25.04.10 - When Doing Good Has A Price

I think there is a link between influence and cost.

There are things we could do but, because of the cost, we shrink back from and say, “Oh no, I won’t get involved.” But when we don’t do it, we have no influence.

Today we remember those who fought in war –particularly the New Zealand and Australian troops. According to the figures I saw, 7,956,888 troops died in World War One. That doesn’t include any civilian casualties. Nearly 8 million died trying to make a difference. In World War Two, 17,945,000 military personnel were killed or unaccounted for. In two wars nearly 26 million mainly young people lost their lives fighting for something. And millions more were wounded or paid some other price.

If we assume that they all believed in what they were fighting for, 26 million people gave their lives for something they believed in and trying to make a difference. We often refer to the freedom we have because they, and all those who survived, fought. Their influence continues. They changed the history of the world. We live in freedom because of them. But there was a cost – a terrible, terrible cost.

What would the world be like now if they had all said, “Oh no, I won’t get involved.” We honour them because they did get involved and many laid down their lives.

You might have read the horrible story in the Ensign this week about a Captain Tibbetts from Waikaia who had served in the First Afghan War between 1838 and 1842. He was apparently a hothead who would shoot at anything, including people. The article said: Capt Tibbetts, who was suspected of insanity, discovered one of his horses had been lamed and blamed the men on Switzer’s station.

He set off in a rage, intending to shoot everyone except the woman and child who lived there.

His brother, Charles feared there would be a catastrophe and set off to warn Switzer’s staff.

Meanwhile, Capt Tibbetts armed himself with a gun and revolver and, taking his dogs, set off for Switzer’s.

Most of the staff hid in the hills but the cook hid in scrub and was found by Capt Tibbetts and killed. He shot at a woman but missed her, before returning to his hut.

His brother and an Inspector Moreton, of the mounted police, waited for Tibbetts to return home. When he returned, Charles ordered his brother to lay down his arms. Capt Tibbetts replied by firing his gun through the door and windows of the hut.

Charles shot and killed his brother, then immediately tried to kill himself but was restrained by the inspector.

Charles Tibbetts knew that he had to do something to make a difference. He had to try to influence the situation. He tried to warn the Switzer’s staff. He then tried to get a peaceful resolution. It wasn’t to be. He had to shoot his own brother. That cost was so high he tried to kill himself as well.

There is a link between influence and cost. If Charles Tibbetts had not got involved many more might have been killed. He made a difference but he had to pay a price.

We could list tens of thousands of other examples of people who were influential but for whom there was a huge cost. William Wilberforce was influential. He led the fight to abolish slavery. He changed the world and he changed the lives of millions of individuals. He entered parliament in 1784. From 1789 onwards he frequently moved parliamentary resolutions against the British slave trade. It took 18 years before that trade was abolished. But a parliamentary resolution didn’t stop it happening. Wilberforce campaigned for the enforcement of that ban and also for European agreement to abolish the trade. Slaves weren’t set free in the British Empire until 1833, 44 years after Wilberforce had started his campaign.

The cost? 44 years of his life; vicious opposition; finance; his health. He could have said, “I won’t get involved. It is too costly.” He got involved; he paid the price; slavery was abolished.

Wilberforce wrote a book called A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes in this Country contrasted with real Christianity. You might not guess it from the title but listen to this comment about that book: ‘Seven thousand five hundred copies were sold in six months. Few books have been more influential. The ‘reformation of manners’ for which Wilberforce had campaigned, took place before his eyes. Cock-fighting, bull- and bear-baiting died out through lack of support. Bookshops selling ‘dirty books’ had to close down for lack of customers.

Many have paid a much greater price: those who have died for their faith; those who have been tortured and imprisoned; missionaries who left everything to take the gospel to those who have never heard it.

All these people are doing is good. How come doing good is so often costly?

And doesn’t it seem that many of the greatest influencers have paid the greatest price? No one has had greater influence than Jesus – and no one has paid a higher price.

We could add the apostles, most of whom were martyred for their preaching of Christianity; the early Christians in the Roman Empire who were persecuted but who stood up for what they believed; and the many more Christians who have died in the centuries since simply because they refused to deny Jesus.

