Synod Sermon by Rev A W MacColl
Luke 12:48. 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.
Christ’s words here apply to all who hear them, but they have a particular reference to those who have a privileged position in the household of faith. In Matthew’s Gospel they refer to the end of the world; the Saviour warned the disciples about being prepared for that great and notable day of the Lord. We learn here that the whole activity of the New Testament Church is to be seen in light of His second coming: “Ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately” (v 36). Christ’s physical presence is no longer with the Church on earth, but His spiritual presence is promised always and He is coming again.
A very searching point arises here from the words of our text: Are we not clearly taught that the more privileges are given to anyone, the more will be required when the Lord returns. It is a principle of heightened responsibility. The greater the privileges, the greater the responsibility.
We would seek to consider: first, the Lord’s household and its privileges; second, what will be required of those who have those privileges; third, how the Lord will deal with those who are so privileged.
1. The Lord’s household and its privileges. The Church of God is represented under many figures in the Word of God; in this chapter it is represented as a Kingdom: “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Lk 12:32). That is the culmination of all the Lord’s gracious dealings with His Church: to inherit the Kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world. But in this parable of the faithful and the unfaithful stewards, the Church is pictured as a great household.
The first thing is that there cannot be a household without a house to dwell in, and that is what we have in the Church of God. The Spirit of the Lord told Ezekiel to show Israel the form of the house, its goings out and its comings in. When they had repented, they were spiritually able to appreciate the beauty and the glory of the Lord’s house, His worship, His ordinances, and we likewise must have the highest view of God’s house, His Church.
The Apostle Paul beautifully describes the Church of God, speaking of the Gentiles brought into the household: “Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
1The sermon preached at the opening of the meetings of Synod in May 2019.
being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph 2:19-22).
The Church of God is seen there as a great house. All the stones in the house are related to the great corner stone that is Jesus Christ; “other foundation can no man lay than that is laid”. The doctrine of Christ set forth in the Word of God is the foundation of the Church of God, the foundation of truth. Everything in this house ought to be founded on the principle that Christ, the King and Head of the Church, has spoken through His Word.
Christ, the personal and eternal Word of God, received the Word to be revealed to the Church, every jot and tittle that would be written in time. “As for Me, this is My covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and My words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever” (Is 59:21). Again He said, “I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that His commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak” (Jn 12:49-50).
It flows to the Church through the Mediator, because Christ received the Word of God for the Church. Christ, the great prophet of the Church, is there speaking through His Holy Spirit. The authority of the Bible lies in Christ Himself, the author of it. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:16-17).
Everything in the house must follow the Master’s instructions. The Church’s duty is to preserve and teach the Word, to base everything in its activities and worship – including its discipline, government, and the lives of its people – on the Word of God. Nothing is to be admitted to the Church but what is sanctioned by the Scriptures. Is that not why this particular branch of the visible Church was formed? Was it not to preserve a witness to the truth in its entirety and to preserve to the Church the ability to use discipline to make sure that all is ordered in accordance with His Word? This heritage that has been handed down to us we must maintain inviolate and pass on in its entirety. Not the least point of the testimony of the Reformation, that has been preserved among us, is to be lost.
In a house there must be a household. It would be very sad if no one lived in it. Christ is gathering a household to Himself through the Church from north, south, east and west. “Unto Him shall the gathering of the people be”
(Gen 49:10). He is establishing His Church so that God would readily dwell on the earth with sinners and would have a people in the earth to serve Him. “A seed shall service do to Him: unto the Lord it shall / be for a generation reckoned in ages all” (Ps 22:30).
There is one catholic, universal Church throughout the earth, but it has two aspects: a visible and an invisible. There are those who have an external connection with the Church, comprising the visible Church, and those who have a vital, spiritual connection with Christ. That is unseen by man, but it is seen from heaven; it is why we speak of the invisible Church. That is a very important doctrinal and practical distinction. We must not confound the visible and the invisible Church. The Church of Rome confounds them and makes them one visible, outward organisation. The opposite is the Congregational view, confounding the visible Church with the invisible. Yet we can never fully harmonise the visible and the invisible Church in this world; there will always be tares amidst the wheat.
The more faithful the Church is, the more the glory of Christ is seen upon it. It is said to the visible Church: “Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee” (Is 60:1). The brightness of the Lord is seen in the visible Church through the preaching of the gospel, discipline, government, the sacraments, the fellowship of God’s people, the work and witness of the Church, and missions. The more life and holiness that shines out of the saints of God, the more the visible Church will shine forth with spiritual light and power; we have that in the addresses to the seven churches of Asia. The Church is the light bearer: “Ye are the light of the world” (Mt 5:14), and the more the grace of Christ is evident in believers’ lives, the more Christ is glorified in the Church. When God’s people come to His house, they want to bring the saviour of Christ in with them. When the Bride found the beloved of her soul in the Song of Songs, she would not rest; she would bring Him in to her mother’s chamber, and into the house of her that conceived Him. The desire of grace in God’s people is that those who are as yet not gathered to Christ would be gathered.
