1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:04,640 Well, some folks have expressed surprise that I should be here today 2 00:00:06,480 –> 00:00:08,960 and have described it as an act of courage 3 00:00:09,840 –> 00:00:15,800 that a British person should stand in this pulpit on the 4th of July. 4 00:00:17,360 –> 00:00:18,639 I suppose the very best thing 5 00:00:18,639 –> 00:00:21,040 for me to say today is congratulations. 6 00:00:23,480 –> 00:00:26,840 Some of you know that our oldest son, Andrew, has just graduated 7 00:00:26,840 –> 00:00:30,840 from high school and our senior high ministry 8 00:00:30,840 –> 00:00:35,400 ran a celebration for graduating seniors a few weeks ago, 9 00:00:35,400 –> 00:00:38,919 all of us as parents attended with great joy. 10 00:00:38,919 –> 00:00:44,040 And during that evening, we were treated to what was called a senior prophecy. 11 00:00:44,040 –> 00:00:45,880 This is written by the youth leaders 12 00:00:45,880 –> 00:00:48,840 and was a document purporting to describe 13 00:00:48,840 –> 00:00:53,400 what each of our graduating seniors might be doing in the year 2020. 14 00:00:54,200 –> 00:00:59,000 The letter describes various students who would end up being teachers 15 00:00:59,000 –> 00:01:02,840 and then these words were read for all of us gathered. 16 00:01:03,720 –> 00:01:07,080 One final teacher, this is in the year 2020, 17 00:01:07,080 –> 00:01:09,720 was the senior pastor’s son, Drew Smith. 18 00:01:10,599 –> 00:01:14,680 Drew wound up back home in the wonderful United Kingdom 19 00:01:14,680 –> 00:01:18,360 where he is a renowned professor of United States history. 20 00:01:18,760 –> 00:01:22,839 His favourite class to teach his fellow countrymen is called 21 00:01:23,000 –> 00:01:28,680 How Our Great Empire Lost to a Measly 13 Colonies in 1776. 22 00:01:31,720 –> 00:01:34,440 Well, I think it’s rather appropriate that the nation’s birthday 23 00:01:34,440 –> 00:01:36,360 should fall on a Sunday this year 24 00:01:37,239 –> 00:01:41,800 because surely we have so many reasons to give thanks to God 25 00:01:41,800 –> 00:01:44,919 for his goodness to us as a nation 26 00:01:45,080 –> 00:01:48,199 to us as a nation as well as individually 27 00:01:48,199 –> 00:01:50,760 and it’s really in that spirit of gratitude 28 00:01:51,400 –> 00:01:54,959 that I want to draw your attention today to some words of Jesus 29 00:01:54,959 –> 00:01:56,820 that again are very easily forgotten 30 00:01:56,820 –> 00:01:58,779 or perhaps neglected 31 00:01:58,779 –> 00:02:02,279 but are highly appropriate for us today. 32 00:02:02,279 –> 00:02:06,540 You’ll find them in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 12 and verse 48. 33 00:02:06,540 –> 00:02:11,300 If you’d look there the second part of the verse Luke 12 and verse 48 34 00:02:11,300 –> 00:02:12,979 Jesus said, 35 00:02:27,619 –> 00:02:30,679 I was 14 years old when I discovered that verse, 36 00:02:30,679 –> 00:02:32,960 I’ll never forget the evening. 37 00:02:32,960 –> 00:02:37,300 It was a Sunday night, we had a new youth leader 38 00:02:37,300 –> 00:02:39,559 for the high school group 39 00:02:39,699 –> 00:02:43,500 that I was part of in a small church in Edinburgh, Scotland. 40 00:02:43,500 –> 00:02:44,699 He was just married, 41 00:02:44,699 –> 00:02:48,220 he was beginning work on a PhD in Edinburgh university, 42 00:02:48,220 –> 00:02:50,740 he and his wife had come to our church 43 00:02:50,740 –> 00:02:53,940 and they wanted to get involved in leading our youth group. 44 00:02:53,940 –> 00:02:57,699 And our new leader told to us teenagers his life story 45 00:02:57,699 –> 00:02:59,460 and he spoke of the many privileges 46 00:02:59,460 –> 00:03:01,460 and opportunities of his life. 47 00:03:01,460 –> 00:03:03,639 And then summed it up in this verse, 48 00:03:04,820 –> 00:03:08,240 from everyone who has been given much, 49 00:03:08,339 –> 00:03:09,820 much will be demanded. 50 00:03:10,820 –> 00:03:14,320 And from the one who has been entrusted with much, 51 00:03:14,320 –> 00:03:16,479 much more will be asked. 52 00:03:16,479 –> 00:03:18,119 Youth leader’s name was David Cooke. 53 00:03:18,119 –> 00:03:20,559 He went on to be a distinguished professor 54 00:03:20,559 –> 00:03:22,279 at Oxford University, 55 00:03:22,279 –> 00:03:25,080 and now teaches at Wheaton College. 56 00:03:25,080 –> 00:03:27,639 Has been in this pulpit on more than one occasion. 57 00:03:28,779 –> 00:03:31,539 30 years later, I still remember his youth talk. 58 00:03:32,800 –> 00:03:37,380 Luke’s gospel, chapter 12, verse 48. 59 00:03:38,639 –> 00:03:40,619 And the principal still lives with me, 60 00:03:40,619 –> 00:03:42,520 and I think needs to live with us all. 61 00:03:43,679 –> 00:03:45,320 If God’s given you much, 62 00:03:46,500 –> 00:03:49,240 he expects much from you. 63 00:03:50,520 –> 00:03:52,160 And I think that’s true of an individual, 64 00:03:52,160 –> 00:03:54,059 it’s true of a family, 65 00:03:54,059 –> 00:03:55,160 it’s true of a church, 66 00:03:55,160 –> 00:03:56,360 it’s true of a community, 67 00:03:56,360 –> 00:03:57,559 it’s true of a nation. 68 00:03:59,880 –> 00:04:02,860 Last fall, Karin and I were enjoying the pleasure 69 00:04:02,860 –> 00:04:04,240 of an evening, being entertained 70 00:04:04,240 –> 00:04:06,660 in the home of Gordian Priscilla Gault, 71 00:04:06,740 –> 00:04:08,740 where we enjoyed some delightful company 72 00:04:08,740 –> 00:04:11,360 of a number of people including Jim Skillon, 73 00:04:11,360 –> 00:04:12,399 who as some of you will know, 74 00:04:12,399 –> 00:04:15,580 serves the Lord in the Center For Public Justice 75 00:04:15,580 –> 00:04:16,660 in Washington, 76 00:04:16,660 –> 00:04:19,100 and Mark Null who teaches at Wheaton College. 77 00:04:19,100 –> 00:04:20,619 And we were talking about what it means 78 00:04:20,619 –> 00:04:22,019 to be a Christian citizen 79 00:04:22,019 –> 00:04:23,940 and the responsibilities of the church 80 00:04:23,940 –> 00:04:25,920 in our nation at this time. 81 00:04:25,920 –> 00:04:28,320 And being in this erudite company 82 00:04:28,320 –> 00:04:30,679 and never wanting to miss an opportunity 83 00:04:30,679 –> 00:04:32,660 to pick someone else’s brains, 84 00:04:32,660 –> 00:04:34,540 I pointed out that the fourth of July 85 00:04:34,540 –> 00:04:36,140 would come on a Sunday this year, 86 00:04:36,160 –> 00:04:38,320 and so asked these guests 87 00:04:38,320 –> 00:04:42,540 what they thought would be a prime text 88 00:04:42,540 –> 00:04:44,140 to bring before God’s people 89 00:04:44,140 –> 00:04:45,920 on Sunday the fourth of July, 90 00:04:45,920 –> 00:04:48,260 and there was a little bit of a pause. 