New Opportunities

It's it's it's very important for us to be reminded of these truths because the battle is definitely in our minds. Well, this is the last Sunday of the year and I went by fast in it. How many of you have all of your Christmas decorations all put away. Really? I don't actually I'm kind of impressed if you if you do it always is easier if you never put anything up, then you're always so quick put away. Well, they're definitely still put up persons. Usually very punctual and definitely be until the new year this time in the New Year. And a lot of times people are on vacation. If you have children at home, they're not at work or they're not at school. And so it just kind of feel like that. I definitely feel like that this week, you know Christmas is over a new year is coming in and part of me is just waiting like, okay, let's go

I don't know if any of you have made New Year's resolutions in this is not a New Year's resolution sermon so you don't have to worry about that. But one thing I do appreciate about the new year is it does give us an opportunity to just see if there's anything or life that we either need to stop doing or start doing and if we're not going to do it in August will probably not get into it in January, but it does kind of give us a chance to evaluate and maybe take advantage of some of the opportunities that around us yesterday. I was out I was walking around in my neighborhood and I was listening to the radio and I heard someone say that on average less than half the people and I don't know if it was in America or the world that less than half of people make New Year's resolutions. All right, and then it said that about 8% of the people who make New Year's resolutions actually keep them throughout the whole year. And so if you have 8% of half the people you're talking

New Year's resolutions in so let's just cut through all of that right now and there's about four or five people here. We're going to make them and keep them in the rest of us. Let's just forget about it right window. Well, there's nothing special or magical about January 1st, but I do appreciate the opportunity to kind of take stock and realize there are opportunities all around us and we would be wise to to notice family to pay attention to them and try to take advantage of them and so right now in this moment, I just want you to think yourself, but what are some of the opportunities that exist in your life right now that you think maybe you should take advantage of like princess, Give me a couple of samples. How about any Financial opportunities? Maybe some of you are thinking, you know, I really need to get out of debt. Maybe I should start saving for retirement someday. Well for those of you who want to start saving the stock market if you haven't noticed was really low right now to buy low and sell High rights that you want to start investing or how about some relational opportunities. What are some relationships that you need to make a priority in your life? The last couple weeks my family was very blessed on my my wife's husband or my wife husband. Can you edit that out of my wife's brother and his wife from Michigan were down here and we enjoyed spending time with them and then my mom and her husband were just down this last week for Christmas. And before my mom went back up to Kalispell Montana. She said let's get some coffee and I don't know what's up with that anyway, and so we're sitting there and it was one of those moments where I realized Josh just takes some mental snapshots of this moment because it's not very often that I get to sit down and have a conversation with my mom and it wasn't closer Versi conversations. It was it was a good conversation and I need to get to have one of those with her every two or three years, you know, I don't live close to her. And so I remember just sitting here thinking take advantage of this. This is your opportunity to have a good conversation with your mom and I don't know the next time I'm going to have a good conversation with her cuz we just we don't live by each other. Also this last summer many. Do you know? Are we try to make it back to Michigan because of all the family and friends that we have that there so we try to do that every year and it was this last summer. We're driving out there and then it just it just dawned on me that my oldest son. Caleb is about to be at the time a sophomore in high school Kyle a freshman and it just kind of hit me as we're driving out there. We only have two more Summers to make this family trip and it just because it's an opportunity to take advantage of those opportunities when they are there. What are some relational opportunities that you have in your life that you don't want to let go you want to embrace them and really make the most of them or how about maybe some of you this next year 2019 important year for you at work? Some of you might be completing Uppa an advanced degree? Maybe it's time to get that promotion or that raise some of your thinking Cade. This is the year and there's opportunities. Maybe it works at your in be able to take advantage of all throughout her life. I think we should be recognizing opportunities and it possible we should take advantage of them. However, there is another opportunity that the Believers that we should always be prepared for. And so that's what we're going to talk about today. I'd like to I'd like you to turn your Bibles to the book of Colossians. Colossians chapter 4 and we're going to read verses two through its 6 Colossians chapter 4 verses 2 through 6 knows you're turning their I just want to kind of put a thought in your mind.

