing (nothing), they all conclude from the inaction of others that help is not needed. This is an example of pluralistic ignorance or social proof. The other major obstacle to intervention is known as diffusion of responsibility. This occurs when observers all assume that someone else is going to intervene and so each individual feels less responsible and refrains from doing anything.

When Good Men Do Nothing

I would like for you to keep this “concept” in mind as we go through our study.

And - what is the “Emergency” we SHOU:G be concerned with?

Eternity is coming!!!!!

When Good Men Do Nothing

Introduction:1. When I get the time, my methods to de-

stress are to either get on my John Deere and mow even if the yard doesn’t need mowing.

- Or I watch certain movies, SCI-FI or movies,

especially movies about the Civil War and Revolutionary War periods – Like “Gone With The Wind” and “The Patriot”

When Good Men Do Nothing

- One of my favorites - is “THE PATRIOT” with Mel Gibson, A Revolutionary War movie. He has fought in the French And Indian War and witnessed the many terrors of war, he does not want to see war or the results ever again.

- However, there is a scene where he is talking with his sister-in-law after taking refuge in her house following one of his son’s as he has enlisted in the Continental Army against the British and another son has been killed, his house has been burnt to the ground and he makes a comment about being “ASHAMED” and she tells him “You have nothing to be ashamed of.” And he responds with,

“I HAVE DONE NOTHING – THAT’s WHY I AM ASHAMED”

When Good Men Do Nothing

I. Edmund Burke once said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

A.  In the endless battle between good and evil, it is seldom the numbers that determine the outcome of each skirmish.

B.  Many times, the side for the right has beaten overwhelming odds like – At the end of the Movie “The Patriot” - General Cornwallis makes the Statement “Beaten by commoners and peasants”

“Then the LORD said to Gideon, "By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the [other] people go, every man to his place.” JUDGES 7:7

When Good Men Do Nothing

C.  More often evil ( evil can take many forms and have several definitions) wins simply because the good men are not willing to stand up and fight for what they know is right.

1. And then amazingly that’s when some good men stand around and scratch their heads wondering what happened.

When Good Men Do Nothing

II.  When Good Men do Nothing, They Get Nothing Good Done

A.  To be good, one must do good 1.  Luke 6:35 - Do good, expecting

nothing in return - “But love your enemies, do good, and lend,

hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.”

When Good Men Do Nothing

2.  Ephesians 2:10 - We were created to do good works –

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

When Good Men Do Nothing

3.  Titus 2:14 - Christ gave himself to gain a people zealous of good works –

“who gave Himself for us, that He might

redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself [His] own special people, zealous for good works.”

When Good Men Do Nothing

B. The parable of the one talent 1. He took what the Lord gave and hid it

Matthew 25:18     “But he who had received one went and

dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.”

2. Are we guilty of doing the same?

When Good Men Do Nothing

2. He was condemned for returning only what his Lord gave - Matthew 25:25

“And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, [there] you have [what is] yours.'

Will we be condemned or rewarded regarding our own “goodness?

When Good Men Do Nothing

3. He did not do any outright evil. He did not steal the money.

- Neither did he do anything good with the money. He did nothing. Matthew 25:26

“But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.”

When Good Men Do Nothing

C. The church at Sardis seemed to be alive, but it was dead - Revelation 3:1

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, 'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”

When Good Men Do Nothing

D. Too many churches /Christians do nothing.The Church has become “their SOCIAL CLUB”.

1. They are standing idly by. They are mere spectators, sitting on the sidelines instead of actively participating in the good work.                     

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

“The Little Red Hen Story”

When Good Men Do Nothing

3. If evil wins, they complain long and loud, even though their own apathy produced the undesirable result.

When Good Men Do Nothing

E. Learn from the parable of the fig tree -Matthew 21:19 “And seeing a fig tree by the road, He

came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you ever again." Immediately the fig tree withered away.”

1. What will the great Judge do with those who claim to be good and yet do nothing?

When Good Men Do Nothing

2.  Will we Heed the warning of John, the baptizer -

Matthew 3:10 “And even now the ax is laid to the

root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Referring to the Jews who did not bear the fruit of goodness.

When Good Men Do Nothing

3.  Jesus too, gives the same warning- JOHN 15:1 – 2 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the

vinedresser.

2. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

a. Even bearing some fruit is not enough, but all that one is capable of bearing is expected.

