With Great Knowledge Comes Great Responsibility!

“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me (Ezekiel 33:7).”

I’m playing forward in a 2-3 zone defense for my basketball team. Basically, this means I’m playing near the rim, directly to the left of the center. The ball is passed by the offensive team to the right wing and our defense shifts that direction. Suddenly, an opponent cuts behind the back of the center so he can’t see what’s happening. “Backdoor!” I shout. “Weakside!” My shout gives the center warning and he turns around to defend his position. If I hadn’t spoken up, the offense would have had an easy layup in my teammate’s zone. It would have been his area, but I would have been responsible for not warning him. My knowledge becomes my responsibility!

As believers, God has given each of us knowledge of spiritual things. But, to borrow and adapt a phrase from the popular movie, with great knowledge comes great responsibility! He has set us apart and made us like watchmen, as He did Ezekiel. Imagine if a watchman in olden days knew that his city was about to be attacked and didn’t warn the army; he would have lost his life. A watchman has a job to do!

We have a divine responsibility. If we do not warn the wicked of their sins, their blood will be on our hands. If we do not warn our neighbor, our coworker, our loved ones, if we do not share the Gospel with them, if we do not share the message of God’s love and holiness and mercy, their blood will be on our hands.

We are not responsible for seeing people converted-rather, we are responsible to spread the message. The response of the person is out of our hands. If we faithfully witness to someone and they do not repent, we have absolved our responsibility. God has chosen each of us to spread His message to certain other people. If we do not do it, there is no guarantee that someone else will! We have a tremendous responsibility.

By virtue of our knowledge and the salvation we have received, we are “debtors” to all men (Romans 1:14). We owe them the truth. So let’s fulfill our mandate to the dying world. Reaching people is a command from God, so let’s act on it. Not just one time, but throughout our lives.

The Power of One

The two armies were facing off, the Israelites on one side and the Philistines on the other. Neither army wanted to make the first move, so they waited in an uneasy silence. A young man, the son of the king, knew that God was ready to fight for His people, so he decided to go to the Philistine camp by himself, one man and his armor bearer against an army. They climbed up a hill on their hands and knees to face the army. He defeated a whole garrison, killing 20 of their men in rapid succession. When the rest of the Israelites saw this, they took courage and attacked the enemy, winning a great victory. The Philistines retreated and God’s people had a great deliverance that day. He was a champion, and his name was Jonathan (1 Samuel 14).


An important man named Caesar was the emperor, while Herod was the king. Famous Pontius Pilate was the governor, and Philip and Lysanias were other provincial leaders in the empire. Meanwhile, a young man was living in the desert, eating grasshoppers and wearing a camel’s coat. When God was looking for someone to shake the nation, He didn’t choose the important rulers; he chose the man from the wilderness. He baptized thousands of people in water, led many disciples, and pointed a whole generation of Israelites to Jesus Christ. He was the greatest man who had ever lived up to his time, and his name was John the Baptist (Luke 3, Matthew 11:11).

His family was so poor they couldn’t offer a goat at His dedication; instead they offered a couple of small birds. His birth even took place in a barn. He never wrote a book, never traveled far from his hometown, never had children and was never even married. When He wanted to ride a donkey for His triumphant entry, He had to borrow from someone else because He didn’t own one. Yet, He was and is the most important figure in the history of the universe. He’s so important that time itself is split in half (BC and AD) based on His life, and by His blood and through His mercy He has saved billions and billions of souls from eternal destruction. His name, which is above every other name, is Jesus Christ.

Sometimes when we think of people who can change the world, we think of important figures we see on TV, or famous pastors and evangelists. But when God looks for world changers, He doesn’t look only to the rich and the powerful. He looks to anyone who will yield themselves to Him and live with faith and courage. He looks to people like you. Will you be the one who makes a difference in your generation? Are you going to reach, reach to the unsaved and the lost all around you? If you do, God is going to use you. You can bring radical change to your generation, not for your glory or fame but for the glory of God alone. One person can make a difference. Will you be that one today?