As we read this passage of scripture just notice all of the words that are time-sensitive are associated associated with time. Okay Colossians chapter 4 and we will read verses 2 through 6. The Apostle Paul writes to those in colossi and then also us today and he writes this. Continue steadfastly in prayer being watchful in it with Thanksgiving at the same time pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ on a count of which I am in prison that I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak wisdom towards Outsiders making the best use of the time let your speech always be gracious seasoned with salt so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. That's why we are closing out 2018 and as we were entering into a Brand New Year, I hope that this passage will remind us where our Focus really needs to be. And what I want to do is an infant's eyes verse 5 in the screen. I verse 5 and I'm reading from the English Standard Version 2 ESV. It says walk in wisdom towards Outsiders making the best use of the time you're reading from another translation. It would say it's obviously something similar. I know the NIV says be wise in the way that you act towards Outsiders making the most of every opportunity. There's opportunities out there make the most of them by King James version. I think it says Redeeming the time or something like that and I think that all of us most people make sure that were fulfilling his calling on our lives as his children and sharing our faith with others will we have that opportunity? But the problem is most of us do not do that. We don't take advantage of those opportunities most of us the time like we know that we should I think that's true. It probably most people here probably know how we're going to answer this. But how many of you here or does everyone make they have in their daily lives to share their faith with another human being probably not right. We we go through life like this, you know, we're focused on those of you who went to Pastor Mike Sunday school class this last month, maybe maybe you'd be able to answer this question in the affirmative. But how many of you have at least five verses memorized that if someone were to say, you know, what is it about your face? That is so important that you'd be able to say and share a passage of scripture. Maybe some of you would most probably wouldn't I guess the guilt question is Is there anyone here who wishes that they could do a better job with this? I think all of us was like yeah, I wish I wish I did a better job. I wish I knew more passages of scripture. Although you have your iPhone if you can just Google it. How often do you really pay attention to all the opportunities that we have? Well for this morning, what I don't want to do is I don't want to have this be a sermon we're all of us are feeling guilty. Of course. This is another thing that I know I should be doing that or not. But instead what it wants to do is to take a look at this passage and use it as it as an opportunity to know about the possibility of God using Us in certain situations that we might come across. So today's sermon is about being prepared to engage in God's Mission. Oh you and I can be prepared everyday to be engaged in the mission of God has called us to and if this is making you break out in a cold sweat

About this the wrong way. So what I want to do you want to take a closer look at this passage in which I believe will show us how we can seize these opportunities when they come and we are given two main ways that we can be ready and thanks for the season. We really understand what Paul is teaching us with the Holy Spirit of teaching us and we can be ready to engage in God's mission. Is this by praying? Continually? That's the first Way We Stand ready to engage in the ministry that God has given to us we pray continually. This is seen in verse 2 verse 2 applications for says continue steadfastly in prayer being watchful in it with Thanksgiving the nid if you're reading from that translation is says to be devoted to prayer ESV says to continue and the Greek word for this kind of has the sense of being steadfastly attentive to something or to give unremitting care to a thing. Like this is something that should be on your heart and your mind and why you have to answer the question, why does being devoted to prayer make us ready to share our faith the answer is because prayer keeps us connected with God and sensitive to what he is doing in the world. If you're interested in something you stayed connected to that subject and in this day and age all of us have so many opportunities to be bombarded with information about subjects that were always ate were interested in like Frances for those of you who are interested in politics. Bobby probably interested in politics. How many ways can you get your fill on a daily basis of the latest political ideas that are going on outside you have Twitter you have Instagram you can follow politicians on Facebook. You can watch CNN you can watch Fox News. However, you want to get your daily fix of politics. You can do that. We can all do that or if you're really interested in sports. There's many ways that we can just be inundated with sports. You can watch ESPN ESPN ESPN Fox Sports. You can follow your favorite athlete teams on Instagram. I actually do that. That's like the only reason why I have been through so I can follow certain people Twitter the source. Well, the reason why Paul tells us to continue steadfastly in prayer is we're always been checking in with God. We're singing at constant contact with God and whatever is important to God if we're always praying to him is going to become important to us. And the closest thing to God's heart is the Salvation of the law. So for always praying to our Heavenly Father we are going to stay connected to him and what is most important to him will be most important to us. A passage that teaches us this is found in 1st Timothy. You can turn their or you can just read on the screen. 