91 00:04:48,260 –> 00:04:49,779 And then Mark Null said, 92 00:04:50,799 –> 00:04:52,540 from everyone 93 00:04:52,540 –> 00:04:53,980 who has been given much, 94 00:04:55,140 –> 00:04:56,519 much will be demanded. 95 00:04:57,660 –> 00:04:58,619 And as soon as he said that, 96 00:04:58,619 –> 00:04:59,459 of course, 97 00:04:59,459 –> 00:05:00,299 my mind went back 98 00:05:00,299 –> 00:05:03,260 to 14 year old sitting on the floor 99 00:05:03,760 –> 00:05:04,579 in Scotland 100 00:05:05,440 –> 00:05:07,839 hearing a distinguished professor’s testimony. 101 00:05:09,619 –> 00:05:10,799 And I knew that was the text 102 00:05:10,799 –> 00:05:11,859 for us today. 103 00:05:13,640 –> 00:05:15,160 The principle that Jesus teaches 104 00:05:15,160 –> 00:05:16,140 is very simple, 105 00:05:16,140 –> 00:05:17,459 but if we can grasp it, 106 00:05:17,459 –> 00:05:19,260 it has the power to change 107 00:05:19,260 –> 00:05:21,100 the direction of your life, 108 00:05:21,100 –> 00:05:22,200 to change the way 109 00:05:22,200 –> 00:05:25,600 in which you think about your life, 110 00:05:25,600 –> 00:05:26,440 the greatest gift 111 00:05:26,440 –> 00:05:27,779 that he’s trusted to you. 112 00:05:28,899 –> 00:05:30,059 So this morning I want simply 113 00:05:30,059 –> 00:05:31,820 to try and work this principle 114 00:05:31,820 –> 00:05:32,899 into our minds 115 00:05:32,899 –> 00:05:34,140 and into our hearts 116 00:05:34,140 –> 00:05:35,940 so that we’ll be enriched by it 117 00:05:35,940 –> 00:05:36,980 and so that we’ll live 118 00:05:36,980 –> 00:05:38,660 in the light of it. 119 00:05:38,660 –> 00:05:40,299 Now, I found a very simple diagram 120 00:05:40,299 –> 00:05:41,700 has helped me 121 00:05:41,700 –> 00:05:44,100 to get the teaching of Jesus 122 00:05:44,100 –> 00:05:46,980 at this point clear in my mind. 123 00:05:46,980 –> 00:05:47,940 He reminds us, 124 00:05:47,940 –> 00:05:49,739 you’ll see in this text, 125 00:05:49,739 –> 00:05:52,220 of what we’ve been given, 126 00:05:52,220 –> 00:05:53,380 then he reminds us 127 00:05:53,380 –> 00:05:57,059 of what has been entrusted to us. 128 00:05:57,059 –> 00:05:57,859 He speaks, in other words, 129 00:05:57,859 –> 00:05:59,059 of our great privileges, 130 00:05:59,059 –> 00:05:59,820 what you’re given, 131 00:05:59,820 –> 00:06:01,179 what’s trusted to you. 132 00:06:02,019 –> 00:06:02,779 But then he goes on 133 00:06:02,779 –> 00:06:04,660 to speak of our responsibilities. 134 00:06:04,660 –> 00:06:05,859 You see, he talks about 135 00:06:05,859 –> 00:06:08,179 what is demanded of us. 136 00:06:08,179 –> 00:06:11,500 He talks about what is asked of us. 137 00:06:13,059 –> 00:06:14,380 So he talks about our privileges, 138 00:06:14,380 –> 00:06:17,019 he talks about our responsibilities, 139 00:06:17,019 –> 00:06:18,579 and then finally at the very heart 140 00:06:18,579 –> 00:06:19,899 of the verse, 141 00:06:19,899 –> 00:06:21,260 there is this whole matter 142 00:06:21,260 –> 00:06:22,540 of proportion. 143 00:06:23,619 –> 00:06:27,739 Notice that he speaks of much, 144 00:06:27,739 –> 00:06:29,059 right at the heart of the verse. 145 00:06:29,059 –> 00:06:29,820 Four times. 146 00:06:29,859 –> 00:06:32,339 Much given, much demanded, 147 00:06:32,339 –> 00:06:36,140 much entrusted, much asked. 148 00:06:38,019 –> 00:06:39,140 So let’s think, first of all, 149 00:06:39,140 –> 00:06:40,779 then, about this whole business 150 00:06:40,779 –> 00:06:42,299 of privilege 151 00:06:42,299 –> 00:06:44,260 and the wonderful word given. 152 00:06:44,260 –> 00:06:45,899 Isn’t that a beautiful word? 153 00:06:46,859 –> 00:06:48,739 From everyone to whom much 154 00:06:48,739 –> 00:06:50,619 has been given. 155 00:06:51,579 –> 00:06:54,980 Given is God’s word. 156 00:06:56,899 –> 00:06:58,619 Now, notice that Jesus says, 157 00:06:58,619 –> 00:06:59,579 it does not say, 158 00:06:59,579 –> 00:07:02,619 from everyone who has much, 159 00:07:02,619 –> 00:07:07,380 he says, from everyone who has been given much. 160 00:07:07,380 –> 00:07:08,500 And there’s a big difference 161 00:07:08,500 –> 00:07:11,420 between the person who says I have much 162 00:07:11,420 –> 00:07:14,540 and the person who says I’ve been given much. 163 00:07:14,540 –> 00:07:18,459 They’re altogether different approaches to life. 164 00:07:18,459 –> 00:07:21,420 Some people think of themselves as having much, 165 00:07:21,420 –> 00:07:23,820 others think of themselves as being given much, 166 00:07:23,820 –> 00:07:26,739 and there’s all the difference in the world. 167 00:07:26,739 –> 00:07:28,940 In fact, this word given really takes us 168 00:07:28,940 –> 00:07:32,459 to the heart of a Christian view of life. 169 00:07:32,459 –> 00:07:33,859 You can tell a big difference 170 00:07:33,859 –> 00:07:36,980 by whether a man or a woman understands 171 00:07:36,980 –> 00:07:39,019 what they have been given. 172 00:07:39,019 –> 00:07:41,940 The difference is well-illustrated by two men in the Bible, 173 00:07:41,940 –> 00:07:43,920 both of whom were kings. 174 00:07:43,920 –> 00:07:47,220 One was Nebuchadnezzar, who was the king of Babylon, 175 00:07:47,220 –> 00:07:50,859 and the other was King David, who was the king of Israel. 176 00:07:50,859 –> 00:07:54,619 And the Bible records a moment in each of their lives 177 00:07:54,660 –> 00:07:58,720 that reveals the heart of how they saw their life. 178 00:07:58,720 –> 00:08:01,380 One day, Nebuchadnezzar was out on the roof 179 00:08:01,380 –> 00:08:03,700 in his royal palace, try and picture this, 180 00:08:03,700 –> 00:08:06,179 in Babylon, the great king in his robes 181 00:08:06,179 –> 00:08:09,260 and he’s walking on the roof of his own palace. 182 00:08:09,260 –> 00:08:11,820 And he looks over the city and all the construction 183 00:08:11,820 –> 00:08:14,140 and the art and the culture 184 00:08:14,140 –> 00:08:19,140 of his great and vast, extending empire beyond the palace. 185 00:08:19,380 –> 00:08:21,100 And Nebuchadnezzar looks at it all 186 00:08:21,100 –> 00:08:24,200 and he says in Daniel chapter 4, in verse 30, 187 00:08:24,440 –> 00:08:29,519 is not this the great Babylon I have built 188 00:08:30,720 –> 00:08:34,460 as a royal residence for my mighty power 189 00:08:34,460 –> 00:08:36,960 and for the glory of my majesty? 