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DON’T WASTE YOUR LIFE – INVEST
IT!
Part 3 of 3, Ephesians 5
INTRODUCTION
ANSWER GOD’S QUESTION
Moses answered, "What if they do not
believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?"
Then the Lord said to him,
"What is that in your hand?"
"A staff," he replied. (Exodus 4:1-2)
Vision
Influence
Commitment
Time
OPPORTUNITY
RESOURCES
Look for the hidden message in the list of things
that we have in our hand.
MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY
Be very careful, then, how you live--not as
unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the
days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's
will is.
(Ephesians 5:15-17)
A Christian life is a carefully lived life.
A Christian life is a thoughtful life.
A Christian life is lived in tune with God’s
will.
The Bible is full of people who seized the
opportunity God gave to them.
Joshua obeyed and led God’s people into the
promised land.
Esther made the most of the opportunity to
influence the king and save her people.
Nehemiah, heard about the crisis of his people
and made the most of the opportunity to lead his people to rebuild the walls of
their city.
Make the most of every opportunity. According to
Kirk Nowery, opportunities for Christians can be grouped into 3 different
categories.
Opportunity to EVANGELIZE
“To spread the gospel”
“To share good news”
“To tell people about Jesus”
Matthew 28 - The Great Commission
Sometimes opportunities come up that you are
not there at first.
Bring my van in for some repairs. The CD player
kept reading ERR. Couldn’t fix it, it has to be sent out.
Came back in and installed it.
Both trips I got a ride home from the same
person.
Bringing me to a house next to a church.
Do you know where Immanuel CRC is?
Do you go to a church?
Used to go.
Opportunity to EMPATHIZE
“Put yourself in another person’s position—to
identify with what they are thinking and feeling.”
Empathy in action is compassion.
The Good Samaritan was given a chance to make
the most of his opportunity to do good and to empathize with someone who was
hurting.
2 had gone before the Good Samaritan who had
chosen to miss the chance to make the most of the opportunity.
Opportunity to ENERGIZE
To empathize is to reactively feel what another
person is feeling: to energize is to proactively affect how another lives.
Reactive, Proactive
When the Spirit of God works through us to help
others trust God.
What opportunity is God giving you right now?
MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY RESOURCE
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures
on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not
destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)
Resources fall into two categories: Money and
Material Things.
In order to make the most of every resource it
is necessary to recognize the “source” of our “resource”.
The source is God himself. Every good and
perfect gift comes from the father of lights.
God provides everything we have and this is a
critical thing to remember if we are going to maintain an attitude of
stewarding the things we have instead of thinking we own them.
They actually don’t belong to us. God is
allowing us to manage them.
How to Use Your Money for the Greatest Return.
1. GIVE it cheerfully.
2. SPEND it reasonably.
3. SAVE it strategically.
With regard to the first thing: giving
Giving is a matter of duty and delight.
The tithe is the biblical expectation – 10%.
Whether you have a little or a lot, each
one can give generously, joyfully, and sacrificially.
We can probably never hear the words of Jesus
too much when it comes to money.
Life is not about things; it’s about people.
Life is not about us; it’s about God.
Jesus said,
Watch Out! Be on your guard against all kinds
of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
CONCLUSION
If God asks you what you have in your hand and
you answer the following:
- Vision
- Influence
- Commitment
- Time
- OPPORTUNITY
- RESOURCES
Then the good news is that God has YOU in his
hand.
V ision
I nfluence
C ommitment
T ime
O pportunity
R esources
Y OU
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