1st Timothy Chapter 2 Paul writes this first Timothy Chapter 2. He says first of all then urged that supplications prayers intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people for kings and all who are in high positions that we may leave a peaceful and quiet life Godly and dignified in every way. This is good and it is pleasing in the sight of God our savior who desires all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. So what does this verse tell us about who God desires to be saved all people every people every single person that you and I have ever laid eyes on God loves them and desires for them to be saved and that includes this might be hard to hear. It includes the people or the person or the group of people that you can't stand that includes those people those all the people who say they're right they're wrong. I'm right those people God wants to have saved as well. You know, I just think about 1st Timothy and also our passage here in Colossians, what would happen if all believers across the entire world, we're constantly praying to God and being aware of these opportunities to share that are faced with people who do not have a relationship with him. I think the world will probably be a much better place and very a very much a different place. So if we're devoted to prayer in more watchful and we're thankful, they were most likely going to see these opportunities they when they present themselves and the nice thing is if that's our passion if that's what we're excited about going to do with each other when it's something happens. We're going to tell each other like how many times have you gone to a restaurant? That was a great restaurant? And you loved it. What do you do? You tell people about this great. If you share your face with another human being and they accept Christ as your lord and savior. What are you going to do? You're probably going to tell your friends and family members and your are your fellow Believers and Anakin become contagious. And so that's what we need to do by praying to God. Just going to keep this on our heart and our mind at all times. End of this passage Paul actually even tells us what we should be praying for specifically. Here's a couple of a couple things versus three and four here says at the same time. Pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the word to declare the mystery of Christ on account of which I am in prison and that I may make it clear which is how I ought to speak. So here are two things that Paul says we should be praying for number 1 and number 2 Impala praying for himself pray that Paul or else we will clearly proclaim the truth. It's worth noting that the passage that were reading today from Colossians chapter 4, there's lots of commands in it. These are the things that were supposed to do. However, there's one thing that it talks about that you and I can't do and I'd only God can do And it takes the pressure off ourselves and that is God is the one who opened up the doors of opportunity for us to share. Our faith. God is the one who does that we can't force that we can't make that happen. We have to pray that God will do it and there's a pattern that we see in scripture. There's other places where Paul talks about how God created an opportunity for him to share the truth of The Gospel Four get a couple of those right now at first one is from Acts chapter 14 those of you who may be familiar with us. This passage is at the very end of Paul's first missionary journey. And so when he goes back to Antioch, he's meeting with the disciples in the church in Antioch, and he's all excited and this is what he shares with them to Zacks 14:27. And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them and how he had opened the door of face to the Gentiles and they remained no little time with the disciples came back and save this city. Will you talk to these people in this church in the synagogue of the doors that God opened up in 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 8, but I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost for a wide door for Effective work has open to me and there are many adversaries and so he realizes I'm right where I should be I need to stay right here because God's open the door of opportunity for me another passage. Just one more than we'll look at. This is from 2nd Corinthians chapter 2 verse 12 Paul saying when I came to troas to preach the gospel of Christ, even though a door was open for me in the Lord. So he even recognizes there even though he didn't stay and that's another path of another subject but he recognizes God gave him an opportunity to really share his faith and in looking at these passages in the one here in Colossians. I think something becomes pretty clear God is at work in the world and he is the one who opens doors of opportunity for the truth of God's grace to be proclaimed and I think it might be what he did is because he was always constantly aware of how God was making out of available to him and whenever he saw that there was an opening for him. He would go any would do what he was ready and willing and able to go do that and I think this command is just as true today for us as it was back then and you and I need to be attentive to these opportunities because if we're attentive and we're praying to God We will find them they will present themselves to us. I asked you this question again, obviously don't want anyone here to to raise their hand. But but I do want you to think back on just the month of December just this last month, especially with Christmas. Did anyone here ever have a time when you were with a friend or a co-worker or a family member and the conversation suddenly turned spiritual maybe because of Christmas Day because of that subject and you had an opportunity this last month to bring up a spiritual truth. Somebody might be thinking. Yeah, I did now whether you did anything with it or not. I'm not going to ask that question. But if you weren't expecting it in anticipating and looking for a might and might have I'm taking you off guard and maybe you didn't say anything. But if you're looking for in anticipating a God will open up those doors and you will be able to share your faith. I think that's kind of the exciting thing before committed to God in this way. We will see him open up the our doors and I think even press is a church. I'm excited for the new year. I have in the course of 2018. Sherry the story of our relocation with many people and they usually say something like wow, it seems like God moved you to a new location and every time I think I think you did and so there are opportunities here for us as a church in this neighborhood to reach our our our our neighbors with the gospel of Christ. Now we're going to go in and we're going to look at the way that we can engage in God's mission is to the second way that we can be ready and What is by living graciously? The first thing is we pray and the second is by living