Why Good Men Do Nothing Part 2

                

  Previously, we began to tackle the passivity problem in the church.  Make no mistake, it is an epidemic.  Uninvolved men are commonplace, or maybe even rampant.  Your church is not unique.  The men you know are probably not unique.  You too, may be part of the passive crowd.  You are not unique either.  If we dare to hope to stem the tide of this problem, we must ask, “Why?”.  We, as men, must talk about it.  We can no longer afford to avoid addressing this problem.

               We are not victims of our culture, or anything else for that matter.  Victims are powerless.  We are men as described in Romans 8:37.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

               In part 1 of “Why Good Men Do Nothing Part 1” I concluded by asking, “Are you passive in the things that matter because you are active in the things that don’t?”  Far too often, we are guilty of the Demas demise (II Timothy 4:7).  We love this present world.  The Greek word for “present”, means now.  We, like Demas, love what the world offers us now.  This is a problem for us for two reasons.  First, Colossians 3:1 – 2 clearly teaches that if we are saved, our focus should be upward.

               If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Our love should be singular, and not on this world.  We should also be living in light of the future.  Specifically, Titus 2:13 speaks of looking for the blessed hope.  We should live our lives looking for that future event.  Instead, we reject that truth by our actions.  Actions, or in this case, passivity speaks louder than words.   

Loving the world is just one reason why we are passive.  Why else do good men do nothing?  Another reason comes down to fear.  Men are afraid of failure, the unknown, rejection, not being smart enough, not having the answers, and on and on.

I recently saw a meme with fear as an acronym.  F.E.A.R.  Forget Everything And Run. 

 

This one is an enigma to me.  Boys are born thrill seekers.  From an early age, we spit in the face of fear.  We dare to do first what our peers will not.  History is littered with men who harnessed their fears and did the impossible.  Men like Admiral Byrd, Ed Pulaski, William Clark, Meriwether Lewis, Alvin York, Chris Kyle, Charles Lindberg, Kit Carson, and Pat Garett.  I could go on, but you get the point.  If you don’t know these men, look them up.    

Men face fears for noble reasons, and sometimes for no reason at all.  Base jumping anyone?  Somehow, Christianity becomes kryptonite.  We, who are more than conquerors, are paralyzed by fear!  We become powerless to rise from our seat in the pew, mute, unable to speak.  We, who would scale Mount Everest, are afraid to involve ourselves in the spiritual life God has created us for (Ephesians 2:10).  We are afraid to trust God, who alone is worthy of our trust.  In fear, we offer excuses.  Pitiful excuses that begin with phrases like, “I could never…”, or “I don’t feel called to…”, or “I don’t have time in my schedule to…”.  Romans 8:15 is clear.

For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received to Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Fear is not from the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit gives us security and comfort through the Spirit of adoption.  We should also note that fear is bondage!  Fear enslaves us!  Christian men are more often slaves to fear than servants to Christ.

               Every one of us has a role to play in the Body of Christ, and none of us should view pew sitting as the fulfillment of that role.  We can serve the Lord with gladness (Psalm 100:2) or we can serve the Lord in weakness, fear, and in much trembling (I Corinthians 2:3).  Either way, we should just serve the Lord!  Fear is no excuse for disobedience.