September 3, 2006

Pentecost 13

In his autobiography, Just as I Am, Billy Graham tells about a conversation he had with John F. Kennedy shortly after his election: On the way back to the Kennedy house, the president-elect stopped the car and asked him: ‘Do you believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ?’  ‘I most certainly do.’ ‘Well, does my church believe it?’ ‘They have it in their creeds.’ ‘They don’t preach it,’ Kennedy said, ‘They don’t tell us much about it. I’d like to know what you think.’

Graham explained what the Bible said about Christ coming the first time, dying on the cross, rising from the dead, and then promising that He would come back again. ‘Only then,’ the minister said, ‘are we going to have permanent world peace.’ ‘Very interesting,’ Kennedy said, looking away. ‘We’ll have to talk more about that someday.’ And he drove on.

Several years later, the two met again, at the 1963 National Prayer Breakfast. Graham had the flu that day, and after the meeting, they walked out of the hotel to his car together, as was always their custom. At the curb, the president turned to the minister: ‘Billy, could you ride back to the White House with me?  I’d like to see you for a minute.’ ‘Mr. President, I’ve got a fever,’ he protested. ‘Not only am I weak, but I don’t want to give you this thing. Couldn’t we wait and talk some other time?’ It was a cold, snowy day, and Graham was freezing as he stood there without his overcoat. ‘Of course,’ Kennedy said graciously.
But the two never met again. Later that year, Kennedy was shot dead. Graham comments, “His hesitation at the car door and his request haunt me still. What was on his mind? Should I have gone with him? It was an irrecoverable moment.”  It was an opportunity…

Our text for today really answers the question:  “How does the God who saved me from my sins want me to live?”  And it begins with the answer: “Be very careful, then, how live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”  Make the Most of Every Opportunity!  The picture that the word in our text gives is of a person buying up things at the “market place of time.”  Imagine you are in a market.  What is on sale is time.  You need to buy up all that time you possibly can to accomplish something good.  Right now, that time is being used for evil purposes!  It’s time to buy it back to use it for godly purposes! 

It isn’t hard to see that the days we are living in are evil.  Violence.  Terrorism.  Lust.  Materialism.  Apathy toward our relationship with God.  Resistance to the truth of the Gospel.  The society changing definitions of marriage and family.  Even churches allowing abortion, homosexuality, and all sorts of things God does not allow, while avoiding any worthwhile Bible instruction. People are living without hope, in loneliness, and in poverty while others are living in plenty.  The times are definitely evil.  Let’s buy that time back and use it for good!  As shrewdly as we sometimes attempt to buy an item on sale and take advantage of its lowest possible price, so shrewdly are we to watch for and snatch up opportunities to live as God would have us.  To Make the Most of Every Opportunity!

Opportunities for what?  First, To Grow in our Understanding of the Lord’s Will.  This is part of our life as children of God.  This is how our lives can be filled with wisdom instead of foolishness.  God doesn’t want us to be ostriches with heads in the sand, but people with heads in the Book.  The Book is where we learn and understand what the will of the Lord is.  And the first thing on the list of God’s will is for sinners to be with Him in heaven!  He wants hearts trusting in Him as our Saviour, and responding to his grace in grateful service.

In order to make the most of every opportunity, we need to understand the Lord’s will for our lives.  We need to take every opportunity to be strengthened and built up by the means of grace.  We need to be in the Word.  This is where we grow.  We are going to start helping you again with this growth.  Bible study starts up again next Sunday morning.  Sunday School starts.  Growing in Life starts.  All opportunities for all of you, no matter what age or place in life, to grow in your understanding of the Lord’s will.  Make the most of these opportunities!

We are also launching into a whole new endeavour:  SMALL GROUP Bible study opportunities.  Cross of Life is going to help facilitate and set up small group house gatherings for people to have an informal chance to study God’s Word together during the week.  To grow in your understanding of the Lord’s will together.  To apply it to your lives together.  To be strengthened by the Lord for the journey through the evil world around you and to be prepared for every opportunity that comes your way on that journey.  Pray about this!  And get involved!  I can guarantee you, you will not be disappointed!  It will put joy back into your steps!  And it will ground your life solidly, firmly, and wisely, on the unchanging Word of God.

Have you ever heard of the term “sea legs”?  After sailors are at sea for a long time, they become so accustomed to the pitching and rolling of the ocean waves, that when they finally get to shore, they walk irregularly, leaning over a bit, almost as if they were drunk.  They are still unconsciously trying to compensate for the rolling ship when they are on dry land.  God wants us to walk not according to what society says, not adjusting our walk to popular opinions, like being on a rolling, pitching ship at sea, but rather upon on the unchanging Word of God.  The wise person will have the wisdom to follow God’s Word, and direct their life according to it.

That brings us to the second thing we need to make the most of every opportunity for:  Living our Lives in Thankfulness according to the Lord’s Will.  Living the wise life.  Living the foolish life is like being drunk.  Being drunk makes you dumb...  Once, in court, the lawyer for a drunk driver was asking all the right questions. The arresting officer had testified that the defendant, when asked to produce his car registration, had fumbled around endlessly in the glove compartment. “But it was dark, was it not?” asked the lawyer. “Yes,” said the policeman. “Was the glove compartment cluttered?”  “Yes.” “How long did he fumble around there?” “Maybe five minutes,” responded the officer. “Well,” continued the attorney, “do you find it unusual that a man would take his time looking in a dark and cluttered glove compartment for a small piece of paper?” “Yes,” replied the officer. “He was sitting in my patrol car at the time.”

