MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY
You Know the Gospel
How well do you know the gospel? And that’s not a trick question at all. I’m not asking you how much you know about the different teachings of Scripture or how many passages you can recite from memory or how adept you are at explaining some of the intricate details of the lesser known sections of the Word. I’m asking: How well do you know the basic gospel about Jesus? And let me answer that for you: You know the gospel well. You know that God loved the people of this world to such an extent that he sent his Son, Jesus, to this earth. You know that the Son of God was born of Mary and the Holy Spirit and so became a human being. You know that he lived this life just like one of us, dealing with the same pains and the same troubles and the same temptations - and yet doing it all without ever falling into a single sin. You know about his teaching and his preaching, his miracles and his praying. You know about his immense sufferings, about his cross, about his tomb, about his ascent into heaven. You know about the effects of what he did: forgiveness won for everyone, eternal life given to all who believe, peace, comfort, encouragement, joy. This is the basic gospel. And you know the gospel well. And you know it so well because you have read it and heard it; you have been baptized with it and have tasted it in the Lord’s Supper. You have studied it and sung it and soaked it in for years. You know the gospel well because you believe it. It’s really as simple as that. As a believer you are an “expert” in the gospel. Of course, that also means you know the gospel well enough to share it with others.
And that is true whether you like it or not: You know the gospel well enough to share it with others. And sharing doesn’t mean you have to defend the gospel or have all the answers to every question; sharing simply is telling others what you already know. In fact, that’s your job as a Christian. That’s your responsibility and privilege. It’s your calling. And so it’s not only important to share with others what you already know; it’s important that you make the most of every opportunity to do that. Because you might not have much time lift. Just consider the life of the Lord’s disciple James.
James had Seen it All
James, the martyr we have been looking at as an example this morning, knew the gospel better than almost anyone! He actually saw the gospel. He witnessed the gospel being carried out by Jesus every step of the way. He was there at Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding in Cana and he was there for the last miracle Jesus’ promised at Pentecost. He was one of the three disciples who was allowed to go up onto that mountain and see Jesus transformed in front of them. He was one of the three to see Jairus’ daughter raised from the dead. He was one of the three along with his brother John and Simon Peter to be taken farther into the Garden of Gethsemane than any of the other disciples so that they could pray with their Lord. He saw Jesus captured, he saw Jesus scourged, he saw Jesus condemned, he saw Jesus in agony, he saw Jesus die, he saw and talked with and actually touched Jesus after his resurrection, he saw Jesus float up into the air and into the clouds and out of sight. James was an eye witness of what we can only read about. James not only knew the gospel; he experienced the gospel first hand. And so after Jesus physically and visibly left this earth there were few people more qualified and more capable than Jesus’ disciple James. There were very few believers who could have been looked to as leaders of the early Christian Church other than this special disciple of Christ. But then James died.
It was probably only a little over one year after Jesus’ ascension into heaven when James was arrested by King Herod and killed in his prison cell. A little over a year. And although we have no record of what he said or the things he did during that time, James certainly was preaching and teaching, leading and directing as a disciple of his caliber would. But whatever James was doing for that short period of time after Jesus’ ascension, his time was cut short. No one could have guessed, not even James himself, that this chosen disciple of Jesus’ inner circle, this man who had been with Jesus from the very beginning, this believer who had personally watched the gospel develop right in front of his very eyes, someone who had so much to offer others… no one could have guessed that James, of all people, would be taken from this world so soon. And then what? There were no more opportunities for him to share what he had seen. No more chances to spread the Word. No more souls that he could reach with that gospel he knew so well.
I would hope that James made the most of every opportunity he had. I would hope that a man with that kind of knowledge of his Savior shared his Savior every chance he got. Because he certainly knew what he was talking about. And others certainly needed to hear what he had to say.
