Make the Most of Every Opportunity

Opening

What is your family’s reason for coming to America?

America, Land of Opportunity?

Golden Years 1947-1973

Today we have struggling generation

Dysfunctional Economy is the heart of the crisis

Earned Income and Child Tax credits helps but not create a just economic society

Employers became very "profit oriented"

Great Depression 1929, workers were laid off those retained must do double duty

Article by Bill Ayres

America is not the author of opportunity. But, God is the God of “opportunities”

After my daily morning time with the Lord, I hit the road to fetch my first Uber ride of the day. It was still dark when I was cruising Parkview Village Road on neighborhood speed when all of a sudden a deer popped up right on my face in the middle of the road. What do you do in a situation like that? slammed the brakes to stop, then silence, then you begin to think... Opportunities are like deer that suddenly appear before you. If you don’t see it, you’ll miss it.

See Your Opportunity

Acts 27:13 NIV

When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.

Rahab (the prostitute) saw her opportunity to be redeemed. She showed kindness to the spies sent by Joshua as her way to forge commitment from the spies to spare her life and the lives of her family.

Joshua 2:12 NIV

“Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign

When it was decided Paul will sail

Nehemiah (the rebuilder of the wall) got his opportunity to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Daniel took the opportunity to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream.

Priscilla and Aquila grabbed the opportunity to teach Apollos.

Do not miss your Opportunity

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Pharoah Necho (Ne-ko), king of Egypt missed his “opportunity” and was defeated at Carchemish (Kar-ke-mish) on the Euphrates river by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

Jeremiah 46:17 NIV

There they will exclaim, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise; he has missed his opportunity.’

You need to discern opportune moments

Scripture views life as divinely ordained. God has set forth before us all things that he lovingly meant for each of us. He is the author of things in our lives and he designated the right time for everything. However, it is up to us to discern which of the opportunities that comes our way are truly what the Lord meant for us.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

BUT, some opportunities should be rejected

David already had the opportunity to kill king Saul, but he didn’t!

Cain made an opportunity to murder Abel.

Jacob took the opportunity to “buy” Esau’s birthright.

Judas sought an opportunity to betray Jesus Christ.

Don’t give the enemy an opportunity

1 Timothy 5:14 NIV

So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.

Every possible opportunity should be taken to do good

Galatians 6:10 NIV

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Very importantly, “make the most of every opportunity”

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer to everyone.

Rahab saved the spies and her household:

Colossians

Colossians 4:5 NIV

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.

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But, how will we know the right “opportunities” for us?

Naaman’s wife’s maid helped Naaman by telling her mistress about Elisha; Nehemiah gained permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

The Holy Spirit will guide us in all the truth.

John 16:13 NIV

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Esther saved the Jews from Haman’s plot:

Exactly 3 years ago back home in the Philippines. It was Mother’s Day. I was half way through my sermon, when all of a sudden, my wife appeared before my eyes. Just like the deer appearing from nowhere. At the pulpit, I was so stunned, I paused on my sermon, and everybody turned their heads to look at her. The only words that came out of my lips was… “church!, we’re so blessed today because the mother of my children are here with us!”… they ushered her into a pew and I went on to finish my sermon. It was kind of an awkward moment because my ‘mistress’ was there too. At the end of the service, church elders distributed flowers and chocolates to all mothers, not expecting my wife to show up, there was none allocated for her. So, I talked to Bro. Deo and asked him if he could borrow a flower and a chocolate intended for one of the mothers so we have something to give to my wife, and so Bro. Deo managed to remedy the situation. And then my wife came up to me, gave me a friendly hug and whispered, “I came in peace just to get your address where I can send our divorce documents”, I replied to her and I go, “oh ok, let us pray about it”.

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This break gave me an “opportunity” to ride my bike and retreat to the deep mountains of Ifugao Province to pray, meditate and seek the Lord’s will. I came to Him crying and begging to reveal His ultimate purpose for my life. At the end of my 3-day adventure with the Spirit of God. I got a call from my brother, Raylino, and he advised me to come to America and visit my family, he offered to pay for all my expenses. I took that as an answer from God, and that “opportunity” changed the course of my life… and the rest was history...

Daniel offered to interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s dream; Priscilla and Aquila taught Apollos.

Church, let us pray and ask God to open up “opportunities” to make a difference in our lives and to the lives of others...

Some opportunities should be rejected

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Opportunities to do evil may have appalling consequences

Cain made an opportunity to murder Abel; Jacob took the opportunity to “buy” Esau’s birthright.

Joseph’s brothers seized the opportunity to capture and sell him:

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Daniel’s enemies sought and found an opportunity to lay a charge against him.

Judas sought an opportunity to betray Jesus Christ:

Matthew 26:16 NIV

From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

Giving others an opportunity to do wrong must be avoided

1 Timothy 5:14 NIV

So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.