When Good Men Do Nothing

III.  When Good Men do Nothing, Wrong - Evil Triumphs.

A.  Evilness, sin, and sinful men must be opposed.

i. God commands that the good are not to just avoid Evil or Wrong doing, but to actively oppose it.

When Good Men Do NothingPart 2

1. Have no fellowship, but reprove them. EPHESINAS 5:11 “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful

works of darkness, but rather expose [them].”

When Good Men Do Nothing

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

3. When one is silent before the evil, we become a partaker with them –

Ezekiel 3:18 “When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked [man] shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand.”

When Good Men Do Nothing

 B.  Elijah challenged the people to decide between God and the evil of Ahab and Jezebel, yet the people remained silent – I KINGS 18:21

“And Elijah came to all the people, and

said, "How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD [is] God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people answered him not a word.

C. In the parable of the good Samaritan, wicked men had robbed and beaten a man, leaving him half dead. The men who did this were very evil. The priest and the Levite, who passed on the other side were willing to let evil triumph by not doing anything. Only the Samaritan stood up for what was right LUKE 10:31-33

“31. Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32. Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.

33. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.”

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

MATTHEW 12:30 “He who is not with Me is against Me,

and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.”

When Good Men Do Nothing

IV. When Good Men do Nothing, They are no Longer Good

A. Too many have the mistaken notion that good is merely the absence of doing wrong.

1.  A person is not good merely because he has done no evil.

2.  A good person is one is actively working for what is good - I PETER 3:11

“Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.”

When Good Men Do Nothing

3. When we do not do good, we are sinning – JAMES 4:17 “Therefore, to him who knows to do

good and does not do [it], to him it is sin.”

When Good Men Do Nothing

B. Reuben, the eldest of the sons of Israel, knew his brothers’ plot to murder Joseph was wrong.

1.  He started an attempt to rescue Joseph, but while he delayed, his brothers sold Joseph into slavery.

2.  When Reuben found out what had happened, he realized what his inaction helped to bring about. Instead of correcting his error, he covered his guilt by agreeing with his brothers to lie about Joseph’s disappearance - Gen 37:29-33

When Good Men Do Nothing

Genesis 37:29-33 “Then Reuben returned to the pit, and indeed Joseph [was] not in the pit; and he tore his clothes.

30. And he returned to his brothers and said, "The lad [is] no [more]; and I, where shall I go?"

31. So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the tunic in the blood.

32. Then they sent the tunic of [many] colors, and they brought [it] to their father and said, "We have found this. Do you know whether it [is] your son's tunic or not?"

33. And he recognized it and said, "[It is] my son's tunic. A wild beast has devoured him. Without doubt Joseph is torn to pieces."

When Good Men Do Nothing

3. Reuben had good intentions. He was not present when Joseph was sold into slavery, but his inaction and absence made him just as guilty. His guilt haunted him the rest of his life -

GENESIS 41:21-21 “When they said to one another, "We [are] truly

guilty concerning our brother, for we saw the anguish of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we would not hear; therefore this distress has come upon us."

22. And Reuben answered them, saying, "Did I not speak to you, saying, 'Do not sin against the boy'; and you would not listen? Therefore behold, his blood is now required of us."

When Good Men Do Nothing

C. There are Christians today who fail to face the real foe of error and fight the enemy.

Instead, they turn inwardly upon their own brethren and brutally attack out of bitterness and hatred.

1. Well did Paul warn about these spiritual cannibals – GALATIANS 5:15

2. While the actions of these Christians are shameful, what about those who stand by and do nothing? If you stand aside and do nothing while your brothers are being slandered, are you any better?

When Good Men Do Nothing

V.  Those who fail to do are sowing dangerous seeds – Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”

A. Do not allow evil/wrong/apathy to triumph by your inaction

 B. Stand up and be counted. Speak up against evil, rebuke evil – unproductive - arrogant men and their wicked ways which subvert the Good that needs to be done.

When Good Men Do Nothing

Hear The Word Of God Romans 10:17 Believe His Word Mark 16:16, John 8:24 Repent of your sins Luke 13:3, Acts

2:38 Confess your belief Romans 10:10, Acts 8:37 Be Baptized Mark 16:16, Acts

2:38 For the Remission of Your Sins Acts 22:16

Galatians 3:26, 27 Live Faithfully Titus

2:11-14

What MUST You Do to Be Saved?