The Power of a Present Opportunity
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
An ostrich with its head in the sand is just as blind to opportunity as to disaster.
Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity.
When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us.
Here is a proverb that many live to the fullest:
Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.
We are all manufacturers in a way--making good, making trouble, or making excuses.
H. V. Adolf.
One of the great disasters of history took place in 1271. In 1271 Niccolo and Matteo Polo (the father and uncle of Marco) were visiting the Kubla Khan. Kubla Khan at that time was a world ruler, for he ruled all China, all India, and all of the East. He was attracted to the story of Christianity as Niccolo and Matteo told it to him. And he said to them: "You shall go to your high priest and tell him on my behalf to send me a hundred men skilled in your religion and I shall be baptized, and when I am baptized all my barons and great men will be baptized and their subjects will receive baptism, too, and so there will be more Christians here than there are in your parts." Nothing was done. Nothing was done for about thirty years, and then two or three missionaries were sent. Too few and too late. It baffles the imagination to think what a difference to the world it would have made if in the thirteenth century China had become fully Christian, if in the thirteenth century India had become fully Christian, if in the thirteenth century the East had been given to Christ. In that, we have seen man frustrating God’s purpose in history.
God’s best gifts are not things but opportunities. When opportunity knocks, about all some people do is complain about the noise.
John 5:2-92 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, "Do you want to be made well?" The sick man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your bed and walk." And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
We need to recognize the present opportunity that we have to overcome, and be victorious in our lives tonight!
This man was in the very presence of the source of all miracles and all he could see was that he had never been in the pool before.
We need to understand and be excited about the opportunity to be involved in the kingdom of God right now!
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for.
It’s time to get excited about what is going on right here right now!
I am thrilled about the Holy Ghost crusade next week, but I am more excited about what God is doing here in us.
He is not going to wait until 2023 to move. He is moving now. He is working now!
We just need to discern the opportunity to be involved.
I want to challenge your level of involvement.
I may seem old fashioned or out of touch with today’s society, but you need to make God and the church the focal point of your life!
Some people allow their job to rob them of all involvement in the church.
They will make excuses about the time, the hours, the money, what ever is handy. But the only one that is missing out, is truly them!
I don’t want to go to that, it is too far away. That is going to be too long. There won’t be anything to do.
Some of our people feel lost without a remote control and a lazy boy recliner!
Stop complaining that you don’t feel like it!
Take a hold on the present opportunity to be involved!
The old boy at the pool started complaining.
I ain’t got nobody to put me in. I guess I’ll never have my healing.
Baloney! Jesus was there.
With Him it does not matter how long you have been in a trial, traction, or a circus! He is here right now!
John 16:24 "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
Somebody needs to start asking right now! Your joy is empty but you can ask now!
Lazarus. Dead in grave for four days. Jesus …roll away the stone!
I know that he’ll live in the resurrection.
Jesus…I am the resurrection.
We worry so much about how its going to be done. How God can perform the miracle, where it will occur, who he will use, etc.
We need to understand that if he is here, that is all that matters!
He is in control. He will use whatever means needed to fix the problems that we present to him!