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16).

When I’m driving, I know that the car will speed up when I hit the gas pedal. When I hit the brake, I know that it’s going to slow down. I don’t worry about whether or not it’s going to work, I just know; the gas pedal and brake will both change the way my car is moving.

In life, we often encounter situations where we know a change is needed. What is our best course of action in such times? The answer is prayer. Prayer always changes things. We often think of prayer as communication, as conversation, or as an activity that Christians are supposed to do. These things are all very true, but one aspect of prayer that we must not neglect is that prayer contains tremendous power and brings transformation to our every day lives!

The above verse says that the effectual and fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much. That means it accomplishes a great work, or brings about mighty change! Notice that the prayers must be effectual and fervent. This means we cannot just offer one weak prayer and expect it to instantly be answered, but we must pray persistently and passionately. And if we do, our prayer will help bring about God’s will on earth.

After this verse is the story of Elijah. James recounts the time that Elijah fervently prayed that the rains may come and end the drought in the land of Israel. It was Elijah’s prayers that had brought the drought (as an instrument of God’s judgment), and it was now his prayers that would bring the rain. Elijah prayed seven times before he saw the first cloud, but shortly after the skies opened up and there was a great rain. His prayer changed even the weather around him.

So make sure your prayers always have a purpose. Pray with a change in mind, something you are asking God to do on the behalf of you and His people. Our prayers can change lives, circumstances, and even nations. So keep on praying, and God Himself will bring about the change.

Three Qualities of David

He chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds (Psalm 78:70).

I worked several jobs before (and sometimes in between) being in full-time ministry. I was a hamburger maker at McDonald’s, a cutter of beef at a restaurant called Sign of the Beefcarver, and a data entry clerk at a loan agency. I dragged away fallen tree banches, mowed lawns, managed tellers, and counted millions and millions of dollars (belonging to a bank, not me!). Sometimes these jobs seemed insignificant, but I now realize that I learned important lessons from each one of them. God used mundane tasks to teach me truths that would be invaluable in my life!

God also used everyday things to prepare young David. We know that he ended his life as a great king and a mighty warrior, but he began as an insignificant shepherd, one young man surrounded by only a few sheep. God chose David to be the next king when he was still in his teens, working as a shepherd for his father. His own family didn’t consider David to be anything special, but God saw David’s heart. Your life may also seem to be trivial; just one student, or NS man, or worker, among thousands. But when other people see just a normal youth, God may see a king. There were three primary qualities that David learned as a shepherd boy that prepared him to be a king: faithfulness, wisdom, and righteousness.

1) Faithfulness. David was faithful to take care of the few sheep his father had left him. He was patient with the old and sick as well. It is so important to learn faithfulness now. This applies to completing your homework on time, attending all your classes, showing up for meetings promptly, and being a good manager of your money, among many other things. If you cannot be faithful now in little things, you will never be faithful in great things (Luke 16:10). So give your best effort in every task that you do.

2) Wisdom. David learned wisdom through guiding these few sheep; he had to take care of all their needs. Wisdom is the ability to make the right choices, and David was known for his wisdom. As a young person, you need wisdom to know what classes to take, which jobs to consider, and what kind of relationships to be in. As you grow older, your decisions will continually become more important, so learn to make the choices today.

3) Righteousness. David guided the sheep with complete integrity (Psalm 78:72); he did what was right even though no one else could see his actions. Do you have integrity in your everyday life, or do you allow people to influence you to do things that you know are wrong? Remember, even if your teacher or employer is not watching you, God is. He sees all of your actions. Let’s cry out to God that He will clothe us and fill us with the righteousness of Christ so that we do what is right from our hearts (Romans 5:17).

You may just be a “shepherd” boy or girl now, but if you are faithful to learn these things God will raise you up to do mighty things for Him. Allow God to give you these same three qualities, so that the life and glory of Christ can shine through you. Now is the time for all of us to be faithful, wise, and righteous. God can use this kind of servant to change the world for Him!