To Whom Much is Given Much is Required Kathryn Kuhlman Israel 1 of 3

You know that phrase, I'm not going to let anything master me, is one of the greatest phrases declaring a life purpose that has ever been uttered. The man who was completely mastered by the will of God said that he would not be mastered by anything. And the opposite of that holds good too. If you're not mastered by God, You'll be mastered by things, circumstances, yourself, by other persons, by the world, by sorrows, by disappointments. I'm saying something. What are you being mastered by? You take the last two things that master us, the world, sorrows and disappointments, Some are mastered by the world. Thousands of people living today are not aware of the fact that they are being mastered by the world. Oh, it's usually a very slow and a very silent process. We scarcely know what's happening, but we are slowly being mastered by a materialistic outlook. There are thousands of you listening to me this very hour. You do not realize it, but you are being mastered by a materialistic outlook. Oh, you say, but Miss Cooman. You really, you really have to be in the condition the world is today. You really have to be. It's something that can't be avoided. Oh, yes, it can be. It's been a slow process with you. But my friend, eventually it will be. a monster in that life of yours. I don't care how small the thing may be today. It may only seem a tiny thing, a very small thing. But if you allow it to grow to the extent that you're being mastered by it, then, my friend, You'll awaken one of these days to find that that thing which was so small in its beginning has become a monster. And it will eventually destroy you. The story goes that a robin was offered a worm for a feather. And the bird thought that this was a very good bargain, always a wonderful. bargain. Dear me, he had so many feathers. Of course. He could lose a feather and it would never be missed. And it would save a lot of hunting for worms. He'd not miss a mere little feather. But one dreadful day the robin awoke to the fact that his feathers were gone. And when his feathers were gone, he couldn't fly. It was a very slow process. He had sold his power to fly for worms. He was earthbound. The counterpart of that is happening all around us today. The powers of soul, the ability to soar, are bartered for physical things, material things. and soon the man is a dead soul surrounded by many things. I'm talking very frankly to you this hour, because we've got to get back again to the place where I told you before we have to look ourselves... squarely in the face. We have to live with ourselves. We have to come back again to the word of God. We've got to come back again to real principles, real living true standards. We've got to come back again to the old -fashioned truths. It's just like that. I want to make an amazing statement to you, and it's so astonishing that I've waited very carefully before making it to be absolutely sure that nothing is being promised that cannot be delivered. That's the reason I try to be so practical in my preaching. It's because I want to be dead sure that whenever I make a statement, I can back it up. I back it up with my own personal experience. Because there's nothing like experience, you know. If you've been through it, then you can help others. And you can tell them it worked for you. And what has worked for you will work for them. And I always know that I'm right. I never have to apologize or back down when I give the scripture. Because that comes from the highest authority in heaven and earth. But it'd be a cruelty to say anything. That was a promise or to assure someone of something that cannot be fulfilled. But this thing can be. And it is just this. You do not need to remain as you are. Perhaps you sold yourself on the idea that you have to remain. No circumstances. You have to be the defeated person that you are. You cannot change things. You're a depressed person, a lonely person, an introvert. You were born with certain weaknesses that you feel that you'll never be able to get victory over those weaknesses. And therefore, because of your background, because of that which has been inherited, because of your circumstances, you have to remain earthbound. Again, I say to you, and I've thought it through carefully, you do not need to remain as you are. And this is on the authority of the most reliable book ever written. For it says in the epistle to the Hebrews, Out of weakness were made strong. In 2 Corinthians, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. That, without doubt, is one of the greatest statements ever struck off in the history of human thought. