There are basically three ways to go to hell.1.Do everything that is wrong- Evil2.Do some things that are wrong- Compromise3.Do nothing – declare middle groundEdmund Burke said- “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

It is seldom numbers that determine the outcome of the battle against evil.

Many times the side for the right has overcome tremendous odds.

Most often evil triumphs because of good men who are not willing to stand up and fight for what is right.

No fear of God is what is behind this type of behavior.

People wring their hands over evil but do little to chase it away. 1 Sam. 17- Israel is not fully into the battle and are wringing their hands over the oppression of the Philistines. Finally David asks the only pertinent question – “is there not a cause?”

One young man steps up and does something and the result is it rallies the fearful soldiers to do what they should have done all along- fight

Ps 36:1-4- The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.Rom 3:13-18- Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.

Nothing good is done.To be good one must do good- true goodness does not lie dormant and observe life (good and evil). Lk. 6:35- Do good without expecting anything in return – do good expecting nothing in return.Eph. 2:10- We are His workmanship and were created in Christ for good works…Titus 2:15- Christ died to redeem us from every evil deed and purify for himself, special people zealous of good works.

The One Talent Man- Matt. 25:18- He took what was given to him and hid it in the ground. Matt. 25:25- he was condemned for returning to his Lord only what he was given.He did not do outright evil.He did not steal the moneyHe did not do anything good with the money.He just did nothing- Matt. 25:26 and he is condemned for doing nothing.How many of us will be judged evil by God for just simply doing nothing?

Rev. 3:1- The church at Sardis- seemed to be alive but was dead.Too many churches and individual Christians do nothing. They stand idly by while people are dying in sin daily and they do nothing. They are content to be spectators and sit on the sidelines. If good wins they join in the celebration as if they were active in the good done though they did nothing to help produce the victory. If evil wins they do something- they complain though their apathy helped produce the undesirable result.

Matthew 21:19- “nothing but leaves…” no fruit being born- so the Lord cursed it.What will the great Judge do with those who claim to be good yet do nothing?Matt. 3:10- John the baptist said- “ behold now the ax is laid at the root and every tree that does not bear good fruit is hewn down and thrown in the fire.John 15:1,2- Jesus gives the same warning. Every branch that does not produce is pruned off.

Evil TriumphsSin and sinful men must be

opposed. The good are not to just avoid evil they are to actively oppose it (Eph. 5:11- have no

fellowship with unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove

them).Those who do nothing about the evil actually participate in it by

their silence (2 Jn. 11- bid godspeed). Ezek. 3:18- when we

do not warn the evil person of their evil they will die in their evil but their blood will be required of

us.

Elijah warned the people to quit halting between two opinions- if God is the God serve Him if Baal is God serve him.The people heard God’s prophet but they remained silent and let him fight alone- then after the victory, they joined in. Luke 10:31-32- in the parable of the good Samaritan – the evil men beat and robbed the man, two more evil men did nothing about it- only the Samaritan was justified because he stood up for what was right even at risk of his own life. In the fight against evil there can be no neutral ground that please God (Matt. 12:30- He that is not for me is against Me and he who does not gather with Me scatter abroad).

Too many have mistakenly assumed that good is merely the

absence of doing wrong. A person is not good just because he has

done no evilA biblically good person actively works for what is good (1 Pet.

3:11- let him turn from evil and do good, let him seek peace and

pursue it.). James 4:17- “he that knows to do good and does not do it, to him it

is sin.”

Reuben, the oldest brother knew that the plot of the brothers to kill Joseph was wrong.He started and attempt to rescue Joseph but while he delayed his brothers sold Joseph.When he found out he realized his inaction had contributed to what happened, instead of repenting he covered his guilt by going along with his brothers in the coverup and lied about Joseph’s disappearance (29-33). Reuben had good intentions, he was not present when the sale took place, but his inaction and absence made him just as guilty and this haunted the rest of his life (Gen. 42:21-22).