graciously In this passage in verse 6 says let your speech always be gracious seasoned with salt so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. The word for teacher in the ESV is the word log out switch literally means words and Sao Paulo saying let your speech let your conversations or let the word that comes out of your mouth mouth be full of grace and lightly salted. I think it's a great kind of description that we can think of now notice what this verse does not say. I'm going to read a different translation the translation that I made out. Okay. It doesn't say that I'll pick up in verse 5 in this is where six it doesn't say this walk in wisdom towards Outsiders making the best use of time let your speech always. Point out the flaws of other people and how their views and opinions are inferior to yours. We are quick to to tell other people about their opinions and how how wrong they are whether they are not that's not very gracious. But the best way to make the best use of time as Paul saying where he used to be gracious to people let the truth of God's grace draw people in and not drive them away one with them feeling cook condemned and I think if we distinguish ourselves from the rest of the World by being gracious to others then God is going to open up even more doors of opportunity for us to share a face. I think I know people used to do this and not anytime recently, but I don't think the best method for sharing our faith is to stand on the street corner with a sandwich board that says repent of your sins or you will go to hell That's not the best way to really win people for Christ this in this day and age. How has always been is by being gracious by living graciously and also speaking graciously and I came across this story another church and and their attempt to share the gospel with their Community impact on when I came across this. I realized I had to share this illustration many many years ago and I forgot about it. So I'm hoping that you forgot about it too so I can share it again, but this isn't about a church and their attempt to let the world know that Jesus is Alive. That's what it's happened many years ago out of Kansas City, Missouri. And this is how the article goes It goes in Kansas City, Missouri in flowing robes and thority crowns about 400 churchgoers promised their Pastor that they would dress like Jesus as a hard to miss reminder of the holidays religious roots. Members of Praise Chapel Christian Fellowship began showing up that way last week at jobs shopping malls and restaurants and the demonstration wrapped up Wednesday the password Kelly Lord. He said I know it's a crazy idea and has 600 members attend services in Kansas City Missouri, but he says I know it's a radical idea, but he came up with the idea out of frustration of the removal of crosses in the nativity scene and other religious symbols from public view live and in all of us are kind of frustrated with that, but this is the idea that he came up with the idea to service in the early December telling parishioners. We aren't going to preach But if asked about their attire, he said participants are free to share their face. He says we've got nothing but positives says the pastor who dressed like Jesus at a Starbucks a Target store in a post office and then it says he posted a video on YouTube declaring Jesus is back and showing a participant in and Crown of Thorns strolling through sitting on Santa's lap, which I think would be funny and Bernie his eyes as he strolled past a Victoria's Secret store. He says next year. We're going to make this a big deal. You read that in Hugo? Okay, that's interesting. I have some thoughts about this. I wonder I wonder if this demonstration by all these people actually led to a person coming to Faith in Jesus Christ. Maybe maybe not on my also. I also wonder if any Wayward Christian they saw somebody dressed like Jesus and they said I need to start going back to church or was this just a The church and the people in church to draw attention to themselves. I don't know. I don't know what their motivation was if it was genuine if it was sincere or if it was selfish, but I have to stay at least they did something at least they did something at least they were trying to create some kind of an opportunity. Now the good thing is you're never going to have me ask you to do that. I would want to do that. So I'm not going to ask you to do that. You don't want to conclude this passage of scripture that we're looking at. I want to conclude this message by talking about our church in the in the upcoming year. And I know we have visitors here in this might not be your home church, but I think this is this is applicable to any anyone who was a believer in Jesus Christ, but I think for our church and ventricular this next year is going to be an important one for our church Grace Bible Church of Phoenix. I am a very big believer in creating a culture the right kind of culture and and through our habits and our patterns and we Church need to be intentional about the culture that we are creating at our church and I even want to say this more directly. For those of you who say this is your church. This is your home Church, whether you remember or regular attender, I'm going to say that you need to be intentional about the culture that you are creating in your church. Cuz here's the good news. This is our choice we get to choose what it's going to be like just like we get to choose what are marriages are going to be like our finances are going to be like our relationships are going to be like but we have been in this building. I know it by so fast, this is our 50th Sunday in this new building we have to do more in the beginning of January and then we start year number two, and I have a couple of thoughts and observations about this first year on this move happened really fast and really easy which again I feel like God really moved us out of that location into this one and it's been great to see how this happened but also and I seen this a few times whenever a church or group of people go through a major Change something typically happens. There is a time of transition where there's the settling of the dust and everyone's trying to trying to figure out. Okay. What's what's new on what is what is normal? And then after that year of transition then I think the second yorkin very significant and for the year 2018, we have seen a lot of visitors from the community come to our church, but we have not been