Courageous – 6

Courageous – 6

Subject – Make the Most of Every Opportunity

By Rick Welborne

2 Samuel 23:20-23 (NLT2)
²⁰  There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it.
²¹  Once, armed only with a club, he killed a great Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it.
²²  Deeds like these made Benaiah as famous as the Three mightiest warriors.
²³  He was more honored than the other members of the Thirty, though he was not one of the Three. And David made him captain of his bodyguard.

Colossians 4:2-5 (NLT2)
²  Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.
³  Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.
⁴  Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.
⁵  Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 

--Make the most of every opportunity. Let me make this observation. Many of the wonderful things that happen to us start out as small mustard-seed opportunities.

--Some of our biggest dreams often start out as the smallest opportunities. In fact, the seed is so small we wonder if it can grow into anything that is significant.

1. We Must Seize the Opportunity.

--Our greatest destiny is determined by whether or not we seize the God-ordained opportunities presented to us. When we do, it is like the domino effect and things begin to fall into place.

--If we miss these opportunities we can short-circuit God’s plans for our lives. That does not mean God will not give us another chance to get it right. He gives us second, third, and fourth chances. 

--Moses is a perfect example of how God can give us another chance but, I don’t know about you, I don’t want to delay the process for forty years…life is too short. Seize the opportunity when it is presented.

--Now put yourself in Benaiah’s sandals. His story could have been scripted so differently. He sees a lion. He runs away. He breathes a sigh of relief that he is still alive. No harm. No foul.

--Running from the lion may have even been the logical thing to do. Even prudent. But guess what, Benaiah would have disappeared into the annuls of history among other lost souls. Sad.

--But people like Benaiah are not prudent, they are opportunist. They are not focused on just avoiding problems. Our text said he was valiant.

Valiant- possessing or exhibiting valor, bravery, courage, or determination. It can be used to describe a person, an effort, or an action. Synonyms for valiant include brave, heroic, bold, and valorous. 

--Benaiah starts out as a brave soldier. Then, he becomes body guard for the King of Israel. A good low ranking job. He evidently proved himself in that capacity and was appointed an army commander.

--In this position he was given leadership over twenty-four thousand men. He must have proven himself again because under Solomon he became commander and chief over Israel’s entire army. 

1 Kings 2:35 (NKJV) ³⁵ The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army…

--So how did Benaiah fulfill his destiny? How did he climb to the top of the military chain of command? How did he become the most powerful person in Israel next to the king?

--He did it by seizing one opportunity at a time. We fail to realize the hoops Benaiah had to jump through to become the kings body guard. He had to have a resume. Wow, did he!

2 Samuel 23:20-23 (NLT2)
²⁰  There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it.
²¹  Once, armed only with a club, he killed a great Egyptian warrior who was armed with a spear. Benaiah wrenched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with it. 

--Seizing the opportunity one battle after another…being valiant set him up to be commander in chief. Be faithful and brave wherever you are, and watch God open amazing doors.

--Who knows what small beginnings can lead to? 

Job 8:7 (NKJV) ⁷ Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly. 

--Most of you have heard my story about being the youth pastor here before I became your lead pastor but there is more to the story. Little opportunities. 

--The pastor here was in Bartow and when I came to SE University to finish my degree, I went to his church. I didn’t know him. They needed someone to pressure wash the buildings so I did.

--They lost the people who were cleaning the church so I did that. There was a transition with the YP so I was hired to do that. $25 a week. I was just faithful to do what God wanted me to do. 

--So what’s my point or really, what is the point given by the Word of God?

Matthew 25:21 (NKJV)
²¹  His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

--We simply seize the opportunities God puts before us and we remain faithful, and God does the rest! Benaiah was a bodyguard, Joshua was a personal assistant, and Nehemiah was a cup bearer. Amazing.

--You prove yourselves when the little opportunities arise and when you do, God will bring bigger and better opportunities your way.

2. We Must Steward Our Opportunities.

--There is another guy in the Bible that you more than likely have never heard of or you just simply chose to overlook him. There is only one verse in the Bible about him but it says so much.

--He singlehandedly delivered the Israelites from the Philistines:

Judges 3:31 (NIV)
³¹  After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an ox goad. He too saved Israel.

--As far as we know, Shamgar had no armor, no military training, and no weapons. There is nothing that qualified him to do what he did. He was a plowman.

--All he had was an ox goad, a long stick used to prod oxen while plowing. Not much of a weapon.

--Just think of what he could have done with a real weapon like a sword or spear. He didn’t have either one. He had an ox goad. He did the best he could with what he had. 

--Shamgar and Benaiah had kindred spirits. They displayed epic courage and they defied the odds. They changed the course of history. Both could have said “no” to their opportunities.

--Shamgar was outnumbered 600 to 1 and all he had was a stick. The giant Egyptian had a spear the size of a weaver’s rod and Benaiah only had a club.

--People who chase lions for God do not look for excuses, they don’t focus on their disadvantages, but they submit what they have to God and let Him turn the odds.

Batterson – Isn’t it ironic that some people who have so much do so little and others who have so little do so much. Lion chasers don’t let what they can’t do keep them from doing what they can. Success is doing the best you can with what you have where you are.

--Opportunity stewardship is seizing the opportunity that is before you and trusting God to work out all the details. It is grabbing life by the mane and not letting go.

--We need to think of every opportunity as a gift from God. What we do with the opportunity is your gift to God. 

3. Make the Most of Every Opportunity.

Colossians 4:5 (NLT2) ^5…make the most of every opportunity. 

--The Word of God doesn’t specifically tell us how many or how few opportunities we will have or how big or small they are; we are simply to make the most of every opportunity. 

Opportunity (Greek definition) – a serendipitous window or occasion. 

--Every day is filled with countless God-ordained opportunities to love, to serve, to give, and to learn. What we do with those opportunities is so important to our spiritual maturity.

--About three years ago I was going through Walgreens. Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “Tell the lady behind the glass that I love her and that everything will be okay. I did.

--She burst into tears so I went in to pray for her. Over the next couple of years, I was able to pray for her and, with her. She turned her life over to Christ.

--A few weeks ago I sent her a “Happy Birthday” on FB. I received a private message that she had suddenly passed away. 51 years old. I believe this was a divine opportunity. 

--Here’s the catch, many times opportunities come disguised as 500lb lions, a giant with a spear, 600 Philistines, or maybe as an opportunity to share Christ with someone. Be courageous!

--People who chase lions for God make the most of every opportunity. They know that whatever they face may have an uncertain outcome but they know God is with them.

Romans 8:28&31-32 (NIV)
²⁸  And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
³¹  What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
³²  He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?