Opportunities Lost
Of course, all of this applies to you as well. You too know what you are talking about and others certainly need to hear what you have to say. You may not have seen what James saw or witnessed what he witnessed, but you know the same Savior; you trust in the same cross; you have experienced the same forgiveness. And your time may be just as short. That’s why the apostle Paul in the book of Colossians chapter four says what he says: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter. He certainly knew of James’ death at an early age and Paul himself was standing there when Stephen was stoned to death. And so Paul knew that his time could be coming soon as well. For this reason he asks those in Colossae to pray that not only a door would be opened for him to spread the gospel, but that he would be able to proclaim it clearly as he was called on to do. Paul knew the importance of sharing his faith with everyone he came across. He understood how essential it was for him to make the most of every opportunity that was placed in front of him. And he knew how critical it is for you to do that too. Remember what he said with the backing of the Holy Spirit: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” You may not be on death row at the moment and your life might not be in immediate danger as you sit here this morning, but you never know when your time may be up. This may be the last calendar year you live on this earth. This may be the last summer you ever experience. This may be the last week recorded on your obituary. This may be the last day you have an opportunity to share your Savior with someone who doesn’t know him as their Savior.
How many opportunities have you missed so far? And, of course, that’s a loaded question. That question is supposed to bring about some feelings of guilt and inadequacy. How many opportunities have you missed to share the gospel in your lifetime? If you answer, “None at all,” then the Lord be praised for your faithfulness. If you answer, “Far too many,” then you are probably a little more like me and a little more like everyone else in this room. “Far too many.” Far too many opportunities squandered. What a tragedy. And “squandered” is probably a good word to use because it implies that we once had those opportunities right in our hands and we blew it. We let them slip through our fingers. We lost the chance to share our Savior. Whether it was out of laziness: “Yeah, I just don’t feel like talking about that kind of thing today,” or out of selfishness, “I don’t want to spend the time with that person right now,” or out of fear, “I’m kind of afraid of what that person might say to me,” or out of indifference, “Well, I’ll just save that for some other day or some other week or some other conversation - as long as they bring it up first.” It is embarrassing how many opportunities we have let slip by. And it is heartbreaking when we can bring to mind specific people with whom we no longer have a chance to share that wonderful Word of God.
The Mystery of Christ
Do you think James failed to make use of the some of the opportunities that the Lord placed in front of him? Oh, certainly. There’s no doubt that James left some words unspoken and left some souls unstirred. But that did not prevent him from going to heaven. And our missed opportunities will not prevent us from going to heaven when we die either. Because we do not have a quota that we have to meet. We do not have to take advantage of a certain percentage of opportunities that the Lord gives us before we are acceptable to him. We do not even have to try our best for the Lord before he is satisfied with our work and lets us in for the sake of our efforts. Because you know what the gospel says! You know what the “mystery of Christ” is as Paul puts it here in the book of Colossians. The “mystery” of Christ - something that we could not figure out until it was revealed to us by the Holy Spirit - is that Christ actually forgives us! We who are not part of God’s Old Testament chosen people, we who did not ask for it, look for it, or even want his forgiveness, we who, now that we have forgiveness, all too often stuff it in our pockets and keep it to ourselves… we are actually forgiven! Jesus assures us of that through his effective Word. Christ lives in us through faith! Eternal life in heaven is waiting for us as we speak because of the outpouring of love that Christ showed on the cross and the indescribable power that he demonstrated outside of that tomb! Why would he do that for people like us? I don’t know, it’s a mystery! He loves us; he wants to save us; he longs to be merciful and compassionate to those who are not worthy. That’s why! And so the very mystery of Christ that we fail to share is the same mystery of Christ that forgives us when we fail to share it. It is the gospel that James knew and that saved him. It is the gospel that we know and that saves us. It is the gospel that we want others to know because it can save them too.
And the Lord is going to give you plenty more opportunities to do just that. We may have squandered some opportunities in the past, but there are more to come. You might even come across a few today. You will certainly have a number of chances this week. And I can’t even imagine how many more souls and situations the Lord will throw in your lap before the he decides to take you home. It’s exciting, isn’t it? It’s thrilling to know that the Lord is going to keep pouring out opportunities into your life so that you can share the gospel that saved you with someone else who needs to be saved! It’s mind boggling that the Lord will continue to use us to do such an incredible and eternally important thing! And so get ready. Those opportunities are coming. And you have to be prepared. And so take Paul’s advice and “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Opportunities to share your Savior are coming your way. Make the most of them. You might not have much time left. And the people you know might not either.
Amen.
