Missed Opportunities

Dwight Wood

Acts 8:26-40 • Sermon • Submitted 6 years ago

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Philip as a leader willing to be open to the opportunities put before him by God

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Introduction

This morning, I Want to talk to you about opportunities, both those opportunities that come our way and create great success in our lives as well as those opportunities we miss and later regret. Through the example of Philip we find the way to make use of the opportunities God puts before us can only come when we are open to his leading.

I know when I think back to what my life has been like, I have found many missed opportunities. We all do. Its like the story about the young man who knocked on the farmer’s door and asked, “Sir, I would like permission to marry your daughter.” After thinking for a moment, the farmer said, "Son, you go stand out in front of that barn and I'll release my three bulls. If you can catch the tail of any one of theme, you can marry my daughter." Right away the young man jumped the fence and stood in front of the barn door.

Reminds me of a story about a who knocked on the farmer’s door and asked, “Sir, I would like permission to marry your daughter After thinking for a moment, the farmer said, "Son, go stand out in that field and I'm release three bulls. If you can catch the tail of any one of theme, you can marry my daughter." The young man jumped the fence and stood before the barn door.

When the barn door opened, he saw the biggest, meanest-looking bull he had ever seen. He thought, “One of the next two bulls has to be a better choice than this one.” So when the bull charged, he moved aside and the bull ran out the gate into the pasture.

When the barn door opened again, there stood before him a bull even worse than the first. It stood pounding at the ground, grunting, slinging slobber as it eyed the boy. The boy thought, “Whatever the last bull was like, it couldn’t possibly be worse than this!” So when the second bull charged, the boy again stepped to the side and the bull ran out through the gate into the pasture.

Then the barn door opened for the third time and there standing before the boy was the weakest, scrawniest little bull he had ever seen. “Now that’s my bull.” As the bull came running toward him, he positioned himself just right. Stepping back, reached out at just the right moment and grabbed…wait! The bull had no tail! Twice he wasted the opportunity to win the farmer’s daughter.

Whatever the next bull was like, it had to be a better choice than this one. He ran to the fence and let the bull pass through the pasture out the back gate. The door opened a third time. A smile came across his face. This was the weakest, scrawniest little bull he had ever seen. This one was his bull. As the bull came running by, he positioned himself just right and jumped at just the exact moment. He grabbed...but the bull had no tail!

It is easy to miss out on those opportunities that come our way. By not being observant or keeping our eyes open on what is going on around us; by not keeping our mind open and considering the possibilities that could exist; or even allowing fear to keep us from facing the challenges that come our way, we can miss the opportunities God puts before us.

The Eastman Kodak Company used to be the world’s leader in cameras and was renowned for its innovation. Up until 1976, it had a 90% share of the American market alone for cameras, film, film equipment, and photographic services. So popular was Kodak that the phrase “Kodak moment” has become a popular expression to mean a moment worthy of note.

And even thought I am sure Philip missed some opportunities once in a while, our passage this morning depicts him as one who was always open to the will of God and made use of those opportunities when they arose.

But in 1975, Steve Sasson, an engineer with the company, developed the concept of the digital camera. Kodak, instead of capitalizing on the concept, chose to suppress it, believing it posed a threat to their core products and services.

Philip the Opportunist

By the late 1990s, however, digital imaging technology was becoming more popular. With too much at stake in its film paper and related products, Kodak’s success actually dragged it down. As such, it was slow to adapt to the new technology. The interesting thing is that Kodak was actually the first to invent the digital camera. Steve Sasson, an engineer with the company, developed it as early as 1975. Rather than exploit his creation, however, Kodak instead chose to suppress it, understanding the threat it posed to its other core products and services.

Well, we know how that worked out. There are very few people that don’t carry around a digital camera today. Every smart phone has one and I doubt anyone here has a kodak phone.

Philip the Opportunist

Realizing their mistake, Kodak released the first wifi camera in 2005 which allowed people to email pictures to others. Though new, Kodak didn’t develop it further, something its competitors took advantage of. By 2013, Kodak only escaped bankruptcy by selling its patents off for $525 million.

When Luke speaks of Philip in the book of Acts, he is not speaking of the apostle Philip. Philip was one of the seven chosen by the church to minister to the widow’s table. But when Stephen was stoned, the church came under horrible persecution and all but the apostles were scattered, some to Judah south of Jerusalem and others, like Philip to Samaria in the north. And wherever they fled, Luke writes, they shared the news of Jesus.

When Philip arrived in Samaria, he proclaimed the Gospel. When the crowds heard Philip preaching and saw the miraculous signs God preformed in his presence, they were overjoyed and many were baptized.

There was even a sorcerer named Simon, who many people followed and claimed to have divine power, calling him the Great Power! And when he heard Philip, he believed and was baptized. All because Philip was open to God and used every opportunity that came his way.

And then Philip was told to travel south to the desert road which lead from Jerusalem to Gaza by an angel. And when he did, he came upon an Ethiopian eunuch riding in a chariot. The Holy Spirit told Philip to stay near the chariot and he heard the eunuch reading the passage from , about one who was lead like a sheep to the slaughter. And because Philip was open to the leading of God, he had the opportunity to explain who the suffering servant was and to lead the eunuch to Christ.

Missed Opportunities

I want you to think for a moment what would have happened if Philip hadn’t been open to the leading of God. Would he have been on the road to Gaza? No. Would have have heard the Ethiopian reading the words of Isaiah? No. In fact, when he was faced with persecution and fled to Samaria, if he had not be open to the leading of God, many, including Simon the Sorcerer, would have never had the chance to hear the word, believe and be baptized.

Being open to God and his leading allows us to see the opportunities he puts before us. Closing ourselves off from God and his leading, whether because of being too busy, or being self-centered, or being afraid to hear, keeps us from seeing the opportunities God puts before us.

Conclusion

The reason I bring this up is because there are many opportunities around us everyday. And we miss so many of them because we don’t open our heart to God.

I am especially concerned about Lazy Days and the opportunities that will be ours for the taking. There are so many folks in this community that need Christ and don’t even know it. And we have the opportunity to share the same message Philip shared with those around him.

I want to encourage you to be in prayer for August 12th.

Pray that the eyes of those in the community will be opened to their need for Christ.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will be at work as we continue to plan for the worship services.

Pray that the community will see the unity we have among the churches and the love we have for the community.

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