Many times opportunities come but once.
A. Sometimes they get by us because we just aren’t
paying attention.
1. Things slip by us when we are intent on our
own projects, goals, or activities.
B. Then too........we can be attacked, criticized or
beat down because of our past failures.
1. Sometimes by the ones that we are trying to
get through to.....sometimes by the very
Christians who are supposed to be
encouraging us.
C. Opportunities.......Golden opportunities......are
missed many times out of pure....unadulterated....
laziness.
1. We may put a mask on it, but it still is
laziness.
a. I think that many of us can identify with
this scenario........opportunities lost
because we don’t want to get out of our
chair.....because we don’t want to leave
the house........because we don’t want to
put up with the physical elements.
D. For these reasons and/or others, we find a fourth
reason for not taking advantage of the golden
opportunities that avail themselves to us.....we
expect someone else to do it.
1. Let them take the flak.
2. Let them feel the rejection.
3. Let them sweat or freeze.
Let us look at five keys to making the best of the Golden
Opportunities that come our way.
I. Look to the future......not the past.
Phil. 3:13-14 - 13Brethren, I do not count myself to have
apprehended {gotten there, yet}; but one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind and reaching
forward to those things which are ahead, 14I press toward
the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ
Jesus.
A. We can and should be stirred up by and
encouraged by history (the past).....but we must
never let ourselves become bound to it.
1. We must not let uninspired traditions (as
good as they may seem)....kill our good
ideas and intents.
B. To some degree...the days of Golden Opportunities
are still here.
1. Opportunities within the Church and
opportunities among lost souls.
a. Door-to-door calling, teaching, and
witnessing still present themselves as
opportunities.
1.) They are what we will make of
them, however.
b. We often have the opportunity of
cultivating a friendship and opening the
door to eternal life for our friends.
1.) I’m not suggesting deceit in
cultivating the friendship, but I am
saying that we should take
advantage of the friendships we do
have and look for the opportunities
that present themselves in this
arena.
c. We also have opportunities to help in
physical ways with physical problems.
1.) Within the Church....fulfilling our
relationship with one-another and
with Christ.
2.) Outside of the Church.
a.) Many times these acts of
kindness present the
opportunity for deeper
spiritual things.
C. We have to realize that perfection has not yet
been attained.
1. There is plenty of room for improvement and
a host of opportunities that we can take
advantage of.
a. Both, within and without the Church.
II. Let us look for something that everyone is saying
should be done.
A. People say that they want to be used in the Church,
but they don’t see where that opportunity is.
1. Realize that when someone makes the
comment that it would be nice if somebody
would do something.......YOU ARE
SOMEBODY!
a. If we are to make the best of
opportunities, we need to take the
initiative......we need to look and see....
we need to be ready with the needs of
the moment and not sit around waiting
for the “right thing”.
1.) Church buildings always have
things that need to be done.
2.) Make it a point to visit those who
are sick, hurting, or lonely.
3.) Do random acts of kindness for
others......both inside and outside
the Church.
4.) Help people, financially.....do it
anonymously.
** The point is.....if we would simply think of things that
we would want done to us....and then take the
opportunity to do them to others, we would be a
blessing and an asset to the Kingdom of God.
B. If you see it....DO IT.
1. Seldom do you have to check in with anybody
in this.
** It has been said that, “Great souls prove their greatness
by making opportunities where others only make
complaints”
C. Look for and attempt to fill the needs that others
see.
1. They state this perceived need in several
ways, but it goes something like this.
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if .....”
a. We had a picnic (or a cookout).
b. The Church had a food “pantry”.
c. We started a fund to help out Christians
who don’t have any health insurance.
d. Someone would keep tabs on those who
are sick and see that they get a card.
e. Someone organize the tract rack and keep
it neat and up to date.
III. As we look at obstacles that seem to be in our way...
we need to realize they are simply the fence around
the blessings.
A. No blessing comes without it’s share of
obstacles and various drawbacks.
1. Perhaps it can be said....”The greater the
wall...the greater the blessings within.”
a. The positive approach to obstacles
not only makes them much more
palatable, it opens the door to some
exciting challenges and some great
and exciting opportunities.
1.) Who could have guessed what
wonderful and exciting things
were ahead for Joseph when he
was unceremoniously dropped
into the pit.
