Today’s Sermon in a Nutshell: “Making the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:16)

Today’s Sermon in a Nutshell: “Making the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:16)

(A little longer than most of my sermons, but I hope you will "take the oppertunity" to read it as I think you will enjoy the points I make.)

Imagine a bank that automatically credits your account with $1,440 every day of the year. However, there is a catch: no balance is carried over from the previous day and at midnight, whatever is not spent is lost. What would you do? If you are wise, you’d draw out every cent and use it.

In a sense, we do have a bank like this, and it’s called “time.” Each day 1,440 minutes are deposited into our account and do not carry over to the next day. How we choose to use them in the immediate is important, for if we fail to use them wisely, they are lost forever – which means it is our loss as well. There is no drawing against tomorrow’s minutes, we must live in the present on each day’s deposit and invest wisely.

Each minute is a moment, and these moments are called “opportunities.” Every opportunity is an opportunity to do something positive; to make an impact. As St. Paul wrote to the Ephesians, “make the most of every opportunity.”

In this morning’s gospel, Peter was given an opportunity to go back out and fish, even though he had fished all night and caught nothing. He could easily have declined Christ’s offer, wasting an opportunity. Yet, he chose to heed our Lord and ended up catching the greatest catch of his life; a moment so overwhelming that it changed Peter’s whole outlook and caused him to leave everything and follow Jesus.

Perhaps our own moments and opportunities might not be so significant or life-altering, but they could be. One never knows.

Whenever there is a church service, retreat, educational program, charitable event, or social activity, it is an opportunity for your involvement.

When you see a face or family you don’t recognize in church, this is your opportunity to introduce yourself and make someone feel welcome and included.

When someone you know is lost, hurt, or suffering, that is your opportunity to minister to them and invite them to come and worship with us.

When your pledge letter arrives, or when the collection plate is passed, it is an opportunity to prayerfully evaluate your blessings and render sacrificial offerings in thanksgiving for God’s manifold blessings.

When someone is sick or laid-up, it’s an opportunity for you to visit, or at least pray for them.

When Sunday School is in session, it’s an opportunity to bring your children regularly to learn about their Faith. 

When the parish is seeking volunteers for various projects or to be members of its council, it’s an opportunity to lend your hands to lead and manage our parish – helping to ensure its success and future.

And the list could go on and on…

However, the most important thing to remember about opportunities is that there are only two types: those which are acted upon, and those which are missed. Therefore, don’t let opportunities be wasted, seize them and make them count.

Fr. John