OPPORTUNITIES
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
IS IT POSSIBLE TO LOSE LIVE IN LIVING?
IS IT POSSIBLE TO LOSE WISDOM IN KNOWLEDGE?
SUCCESS IS NOT THE KEY TO HAPPINESS,
HAPPINESS IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS.
I. AT SUNSET IT IS BETTER TO SAY: I AM GLAD I DID...
THAN TO SAY I WISH I HAD...
KJV
Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who
are of the household of faith.
LIVING
Galatians 6:10 That's why whenever we can we should always be kind to everyone, and especially to
our Christian brothers.
MESSAGE
Galatians 6:10 Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting
with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
OPPORTUNITY:
Favorable chance or opening offered by circumstances, occasion, possibility
II. MOST OPPORTUNITIES COME BY WAY OF A PROBLEM, A TRIAL, OR A TEST!
A. WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM HERE... WE HAVE 5,000 HUNGRY PEOPLE...
Many teachers say the 5,000 are men, this does not count the women and children.
B. NOW THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM, OR IT IS A BIG OPPORTUNITY... ???
C. Test will always PROVE your FAITH...
John 6:4 And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
[5] When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence
shall we buy bread, that these may eat? [6] And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.
[7] Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may
take a little. [8] One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
[9] There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
[10] And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down,
in number about five thousand.
[11] And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples
to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.
[12] When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
D. JESUS ALREADY KNEW WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO...
E. CAN YOU REALIZE THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM? THE SCOPE OF THE OPPORTUNITY?
A BIG MAC, MEDIUM FRIES, MEDIUM DRINK IS $5.93...
5000
X5.93
---------
$29,650.00
F. ANDREW HAD THE ANSWER, THEN HIS HUMAN REASONING FOCUSED ON THE PROBLEM
NOT THE OPPORTUNITY...
G. JESUS TOOK THE LITTLE BOYS OFFERING AND SAID THANKS....
H. NOTHING WAS LOST, THEY TOOK UP THE LEFT OVERS...
III. OFTEN PEOPLE HAVE THE TENDANCY TO ALLOW THE PAST TO DICTATE THE FUTURE...
WHAT IS DENIED CAN NEVER BE HEALED..
NOT ALL OPPORTUNITIES ARE GOOD... IN THE PROCESS OF TIME...
CHOICES MATTER, BEHAVIOR MATTERS, HOW YOU TREAT OTHERS MATTER...
A. OFTEN TIMES ANGER, BITTERNESS, DRIVE OPPORTUNITIES...
IN THE PROCESS OF TIME...
Cain offers of the fruit...
Abel offers the firstling...
CAIN GETS ANGRY AT HIS BROTHER... WHY NOT AT HIMSELF?
B. SHOW ME WHAT TICKS YOU OFF AND I WILL SHOW YOU WHAT MAKES YOU TICK...
Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering
unto the Lord.
C. ONE EVENT CAN DRIVE ONE TO RIGHT OR TO WRONG...
IT MIIGHT COME DOWN TO ATTITUDE...
D. YOUR CHOICES AND ATTITUDES,
THE OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE YOU WILL SET IN CONCRETE WORD WORDS AND ACTIONS...
Genesis 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his
countenance fell.
E. CHECK IT OUT... SIN, COMMISSION OR OMISSION, SIN LIES BEHIND WARS AND STRIFE...
Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.
And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
F. THE NEW TESTAMENT RECORDS THE SAD HISTORY OF A MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
THERE IS NO RECORD OF CAIN REPENTING...
RATHER HE THROWS OUT THE EXCUSE: AM I MY BROTHERS KEEPER?
Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained
witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
IV. PERHAPS WE NEED TO BURN THE BRIDGES BEHIND US...
THE BRIDGE COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN...
A. HOW MANY PEOPLE LOOK BACK...
B. WANT TO BE A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A BAD EXAMPLE?
Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.
33 Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
C. WE CAN TAKE FULL ADVANGE OF AN OPPORTUNITY AND THEN WE FIND THAT LURKS IN THE
SHADOWS AN OPPORTUNITY TO RETURN...
Hebrews 11: Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child
when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
[12] Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude,
and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
[13] These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded
of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
[14] For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
[15] And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity
to have returned.
[16] But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their
God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
V. WHO ARE YOU?
WHAT ARE YOU KNOWN FOR?
WHAT WORDS WOULD YOU HAVE OTHERS TO SPEAK ABOUT YOU?
A.YOU HAVE DAILY OPPORTUNITIES IN THE MENIAL TASK THAT YOU DO...
Opportunities to demonstrate the flesh or the spirit man...
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
B. DO I REACT OR DO I ACT BY FAITH...
Ephes. 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for
Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
C. Are you:
1. FAITHFUL? DEPENDABLE?
2. ARE YOU KIND? TENDERHEARTED? DO YOU CARE?
3. DO YOU ENCOURAGE OTHERS? REFRESH THEM?
4. DO YOU MODEL FORGIVENESS?
VI. LIFE HAS A PURPOSE...
DOES THIS OPPORTUNITY MAKE ME A VICTEM OR A VICTOR?
DO I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK BACKWARDS OR WILL I LOOK AHEAD?
A. HOW MANY TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE BY LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR?
Philip. 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
B. HIND SIGHT?
CAN WE SEE AHEAD WITH GREAT CLARITY?
C. OFTEN CHRISTIANS JUST LIVE IN THE MOMENT... WE ONLY THINK OF RIGHT NOW...
D. Sure, we face many troubles and trials but by TAKING THIS MOMMENT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO
SERVE JESUS CHRIST... we look ahead...
E. NEVER FORGET THAT JESUS IS A REWARDER...
a return or recompense, restoration, award, prize, bounty, satisfying, worthwhile, fruitful.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that
he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
VII. THERE ARE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES SET BEFORE US...
Deut. 30:15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
Deut. 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death,
blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:
Conclusion:
We have opportunities to pray, read the Bible, witness, to dream big...
A missionary served in Egypt. He died after serving there, in the front his Bible we penned:
NO RESERVES
NO REGRETS
NO RETREATS
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Pass it on?