190 00:08:36,960 –> 00:08:38,099 That’s Nebuchadnezzar. 191 00:08:39,500 –> 00:08:43,059 He looks at all he has and he says, look what I’ve done. 192 00:08:45,200 –> 00:08:47,280 And then let me take you to another scene. 193 00:08:48,280 –> 00:08:51,919 Another king at the height of his power, David, 194 00:08:51,919 –> 00:08:55,000 he’s defeated his enemies, he’s built his palace, 195 00:08:55,000 –> 00:08:57,440 he’s accomplished what no other king before him 196 00:08:57,440 –> 00:09:00,239 or in the old Testament after him was able to achieve 197 00:09:01,200 –> 00:09:03,760 and God had just given him an incredible promise 198 00:09:03,760 –> 00:09:05,520 that his throne would be established 199 00:09:05,520 –> 00:09:07,299 and his kingdom would last forever 200 00:09:07,299 –> 00:09:09,260 that a son would be on the throne 201 00:09:09,260 –> 00:09:10,760 and that it would be unending 202 00:09:10,760 –> 00:09:13,479 and overwhelmed by all of this blessing. 203 00:09:13,479 –> 00:09:15,200 Here’s how David responded. 204 00:09:15,200 –> 00:09:19,039 King David went in we’re told and he sat before the Lord 205 00:09:19,039 –> 00:09:22,320 and he said, who am I Oh Lord God 206 00:09:23,799 –> 00:09:28,799 and what is my family that you have brought me this far 207 00:09:33,640 –> 00:09:36,559 and looks at his achievements and he says 208 00:09:36,559 –> 00:09:38,159 not look what I’ve accomplished 209 00:09:39,200 –> 00:09:41,000 but Luke what God has done. 210 00:09:41,000 –> 00:09:42,900 You see the difference 211 00:09:42,900 –> 00:09:45,500 all the difference in the world between these two men 212 00:09:46,440 –> 00:09:49,780 and for all his remarkable achievements 213 00:09:49,780 –> 00:09:53,619 the amazing thing is that even at the end of his great life 214 00:09:53,619 –> 00:09:55,539 King David never lost the sense 215 00:09:55,539 –> 00:10:00,000 of what he owed to the abundant goodness of God. 216 00:10:00,000 –> 00:10:01,580 It’s not what I’ve accomplished 217 00:10:01,580 –> 00:10:04,780 it’s what I’ve been given, given. 218 00:10:07,580 –> 00:10:10,659 At the end of the first book of chronicles 219 00:10:10,659 –> 00:10:15,179 you’ll find David in his last public address 220 00:10:15,179 –> 00:10:17,780 before he dies he’s been gathering funding 221 00:10:17,780 –> 00:10:19,619 for the construction of a new temple 222 00:10:19,619 –> 00:10:22,080 that his son Solomon would complete 223 00:10:22,080 –> 00:10:23,960 and I’ve put the words up on the screen here 224 00:10:23,960 –> 00:10:25,340 so that we can read them aloud. 225 00:10:25,340 –> 00:10:27,159 I want you to notice how the emphasis 226 00:10:27,159 –> 00:10:31,580 of David’s thought and his words is not upon himself 227 00:10:31,580 –> 00:10:35,520 but it’s upon God we’re told there that David 228 00:10:35,520 –> 00:10:38,559 praised the Lord in the midst of the whole assembly saying 229 00:10:38,559 –> 00:10:41,320 and can we read this together there are several screens 230 00:10:41,320 –> 00:10:44,520 now I want you to emphasize the emphasized words 231 00:10:44,719 –> 00:10:46,960 your and your as we read them together 232 00:10:46,960 –> 00:10:49,840 as an ascription of praise to God together. 233 00:10:49,840 –> 00:10:54,840 Praise be to you our Lord God of our father Israel 234 00:10:55,400 –> 00:10:58,840 from everlasting to everlasting. 235 00:10:58,840 –> 00:11:02,679 Yours, Oh, Lord, is the power and the glory 236 00:11:02,679 –> 00:11:05,380 and the majesty and the splendor 237 00:11:05,380 –> 00:11:09,799 for everything in heaven and earth is yours. 238 00:11:09,799 –> 00:11:12,679 Yours, Oh, Lord is the kingdom. 239 00:11:12,679 –> 00:11:16,219 You are exalted as head over all. 240 00:11:16,219 –> 00:11:19,239 Wealth and honor come from you. 241 00:11:19,239 –> 00:11:21,880 You are the ruler of all things. 242 00:11:21,880 –> 00:11:25,760 In your hands are strength and power to exalt 243 00:11:25,760 –> 00:11:28,159 and give strength to all. 244 00:11:28,159 –> 00:11:31,159 Now our God we give you thanks 245 00:11:31,159 –> 00:11:34,280 and praise your glorious name 246 00:11:34,280 –> 00:11:37,960 but who am I and who are my people 247 00:11:37,960 –> 00:11:42,559 that we should be able to give as generously as this 248 00:11:42,599 –> 00:11:45,400 everything comes from you 249 00:11:45,400 –> 00:11:50,400 and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 250 00:11:50,619 –> 00:11:52,820 Can you see there’s all the difference in the world here? 251 00:11:53,960 –> 00:11:56,299 Look what I’ve accomplished. 252 00:11:57,799 –> 00:11:59,960 Look what God has done. 253 00:12:01,000 –> 00:12:02,700 Look what I have. 254 00:12:04,760 –> 00:12:06,119 Look what I’ve been given. 255 00:12:08,320 –> 00:12:10,559 Now Jesus emphasizes his word. 256 00:12:10,559 –> 00:12:15,500 Don’t forget the incredible privilege given much 257 00:12:18,659 –> 00:12:22,380 and it all comes from the sovereign hand of a gracious God 258 00:12:22,380 –> 00:12:26,440 from whom every good and perfect gift comes down. 259 00:12:26,440 –> 00:12:29,880 You know someone said the hardest thing 260 00:12:29,880 –> 00:12:33,359 about being an atheist is that you don’t have anybody 261 00:12:33,359 –> 00:12:36,820 to thank when something good happens in your life 262 00:12:37,719 –> 00:12:38,900 and I think that’s true. 263 00:12:39,900 –> 00:12:42,840 At the very heart of the Christian faith is the conviction 264 00:12:42,840 –> 00:12:45,200 not only that God is good but that he’s good to me, 265 00:12:45,200 –> 00:12:50,200 that he’s the great giver and I’m forever in his debt. 266 00:12:51,919 –> 00:12:54,719 Now that’s the first point that Jesus emphasizes. 267 00:12:54,719 –> 00:12:59,719 Privilege, privilege, second responsibility. 268 00:12:59,960 –> 00:13:04,039 From the one who has been entrusted with much, 269 00:13:04,039 –> 00:13:06,739 he goes on to say much will be asked 270 00:13:06,739 –> 00:13:09,340 Now this word entrusted is very interesting. 271 00:13:09,340 –> 00:13:12,299 It literally means put on deposit. 