Missed
Opportunities
Eph
5: 15 & 16; Acts 24:24-27
Sin
of Omission - James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to
him it is sin.
"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most
of every opportunity, because the days are evil"
Spurgeon
said: “Now
also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings not
forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” Not only the tree that brings
forth bad fruit is burned, but the
tree which is barren and unprofitable
is hewn down and cast into the fire! If we bring not forth the fruits of true saving
faith, we may be sure that such faith is not in our possession!”
The
philosophers at Mars Hill (Acts 12:32), "We will hear you again on this matter."
Paul soon left Athens, never to return. While Felix delayed, Paul got the opportunity to
share the gospel with him. Felix has lured away a Jewish bride from her first husband, and
the knowledge of “The Way” that he had, he probably had from her. And so over
the next two years, Paul spoke often with this Roman ruler. The word used is
“reasoned” which means that he had intelligent dialogue and discussion. The text
says that he spoke to him concerning faith in Christ, righteousness, self-control, and
judgment to come. And there is indication here that the Spirit was convicting. Felix
became afraid.
Luke
9:57-62 records the last opportunities of some would-be disciples, but each came up with
their own excuses. Remember, let me first bury my father; let me first say good-bye to my
family, etc.
Philip
seized the opportunity to speak to the Eunich. He was close enough to hear the Ethopian
reading Isaiah. Are you willing to get close to others to seek the opportunity of God.
Ephesians
5:15-16 has been called the Bible's key to time management. But "redeeming
the time" goes far beyond being efficient. It's a wonderful phrase that can also be
translated "making the most of every opportunity."
Wasting
the gift of time insults the giver of time.
Examples
– Pharisees: "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees
are fasting, but yours are not?" The Pharisees knew what John’s disciples were
doing; the Pharisees knew what Jesus’ disciples were doing; the Pharisees knew what
their own disciples were doing. The only thing that Pharisees didn’t know is what God
wanted to do in their own life. One of the reasons they didn’t know what God was
doing in their life because they were too busy trying to find out what God was doing in
everybody else’s life.
Example:
Our chance to change things came and passed and we did not know it was there. A
dark-skinned little boy sat through Sunday School classes for three years at a great
Baptist Church (First Church, San Antonio) but someone missed him. His name was Sirhan
Sirhan, and at age 24 he shot and killed Senator Robert Kennedy. In a welter of words and
the shudder of grief throughout our nation, the persistent thought keeps
recurring—someone missed him. (Dr. Jimmy Allen, former pastor of First Baptist
Church, San Antonio)
Example: Missed
opportunities can sideline us if we let them. The papers reported a few years ago a story
about a man -- who has chosen to remain anonymous -- who missed out on winning $66 million
Euro dollars. He had purchased a ticket for the Super Enalotto, Europe's biggest lottery,
near his home in Milan, Italy. On the day the winning lottery ticket was revealed, the man
was preoccupied with the details of his daughter's wedding. In the midst of the chaos, he
neglected to redeem his ticket. By the time he realized he had purchased the winning
numbers, the deadline for claiming the jackpot had passed. He had forfeited a prize never
to be repeated. What was in his grasp and reserved for him, passed him by. Not
surprisingly, the stress of the ordeal landed him in the hospital.
Example of missing
because of peer pressure: A story about a high school football player who was a
Christian. He was a big fellow and a great athlete. He led his team to the best season
they had ever had and won many awards. He was being interviewed and the reporter asked him
this question, “You know you have the reputation of being a devout Christian.
Isn’t it hard o be a devout Christian with all the peer pressure you face?” And
he said “Ma’am, I am the peer pressure.”
Wait
for God-given opportunities - We must be on the alert to meet the demand of every
hour. "Mine hour is not yet come," said our Lord. He waited patiently until He
heard the hours strike in heaven, and then drawing the strength appropriate to its demand,
He went forth to meet it. Each time and season is kept by the Father in His own hand. He
opens and none shuts; He shuts and none opens.
There
is so much good that needs to be done that you should not waste your time on things that
are not your opportunity, which God wants you to seize. Eph 2:10 says: For we
are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them.
Some
people think they know how God in going to work in a situation. And they believe their way
is the only way that God will work in that situation. That kind of thinking puts God in a
box. But you know what God will blow out that box because He is not limited by our
restrictions. But sadly some of have missed opportunities with God because we failed to
see Him working in our life because He worked in a way different then the way we would
have thought He would have worked. The lesson for us is: don’t attempt to limit how
God can get something done in your life.
NOW:
But now, God is calling on you and me to seize this moment and seize every opportunity we
have to grow closer to God.
Isaiah
43:18-20:
Don’t live in the past. “Remember not the former things. Behold I do something
new”
Moses
said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your
fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell
them?" (Exodus 2:13)
God
replied, "This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to
you.'" (Exodus 2:14)
I
AM. It's
an all-encompassing name. It's a NOW name. God was saying to Moses, "I may be the God
of your ancestors, but I'm not the God of the past. I am the God of today. I AM."
(v.
19) See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
Conviction
is not enough. Felix was convicted. Seize the opportunity.
“Arise
and go” the Spirit said to Philip. He was listening. He obeyed. “He arose and he
went.” He ran.
…
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
Philippians 3:13
Isaiah
55:6-7 which says, ‘Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is
near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return
to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him…’
It
has been said that: ‘the opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of
the opportunity’.
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