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. It means that you and I can be... Become new. How many times in your life have you wished that you could be born all over again? How often have you looked at a sleeping baby, an innocent little child, and looking down at that sleeping child, so peaceful, so innocent, so beautiful? And whether you've spoken the words audibly or not, inside you've said, I wish I could turn all the pages of my life back and be just an innocent little child again. Born all over. How many a man in defeat. How many a depressed person. How many a person. Living a life of failure would give anything in the world if they could just be born all over again. You can. I have news for you, my friend. I have news for you. It comes from the Lord Jesus Christ himself. If any man, that includes you, be in Christ, there it is. That's the condition. He is a new creature. And it means that you can become new. All these old weaknesses that have plagued you for years can be done away with. And everything become new. This is great. I'm saying something. I'm saying something that is as old as the Word of God. and as new and fresh as tomorrow morning's sunrise. I'm giving you something that is not theory. I'm giving you something that is not scientific. I'm giving you something that is not complicated. I'm giving you something that is as practical as God himself, the creator. And behind that promise is all of God's power. Do you really want to be a new creature? Do you really? Are you dissatisfied with yourself? Look at yourself now. Are you the man that you really want? to be? Are you the woman? Are you really the kind of person that you want to be? Are you doing your best? Or are you living a life of excuses? A life of failure? A life of defeat? Inside of you 24 hours a day, there's a battle that's raging. Oh, that inward battle. Again and again people have said, but this is what I am. This is the way I was made. I just can't help myself. I'm weak in this way. That's the way it's always going to be. Or maybe someone will say, this is my weak But who made it weak? Let me just ask you a question. Who made it weak? Why does it have to be your weak point? Why do you accept the idea that you have to be weak at this or that point? God never built weakness into anybody. If weakness has developed, it's because we have developed it. You are still the master of your own kingdom. Every human being is a master. You are the master of yourself. That kingdom. You are a kingdom unto yourself. I am a kingdom unto myself. I was born with a will. You were born with a will. Know that. You have the will to do what you want to with that life of yours. I want to tell you there's a power available to us whereby we can overcome our weaknesses. How do I know? Is it just because somebody perhaps told me that years ago? Oh, no. It's because I've seen it work over and over again. You see, that's the reason I'm so enthused about the Bible. That's the reason I've given my life to preach the Word of God. And I mean faith. My life. Not just five years. Not just ten years. But do you realize that Kathryn Kuhlman has literally given her entire life for what she believes? And I believe it so completely that I feel it's worth giving my life for. I'd stake my life on everything that I give to you. I've seen this thing work in the lives of thousands and thousands of people. And because I've seen it work so many times in so many people, and I have seen what it's done for people over and over again, that's the reason I would stake my life on what? I am saying to you right now when I tell you that you do not have to be the kind of person that you are. I don't care who you are. You can be life's greatest failure this moment. You do not have to be a failure. You do not have to live one single day in defeat. You do not have to be mastered by circumstances, by troubles, by sorrows, by disappointments. You don't have to. I've seen people whom you might have written off as absolutely hopeless, who have become wonderful, controlled, victorious individuals. Oh, sure. I was on a talk show from Cleveland, and part of it was they opened the telephone lines for... conversation from folk in the listening audience. And among those who telephoned me as I was sitting there in the television station was a man. Oh, he said, Catherine Kuhlman, remember me? I was that bootlegger's son. At the age of 11 years old, I was, uh, peddling, uh, My daddy and granddaddy's booze that they were making in a steel down someplace, you know. But oh, he said, I'll tell you, since I've gotten salvation, it's altogether different. It's a wonderful life. And that man has one of the most responsible positions today with a steel company that few men have and thousands would covet. I've seen it work. You don't have to be a victim to alcohol. I tell you it. Whether you're a little lady there in your home and you only drink when the doors are locked and your family doesn't know it. You're one of those silent drinkers and you do it all alone. You wouldn't have anyone know it for anything in the world. I know. You told me so. Or you may be a businessman and you say, I started out just drinking so chalet, but now I can't stop. Or you may be an out -and -out alcoholic. You don't have to be. You do not have to be. I promise you. I promise you. You do not need to remain as you are. Become a new creature in Christ Jesus.