272 00:13:12,299 –> 00:13:14,200 In other words, it’s the kind of word that you would use 273 00:13:14,200 –> 00:13:19,059 of putting money in a bank or investing money in a fund. 274 00:13:19,059 –> 00:13:20,460 And when you put money in the bank 275 00:13:20,460 –> 00:13:22,500 or you put money in a fund, 276 00:13:22,500 –> 00:13:24,760 you’re looking for a good return on it. 277 00:13:24,760 –> 00:13:27,780 And so it’s very significant that Jesus uses this word, 278 00:13:27,780 –> 00:13:32,780 entrusted alongside the word that we’ve already seen given. 279 00:13:32,780 –> 00:13:35,200 Entrusted reminds us that while God 280 00:13:35,219 –> 00:13:37,159 gives many good gifts to us, 281 00:13:37,159 –> 00:13:41,400 He remains the owner of all things. 282 00:13:41,400 –> 00:13:46,039 Whatever He has given to me is not mine by right, 283 00:13:46,039 –> 00:13:49,039 but it is mine by trust. 284 00:13:49,039 –> 00:13:50,919 In other words, we are stewards 285 00:13:50,919 –> 00:13:53,020 of all that He trusts into our hands, 286 00:13:53,020 –> 00:13:56,179 our very lives, and everything that we call out ours. 287 00:13:56,179 –> 00:13:58,000 We are accountable to Him 288 00:13:58,000 –> 00:14:00,640 for the way that we use what He has given. 289 00:14:01,479 –> 00:14:03,840 Now we naturally think of stewardship of course, 290 00:14:03,960 –> 00:14:05,919 as the way that we use money, 291 00:14:05,919 –> 00:14:08,179 and that’s a good place to begin. 292 00:14:08,179 –> 00:14:09,479 But the principle of stewardship 293 00:14:09,479 –> 00:14:12,479 of course goes far beyond the area of money. 294 00:14:12,479 –> 00:14:16,159 Stewardship begins when I recognize 295 00:14:16,159 –> 00:14:20,359 that everything that I have is a gift and a trust from God, 296 00:14:20,359 –> 00:14:24,859 and God is looking for a return on His investment. 297 00:14:26,119 –> 00:14:27,679 You ever thought about that? 298 00:14:27,679 –> 00:14:32,280 God is looking for a return on His investment. 299 00:14:32,280 –> 00:14:37,280 What’s entrusted, what’s put on deposit with you. 300 00:14:39,479 –> 00:14:42,260 And of course, when we give, we don’t give aimlessly, 301 00:14:42,260 –> 00:14:44,059 we give strategically, 302 00:14:44,059 –> 00:14:46,919 investing in that which we want to see developed, 303 00:14:47,799 –> 00:14:50,640 and we have that wisdom because that in some measure 304 00:14:50,640 –> 00:14:53,679 is a reflection of the way in which God also acts. 305 00:14:54,640 –> 00:14:56,840 If you have some money and you invest it, 306 00:14:56,840 –> 00:14:59,539 you watch what is happening with that investment. 307 00:14:59,539 –> 00:15:00,840 You don’t just walk away from it 308 00:15:00,840 –> 00:15:02,739 and completely forget about it. 309 00:15:03,900 –> 00:15:06,219 And of course, God operates in the same kind of way. 310 00:15:06,219 –> 00:15:08,219 God does not say, well, you know, 311 00:15:08,219 –> 00:15:10,780 I gave her a first-class brain, 312 00:15:10,780 –> 00:15:12,799 but of course, it doesn’t matter what she does with it 313 00:15:12,799 –> 00:15:15,359 because, hey, just as long as she has fun. 314 00:15:16,380 –> 00:15:19,719 God does not say, I prospered his business, 315 00:15:19,719 –> 00:15:21,440 but, hey, who cares what he does with it 316 00:15:21,440 –> 00:15:23,000 just as long as he has fun? 317 00:15:23,000 –> 00:15:25,239 No, the Biblical pattern is always that 318 00:15:25,239 –> 00:15:29,640 because God invests a trust in His people 319 00:15:29,640 –> 00:15:32,700 that blessing brings responsibility. 320 00:15:32,700 –> 00:15:34,419 You’ll see that right from the beginning of the Bible. 321 00:15:34,419 –> 00:15:36,419 Of course, in the story of Abraham, 322 00:15:36,419 –> 00:15:39,520 God says to him, I will bless you, 323 00:15:39,520 –> 00:15:41,200 and through you, all the nations 324 00:15:41,200 –> 00:15:42,280 of the earth will be blessed. 325 00:15:42,280 –> 00:15:43,640 We keep coming back to that verse 326 00:15:43,640 –> 00:15:45,559 because it’s so foundational. 327 00:15:45,559 –> 00:15:46,739 We talked a few weeks ago, 328 00:15:46,739 –> 00:15:50,059 you remember, of the image of a damn and a pipe. 329 00:15:50,059 –> 00:15:52,419 There’s all the difference in the world between the two. 330 00:15:52,419 –> 00:15:53,799 The purpose of God’s blessing 331 00:15:53,799 –> 00:15:55,559 is never that it ends with us. 332 00:15:55,559 –> 00:15:58,000 Always that it flows through us, 333 00:15:58,000 –> 00:16:00,599 not like the damn, rather like the pipe. 334 00:16:00,599 –> 00:16:03,500 That it flows through us, and that it comes to others. 335 00:16:03,500 –> 00:16:06,640 Great trust leads to great responsibility. 336 00:16:06,640 –> 00:16:11,640 Being given much leads to being asked much. 337 00:16:14,359 –> 00:16:17,460 Notice that our Lord uses this word demanded. 338 00:16:17,460 –> 00:16:19,599 That’s a strong word, isn’t it? 339 00:16:20,780 –> 00:16:24,179 Privilege brings responsibility. 340 00:16:25,000 –> 00:16:28,039 We’re not talking about that which is optional. 341 00:16:29,659 –> 00:16:31,580 I’m going to give you the first part 342 00:16:31,580 –> 00:16:34,739 of a very famous verse in the Old Testament 343 00:16:34,739 –> 00:16:36,340 so that we can think for a moment together 344 00:16:36,340 –> 00:16:37,859 about how we would end it. 345 00:16:37,859 –> 00:16:39,979 It’s from Amos chapter three in verse two. 346 00:16:41,140 –> 00:16:44,760 God says, you only have I chosen 347 00:16:44,760 –> 00:16:48,880 of all the families of the earth, therefore. 348 00:16:50,059 –> 00:16:52,979 Now how would you expect that verse to end? 349 00:16:53,080 –> 00:16:55,380 Isn’t that a beautiful verse, isn’t it? 350 00:16:55,380 –> 00:16:57,940 You only have I chosen of all the families 351 00:16:57,940 –> 00:16:59,539 of the earth, I’ve chosen you. 352 00:17:02,739 –> 00:17:06,319 Therefore, you’re going to have more fun 353 00:17:06,319 –> 00:17:08,420 than any other nation that’s ever existed. 354 00:17:11,339 –> 00:17:13,219 You want to know how that verse ends? 355 00:17:15,380 –> 00:17:18,380 You only have I chosen of all the families 356 00:17:18,439 –> 00:17:23,000 of the earth, therefore, I will punish your sins. 357 00:17:24,739 –> 00:17:26,119 Amos 3, verse two. 358 00:17:27,640 –> 00:17:29,699 We’re not sure we wanna be chosen of all the families 359 00:17:29,699 –> 00:17:30,900 of the earth now, right? 360 00:17:32,760 –> 00:17:34,060 But of course, it follows. 