retaining as many visitors as we typically have been like especially at Union Hills. I think part of that part of the reason is because whenever you go through a big change everyone kind of clings to what is familiar and I think a lot of people in our church and I'm just sharing my observation with everyone a lot of people in church have been okay. This is a new location New facility. Let's just hang out with the things that we know but now that we've been here for one year. I think all of us need to be aware of these opportunities to really reach out to people as they come into our church cuz here's something that's very exciting. Someone is going to walk through those doors whether it's today or next week or the following Sunday searching for truth. And that's an opportunity that you and I have 2% what might be the salvation of their soul and God can and he will use your graciousness to them. And so every time you see someone that you don't know whether you've seen them once or twice just hey, I'm glad to into I'm glad that you're here. I'd like to welcome you to our church. And if you don't remember your name, and if you met him a couple weeks ago, I think we all have permission to say I know you told me your name, but can you remind me again? Cuz we're not really good with names like we should be but I think that we are now entering our second year in this location and it's time for us to truly be welcoming of the people that God is sending to us because these are the opportunities that God has given to us and something I've been thinking about us. We're entering our second year here. Just get excited about what it would be like if certain things happen and I think the most exciting thing that could happen and maybe you'll feel the same way. Is this what if in 2019 God used our church in the people in the ministries of our church are Grace Bible Church of Phoenix to bring at least five people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Would you be excited about that? I sure would be five people know that they will spend eternity in the presence of Christ because God in some way used us as human being his messengers of Grace and whether that's through a worship service or through our youth program or through are Awana Ministry or a chemistry doesn't matter but I think God can do that. If all of us are making ourselves aware of these opportunities that are going to, that's our mission and that's I think what should be getting us excited. So I want to give you kind of an overview of what's going to be happening over the next few months here at Grace. Church starting next week or actually next month and next year next Monday for the month of January are going to have a missions emphasis month. Normally we've had a missions conference at the very end of January. We were not able to line up missionary. So we're just going to have emissions emphasis month and what we're going to do as you're going to hear from some missionaries the big program at the end of the month or you're going to have a couple missionaries are going to be here going to share about their Ministry. That would be next Sunday in the following Sunday. And then we're going to have some of our missionaries that we know either on Skype or are you too but presentation so that's that's what's going to happen through the month of January, but then also is starting next week. We're going to focus on our most important Mission, which is our kids. It's our youth leaders actually it is going to be sharing what's going on in the youth meth. Are you use the Ministry Church at the church and also bringing us a message. So I'm looking forward to that and then I'll my next sermon series I've decided I'm going to be talking about going through not our entire doctrinal statement, but the majority of our doctrinal statement talking about the foundation's why we believe what we believe and how that's relevant to our liking so that's going to be in January and February and then March margin on occasion, Oregon have a special Series in at the end of March. I'm going to have four guys from the congregation preach a sermon. So if some of you and you don't even know what yet, but some of our preaching a sermon and then soon as March is done. We had strayed into Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. And so this these next few few months, they're going to go by fast. I'm pretty excited about what what these of the first quarter these first four months have in store for us as a church. The one final thought that I just want to leave you with and that is this. I hope that we finish this year and we start the new year with this passage in mind this passage from Colossians chapter 4. God has a mission for us and it lasts our entire lifetime and that is to share his message of Grace with the world around us and the two ways that the staff is teaches us that we can do that or just stay ready so that we can engage the culture and the other world around us is that we pray that we pray continually that we stay connected to God so that his desire for people to be saved becomes our desire. That's the most important desire that we can have and the second thing is that we be gracious to others and through our graciousness. We might be able to show them the power of God's love was closing prayer Dear Lord, I Thank you so much for this ministry that you have called us to not only as individuals but as a body of Believers and father, we don't know what's going to happen in 2019. But our message is clear. Our motivation is clear and it is going to be exciting to see these opportunities that you are going to open up for us and whether it's having new people come to endure church that do not have a relationship with you or it's us inviting our friends and family members or through our youth ministry are Awana Ministry, Florida. I truly believe that you have us here just like every True Body of Christ Church. This is this is your church your church globally not just locally and there are opportunities for us to share the truth of Salvation with the world around us. And so father I pray that we will be physically ready that we will be spiritually ready that we will be emotionally and mentally ready to embrace these opportunities and so far that we just left our hands up to you. We left our lives up to you use our voices usermind. Is every part of us to engage in the shop that these Ministry opportunities that you are going to give us and we pray this now in Christ name. Amen.