2.) I can’t see many of us rejoicing and
quickly dropping our means of
livelihood to follow someone
whom we most probably never
laid eyes upon.
a.) Just think of the opportunities
that would have been passed
up by anyone refusing to
follow.
3.) Think of the many opportunities
that Daniel had and how God
used him is such wonderful ways.
a.) To some, however, these
things would not be
considered opportunities, but
instead....they would view
them more as obstacles to
achievement.
** When we work through God and trust completely in
Him and move forward in faith, the things that seem
so bitter really will become sweet.
1. Those problems that are in our way, actually are
potentially the doors to great and golden
opportunities, if we will view them with faith.
James 1:2-3 - 2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall
into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience.
IV. We need to search in the discard pile of life for some
of our opportunities.
A. Some have rejected certain things as undesirable,
unimportant, ignoble, a waste of time, and the
like.
1. Many times we can point to situations that
were considered “impossible”......only to have
someone who didn’t realize that it was
“impossible”......go ahead and do it.
Matt. 19:26 - 26But Jesus looked at them and said to
them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things
are possible.”
Phil. 4:13 - 13I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.
2. Others don’t take advantage of the
opportunities before them because they
have a low opinion of people....especially
the lost.....especially the dirty....especially
those who are despicable sinners (such as
some of us were).
James 2:1-5 - 1My brethren, do not hold the faith of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2For if
there should come into your assembly a man with gold
rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor
man in filthy clothes, 3and you pay attention to the one
wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a
good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,”
or, “Sit here at my footstool,” 4have you not shown
partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil
thoughts? 5Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not
chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of
the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
a. There is a golden opportunity in working
with people that nobody else wants to
sully their hands with.
1.) We know and can understand that
these are still lost and loved souls
that Jesus Christ died for....we can
rise to the occasion and take
advantage of the opportunity of
bringing these despised ones to
salvation.
a.) Not only will their spiritual
life be turned around....their
physical life.........the things
that originally turned off so
many people.......will also be
changed because we took the
pains to sift through the
trash heap of life.
I Cor. 1:26-29 - 26For you see your calling, brethren, that
not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble, are called. 27But God has chosen the foolish
things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has
chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the
things which are mighty; 28and the base things of the
world and the things which are despised God has chosen,
and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things
that are, 29that no flesh should glory in His presence.
B. Let us place a real and heartfelt belief in the worth
of ALL MANKIND!........Jesus did!
1. Miracles can and do happen, and we can play
an important part in bringing all of this about
if we will let ourselves take advantage of
the opportunities presented to us.....even in
people that others have counted out.
** There may be many reasons why others have
decided not to take advantage of the Golden
Opportunities laid out before them.
1. Whatever their reason, we do not have to make it
our reason.
a. Let us look for the opportunities even in the
areas that others would consider hopeless.
CONCLUSION:
We can make a difference in a multitude of ways, if we will
look for and take advantage of the opportunities that are
there, before us.
A. We cannot be so wrapped up in our own selves
and our own selfish interests, or we might miss
these opportunities.
1. We must shift the importance from ourselves
to others.
Never mind how everything has been done in the past.
A. Opportunities do not have to fit a pattern of the
past.
1. Let us not be locked in by tradition.....let us
learn from the past.....let us be inspired by
the past.....but let us also understand that we
are living in the present and that we need to
take advantage of the opportunity even if it
doesn’t fit with our preconceived ideas.
We need to look for the opportunities.....we can’t always
expect that opportunity will tap us on the shoulder and
identify itself with a picture I.D.
A. Many time opportunity sits right in front of us....
right next to us. Opportunity may work in the
grocery store.....it may cut hair.....it may be sick
or lonely. Opportunity may come in the form of
things that need to be done in the Church. It
seldom has a picture I.D.
Along with the opportunities, come some obstacles.
A. A lot depends on how we view these obstacles.
1. In reality, every opportunity has an obstacle.
a. This is simply the fence that holds in the
blessings.....enter at the gate of faith.
Finally.....realize that some of the best opportunities come
from the trash pile of life.
A. People and things are rejected for many reasons....
these are still Golden Opportunities for the
making.
1. We have to view people as Christ viewed
people and look beyond their faults and see
the potential that they have if we would but
put the time and love that is necessary into
their lives.
Who would want to pass up the opportunities that are given
to us on a daily basis?
A. Are we alert enough and loving enough to take a
good sharp look at the opportunities around us and
take advantage of them?