361 00:17:35,739 –> 00:17:38,300 I’ve made an investment in you, 362 00:17:38,300 –> 00:17:40,420 God says to His people in the Old Testament, 363 00:17:40,420 –> 00:17:42,260 and because I’ve made an investment, 364 00:17:42,260 –> 00:17:45,579 and I’ve given a trust, and I’ve built a strategic plan 365 00:17:45,739 –> 00:17:48,819 around your place, in my purpose for history, 366 00:17:48,819 –> 00:17:50,939 I cannot just let you go. 367 00:17:52,819 –> 00:17:54,219 But that’s why in the New Testament, 368 00:17:54,219 –> 00:17:57,660 it says that judgment begins with the house of God. 369 00:17:58,739 –> 00:18:00,900 That’s why it says God treats us as sons. 370 00:18:00,900 –> 00:18:04,099 He disciplines those who He loves 371 00:18:04,099 –> 00:18:08,140 because privilege brings responsibility. 372 00:18:08,140 –> 00:18:10,939 When God pours good gifts into our lives, 373 00:18:10,939 –> 00:18:15,060 and as Christian believers, embraces us in Jesus Christ, 374 00:18:15,060 –> 00:18:17,699 He doesn’t kind of leave us out there thereafter 375 00:18:17,699 –> 00:18:21,300 to live as we choose, our privilege is tied 376 00:18:21,300 –> 00:18:25,699 in its very nature to a responsibility that is ours. 377 00:18:27,119 –> 00:18:29,839 And this is surely the point of the word demanded. 378 00:18:30,880 –> 00:18:32,660 We all know in the sphere of sports 379 00:18:32,660 –> 00:18:36,060 that a good coach sets the highest standards 380 00:18:36,060 –> 00:18:39,219 for the most able athletes. 381 00:18:39,219 –> 00:18:41,219 Because they’re able to do something 382 00:18:41,219 –> 00:18:44,400 and their position, their trust, their calling 383 00:18:44,439 –> 00:18:47,760 is such that they must rise to that responsibility. 384 00:18:49,140 –> 00:18:52,020 And God treats us as sons in the same way. 385 00:18:53,040 –> 00:18:55,000 In other words, the pursuit of a God centered life 386 00:18:55,000 –> 00:18:57,099 is not something of an option for us 387 00:18:57,099 –> 00:18:58,619 to consider at our leisure. 388 00:18:58,619 –> 00:19:01,079 God doesn’t say, hey, feel free to take 389 00:19:01,079 –> 00:19:03,660 the next 10 years of your life to sort yourself out, 390 00:19:03,660 –> 00:19:06,160 discover who you are and, no, He says 391 00:19:06,160 –> 00:19:11,079 I’ve given you much, I’ve entrusted much to you. 392 00:19:12,040 –> 00:19:16,540 Now there’s a responsibility here that naturally follows. 393 00:19:18,199 –> 00:19:19,140 Privilege, responsibility. 394 00:19:22,000 –> 00:19:23,680 And then the third thing which I find very, 395 00:19:23,680 –> 00:19:26,359 very fascinating, the whole business of proportion. 396 00:19:27,680 –> 00:19:30,319 And here we come to this little word, much. 397 00:19:31,579 –> 00:19:35,780 From everyone who has been given much, 398 00:19:36,719 –> 00:19:38,959 much will be demanded. 399 00:19:38,959 –> 00:19:40,959 And from the one who has been entrusted 400 00:19:41,000 –> 00:19:44,599 with much, much more will be asked. 401 00:19:46,180 –> 00:19:48,359 In other words, in the principle of proportion, 402 00:19:48,359 –> 00:19:52,780 the more you’ve been given, the greater your responsibility. 403 00:19:53,680 –> 00:19:57,420 The greater your gifts, the higher your calling. 404 00:19:58,439 –> 00:20:02,119 It’s very obvious that life is not a level playing field. 405 00:20:02,119 –> 00:20:05,439 Some folks have been entrusted with much more than others. 406 00:20:05,560 –> 00:20:08,000 And God expects us to be faithful 407 00:20:08,000 –> 00:20:10,660 with what he has given to us. 408 00:20:10,699 –> 00:20:12,180 Again, you find this teaching right 409 00:20:12,180 –> 00:20:13,640 throughout the whole of the Bible. 410 00:20:13,640 –> 00:20:16,260 Jesus told a story in Matthew 25 411 00:20:16,260 –> 00:20:20,079 about a master who gave talents to his servants. 412 00:20:20,079 –> 00:20:22,099 To one, you remember, he gave five talents. 413 00:20:22,099 –> 00:20:23,479 To another, he gave two. 414 00:20:23,479 –> 00:20:27,459 And to a third, he gave just one, not much equality there. 415 00:20:27,459 –> 00:20:31,040 Not a level playing field, unequal distribution. 416 00:20:31,979 –> 00:20:33,880 And we see that all around us in life. 417 00:20:36,140 –> 00:20:37,780 The servants are trusted to use 418 00:20:37,859 –> 00:20:41,619 whatever resources they are given until the master returns. 419 00:20:41,619 –> 00:20:43,260 And here’s the fascinating thing. 420 00:20:45,099 –> 00:20:46,839 When the master came back, 421 00:20:46,839 –> 00:20:51,060 the five-talent servant gave his report. 422 00:20:51,060 –> 00:20:54,239 He had gained five talents more. 423 00:20:54,239 –> 00:20:57,000 The two-talent servant gave his report. 424 00:20:57,000 –> 00:20:59,339 He had gained two talents more. 425 00:21:00,339 –> 00:21:02,040 And you know what? 426 00:21:02,040 –> 00:21:05,920 Jesus gave exactly, word for word, 427 00:21:05,959 –> 00:21:07,880 the same commendation to them both. 428 00:21:10,439 –> 00:21:15,400 Because faithfulness is about doing what you can 429 00:21:15,400 –> 00:21:17,939 with what God has given to you. 430 00:21:19,020 –> 00:21:20,819 And I think that’s a very important principle 431 00:21:20,819 –> 00:21:23,020 because some of us two-talent folks 432 00:21:23,020 –> 00:21:24,420 spend too much time looking 433 00:21:24,420 –> 00:21:27,180 at what the five-talent folks are able to achieve 434 00:21:27,180 –> 00:21:29,420 and think, hey, we two-talent folks 435 00:21:29,420 –> 00:21:30,520 will not be able to achieve 436 00:21:30,520 –> 00:21:32,479 what the five-talent folks are able to achieve 437 00:21:32,479 –> 00:21:34,680 because look at all the resources that they’ve got 438 00:21:34,699 –> 00:21:36,479 and therefore we become discouraged 439 00:21:36,479 –> 00:21:39,479 and God doesn’t call the two-talent person 440 00:21:39,479 –> 00:21:42,880 to be doing what the five-talent person is called to do 441 00:21:42,880 –> 00:21:44,339 but the five-talent person 442 00:21:44,339 –> 00:21:46,040 is called to be faithful 443 00:21:47,119 –> 00:21:49,760 in working everything he has been given 444 00:21:49,760 –> 00:21:51,699 and the two-talent person is called 445 00:21:51,699 –> 00:21:53,780 to be faithful in working everything 446 00:21:53,780 –> 00:21:56,800 God has given to him or to her. 447 00:21:58,079 –> 00:21:59,280 I found it very helpful. 