In Obadiah 11 Obadiah condemns the Edomites for doing nothing while evil befell their relatives, the Jews. Obadiah 11:1- On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. Edom did not attack Israel, they merely stood by and did nothing.

There are Christians today who fail to face the real foe of error and fight the enemy. Instead they turn inwardly on their own brethren who are taking the fight to the evil ones and these observers can only criticize and attack our of guilt and bitterness. Instead of seeing and attacking the real problem (sin and error), they get sidetracked and start consuming those who are taking a stand. And so those who stand and do right become the bad guy- at least in the mind of those who only observe. They call for retreat and leave the Uriah’s on the battlefield alone to die for the cause. In essence they sacrifice the faithful to the enemy and in doing so they show themselves cowards spiritually.

Paul warned of spiritual cannibalism in Gal. 5:15- “if you bite and devour one another be careful lest you be consumed one of another.” Some in their envy of others will provoke Christians, taunting them to misstep so they might feel justified (Gal. 5:26- “let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another”). While the actions of these is certainly sinful, what of those who sit by and watch these things happen? If we sit back and are silent while good brethren are slandered are we any better?

Those who fail to stand for what is right are sowing dangerous seed and

will reap what they sow (Gal. 6:7- “be not deceived, God will no be

mocked, whatever a man sows he will also reap”). Perhaps not in the life

but in the life to come all will be held accountable for what they have

done. Do not allow evil to triumph because

of your inaction. Stand up and be counted- speak out against evil and

rebuke evil men and their wicked ways.

Revelation 2-3- 7 churches- 5 on their way out because basically the men

did nothing about the problems even though they knew of the problems.

There has been a change in the dynamics of men today. God’s arrangement for the home has changed.Husband- Head---Wife- Subject to her husband- Children obedient.Husbands/Fathers- Eph. 6:4- provoke not children to wrath, training them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

All too often good men have surrendered and are intimidated by the women and children of the home.God did not endorse dictatorship in the home.He did command headship and leadership.The buck stops with the husband. When husbands do not rule their house well, it becomes someone else’s problem (society, the church).

Wives, daughters and sons live sinful lives w/o any consequences.Many men reply that they can do nothing with their wives. If you cannot get them to live godly bring it before the church. If they will be subject, seek the help of the brethren.If your children will not submit to your rule, seek the help of your brethren (as Israel of old was told to do with a child that was incorrigible).

Modesty issues with their families? What do you do about immodesty in your home men? Do you speak out against it and enforce what you say with consequences for disobedience?Substance issues? What do you do about these things? If you cannot handle the issues do you bring it to the church to help?Proms, dances etc- Do you speak out against these things or just let things go on against your wishes? Turmoil in your family? Do you allow strife and division in your home? Do you stand up and say what is right and demand that all walk in the right paths? If your family will not submit do you seek the help of your brethren?

How do we deal with error?How do we deal with planning ahead?Do we follow through on what is decided?Do we let the work stop because of the arbitrary (non-scriptural) objections of one?No minority rule in the Lord’s church, and certainly not majority rule (only God’s rule). Do otherwise good men sit back and let others carry the load of the work? Aren’t we all responsible to sow the Seed? To reach the lost? To live righteously? To practice discipline in the church and in our homes? When good men do nothing- the Lord’s church is cheated out of proper organization.

“bad will be the day for every man when he becomes absolutely content with the life that he is living, with the thoughts that he is thinking, with the deeds that he is doing, when there is not forever beating at the doors of his soul some great desire to do something larger, which he knows he was meant and made to do, because he is still in spite of all the child of God.” Good brother and sister never become complacent and fail to challenge yourself to greater service.

Ezek 22:30- And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.The result- the land is destroyed.Where are the men who have the courage of Joshua and not only make the commitment in words, but follow through on the rules in their house (Josh. 24:15- “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”). 5 charts in this lesson gleaned from a sermon by Jeff Hamilton.