Many people today might consider overdrinking to be fun, funny, glamorous, and exciting.  But in reality, it is foolish, embarrassing, dangerous, and sinful.  Drunk people are dumb people.  Not only does the Bible show us that overdrinking is against God’s will, it also pulls the “grinning mask of drunkenness” off and exposes its hideous face.  Drinking to excess wastes people, their time, their talents, and their treasures.  It ruins relationships.  It leads to debauchery, in other words, a lifestyle that engages in other things that aren’t OK by God either.  Drunkenness removes the inhibitions that should be in place, the wisdom that God has given us to make the most of every opportunity.  And why do people get drunk?  Why do they pursue all kinds of lifestyles that are harmful to their souls in the end?  Because they’re looking for a “high.”  What about you?  Have you been looking for a high?

Then God has advice for you.  “Instead, be filled with the Spirit.”  Let the Holy Spirit flood your life as He comes into your heart through the Word and Sacraments!  Let the Holy Spirit fill your life with the real JOY that Jesus brings and then motivate and equip you to live for Him!  Looking for a high?  Be filled with this Spirit!  THE Spirit!  That will give you JOY in the midst of sorrow and suffering.  That will heal wounds.  Give you peace.  It will bring you a spiritual high with no regrets and no ending to it.  No hangovers.  And unlike how expensive alcohol is, this one is free.  The Word of God is what fills you with the Spirit!  And this is free!

Being drunk often results in ridiculous talking and singing.  But it sounds awful and is embarrassing.  On the other hand, being filled with the Spirit leads us to: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.  Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.”  Of course we do this as we gather together to worship God.  When we hear His love in the Gospel, it inspires us to praise Him in song.  But it also fills our lives with music every day.  It gives us joy – real joy – more joy than guilt!  And that JOY makes us sing!  Jesus Christ fills our life with the real music of happiness.  We sing with our lives because we can’t help it!

So sing, friends!  Sing by living your lives according to the Lord’s will!  Make every thought you have honour God.  Let all of your words be loving and encouraging to others.  Use your actions to glorify God.  Tell others about Jesus’ love.  Share your faith.  Let the beautiful “song” of your life inspire others!  Get involved in serving the Lord.  There are so many opportunities!  Our MILTON outreach effort beginning in two weeks is a huge opportunity for all of us to be involved in serving the Lord!  Let’s make the most of this opportunity!

Every season of life can be an opportunity or an excuse. The teen says, “I’m too young, there’s too much peer pressure. I can’t serve God.” Another teen says, “All my friends are wondering what life is really about. They want a cause. They want something worth living for. What an opportunity to tell them about God’s plan for their lives!”  A single person says, “I’m so lonely. I want to serve God. I could really serve Him if He would just give me a husband. I just can’t wait until God answers my prayer.” But another single says, “How can I help at church?  I’ve got some time available and I would love to serve the Lord with you.”

The young married couple says, “Our kids are too demanding. I’m lucky if I can just get to church, let alone serve.” Another family says, “Can our family put on a skit in church? It would be something we could do together and our kids would learn ministry in the process.”  The middle aged person says, “You have no idea how much responsibility is on me—family expectations, work expectations—I have nothing left to give.” Another person the same age says, “I am at the peak of my strength. If I order my priorities right I can make a real difference!”  The retired couple says, “I’m tired. Let the younger generation do it. I’ve served my time.” Another couple in the same life season says, “We have our retirement income. We don’t need money. We have time. What can we do for the kingdom of God in our golden years?”

What season of life are you in?  You have opportunities right now to give thanks to the Lord by serving Him!  Make the most of them!  Notice, our text encourages us to always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus!  Always give thanks for everything!  Not only success and blessings.  Problems and struggles as well.  Give thanks for everything – and use every opportunity to do it!  Why?  Because Jesus was punished for our sins by His Father, and so, we can claim God as our loving and caring Father!

There was a guy in jail once.  Not a nice jailhouse like today.  A dark and grimy one.  A jail where you sit on the cold floor with your legs fastened in irons.  This guy wasn’t sitting there in comfort.  He wasn’t being treated humanely as prisoners are today.  He and his companion had just been stripped of their clothes and beaten bloody.  So there he sat in the dark; cold and naked.  He had every reason to complain, didn’t he?  I sure would have.  But what did he do?  He and his buddy sang hymns and praised God!  Loud enough for everyone to hear!  They were making the most of every opportunity!  And you know what happened?  Later that night, the very one who jailed them, the same one who had beaten them, had a change of heart.  His heart that was once cold toward God came to trust in Him as his Saviour from sin.  And so did his family.  All because these two made the most of this opportunity.  The man I am talking about is the same one who penned the words of our scripture text to the Ephesians: the Apostle Paul.

You have been given life eternal and peace with God forever as a gift from Him through Jesus!  This God loves you in spite of what you deserve!  Make the most of every opportunity to understand his will, and to live it out in your lives as a thank-you to Him!   Amen.

 

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