People say the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. The church often seems to thrive under persecution and to be very weak when things are easy. When people see others dying for their faith, that speaks loudly. You would think that persecution would drive people away from Jesus. And, of course, it does. Many don’t become Christians because being a Christian is too dangerous. But others make the opposite choice. People choose to follow Jesus when they see the courage and faithfulness of those who die for following Him. Willingness to suffer is perhaps more influential than just about anything else.

There is the famous story of the 40 Roman soldiers who refused to worship the emperor because that would mean denying Jesus. The penalty was death but their commander also knew that they were among his bravest and most faithful men. He urged them to change their minds but they would not. And so they were commanded to strip off their clothes and sit naked in the middle of a frozen lake. On the shore was a tub of warm water – an invitation to them to give in. As they sat freezing on that ice they encouraged themselves saying that freezing for one night was better than burning in hell for ever. And they sang “Forty brave soldiers for Jesus”.

After a while, one could stand it no longer and asked to be carried to the warm tub. The remaining soldiers continued but changed their song to “Thirty nine brave soldiers for Jesus.”

Suddenly one of the guards threw off his cloths and ran out onto the lake singing, “40 brave soldiers for Jesus.”

Sometimes, dying is the most powerful influence of all.

Mark 15:39 When the centurion, who stood there is front of Jesus, saw how He died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Look at people like Martin Luther King or Anne Frank who died in a German concentration camp, along with all of her family, but whose diary is a classic. Or Corrie Ten Boom who survived a concentration camp (although her family didn’t) but who went on to have huge influence through her book, The Hiding Place, and as a Christian speaker. The greatest influencers have paid the greatest price.

I think the children, parents and staff of the Elim Christian School were highly influential. Seven died in the canyoning tragedy but people saw the way the students, parents and staff handled it. What about those Christian young people at Columbine High School who died for their faith. How many people will be in heaven because those young people loved Jesus more than life itself? What an influence!

Sometimes, of course, the cost arises because people have fought against something that is wrong – against some evil, such as slavery or racism or abortion or poverty – and those who benefit from the evil will fight to defend it. The spiritual forces behind those evils will also fight to preserve them. It takes massive courage to fight for truth and right. Those who do, often pay a price.

Maybe the fact that influence is often costly shouldn’t surprise us.
John 12:23-26 23 Jesus replied, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Those who love their life will lose it, while those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me.

He was speaking about His own death but He expressed a principle that applies more universally. Unless a seed dies, it remains a single seed. Only by dying does it become many seeds. Only by dying does it begin to be fruitful. Without dying, nothing changes. It remains a single seed.

Then Jesus talked about those who would follow Him. Do you love life in this world and want to cling onto it? Or do you care nothing for this life compared with being obedient?

Christians are potentially hugely influential. People can be in heaven because of us. People can know forgiveness and peace and what it is to be loved. There is just massive good that we can do. The whole of society could be transformed. Crime could cease. Domestic violence could be a thing of the past. Pubs could close for lack of business, and bookshops selling dirty books!

We can’t do any of this by ourselves but if we cooperate with God, we can do massive good. We don’t have to be famous. One person praying unnoticed by the world, can move the hand of God.

But there is the question of the cost. Influence is costly. Influence is about change and people might resist change. If we think about the influence that God wants us to have, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Isn’t it evangelism – trying to influence someone to put his/her faith in Jesus? Yet we fear being rejected or criticised or thought to be stupid. There is even a cost in praying – just the discipline and willingness to give time to prayer.

Are you more inspired by those who get involved despite the fact that there is a price to pay, or those who don’t get involved; who won’t pay that price and who therefore achieve nothing? Do you respect those who don’t care about this life compared with being obedient to God, or those who are more interested in being comfortable?

Which group are you going to be part of?

There is a cost to following Jesus. It is not for the fainthearted. Many people followed Jesus just wanting the thrills and the blessings. Jesus didn’t like crowds because if too many people were following, it suggested they hadn’t understood the cost. He challenged crowds.

READ Luke 14:25-35

Count the cost. Decide whether or not you are willing to put Jesus before everything else. Anyone who is willing to put Jesus before anything else is bound to be influential. Those people will make a difference. Those people will hear God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The greatest potential for making a difference is as a follower of Jesus, not only because Christians can address the most important issues and can make a difference that lasts for eternity, but also because followers of Jesus can work with God, filled with His Holy Spirit. To follow Jesus, we must put Him ahead of everything else. But if we do, our influence can be huge. Even if it is just huge in one life; even if just one person is saved for eternity, it is huge.