THEY DIDN’T DO WHAT THEY COULD DO

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   OceanSide’s theme for 2024 is:  “Doing What I Can Do.”

 

B.   God expects us to do what we can do for Him and His cause.

1.    Two verses:

a.    Ecclesiastes 9:10a

 

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might…

 

b.    Colossians 3:23

 

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

 

2.    The opposite of doing things heartily is to do things lazily and sluggishly.  NOTE:  The Bible condemns this type of behavior (Heb. 6:12).

 

That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

 

C.   In the Bible, those who are considered faithful and those who are commended to us as positive examples are those who were diligent workers for the Lord.

1.    Noah worked hard building the ark (Gen. 6:22) and being a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. 2:4).

2.    Moses worked hard leading the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt and making a forty-year trek in the wilderness.

3.    Paul worked hard preaching the gospel, establishing congregations among the Gentiles, and fighting the false teachers (2 Tim. 4:7).

 

I have fought a good fight…

 

D.   There were some, however, who did not do what they could do. 

1.    They are noted in the Bible just as those who did do what they could do are noted. 

2.    We want to look at some of these examples in this lesson under the title:  “They Didn’t Do What They Could Do.”

 

I.             THE EDOMITES

 

A.   The Edomites were the descendants of Esau.

 

B.   They settled in the land just south of Judea.

 

C.   There was a time when the Israelites were attacked by their enemies, and instead of helping the Jews, the Edomites simply looked on at their calamity. 

1.    Obadiah 11

 

In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.

 

2.    NOTE:  They did not do what they could have done to assist Israel.

3.    K&D:  “The fraternal relation in which Edom stood towards Judah is still more sharply defined by the name Jacob, since Esau and Jacob were twin brothers. The consciousness that the Israelites were their brethren, ought to have impelled the Edomites to render helpful support to the oppressed Judaeans. Instead of this, they not only revelled with scornful and malignant pleasure in the misfortune of the brother nation, but endeavored to increase it still further by rendering active support to the enemy” (e-sword).

 

D.   In the prophecy of Obadiah, the prophet proclaims the judgment of God against Edom for their lack of action (Obad. 15).

 

For the day of the Lord is near upon all the heathen:  as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee:  thy reward shall return upon thine own head.

 

II.           THE NOBLES OF NEHEMIAH’S DAY

 

A.   Nehemiah was a cupbearer for King Artaxerxes in the land of Persia.

 

B.   Jews from Jerusalem came to Shushan the palace and Nehemiah inquired about the state of the Jews and the city of Jerusalem.  He received a negative report (Neh. 1:3).

 

And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach:  the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

 

C.   Nehemiah purposed to build the walls of the city.  Through the providence of God he was allowed to return to Jerusalem and accomplish his mission.

 

D.   The reaction of the leaders and the people was positive.

1.    “Let us rise up and build” (Neh. 2:18).

2.    In chapter 3, Nehemiah positioned group after group along the wall to make the repairs.

3.    The erection of the wall went quickly.  The secret is found in Nehemiah 4:6.

 

So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof:  for the people had a mind to work.

 

4.    According to Nehemiah 6:15, the wall was finished in fifty-two days.

 

E.   Within this unified effort was one group of people who refused to do what they could do.  They are referred to as the “nobles” (Neh. 3:5).

 

And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of the Lord.

 

1.    Here is a group of people who refused to do what they could do.

2.    We are not told why they refused.

3.    However, they are a stain on a whole-scale effort of rebuilding the walls of the Holy City.

4.    The question again is:  “Why?”  But, isn’t that the question for all who refuse to do what they can do?

 

III.         THE PRIEST AND THE LEVITE

 

A.   One of the most well-known parables of Jesus is “The Parable of the Good Samaritan.”

 

B.   Reading it all the way through makes us feel good and encourages us to be a neighbor to others.

 

C.   However, in the midst of the story are two people who refused to do what they could to help a man who had been robbed and left half-dead on the side of the road.  The individuals are referred to simply as a priest and a Levite, two men of God (Luke 10:31-32).

 

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  And likewise a Levite when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

 

D.   What these two men had.

1.    These men had strength.

2.    These men had finances.

3.    These men could have made time.

4.    These men had religion.

 

E.   But, they did not do what they could do.

1.    We judge them harshly.

2.    But, how often do we see needs that we could respond to, but we simply choose to pass by on the other side?

 

IV.         THE FIVE FOOLISH VIRGINS

 

A.   In Matthew 25, Jesus tells three parables regarding judgment.  The first has been named:  “The Parable of the Ten Virgins.”

 

B.   They are divided into two groups:

1.    Five were wise and five were foolish.

2.    All that distinguished them was whether or not they brought oil for their lamps (Matt. 25:3-4).

 

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them;  but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

 

C.   The foolish virgins did not do what they could do. 

1.    They could have bought oil beforehand.

2.    They could have prepared more thoroughly.

3.    They could have made themselves ready for the coming of the bridegroom, but they did not.

 

D.   They missed the bridegroom.  Too, they were denied entrance into the marriage (Matt. 25:11-12).

 

Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.  But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

 

V.           THE ONE TALENT MAN

 

A.   “The Parable of the Talents” is another found in Matthew 25.

 

B.   A Lord had three servants.  He went on a journey and distributed to them his goods.  One of them men got one talent.

 

C.   The man hid that one talent in the earth and gave it back to his lord at his coming.

1.    He did not lose it.

2.    He did not give it away.

3.    He did not waste it.

4.    He did not steal it.

5.    He did not damage it.

6.    He did nothing to cause it to lose its value.

 

D.   When the Lord received his talent back, he rebuked the servant (Matt. 25:26).

 

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant…

 

E.   He was rebuked because he did not do what he could do (Matt. 25:27).

 

Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

 

F.    In addition to the rebuke from his lord, two other forms of punishment were given to him.

1.    His one talent was taken from him (Matt. 25:28-29).

2.    He was cast into outer darkness (Matt. 25:30).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   Yes, this year we are trying to encourage every Christian to do what they can do for Jesus and the cause of Christianity.

 

B.   Doing what we can do is something the Lord desires.

 

C.   We are not asking you to do more than you can do, just what you can do.

 

D.   We must remember, the Lord is fully aware of what we can do.

 

E.   To do what we can do, we must:

1.    Love the Lord with our all.

2.    Acquire a deep concern for the cause.

3.    Order our priorities.

4.    Remove all excuses.

5.    Long for our eternal reward.