Making the Most of Opportunities

Message by:

Pastor Terry Crawford

Covenant Church

Shepherdstown, WV

3 Essentials for a Great Life

1.       GIVE MYSELF to a purpose greater than myself.

 “We believe a great COMMITMENT to the great COMMISSION and the great COMMANDMENT will grow a great CHURCH!”

2.      JOIN with great people committed to that purpose.

3. MAKE THE MOST of great opportunities.  

Ephesians 5:16 (NLT)

“Make the most of every opportunity for doing good . . .”      

  

Success is the Management of opportunity.  People, who are good at this see, sift, sense, and cease opportunity.  Skill we can learn to do.

A.     I MUST say no to good opportunities SO I CAN SAY YES TO GREAT ONES.

1 Corinthians 7:35 (NLT) 

 “I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.”             

B.     EVERY OPPORTUNITY must be evaluated.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 (NCV)

“Test everything, and keep only what is good.”              

4 QUESTIONS TO ASK

·         WHAT DO I NEED to know and who knows it?

Proverbs 18:13 (LB)

“It is stupid to decide before knowing the facts!” 

Proverbs 15:22 (TEV)

“Get all the advice you can, and you’ll succeed; without it you will fail.”     

·          WHAT MIGHT BE the unintended consequences?

Proverbs 22:3 (LB) 

“A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; a fool goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.”

        

There are upsides and downsides to ever decision you make. 

Expect the best (faith), plan for the worst.  Scenario planning.  Nothing wrong with planning, wise thing to do.  But you hold it with an open hand knowing that God is in control.  No plan has ever worked perfectly.  Everything on the planet is broken and imperfect.  Never let selfishness and pride guide what you do.  A great soul puts aside their personal ambition for the sake of others.

·         WHAT’S my motivation.

Philippians 2:3 (NCV) 

“Never let selfishness or pride be your guide when you do things.”              

Matthew 16:24 (NLT)

Jesus: "If you want to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and then follow me.”     

    

·         IS THIS THE BEST USE of my time and energy?

1 Corinthians 10:23 (NIV) 

“Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial, and not everything is constructive.”           

C.     OPPORTUNITIES COME when I least expect them.

Matthew 24:44 (NLT)

Jesus: “You must be ready all the time, for I will come when least expected.”      

You have to be ready.  Joseph ready. Moved from pit of despair to pinnacle of power.

2 Timothy 2:21

D.     I MUST STAY flexible to be ready.

Galatians 5:25 (NIV)

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” 

     

 Proverbs 10:5 (Mes) 

“Make hay while the sun shines.”   

Opportunities are often disguised as problems. 

Inflexibility, busyness and a lack of faith cause us to miss opportunity.

E.     EVERY OPPORTUNITY will have opposition.

1 Corinthians 16:9 (NLT)

“There is a WIDE-OPEN DOOR for a great work here, and many people are responding! But there are also many who oppose me.”                  

F.      GREAT OPPORTUNITIES BRING great responsibility.

Luke 12:48

“To whom much is given, much will be required, and to whom much more is given, even more will be expected from them.” 

NEXT STEPS:

1.         Today, I commit to join in the Kingdom work here at Covenant by getting involved in a ministry.

2.        Today, I commit to engage in Sunday worship for the next 7 weeks during the “Transformed” teaching series.

3.        Today, I take a step of faith and surrender my life to Jesus Christ and following him.