Luke 12: 47-48
Much is required of all who have been greatly blessed.
It is amazing that many who stand up so vigorously for their rights fall down so miserably on their responsibilities.
The Bible always puts the two together -- rights with responsibilities, opportunities with obligations,
and privileges with duties.
This can be clearly seen in a parable where Jesus told about two disobedient servants.
One knew his master's will and did not do it.
His disobedience was deliberate, willful, and defiant.
Jesus said he would be punished severely.
He would be beaten with many stripes.
The second servant was also disobedient.
But he did not know his master's will.
His disobedience was not intentional.
It was out of ignorance.
Jesus said that he would be treated more leniently -- that he would be beaten with few stripes.
Then Jesus said, "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required;
and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12: 47-48)
Notice the two phrases, "much given -- much required," in this passage.
Their relationship enables us to see clearly just how related they are.
The context of these words is one of accountability and judgment.
The parable from which they come brings us face-to-face with God to whom we must give account.
The more we know, the more accountable we will be.
We are stewards of all God has given us.
Whether it is opportunities, abilities, resources, or knowledge, God holds us accountable
in proportion to that which we have.
This is a truth of Scripture: "Unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required."
He has given us much.
Therefore, much will be required of us.
We are responsible for our opportunities.
In 1896 William Jennings Bryan gave a speech at the Democratic national convention that was so effective
that it won him the nomination of his party for the president of the United States.
He was told that he had just made one of his greatest speeches in his lifetime.
He was also told that he had made many other speeches as great or greater than that one,
and yet, they have hardly been noticed.
Bryan said, "Yes, I suppose so, but that was my opportunity and I made the most of it.
I suppose about all of man can do in this world is use or lose his opportunities."
It is the same with churches as it is with individuals.
Churches can use or lose their opportunities.
Not all churches have the same opportunities.
The opportunities of some churches are bleak.
Because of their location, their facilities, their resources, their people, or their leaders, they will do little for God.
But others have vast and limitless opportunities.
To have opportunity and not use it is a terrible waste.
The most tragic war in American history was the Civil War fought 1861-65.
In that war we lost more American lives than we have lost in all other wars combined.
One of the worst tragedies of the Civil War was that it lasted far longer than it should have
because the Union Army had such incompetent generals.
The Union forces were far larger than those of the Confederacy.
In the last year of the war, the North had more than one million men in arms.
The South had no more than 200,000.
But the Union Army had a succession of inept generals.
The first four had one serious weakness -- none of them was aggressive enough.
They all waited to be attacked.
It was not their nature to attack first.
Lincoln, once said of his first general, George B. McClellan, "He is a superb organizer.
He has good points, but he won't fight."
Later, he described the Army of the Potomac as "the personal bodyguard of General McClellan."
Finally, Lincoln wrote to him in disgust, "Would you loan me this army if you don't intend to use it?"
There must be times that the Lord could say to many of us, "If you don't intend to use this church,
will you loan it to Me?"
We must take advantage of every opportunity.
Our churches must take advantage of every opportunity.
Opportunities may knock, but they will not knock forever.
There are times when we must act, and act quickly.
If we play it too safe, by the time we unlock the deadbolt, unhook the safety chain,
silence the burglar alarm, and twist the doorknob, our opportunity may be gone.
We must remember that we, who have been greatly blessed have much more required of us.
We are responsible for our abilities.
All people do not have equal opportunities and all people do not have equal abilities.
All men have not been created equal.
We may be seen as equal under the law, and we may be equal before God, but we are not equal
in our abilities.
Some are multi-talented and some are single-talented.
God holds us accountable for our abilities, whatever they are.
The late Paul Bryant, who was coach of the University of Alabama football team, once said,
"That are four types of football players.
There are players who have ability and know it.
There are players who have ability and don't know it.
There are players who don't have the ability and know it.
There are those who don't have the ability, but don't know it."
Then he said, "The one that makes you proudest is the one who isn't good enough to play,
but it means so much to him, and he puts so much into it, that he does it anyway.
We have had a lot of those.
The ones who have ability and don't use it are the ones who eat your guts out."
Wasted talent distresses coaches; it also distresses the Lord.
We dare not take the abilities He has given us and waste them by not using them to their maximum.