Opportunity

We’re in a season of opportunity, of stepping out, of God giving direction and new life.

Decision

Hearing God’s voice

Truly Seizing opportunity takes 3 things: Willingness, Decision, and hearing God’s voice.

Willingness

Willingness is the desire to do the will of God regardless of what it is.

The best example of willingness in the Bible was Abraham.

He was willing to go anywhere that God would send him.

He was willing to give up even his own son.

The worst example of willingness was Jonah

He was completely unwilling to go to Nineveh like God asked him too.

Because of this he made a decision to turn the other way and run.

If you are not willing, you will won’t make a decision and you will not clearly hear the voice of God.

Going to disney world. If you decide on the way on a family vacation that you are going to be miserable and not have any fun but you decide to go anyway, and the entire time your spouse has told you it will be fun, you will have a good time, but you are not buying it. You go through the whole trip and are miserable and miss out on having fun because even though you decided to go and you heard someone’s voice telling you to go and enjoy it you were still not willing to have a good time.

Decision

Decision is the ability to stand firm in the choice made.

Decision is making a choice and sticking to it no matter the cost.

Trying to lose weight.

If you are working out you have to set goals.

Example: Like running, to start you may want to run half a mile.

Decision is the ability to stand firm in the choice made.

But that is to make the decision, I am going to run this far, no matter what my body feels, or how much I sweat, or how sore I will be after.

You make that decision and it keeps you focused to complete the task at hand.

Decision is the ability to stand firm in the choice made.

Decision is making a choice and sticking to it no matter the cost.

The best example is Elisha.

He was willing, and made a decision right off the bat, knowing that this was the worst time ever to be a prophet.

Before Elijah was taken to heaven, Elijah told Elisha three times, go away God is sending me somewhere. Each time Elisha said I’m not going anywhere, I’m right beside you because he was called to be with Elijah and he had made a decision to be with him until the end.

After Elijah was taken up, Elisha was rewarded by not giving up.

How many times do we lose our blessing because we give up too early?

The worst example is Solomon

He had everything, money, power, wisdom. But he did not make a firm decision to follow God.

He was willing in the beginning, he built the temple and did everything God asked him.

As the enemy continued to attack him and press at him, he began to marry women outside of Israel as God had commanded them not to, and he let those women draw him away from God. Eventually causing his children to lose the kingdom.

Hearing God’s voice.

If in all of this, you are not hearing and following the Holy Spirit’s leading then the rest is pointless.

All 3 work together.

Good example of Hearing God’s voice.

Granna beginning the Sunday school class

God began whispering, I kept feeling like the ministry I was called into was about to come soon. I would look at church buildings in Springfield and wonder where God was going to take me, not having any references anywhere.

She had told me for weeks how she had felt ready to take on a Sunday School class again, God had been planting the seed in her heart to begin it.

As time went on she finally asked pastor if she could do it and there it began, she has been giving anointed classes every Sunday.

I continued to work and even told my dad I didn’t think I was going to be working where I was at very long. As days went on the voice didn’t go away, it still lingered and my desire to do it grew.

And even though the enemy continually attacks her she has made a decision to do it but she was also willing when God called.

God had prepared the way, my ties to Evangel were getting cut, my ties to a church were getting cut, I didn’t have a place to live, and I never fit into the job I was at.

Finally I got the call one Sunday night from my grandmother that Pastor wanted to talk to me about being the youth pastor. I knew that was where I needed to be as soon as I heard the words come out of her mouth.

This story isn’t to brag, but God whispers sometimes and it gets louder, you have to be ready to hear the whisper. God’s not always in the fire, wind, and earthquake ().

A bad example is Esau

Esau was hungry and worried about his feelings one day and gave up all of God’s blessings for him.

He wasn’t concerned with what God’s will was, he simply made a gut decision from his hunger in giving up his birthright, and it meant his entire future.

What’s in your hands?

Sometimes in big decisions God doesn’t just tell us, like my grandmother. He gives us a deep desire.

Nicole’s story of wanting to be a teacher.

God puts a desire in us sometimes that we can’t shake, it goes with us, like a gift or an ability, it is part of our makeup. If you ever wonder what can I do for God, look around you, look inside you and see what seeds God has already put inside you.

What are you praying for?

A closer relationship with God?

He’s given you the tools but you have to be willing, choose, and hear His voice.

A new job?

He’s going to open an opportunity, just be ready to hear his voice and be willing to do whatever it is.

A new ministry?

Be willing, decide to do it, and hear God when He tells you what it is

If you are working out you have to set goals.

Example: Like running, to start you may want to run half a mile.

But that is to make the decision, I am going to run this far, no matter what my body feels, or how much I sweat, or how sore I will be after.

You make that decision and it keeps you focused to complete the task at hand.