The film Schindler's List chronicled the heroic efforts of a German industrialist named Oskar Schindler. Through his unselfish activities, over a thousand Jews on the trains to Auschwitz were saved. After Schindler found out what was happening at Auschwitz, he began a systematic effort to save as many Jews as he could. For money, he could buy Jews to work in his factory which was supposed to be a part of the military machine of Germany. On one hand he was buying as many Jews as he could, and on the other hand he was deliberately sabotaging the ammunition produced in his factory. He entered the war as a financially wealthy industrialist; by the end of the war, he was basically financially bankrupt.
When the Germans surrendered, Schindler met with his workers and declared that at midnight they were all free to go. The most emotional scene of the film was when Schindler said good-bye to the financial manager of the plant, a Jew and his good and trusted friend. As he embraced his friend, Schindler sobbed and said, "I could have done more." He looked at his automobile and asked, "Why did I save this? I could have bought 10 Jews with this." Taking another small possession he cried, "This would have saved another one. Why didn't I do more?" (James Forlines, Men's Beat of Free Will Baptist Foreign Missions, April 1999, 4.)
I read this story and it made me start thinking about what I do for the Lord. Sure there are hundreds of things that I am involved in, but can I do more? This is the question that the Lord imposes upon us tonight. Can you do more?
What do I mean when I say “do more for the Lord?”
- Do you attend worship services as regularly as you should? Can you do more?
- Do you volunteer to help in a particular ministry?
a. Social functions – setting up, or cleaning up?
b. Fall Fest – Did you volunteer to help set up, organize, work a booth, donate supplies, clean up after it was all over?
c. I Love My Church Day. Workday. When was the last time you came to help in the minor maintenance projects that don’t fix themselves?
d. When it comes to what you put in the offering plate, can you do more?
The Lord never ceases to amaze even me. A couple of months ago I had Denise print a statement in the bulletin (you might remember seeing it). The statement was that God challenges us today to put $5 more in the offering plate than we usually put. Whatever you give each week, the Lord challenged us to put just $5 more that one Sunday. I did it for my own challenge. And I continued to do it for several weeks. And then I noticed. Every cent of what I gave extra, came back to me in some form, and not only that, it was over and above what I had put in the plate. In several cases it was cards with gifts in them. In another case it was being taken out for a meal. I told Caran, the Lord has given me back over and above the extra that I gave Him.
And I truly think that applies to anything that we give our Lord. Whether it be time, or our energies, or money, or our talents, whatever it is, the Lord blesses over and above any effort we make to bless Him.
So I ask again, can you do more?
For some it wouldn’t be hard to do more because they aren’t doing much now.
- They may have never put a cent into the offering plate. Can you put just $1 for starters? Maybe that $5 I just mentioned?
- Some have never once shown up on “I Love My Church Saturday.” Could you spare just an hour or two? Can you come and take on just one project on the list?
For others, their schedule is full. They are almost overloaded now. But can you do more? There are days when I get home and I feel like I can’t go another step. But can I make a phone call or two? Can I do more?
You know, Jesus left the beauty of heaven to come to this corrupt world to set an example. He didn’t come to condemn, but to save. As you know, He gave his very life for us. He suffered and died for our sins so that we might counted as righteous before God. I think about all that Jesus gave for me and I feel guilty that I am not giving back enough for Him. He gave His all, He still gives to us today, His blessings can’t be numbered. Yet He is not through giving.
We think, what more can Jesus give? He gave His very life for us, can He do more? Yes, He can, and He will. His giving to us is not over. Scripture tells us.
READ PASSAGE
Do you see what I mean?
One day Jesus is going to split the eastern sky and come for His own. He promised us in John 14 that He has gone to prepare a place for us. He said, “I go and prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there you shall be also.”
Jesus will come to give us the ultimate gift, the gift of being with Him in paradise. Can He do more? Yes, He can, and He will.
And when that day comes that Jesus returns to take us to our eternal home, it won’t matter then how much money we have in a mutual fund or how many bedrooms we have in our homes. The temporary satisfaction we have in vacations and nice cars will be gone.
Only what we have done for the cause of Christ will matter. The Privilege we have only now, is to use God's resources for things that matter eternally.
Can you do more?