448 00:22:00,319 –> 00:22:01,800 There’s a great freedom in knowing 449 00:22:01,800 –> 00:22:04,119 that God is not calling any of us to do 450 00:22:04,119 –> 00:22:06,520 or to accomplish what he gave someone else to do. 451 00:22:06,520 –> 00:22:10,260 He calls us to work with what he has given to us 452 00:22:11,199 –> 00:22:14,359 and the principle is that the greater 453 00:22:15,260 –> 00:22:16,839 the gifts he has given, 454 00:22:18,160 –> 00:22:22,640 the greater the responsibility that is trusted 455 00:22:23,599 –> 00:22:25,199 and you find that throughout The New Testament, 456 00:22:25,199 –> 00:22:30,079 that’s why it says in James in chapter three in verse one 457 00:22:30,079 –> 00:22:34,699 that those who teach will be judged more strictly. 458 00:22:34,699 –> 00:22:36,400 Did you know the Bible says that? 459 00:22:37,500 –> 00:22:39,900 Those who teach will be judged more strictly. 460 00:22:40,819 –> 00:22:42,780 You see, because there’s a trust there 461 00:22:43,640 –> 00:22:45,920 and there’s an accountability that goes with it. 462 00:22:46,839 –> 00:22:48,859 That’s true not just for individuals, 463 00:22:48,859 –> 00:22:50,900 it’s true for a community. 464 00:22:50,900 –> 00:22:53,400 There was a little town called Capernaum 465 00:22:53,400 –> 00:22:56,380 and Capernaum saw the works of Jesus 466 00:22:56,380 –> 00:22:57,959 and heard the words of Jesus, 467 00:22:57,959 –> 00:22:59,979 perhaps more clearly than any other place 468 00:23:00,079 –> 00:23:02,060 on the face of the earth. 469 00:23:02,060 –> 00:23:04,459 That’s where Jesus raised up a paralyzed man, 470 00:23:04,459 –> 00:23:07,160 that’s where he healed the son of a centurion. 471 00:23:09,060 –> 00:23:11,699 And yet the folks in Capernaum despite all the knowledge 472 00:23:11,699 –> 00:23:14,319 of God’s truth and all the sight of God’s power 473 00:23:14,319 –> 00:23:18,439 that they had they didn’t respond to Jesus. 474 00:23:19,680 –> 00:23:22,099 Jesus says this in Matthew 11 verse 23, 475 00:23:22,099 –> 00:23:24,979 it will be more tolerable for Sodom on the last day 476 00:23:24,979 –> 00:23:26,560 than it will be for Capernaum. 477 00:23:27,380 –> 00:23:29,680 That’s quite something isn’t it? 478 00:23:29,680 –> 00:23:34,199 More tolerable for Sodom than for Capernaum, why? 479 00:23:34,199 –> 00:23:37,979 Because Sodom never had the direct revelation 480 00:23:37,979 –> 00:23:41,260 of the words and works of Jesus that Capernaum did. 481 00:23:41,260 –> 00:23:43,699 And for that direct revelation, 482 00:23:43,699 –> 00:23:46,719 for that privilege of light and opportunity 483 00:23:46,719 –> 00:23:50,420 that community is held accountable. 484 00:23:51,420 –> 00:23:53,540 Well, this is surely right. 485 00:23:53,540 –> 00:23:57,880 God holds every person, every nation, 486 00:23:57,880 –> 00:24:01,920 every community, accountable for the opportunities 487 00:24:01,920 –> 00:24:04,420 we have received to live according to the light 488 00:24:04,420 –> 00:24:05,400 that we have. 489 00:24:05,400 –> 00:24:07,880 And the principle is that where much is given, 490 00:24:07,880 –> 00:24:12,140 much will be required. 491 00:24:13,640 –> 00:24:15,939 That’s a text, it’s a very powerful principle. 492 00:24:15,939 –> 00:24:18,040 It’s come briefly to the application. 493 00:24:18,339 –> 00:24:21,119 First to our nation. 494 00:24:21,119 –> 00:24:23,579 Surely we say together, 495 00:24:23,579 –> 00:24:26,819 God has blessed this nation much, 496 00:24:26,819 –> 00:24:28,800 much. 497 00:24:28,800 –> 00:24:32,699 Much has been given to us. 498 00:24:32,699 –> 00:24:36,619 And that means that much is required of us. 499 00:24:36,619 –> 00:24:39,199 God has above everything else, 500 00:24:39,199 –> 00:24:41,239 given us two priceless gifts, 501 00:24:41,239 –> 00:24:43,680 freedom and prosperity. 502 00:24:44,560 –> 00:24:46,660 These are gifts from his hand 503 00:24:46,660 –> 00:24:48,339 and our accountability to him 504 00:24:48,339 –> 00:24:51,599 as with regards how we use them. 505 00:24:51,599 –> 00:24:52,839 The question on which God 506 00:24:52,839 –> 00:24:54,880 will surely hold this nation accountable 507 00:24:54,880 –> 00:24:59,400 is what we did with the freedom we were given. 508 00:24:59,400 –> 00:25:00,560 We sing about our freedom. 509 00:25:00,560 –> 00:25:02,839 We enshrine it in a constitution. 510 00:25:02,839 –> 00:25:04,739 Our leaders make speeches about it. 511 00:25:04,739 –> 00:25:09,199 But the great question that God is surely watching 512 00:25:09,199 –> 00:25:10,640 and for which we are all accountable 513 00:25:11,439 –> 00:25:13,260 is the question, what will we do 514 00:25:13,260 –> 00:25:18,119 with that freedom we’ve been given? 515 00:25:19,660 –> 00:25:22,579 How will we use this most precious gift 516 00:25:22,579 –> 00:25:24,579 that’s entrusted to our hands? 517 00:25:26,680 –> 00:25:28,959 Secondly, we should apply it to the individual. 518 00:25:30,540 –> 00:25:32,959 From everyone who has been given much, 519 00:25:32,959 –> 00:25:36,319 much will be demanded. 520 00:25:36,319 –> 00:25:39,000 And from the one who has been entrusted with much, 521 00:25:39,000 –> 00:25:41,000 much more will be asked. 522 00:25:42,219 –> 00:25:43,619 So what have you been given? 523 00:25:44,420 –> 00:25:47,319 Good to take a personal inventory 524 00:25:47,319 –> 00:25:50,260 of everything that God has given to you. 525 00:25:50,260 –> 00:25:51,920 Just think of it. 526 00:25:51,920 –> 00:25:54,219 What God has given you physically? 527 00:25:54,219 –> 00:25:57,180 The energy and strength of your body. 528 00:25:57,180 –> 00:25:59,479 What God has given to you intellectually? 529 00:25:59,479 –> 00:26:00,939 Your ability to think? 530 00:26:00,939 –> 00:26:03,180 Oh, God’s given you a brain. 531 00:26:03,180 –> 00:26:06,959 Don’t let the enemy sap its power 532 00:26:07,000 –> 00:26:09,099 by dumbing you down. 533 00:26:11,239 –> 00:26:14,459 Emotionally, he’s given you the capacity to love. 534 00:26:14,459 –> 00:26:18,420 Are you channeling that love towards the Lord? 535 00:26:18,420 –> 00:26:21,979 The Bible says set your heart on things above. 536 00:26:21,979 –> 00:26:25,500 Are you cultivating the love of Christ? 537 00:26:27,660 –> 00:26:31,500 Volitionally, the will, the strength, 538 00:26:31,500 –> 00:26:33,739 and determination. 539 00:26:33,739 –> 00:26:35,359 Oh, boy, you think of the Apostle Paul 540 00:26:35,420 –> 00:26:38,000 and all his determination and strength. 541 00:26:38,000 –> 00:26:40,040 And for years he was walking around 542 00:26:40,040 –> 00:26:43,260 like a kind of living barrel of anger. 