Opportunity Is Knocking At Your Door
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Three Great Truths:
1. God has a plan
2. He will succeed
3. You have an opportunity to participate
Please turn in your bibles to The Book Of Ester, Chapter 4
Key Scripture: Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (NIV)
I think of Jonah. A man called to be a prophet to Nineveh. Jonah 1:2
A man who wrestled with his calling, with his self worth and with his God. A man appointed, a man born to a purpose.
I think of Samson, born in season to be a judge of Israel. What a waste of calling, passion and strength. In life and in death he never served anyone but himself, Samson Numbers 16:28 finally falling prey to his carnal appetites and agonizing revenge.
I think of Cyrus. A man whom God called by name and wrote his destiny in the scriptures more than 100 years before the man was born. King Cyrus Isaiah 45:13; 2 Chronicles 36:22; Ezra 1:1; Daniel 10:1 King Cyrus must have found his destiny written in the scriptures and embraced his opportunity to serve.
2 Chronicles 36
22 ¶ In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfil the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing:
23 "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you—may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.’"
Isaiah prophesied from about 762 to 698 BC
Jeremiah prophesied from about 628 to 588 BC
Cyrus was not born until about 599 BC
Cyrus became King of Persia in 559 BC
Babylon fell before Cyrus’ army in 538 BC
The night of Belshazzar’s feast of Daniel 5:30
God has a plan
He will succeed
People have an opportunity to participate
I think about less well known people like those nameless and faceless believers in Acts 9:25, who lowered the Apostle Paul through a window, down a wall so that he escaped arrest and pre-mature imprisonment at the hands of the governor of Damascus.
2 Corinthians 11:33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
I think of The Children of Israel at Kadesh-Barnea, Numbers 13 What an opportunity for a generation to pass up. Still, God’s plan does not change. The players do, but the plan doesn’t.
Have you found the book of Ester yet? Right in front of Job.
Let me tell a little of the story. Ester had reasons, she was afraid …
Ester 4:14 "For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (NKJV)
God has a plan
He will succeed
We, each one of us, are born for an opportunity to participate.
What is God’s plan?
That the whole world will hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.
He will succeed …
By any and all means, even if it cost Him your life.
He has already sacrificed His Only Son --- Don’t think for one moment that He is going stop short of success.
What opportunity do you have to participate in God‘s plan?
You have a life calling
A calling is an invitation to come and be prepared.
Matthew 22:14 Many are called but few are chosen. (Why?)
Few prepare for their calling.
You don’t have to be a preacher or FT missionary.
What is your life calling?
What has God been preparing you for?
Identify your life scripture.
Develop your life message.
Embrace your life destiny.
Are you:
A Goer?
A Stayer?
A Prayer?
A Payer?
Who knows, perhaps you came to the kingdom for just such a reason as that.
God has a plan
He will succeed
You have the opportunity to participate
Volunteer Today! You will never do anything on a day that is not called today. Here’s how to respond right now.
Close: Invitation to embrace the opportunity. One day I walked down a church isle and publicly embraced my opportunity.