“May the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in you, and you in him, according to eth grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” - 2 Thess. 1:12
You Know the Gospel
How well do you know the gospel? And that’s not a trick question at all. I’m not asking you how much you know about the different teachings of Scripture or how many passages you can recite from memory or how adept you are at explaining some of the intricate details of the lesser known sections of the Word. I’m asking: How well do you know the basic gospel about Jesus? And let me answer that for you: You know the gospel well. You know that God loved the people of this world to such an extent that he sent his Son, Jesus, to this earth. You know that the Son of God was born of Mary and the Holy Spirit and so became a human being. You know that he lived this life just like one of us, dealing with the same pains and the same troubles and the same temptations - and yet doing it all without ever falling into a single sin. You know about his teaching and his preaching, his miracles and his praying. You know about his immense sufferings, about his cross, about his tomb, about his ascent into heaven. You know about the effects of what he did: forgiveness won for everyone, eternal life given to all who believe, peace, comfort, encouragement, joy. This is the basic gospel. And you know the gospel well. And you know it so well because you have read it and heard it; you have been baptized with it and have tasted it in the Lord’s Supper. You have studied it and sung it and soaked it in for years. You know the gospel well because you believe it. It’s really as simple as that. As a believer you are an “expert” in the gospel. Of course, that also means you know the gospel well enough to share it with others.
And that is true whether you like it or not: You know the gospel well enough to share it with others. And sharing doesn’t mean you have to defend the gospel or have all the answers to every question; sharing simply is telling others what you already know. In fact, that’s your job as a Christian. That’s your responsibility and privilege. It’s your calling. And so it’s not only important to share with others what you already know; it’s important that you make the most of every opportunity to do that. Because you might not have much time lift. Just consider the life of the Lord’s disciple James.
James had Seen it All
James, the martyr we have been looking at as an example this morning, knew the gospel better than almost anyone! He actually saw the gospel. He witnessed the gospel being carried out by Jesus every step of the way. He was there at Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding in Cana and he was there for the last miracle Jesus’ promised at Pentecost. He was one of the three disciples who was allowed to go up onto that mountain and see Jesus transformed in front of them. He was one of the three to see Jairus’ daughter raised from the dead. He was one of the three along with his brother John and Simon Peter to be taken farther into the Garden of Gethsemane than any of the other disciples so that they could pray with their Lord. He saw Jesus captured, he saw Jesus scourged, he saw Jesus condemned, he saw Jesus in agony, he saw Jesus die, he saw and talked with and actually touched Jesus after his resurrection, he saw Jesus float up into the air and into the clouds and out of sight. James was an eye witness of what we can only read about. James not only knew the gospel; he experienced the gospel first hand. And so after Jesus physically and visibly left this earth there were few people more qualified and more capable than Jesus’ disciple James. There were very few believers who could have been looked to as leaders of the early Christian Church other than this special disciple of Christ. But then James died.
It was probably only a little over one year after Jesus’ ascension into heaven when James was arrested by King Herod and killed in his prison cell. A little over a year. And although we have no record of what he said or the things he did during that time, James certainly was preaching and teaching, leading and directing as a disciple of his caliber would. But whatever James was doing for that short period of time after Jesus’ ascension, his time was cut short. No one could have guessed, not even James himself, that this chosen disciple of Jesus’ inner circle, this man who had been with Jesus from the very beginning, this believer who had personally watched the gospel develop right in front of his very eyes, someone who had so much to offer others… no one could have guessed that James, of all people, would be taken from this world so soon. And then what? There were no more opportunities for him to share what he had seen. No more chances to spread the Word. No more souls that he could reach with that gospel he knew so well.
I would hope that James made the most of every opportunity he had. I would hope that a man with that kind of knowledge of his Savior shared his Savior every chance he got. Because he certainly knew what he was talking about. And others certainly needed to hear what he had to say.