543 00:26:43,260 –> 00:26:45,280 He was just walking mad, 544 00:26:45,280 –> 00:26:49,199 breathing out threats and murder. 545 00:26:49,199 –> 00:26:52,780 And then God gets hold of that strength. 546 00:26:52,780 –> 00:26:6,359 And that strength gets moved in a whole new direction 547 00:26:56,359 –> 00:26:59,680 under the mastery of Jesus Christ, 548 00:26:59,680 –> 00:27:03,599 and this man’s strength is strong will, 549 00:27:03,619 –> 00:27:07,319 his iron determination becomes the cause of the gospel 550 00:27:07,319 –> 00:27:10,520 reaching many and lives being changed for eternity. 551 00:27:10,520 –> 00:27:13,280 That can happen for someone who’s struggling right now. 552 00:27:15,500 –> 00:27:19,859 Financially, your money, your property. 553 00:27:19,859 –> 00:27:22,239 Practically, your skills. 554 00:27:22,239 –> 00:27:24,199 Vocationally, your business, 555 00:27:24,199 –> 00:27:26,219 your career, providentially. 556 00:27:26,219 –> 00:27:28,239 doors that God opened for you 557 00:27:28,239 –> 00:27:30,979 that you would never have thought about nor imagined. 558 00:27:30,979 –> 00:27:33,719 Temperamentally, your ability to adapt. 559 00:27:33,719 –> 00:27:35,380 There are some folks here 560 00:27:37,060 –> 00:27:39,180 who could make it on the mission field. 561 00:27:40,819 –> 00:27:43,060 You’ve been wired to live 562 00:27:44,060 –> 00:27:46,560 in an environment that some others here 563 00:27:46,560 –> 00:27:48,359 would really struggle to live in. 564 00:27:48,359 –> 00:27:51,859 But you could and that fact alone ought to make you consider 565 00:27:51,859 –> 00:27:54,579 whether that temperament that God has given to you 566 00:27:54,579 –> 00:27:55,979 is not one indication 567 00:27:55,979 –> 00:27:58,140 that he might have something else for you. 568 00:27:59,140 –> 00:28:01,599 And to open your mind up to that possibility. 569 00:28:03,380 –> 00:28:05,380 Relationally, your ability to connect, 570 00:28:05,380 –> 00:28:07,380 spiritually your walk with God 571 00:28:07,380 –> 00:28:08,880 and every experience of him, 572 00:28:08,880 –> 00:28:11,540 eternally you are Christ’s child 573 00:28:11,540 –> 00:28:13,420 and you will spend eternity with him. 574 00:28:13,420 –> 00:28:16,339 Look at what he’s poured into your life! 575 00:28:18,819 –> 00:28:21,520 You’re responsible for the stewardship of it. 576 00:28:23,319 –> 00:28:24,160 Wow. 577 00:28:26,239 –> 00:28:28,099 And then we need to apply it to the church. 578 00:28:29,119 –> 00:28:32,280 The nation, the individual, the church, 579 00:28:32,280 –> 00:28:34,619 for everyone who’s been given much. 580 00:28:37,739 –> 00:28:39,180 Boy, what have we been given? 581 00:28:41,400 –> 00:28:42,939 We’ve been given the Savior, 582 00:28:44,280 –> 00:28:47,239 the Son of God gave himself for the church. 583 00:28:48,739 –> 00:28:50,699 We’ve been given the spirit poured out 584 00:28:50,699 –> 00:28:52,280 upon the community of God’s people 585 00:28:52,280 –> 00:28:53,359 in the day of Pentecost 586 00:28:53,359 –> 00:28:55,500 and present wherever we gather in his name. 587 00:28:55,500 –> 00:28:58,739 We’ve been given the gospel. 588 00:29:00,459 –> 00:29:02,959 Jesus said, you are the light of the world. 589 00:29:02,959 –> 00:29:04,300 You are the light of the world. 590 00:29:07,500 –> 00:29:09,520 From everyone who has been given much. 591 00:29:11,280 –> 00:29:13,459 Much will be demanded. 592 00:29:15,520 –> 00:29:19,020 I have come to think of that as the motto text 593 00:29:19,020 –> 00:29:19,819 of Arlington Heights 594 00:29:19,819 –> 00:29:21,579 Evangelical Free Church. 595 00:29:22,339 –> 00:29:23,400 Unofficial. 596 00:29:23,400 –> 00:29:25,140 But that’s how I think of it. 597 00:29:25,920 –> 00:29:29,219 If there is one text that speaks to us as a community, 598 00:29:29,219 –> 00:29:31,140 and we should say it with thankfulness, 599 00:29:31,140 –> 00:29:35,040 it is to everyone who’s been given much. 600 00:29:36,280 –> 00:29:37,119 Much. 601 00:29:38,400 –> 00:29:40,520 And our responsibility in the community 602 00:29:40,520 –> 00:29:42,260 and our responsibility in the nation 603 00:29:42,260 –> 00:29:44,260 and our responsibility to the world. 604 00:29:46,739 –> 00:29:51,739 To whom much is given, much will be asked. 605 00:29:51,780 –> 00:29:52,599 Much. 606 00:29:53,819 –> 00:29:55,579 So privileged. 607 00:29:57,979 –> 00:30:01,040 Such great responsibility, it’s proportionate. 608 00:30:02,579 –> 00:30:03,579 It’s proportionate. 609 00:30:06,939 –> 00:30:10,959 And if I may, as it were, turn the text just one more time 610 00:30:10,959 –> 00:30:13,439 for a final application, it would be just this. 611 00:30:15,300 –> 00:30:18,079 Those who are given much, 612 00:30:21,819 –> 00:30:24,579 can I turn this on its head and suggest to you 613 00:30:24,579 –> 00:30:27,900 in this last moment that no one has been given more 614 00:30:27,900 –> 00:30:31,900 than our Lord, Jesus Christ, all things are in His hand. 615 00:30:33,760 –> 00:30:36,099 He’s the king of kings, He’s the Lord of lords, 616 00:30:36,099 –> 00:30:38,000 everything has been trusted to Him. 617 00:30:38,000 –> 00:30:42,459 He says all authority is mine in heaven and on earth. 618 00:30:42,459 –> 00:30:43,500 It’s all His. 619 00:30:46,660 –> 00:30:48,959 And does it not follow from this principle 620 00:30:49,000 –> 00:30:52,260 that if all things are to be given to Him 621 00:30:52,260 –> 00:30:54,180 and all things are under His feet 622 00:30:54,180 –> 00:30:58,619 that we should have the highest of expectations of Him? 623 00:31:00,739 –> 00:31:03,979 And is that not the essence of faith? 624 00:31:06,239 –> 00:31:09,020 That knowing that all things are in His hand 625 00:31:09,020 –> 00:31:12,140 it is deeply rooted within the mind of Christ’s people 626 00:31:12,140 –> 00:31:15,339 that He is able to do above and beyond 627 00:31:15,339 –> 00:31:17,800 all that we ask or think. 628 00:31:19,380 –> 00:31:21,119 Now what’s happening? 629 00:31:23,500 –> 00:31:27,959 I have to tell you there was more happening in the world 630 00:31:28,760 –> 00:31:32,939 in 1776 than the British getting whopped in America. 631 00:31:35,859 –> 00:31:40,020 In 1776 there was a young lad 15 years old at the time 632 00:31:44,400 –> 00:31:48,560 and God was laying a burden in his heart to do something 633 00:31:48,979 –> 00:31:52,479 for the extension of the kingdom of Christ. 