The household must be gathered in to Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit in effectual calling. Those given to Christ in the everlasting covenant must be added to the Church. There is no lack of room for poor sinners in this household; none will ever be turned away. “Him that cometh to Me”, the Head of the household says, “I will in no wise cast out” (Jn 6:37). This wonderful privilege is given to the Church of God. This man and that man will be born in the city of our God; not one of them will be lost.
In a household, there must be food if there are children to be nourished and nurtured. We have food that does not belong to any other household or
institution on the earth. What will feed the soul of a sinner? Nothing but the truth as it is in Jesus. The Church of God feeds souls with the word of the truth of the gospel, the law and the testimony. “If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Is 8:20). We have nothing else for sinners. When the Holy Spirit blesses the truth, it makes the sinner free. “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn 8:32). This point about knowledge is very important in the context here – about the servants knowing what their duty is. We cannot believe, we cannot be saved, we cannot do our duty unless we have knowledge.
The Word of God declares God’s provision. When there was a famine in the land, the people were told to go to Joseph. He had great storehouses of blessing according to the wisdom given him by God, storehouses of provision to save life. How much more the Lord Jesus Christ has stores of blessedness for sinners in the everlasting covenant! In His person and work there is what will save and nourish the soul to all eternity.
We read here of many stripes, the Lord dealing in just anger with those who are unfaithful and despise His blessing. But does that not direct us to the One who was wounded for the transgressions of His people? “He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed” (Is 53:5). Here is the good news of the everlasting gospel going forth from the Church: there is One who bore many stripes. Who can comprehend the fearful weight of the hand of divine justice pressing the divine Redeemer down to the dust of death? There was no death like His death, when He who knew no sin was made sin, so that sinners would be made “the righteousness of God in Him”.
This is the food set before sinners on the table of the everlasting gospel. It will draw sinners out of the devil’s house and bring them into the household of faith. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me”. When the Holy Spirit begins to draw a soul by grace, this is what they long for. They no longer desire the husks of a vain, wicked world.
When one is being drawn to a crucified Christ, he begins to feed upon the true bread that comes down from heaven. This makes a sinner become part of the household of faith in the truest sense – having communion with Christ. He also is now united to Christ’s people through their one Head. He no longer stands outside the household but has a place there, feeding upon Christ by faith.
The truth sets one free from sin in its condemning power, from Satan’s dominion and from eternal death. The beginning of the glorious liberty of the children of God is when they first close with a crucified Christ. This is what we have to offer to sinners; nothing else will feed the soul. This is what
conforms the soul to holiness, gives more and more of a view of Christ, and more and more of a reverence for the Word of Christ, and secures the presence of Christ. What a wonderful thing to have the presence of Christ in the soul! This is what the people of God desire; it is why they love God’s house, the place where His honour dwells, where He makes Himself known to His people.
The food must be distributed in due course to the household: “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?” (v 42). The Lord has established a government in His Church, He has ordained servants to administer the food of the everlasting Gospel. In the Synod, presbyters of the Church are assembled together. The Presbytery is the distinguishing feature of our government. It is biblical and has very important blessings. It is a great privilege to have Presbyterian church government. It is Christ’s mind for the Church – for its good order, for preserving and distributing the truth.
Among the presbyters, there is a distinction. They all have a jurisdiction over the body which they rule over, but there are preaching and ruling elders. The preaching elder – the minister – has a call from the Lord to preach the gospel; we cannot preach unless we are sent. But both preaching and teaching elders are responsible for the oversight and for making sure that the food of the everlasting gospel is given in its due proportion to the household. It is a great blessing to have those who have been set apart by Christ to rule in the Church and to preach the everlasting gospel. When He ascended gloriously on High, He was given gifts as part of His reward in order that the Church would be blessed.
Again, there is biblical warrant for Church courts, where the elders and the ministers confer together and deal with the administration and government of the Church of God. In Acts 15, the principle of appeal is evident – an appeal from the Church in Antioch to the Church in Jerusalem, with the apostles and the elders gathered together to review the particular case. This principle is an important part of our constitution. There is something wonderful in the fact that the highest, most learned, most eminent assembly of the Church of Christ contains in it no more in essence than the most secluded kirk session in a rural congregation, with ruling elders and teaching elders gathering to govern the Church of God.
Presbyterianism, given by the infinite wisdom of the Head of the Church, is a safeguard of the liberties of God’s people. There is a beautiful symmetry in the way a Presbyterian Church is ordered; it gives a balance between the local Church and the wider body of Christ in a nation, and farther afield if
need be. We believe in national establishments of religion. We long for a day when there will be an established Church founded upon the truth, in every nation. And we would hazard to say, from the lessons of Church history, that if the Scottish Church had not been a Presbyterian Church, it would not have been able to withstand the assaults, from the time of the Reformation, on her liberties and testimony.
It is therefore very needful to have a high view of the government of the Church. We have to ask: Do we value Presbyterian church government as we ought? The whole spirit of modern evangelicalism is to avoid thinking about the need for church government, but Christ has instituted this government and it should be precious to us. The Covenanters, in particular, were prepared to die for it, because they understood the principle that Christ should rule in His own kingdom without state interference.
