Sermon Notes
Practical Lessons for Understanding the Word of God
When Opportunities Appear
KEY PASSAGE: Ephesians 5:15-17 | SUPPORTING SCRIPTURE: Psalm 37:4 | Matthew 4:18-20 | Mark 10:17-22
Luke 5:17-26; 10:38-42; 19:1-10 | John 6:1-14 | Acts 16:30-31; 17:22-34
SUMMARY
Do you sometimes feel bored by the Christian
life?
That isn’t what our heavenly Father intends for His
children. Our lives, from the moment of salvation until
we see Jesus face to face, should be characterized
by excitement and adventure. How? Through the
invitations the Lord provides to draw closer to Him
and to participate with Him in touching the lives of
others.
God commands us to be careful in how we live. He
instructs us to be wise in our decisions and alert to
the opportunities He provides (Eph. 5:15-17). Let’s look
at seven biblical passages in which men and women
had the choice whether or not to respond to the Lord.
Through their examples—good and bad—we can learn
more about how our lives can be characterized by
adventure and promise.
SERMON POINTS
God provides every believer with the
opportunity to . . .
n Share: When the disciples and Jesus encountered
a crowd of hungry citizens, a young boy nearby
got the request of a lifetime (John 6:1-14). Was
he willing to offer his lunch—five loaves and two
fish—in order to meet a need? Yes. The boy gave
sacrificially and witnessed a miracle when Jesus
multiplied his offering.
When the young boy left home that morning, he
could not have imagined how his generosity would
bless him and others. In a similar way, you and I
will rarely anticipate how God wants to use us, so
be alert to opportunities to experience the joy of
giving.
n Serve the Lord: When we are offered the chance to
serve our heavenly Father, we may feel unprepared
and afraid. Surely, Peter must have felt similar
emotions when Jesus called him to become His
disciple (Matt. 4:18-20).
The Son of God was not asking for a small act of
obedience; Peter would be leaving his successful
fishing business and embarking on a risky new
venture. But because he stepped out in faith, God
used him in powerful ways to help establish the
early church. You and I can also be confident that
no matter how unqualified we feel, the Lord will
always enable us to walk through the doors He
opens.
n Grow in intimacy with Christ: Most of us can
relate to the story found in Luke 10:38-42. Martha
felt slighted when her sister Mary stopped helping
her prepare a meal and instead sat at Jesus’ feet.
When Martha complained about this, the Lord
replied, “Martha, you are worried and bothered
about so many things; but only one thing is
necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part,
which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke
10:41-42). He affirmed that Mary had done the right
thing to drop everything and spend time with Him.
We also have a choice to draw near to Jesus. In
fact, we are more equipped than Mary to deepen
our walks with the Lord. We have the Holy Spirit,
the Word of God, and prayer lives in which Jesus
speaks to us personally as we listen for His voice.
We should never let busyness rob us of our chance
to know the Savior better.
SERMON NOTES | SN110320
 n Help others: When friends of a paralyzed man heard
Jesus was in town, they recognized that his chance
for healing had come (Luke 5:17-26). Yet when they
arrived at the house where Jesus was teaching, it
was too crowded to enter. Rather than giving up,
they ripped a hole in the roof. Driven by love, they
were determined to make a way for their friend to
see Jesus. As a result, they had the joy of seeing their
friend not only healed but also saved from his sins.
At some point, every believer is called to help
someone else. Sometimes that involves facing a
challenge or pressing through a hardship, but we
should be willing to do whatever God asks of us to
help others.
n Choose to witness for Jesus: In Acts 16, Paul had
the opportunity to tell his jailer how to be saved
(vv. 30-31). The apostle’s willingness to witness
brought not only that man but also his entire
household to salvation.
Paul didn’t always enjoy such success when
sharing the gospel. In another city, he tried to tell
the people about “an unknown god”—the Creator—
but many of them rejected his message. Only a
few of them wanted to hear more (Acts 17:22-34).
However, he realized that his responsibility was to
preach the gospel and leave all the consequences to
God. We, too, must share our faith without worrying
about how people will respond.
n Understand who Jesus is: Luke 19:1-10 tells the
story of Zacchaeus, a tax collector for the Roman
government. He exacted more than was required
from his fellow Jews and was therefore viewed as a
traitor. When Jesus came through town, it was no
surprise that no one in the crowd moved aside so
that the short-statured Zacchaeus could see Him.
But Zacchaeus didn’t let that stop him: he
climbed a tree, and his tenacity was rewarded
when Jesus reached out to him. The tax collector’s
life was transformed, and his story is recorded in
Scripture because he was determined to catch a
glimpse of Jesus, no matter what it cost. Don’t let
other people or difficult circumstances discourage
you from responding to the opportunities God
sends your way.
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SERMON NOTES | SN110320
n Follow Jesus: In Mark 10:17-22, a rich young
ruler asked Jesus what he needed to do in order
to inherit eternal life. Jesus knew that the man’s
wealth was a stumbling block to his faith, so He
answered that he should sell his possessions, give
to the poor, and follow Him. Unfortunately, the
ruler chose not to heed Jesus’ instruction and
missed his chance at salvation.
The wisest choice a person can make is to
receive eternal life through Jesus Christ. If you
have never accepted the Lord as your personal
Savior, I pray you will. There is no greater thrill in
life than to have a vibrant, personal relationship
with the Maker of the universe.
RESPONSE
What opportunities has the Lord set before you
today? Did He convict you to draw near to Him
through time alone in His presence? Did He bring to
mind someone who needs to hear the gospel, despite
your fears of what he or she might think? Or maybe
your compassionate Father is asking you to endure
a circumstance He knows will bring about good, but
one that brings with it a measure of difficulty.
Regardless of what God is prompting you to
do, my prayer is that you will realize the promise
and excitement of the Christian life as you walk
carefully, make wise decisions, and lay hold of the
opportunities before you.
n Zacchaeus, Peter, Paul, and the boy in today’s
story made great sacrifices to the glory of God.
What other biblical characters have shown such
sacrifice?
n When have you had a recent opportunity to give
sacrificially? How did you respond to your own
challenge?
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