634 00:31:53,520 –> 00:31:57,260 The 15 year old lad’s name was William Keary. 635 00:32:01,880 –> 00:32:05,959 Keary gained a passion to take the gospel to India 636 00:32:08,140 –> 00:32:10,699 and has become known as the father 637 00:32:10,699 –> 00:32:12,500 of the modern missionary movement. 638 00:32:12,500 –> 00:32:14,560 I’m talking about on world terms now 639 00:32:14,560 –> 00:32:17,719 that Keary is indeed the father really 640 00:32:18,479 –> 00:32:20,300 of what we know as modern missions. 641 00:32:20,300 –> 00:32:23,819 He was the first really to grasp what it would mean 642 00:32:23,819 –> 00:32:27,900 to take the gospel in a new way around the world. 643 00:32:30,900 –> 00:32:34,400 He convened a meeting of Christian leaders 644 00:32:36,099 –> 00:32:38,180 and presented his vision. 645 00:32:39,520 –> 00:32:41,420 He was a young pastor at the time 646 00:32:41,420 –> 00:32:44,640 and at one point during his presentation 647 00:32:44,640 –> 00:32:47,439 a senior minister stood up and interrupted him 648 00:32:47,479 –> 00:32:48,579 at this talk and said to him, 649 00:32:48,579 –> 00:32:51,859 sit down young man if God wants to convert the heathen 650 00:32:51,859 –> 00:32:53,920 He’ll do it without you. 651 00:32:53,920 –> 00:32:56,500 Almost unimaginable today but that’s what happened. 652 00:32:57,819 –> 00:32:59,619 Carey was not discouraged 653 00:33:01,780 –> 00:33:05,160 and he formed a phrase that was the center really 654 00:33:05,160 –> 00:33:06,819 of his life message. 655 00:33:08,719 –> 00:33:12,420 Expect great things from God, 656 00:33:13,520 –> 00:33:16,640 attempt great things for God. 657 00:33:17,500 –> 00:33:19,099 It’s important to remember it was in that order. 658 00:33:19,099 –> 00:33:21,680 People sometimes get it the wrong way around. 659 00:33:21,680 –> 00:33:24,300 Expect great things from God, 660 00:33:25,160 –> 00:33:27,859 attempt great things for God. 661 00:33:29,040 –> 00:33:32,400 And it was on that basis despite massive discouragement 662 00:33:32,400 –> 00:33:34,280 that he sailed for India 663 00:33:35,880 –> 00:33:40,359 and began a work there that led to many conversions, 664 00:33:42,060 –> 00:33:45,060 over 100 bible translations, 665 00:33:45,060 –> 00:33:47,239 the establishment of a theological seminary 666 00:33:47,780 –> 00:33:50,099 that today still trains 2500 students, 667 00:33:50,959 –> 00:33:54,180 and was the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ 668 00:33:54,180 –> 00:33:57,300 in modern times, penetrating the great continent of India 669 00:33:57,300 –> 00:34:01,420 today with its 900 million people. 670 00:34:03,800 –> 00:34:05,199 You see the principle. 671 00:34:07,219 –> 00:34:12,219 The expectation was in proportion 672 00:34:14,399 –> 00:34:15,600 to what had been given. 673 00:34:17,919 –> 00:34:20,219 And what should we expect of a Christ 674 00:34:20,219 –> 00:34:22,659 who holds all things in his hand? 675 00:34:25,600 –> 00:34:28,000 Do we look at this nation and say, 676 00:34:28,000 –> 00:34:32,719 it’s going the wrong way and hold our heads in our hands. 677 00:34:32,719 –> 00:34:33,739 No, we don’t. 678 00:34:35,239 –> 00:34:40,239 We say we know one who has been given all things. 679 00:34:42,399 –> 00:34:44,320 And with the spirit of William Carey 680 00:34:44,320 –> 00:34:47,320 that we desperately need in the Church of Jesus Christ 681 00:34:47,320 –> 00:34:50,600 in this nation today, surely this is the time for us 682 00:34:50,600 –> 00:34:53,520 to say, because all things are in his hands, 683 00:34:53,520 –> 00:34:56,719 let’s expect great things from God. 684 00:34:57,840 –> 00:35:02,840 And if we do, let’s attempt great things for God. 685 00:35:07,479 –> 00:35:09,580 From everyone who has been given much, 686 00:35:10,760 –> 00:35:12,120 much will be demanded. 687 00:35:14,679 –> 00:35:17,040 From the one who has been entrusted with much, 688 00:35:19,639 –> 00:35:20,879 much will be asked. 689 00:35:21,760 –> 00:35:22,800 Let’s pray together. 690 00:35:27,239 –> 00:35:29,320 Father, we bow before you with a sense, 691 00:35:29,320 –> 00:35:30,800 first of privilege, 692 00:35:33,520 –> 00:35:35,500 and then of responsibility. 693 00:35:38,760 –> 00:35:42,020 And with it, this challenge of proportion. 694 00:35:45,320 –> 00:35:49,100 We see others do so much with so little. 695 00:35:53,580 –> 00:35:56,120 And we know that in the privileges of our lives, 696 00:35:56,120 –> 00:35:58,280 your calling to us is very great. 697 00:36:02,280 –> 00:36:05,320 We thank you that all things are in the hand of Christ, 698 00:36:07,520 –> 00:36:12,520 and on that basis we may come and ask much of you. 699 00:36:15,179 –> 00:36:17,760 We ask that you will give to us 700 00:36:17,760 –> 00:36:19,939 the spirit of William Carey in these days 701 00:36:19,939 –> 00:36:21,699 that we desperately need to recover. 702 00:36:21,699 –> 00:36:25,899 First, that knowing your awesome power 703 00:36:25,899 –> 00:36:30,899 and rooting our confidence not in ourselves but in you, 704 00:36:31,000 –> 00:36:36,000 we may be those who by faith expect great things from God. 705 00:36:39,139 –> 00:36:42,419 But let it not end there with a declaration of theology. 706 00:36:44,699 –> 00:36:49,699 A statement of principle, a belief and a conviction. 707 00:36:53,000 –> 00:36:55,919 Let our knowledge that all things are in your hands 708 00:36:55,919 –> 00:37:00,919 be the motivating spring, the guiding light 709 00:37:04,320 –> 00:37:07,020 of our attempting great things for God, 710 00:37:07,020 –> 00:37:11,399 utilizing all the resources and all the energies 711 00:37:11,399 –> 00:37:13,899 and all of the gifts and all of the talents 712 00:37:13,899 –> 00:37:17,639 of the body of Christ for the needs 713 00:37:17,639 –> 00:37:19,399 and the challenges of this hour 714 00:37:20,879 –> 00:37:23,439 until the day when the master shall call 715 00:37:24,919 –> 00:37:27,100 and we shall all give account 716 00:37:29,159 –> 00:37:33,379 and we shall enter into the immediate presence 717 00:37:34,520 –> 00:37:37,439 of the one who we have loved and served all our lives. 718 00:37:38,840 –> 00:37:42,520 Hear our prayers and renew our spirits 719 00:37:44,219 –> 00:37:45,879 on this birthday of our nation 720 00:37:47,639 –> 00:37:49,820 through Jesus Christ our Lord. 721 00:37:51,239 –> 00:37:54,219 God’s people together said, amen.