2. What is required of those who have this privilege. We have looked at the privileges of this household: it has the truth, and servants to administer the truth. What is required of them, both the people and the servants? The first thing, in this context, is faithfulness, and faithfulness is according to our measure of knowledge. Note the difference between the servant who knew his Lord’s will and the servant that did not. To be faithful to the truth, one has to know what the truth is and one has to believe it. Christ Himself encourages here to live a life of faith, not depending on carnal resources; rather, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt 6:33). When we look at our labours, we see it is one thing to have a faithful testimony; it is another thing to be given grace to maintain it and walk according to it.
The next thing required of the household of God is watchfulness: “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching.” This includes watching over the flock and our own souls. There is always a danger of thieves breaking into the heart. There is always a danger of error creeping into the Church and the standards of God’s truth being relaxed. That is a battle the Church of God has continually to fight, because it is a battle with the carnal mind. John Kennedy said that the servant of God was not required to fight any battle on the Lord’s side that he had not first fought in His own soul.
What need we have to be watchful and strengthen the things which remain! And if we are to be watchful over the flock that God has committed to us, we need much prayer. We cannot be near to our people unless we are
watching unto prayer. The Lord has given us means to draw near Himself and thereby draw near His people. We must be much at a throne of grace and also be diligent in visiting. “Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully” (Jer 48:10).
The next requirement is diligence: “Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing” (Mt 24:46). Do the parables of the talents and the pounds not set before us the need to be diligent, to make use of our privileges? And zeal is required: let your light shine; let your loins be girded. We as individuals do not know when Christ will summon us into eternity.
We know how diligent and how self-denied our brethren are. How much this Church owes to elders and missionaries who have kept prayer meetings and Sabbath services over many years, in addition to God’s servants set apart to preach the gospel. Christ alone knows their tears and their labours. But what wisdom is needed to direct zeal: “If any of you lack wisdom . . .”. The servants of Christ feel their lack of wisdom and ability in setting forth the gospel, but “let him ask of God, that giveth unto all men liberally, and upbraideth not” (Jas 1:5).
The final thing required comes from the wider context of Scripture: fruitfulness. The barren fig tree was to be cut down because it would not bear fruit. The wicked servant was condemned because he buried his talent in the ground. Lack of fruit troubles God’s people, and God’s servants particularly. How we long to see converts flocking to Christ and the Church beginning to cover the earth with fruit. But we must mourn our lack of fruitfulness as hearers and preachers. We cannot just attribute the current situation to the First Cause and put all the responsibility off ourselves. We cannot make a pillow of the sovereignty of God in these matters; we have to examine ourselves and humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God on account of our sins. We cannot command the blessing but we can hinder it. Clearly, our lack of fruitfulness should be driving us as a Church to the throne of grace, for we have not wrought deliverance in the earth.
If God’s people were flourishing in holiness, that would be fruit from the servants’ labours. Then we might expect others to be added to the Church and Christ to see more and more of the travail of His soul – the fruit of His sacrifice. May we desire that the Church would begin to flourish in vital godliness, humility, diligence, watchfulness and faithfulness to the testimony that Christ has given to us.
3. How Christ will deal with those who are thus privileged. “That servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. 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”. Here is the principle of heightened responsibility: we have much because we have been given much. “To any nation never He such favour did afford” (Ps 147:20).
The Lord gave much to Scotland and much to the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. What is required of an adherent of this Church is much greater because the light and the privilege are greater. At the great day of account, when Christ returns, more will be required of someone in this Church than of someone, for example, in the Church of Scotland. Everyone is under the same claims of the law of God and no one can excuse themselves from them. But those who have greater privileges have a greater responsibility and therefore the office-bearers and communicant members in the Free Presbyterian Church are more accountable in all these matters than others. We can say of the testimony of this Church as David did of Goliath’s sword, “There is none like that; give it me” (1 Sam 21:9). How great an account will be required of us as to what we do with that sword!
Christ is hiding His face from the Church in our day. That is a trial to God’s people but it is better to be kept needy and dependant, yet longing for the Lord’s presence to return. How fearful will be the end of those who eat and drink with the drunkard! Many appear to be very jovial and successful, but they are negligent about the truth and the souls of men. But those who are faithful have this glorious promise, “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them” (Lk 12:37).
There are billions of precious souls in the world who will never have the privileges you and I have. What will you do with your gospel privileges? There are those in heaven tonight who did not have such privileges as you, but they made use of what they had and it was blessed to them. They sought diligently and they were saved with an everlasting salvation. Will you be among them? And there are those who have gone from our congregations to hell, who had the same heritage and opportunities as you. How dreadful to think they had the same precious offers of Christ and yet they are in a lost eternity. Those who despise the Lord of this house will be carried away into outer darkness. May the Lord give us grace to profit from our privileges, and may our prayer be, “Revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy” (Hab 3:2).
A godly man subscribes to God’s wisdom and submits to His will. He says not only, “Good is the word of the Lord” (Is 39:8), but, Good is the rod of the Lord.
Thomas Watson