Opportunities Lost
Of course, all of this applies to you as well. You too know what you are talking about and others certainly need to hear what you have to say. You may not have seen what James saw or witnessed what he witnessed, but you know the same Savior; you trust in the same cross; you have experienced the same forgiveness. And your time may be just as short. That’s why the apostle Paul in the book of Colossians chapter four says what he says: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter. He certainly knew of James’ death at an early age and Paul himself was standing there when Stephen was stoned to death. And so Paul knew that his time could be coming soon as well. For this reason he asks those in Colossae to pray that not only a door would be opened for him to spread the gospel, but that he would be able to proclaim it clearly as he was called on to do. Paul knew the importance of sharing his faith with everyone he came across. He understood how essential it was for him to make the most of every opportunity that was placed in front of him. And he knew how critical it is for you to do that too. Remember what he said with the backing of the Holy Spirit: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” You may not be on death row at the moment and your life might not be in immediate danger as you sit here this morning, but you never know when your time may be up. This may be the last calendar year you live on this earth. This may be the last summer you ever experience. This may be the last week recorded on your obituary. This may be the last day you have an opportunity to share your Savior with someone who doesn’t know him as their Savior.
How many opportunities have you missed so far? And, of course, that’s a loaded question. That question is supposed to bring about some feelings of guilt and inadequacy. How many opportunities have you missed to share the gospel in your lifetime? If you answer, “None at all,” then the Lord be praised for your faithfulness. If you answer, “Far too many,” then you are probably a little more like me and a little more like everyone else in this room. “Far too many.” Far too many opportunities squandered. What a tragedy. And “squandered” is probably a good word to use because it implies that we once had those opportunities right in our hands and we blew it. We let them slip through our fingers. We lost the chance to share our Savior. Whether it was out of laziness: “Yeah, I just don’t feel like talking about that kind of thing today,” or out of selfishness, “I don’t want to spend the time with that person right now,” or out of fear, “I’m kind of afraid of what that person might say to me,” or out of indifference, “Well, I’ll just save that for some other day or some other week or some other conversation - as long as they bring it up first.” It is embarrassing how many opportunities we have let slip by. And it is heartbreaking when we can bring to mind specific people with whom we no longer have a chance to share that wonderful Word of God.
The Mystery of Christ
Do you think James failed to make use of the some of the opportunities that the Lord placed in front of him? Oh, certainly. There’s no doubt that James left some words unspoken and left some souls unstirred. But that did not prevent him from going to heaven. And our missed opportunities will not prevent us from going to heaven when we die either. Because we do not have a quota that we have to meet. We do not have to take advantage of a certain percentage of opportunities that the Lord gives us before we are acceptable to him. We do not even have to try our best for the Lord before he is satisfied with our work and lets us in for the sake of our efforts. Because you know what the gospel says! You know what the “mystery of Christ” is as Paul puts it here in the book of Colossians. The “mystery” of Christ - something that we could not figure out until it was revealed to us by the Holy Spirit - is that Christ actually forgives us! We who are not part of God’s Old Testament chosen people, we who did not ask for it, look for it, or even want his forgiveness, we who, now that we have forgiveness, all too often stuff it in our pockets and keep it to ourselves… we are actually forgiven! Jesus assures us of that through his effective Word. Christ lives in us through faith! Eternal life in heaven is waiting for us as we speak because of the outpouring of love that Christ showed on the cross and the indescribable power that he demonstrated outside of that tomb! Why would he do that for people like us? I don’t know, it’s a mystery! He loves us; he wants to save us; he longs to be merciful and compassionate to those who are not worthy. That’s why! And so the very mystery of Christ that we fail to share is the same mystery of Christ that forgives us when we fail to share it. It is the gospel that James knew and that saved him. It is the gospel that we know and that saves us. It is the gospel that we want others to know because it can save them too.
And the Lord is going to give you plenty more opportunities to do just that. We may have squandered some opportunities in the past, but there are more to come. You might even come across a few today. You will certainly have a number of chances this week. And I can’t even imagine how many more souls and situations the Lord will throw in your lap before the he decides to take you home. It’s exciting, isn’t it? It’s thrilling to know that the Lord is going to keep pouring out opportunities into your life so that you can share the gospel that saved you with someone else who needs to be saved! It’s mind boggling that the Lord will continue to use us to do such an incredible and eternally important thing! And so get ready. Those opportunities are coming. And you have to be prepared. And so take Paul’s advice and “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Opportunities to share your Savior are coming your way. Make the most of them. You might not have much time left. And the people you know might not either.
Amen.
“May the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in you, and you in him, according to eth grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” - 2 Thess. 1:12
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