|
Video Sermon 10 Minute Highlights |
| FULL WRITTEN TRANSCRIPT OPPORTUNITY #2: WHEN IT COMES TO GOD
If you go to our website and view the sermon highlights for last week, you’ll see it starts like this: (Video clip) It was a beautiful illustration that if people clearly see an opportunity in which they see value, they will act. We also learned that people who love twizzlers value them greatly! But what if we saw the opportunities of God as clearly as we saw the twizzlers? Would we act?
A gift from David’s baptism taught me a valuable lesson: God has the blessing of opportunity waiting for us in some form all the time. (Number of little twizzlers) But every now and then; He has waiting for us; a really big one! (Yardstick rope twizzlers)
We sang a song, “Everybody Needs a Little.” Through the day to day, we need those little opportunities in which to walk with God. We need a shot of peace, hope, joy, and love. But we wonder, when is God going to send me my “yardstick twizzler.”
I believe Scripture supports me in this: The issue isn’t; is there a yardstick-sized opportunity for me? It is: Do we recognize it when it comes? .…I can tell you if there is a twizzler around by the sound of the wrapping or the smell. But I have to ask myself, am I so discerning when it comes to God’s opportunities for me?
Let’s start at the beginning. What do I know about God’s opportunities; from His Word? What are they? Let’s take a look at…
· The opportunity for healing and deliverance. Here are two great Biblical examples: Mark 5 25. In the crowd was a woman who had been sick for twelve years with a hemorrhage. 26. She had suffered much from many doctors through the years and had become poor from paying them, and was no better but, in fact, was worse. 27. She had heard all about the wonderful miracles Jesus did, and that is why she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his clothes. 28. For she thought to herself, ``If I can just touch his clothing, I will be healed.'' 29. And sure enough, as soon as she had touched him, the bleeding stopped and she knew she was well! 30. Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, ``Who touched my clothes?'' 31. His disciples said to him, ``All this crowd pressing around you, and you ask who touched you?'' 32. But he kept on looking around to see who it was who had done it. 33. Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and told him what she had done. 34. And he said to her, ``Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, healed of your disease.'' Matt 20 29. Now as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. 30. And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!'' 31. Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!'' 32. So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?'' 33. They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened.'' 34. So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him. You’ve got to love these people! They are in hopeless situations. Nothing but a miracle can possibly deliver them. They must be incredibly broken and discouraged. But they still have the wits to see the opportunity when it is before them. They see God’s opportunity, they see the value, and they latch on to it and no thing or person is going to deter them. That’s what it’s like when we really see opportunity. And of course, it pays off.
Healing and deliverance are the dramatic opportunities. They are very likely the first thing we think of, the first ones we cry to God for are the physical ones. It makes sense; we are physical beings… at least right now.
But, here’s an interesting insight into God’s opportunities. The more dramatic ones are most often, the shortest-lived. This sick woman was healed in a way she could physically feel. The blind physically saw their healing. But the health and eyesight ended when, in the natural course of things, their physical lives ended. Scripture teaches us that this life is but a vapor. By their very nature, the dramatic blessings are short-lived.
But God offers a whole other level of opportunity. It is not as dramatic; in fact until we mature a little, we have very little awareness of their true value. You see, these opportunities go on for eternity. …Opportunities, like what?
· Power to become the children of God –John 1:12 and 3:16 John 1 12. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name: This is very strong language. “Right” in the original is “exousia” which means the ability, the privilege, the capacity, competency, freedom or mastery. It means authority, jurisdiction and delegated influence.
There is an opportunity to: gain the ability to be God’s offspring; to develop the capacity to join to Creator of the universe. You can be free to experience that. You can have that authority; you can master the walk; forever!
How do you do that? The passage says to any who “receive Him.” But in the English, it is a little misleading. As the original writer put this down in ancient Greek, he used the word, “Lambano.” This did not mean to passively accept. It means to catch or take hold. It is active, even aggressive. It is what you do when you see an opportunity that is really worth going after. –Imagine being the beloved child of an infinite and eternal being! What opportunity could be greater?
· Spiritual gifts - Romans 12 6. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7. or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
Spiritual gifts are capacities to affect the eternities of others. People have awe inspiring natural talents. But in reality, everything humankind can do pales in comparison to spiritual gifts. Compare that dedicated lady or man who week after week, is driven to sculpt the souls of children in Godly teaching. Compare them to your favorite movie star or rock star and they may not seem very extraordinary. But a thousand years from now, when you see those children in the streets of heaven, largely because that gift of teaching was faithfully used; then, what gift will seem the greatest?
· The opportunity to be equipped Ephesians 4 11. And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12. for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 2 Tim 3 16. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17. that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Let’s connect a few of the dots: When we “take hold” of Christ, we are given the authority of God-relationship. In that relationship we are given gifts that deal in eternity. But the gifts don’t come full grown.
The original words for “equip” in these two passages are not the same, but they drive to the same end. To make use of the spiritual gifts, you have to become actively engaged in these opportunities of developing the skills and maturity to use your gifts. It involves the counsel and influence of other people of God’s family. You and I cannot do it without others. It involves digging into the truth that God has already documented in the Bible; and not by your own private interpretation.
–Do you see the common theme? The opportunities are there, but you must actively go after them. Matt 7 7. "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9. "Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10. "Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11. "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! -How can it be put any more clearly, you and I must MOVE!!
· There are powerful opportunities just waiting for you to take hold. But you must GO and TAKE hold.
· Don’t get too hung up on obtaining the most dramatic and most visible ones. We want the physical help the most intensely, but they are merely icing on the eternal cake.
· The greatest opportunities deal in the eternal. We tend not to value them like they deserve, at least at first. We are like the young child who is more thrilled with the cardboard box than the precious gift that is inside. But time and eternity and spiritual maturity, unwrap the real value.
· In His perfect mercy and wisdom, God prioritizes our opportunities. Sometimes, the physical deliverance doesn’t take place so that the eternal opportunity can be gained. ….In 2 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh.” He begged for God to take it away. But Paul’s affliction was necessary to open the way for God’s strength. And what was the result? Countless people were guided to eternal life through the inspired writing, fueled in his suffering. ….There are times our temporary afflictions, as severe as they are, as badly as we want them to go away, are the very opportunity for us to work in the eternal.
· And lastly; never give up In Luke chapter 18, Jesus tells the parable of a powerless widow who wins justice from a powerful judge. How did she do it? -She refused to give up. There are few things God honors more than faithful persistence. We need the spiritual sensitivity to recognize when God wisely closes one door of opportunity, but there is always another opening to allow you and me to take deeper hold of Him. ….Seek, knock, open, grow, strive, mature, run the good race, but never give up. There is always opportunity, always blessings waiting, always the best yet to come.
Did you notice the expression on the faces of those who came up for twizzlers last week? Talk about “the eye of the tiger.” I’m certainly glad I had enough twizzlers, otherwise I might have been in serious trouble! They meant business when they marched up there!
What if we had the same clear vision when it came to God’s opportunities? What if we realized that they were there, just waiting for us to see and take hold? What eternal business might we accomplish? What eternal benefits might we bring?
This week God is sending us from this place with a challenge; the challenge of expectation. He is opening doors, ones where we can affect eternity. Seek, and expect to find. Knock and keep knocking until the door is opened. If you are a child of God, God doesn’t simply have opportunities waiting for you; He has the highest possible.
|
