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| Windows of Opportunity |
| by Jim Wandell |
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| Scripture Reading: Matthew 9:35-38 |
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| When the Space Shuttle needed to re-enter the earth`s atmosphere and land at Andrew`s AFB while the weather was still favorable: when you need to get to the store and purchase an item while it is still available and on sale, when you only have a few more days to get in on the ground floor of an exciting new company to invest in, it is said that you have a “Window of Opportunity”. |
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| This is a phrase that was coined in the 20th Century, but has been true for all existence of time. |
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| Think back to Noah and the Ark. Until the Lord closed and sealed the door on the Ark, the wicked still had a window of opportunity to change their hearts. But they didn`t do it, so the window was closed and another window, called the windows of Heaven opened and flooded the whole earth, destroying those who rejected righteousness. |
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| For 4,000 years, God had spoken to men chosen to be prophets to their people. He foretold of events, He showed them the outcome, He led and delivered them, He fed and raised them up. Yet they still disregarded the Spirit of Almighty God. So God closed the window of opportunity they had to hear fresh and anew from Him on a daily basis, and for 400 years there was a silence from the Heavens to man. The window opened again 400 years later with the birth of Jesus Christ and the installing of John the Baptist in the office of prophet. |
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| In our personal lives, we all have windows of opportunity set before us, from the minor to most major events. We understand that if we send in our Publisher`s Clearing House grand prize entry the day after the cut-off date, the window has already been closed. But if we get it to them on time, we may already be a WINNER! Glory to God! |
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| You and I, as the Church today, have a window of opportunity that is open before us. It is the opportunity to reach out through evangelism (through witnessing) and bring the Gospel message to our family, friends, neighbors, and the world. |
| The opportunity is greater today than anytime in history. Why? Because: |
| · There are more people in the world today than ever before. |
| · We can get in our car and visit a neighborhood or the friend of a friend who needs Christ in their life, 100 miles away, in the matter of a couple hours. |
| · We have more ways to get the Gospel out to the world, through TV, radio, internet, video, tapes, CDs, books, personal witness and visitation by planes, trains, buses, automobiles. |
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| John 4:30-38 ties in with our opening scripture reading, |
| but I want you to take notice of something in the character and tone of Jesus. (The word “meat”= I have food, I have nourishment, I have received an offering that you don`t know about.) Jesus said, “My nourishment is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.” Church, shouldn`t that be our testimony as well? |
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| Now read verses 35 and 36 from the Message translation: “As you look around right now, wouldn`t you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I`m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what`s right in front of you. These… fields are ripe. It`s harvest time! (v36) The Harvester isn`t waiting. He`s taking his pay, gathering in this grain that`s ripe for eternal life.” |
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| Church, the Lord Jesus Christ is talking directly to us from this verse: I`m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what`s right in front of you. These… fields are ripe. It`s harvest time! The window of opportunity is open! |
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| When the world was coming out of the Dark Ages of history, Great Britain and in fact, most of Europe had a great window of opportunity open to them to evangelize the world. But they held to monarchies and allowed sinful men and women to rule their land. Men and women who would be more than kings and queens. Henry the VIII revamped the Church in England so that he could do what he wanted (marrying, and divorcing again and again and even having wives put to death.) And the window of opportunity slammed loudly shut, when they created a “religion” that disregarded Jesus Christ as Lord. |
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| Enter America and the Church today |
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| Because the “ruling church” in Great Britain left its original calling and became what we talked about last week from Revelation chapter 3, the church at Laodicea, the church apostate that has forsaken its faith and principles, God had to cause a shift in the spirit realm. When He did, He formed and created a new nation that was chosen to carry His message forth. That nation is America. |
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| Some may question those last statements. But let me give you some facts that will show you that this is so. |
| 1. The land itself was discovered by a Christian. (Columbus) |
| 2. To make this land free to break away from the Church of England and from sinful monarchies, a war was fought. Farmers, businessmen, tradesmen, fishermen, and young boys, all with sub-standard physical weapons of warfare waged a war and defeated the armies of the King of England, previously known as the British Empire. |
| 3. In less than 200 years, this same land that is now a nation, became the most powerful and prosperous and abundant nation in the world. |
| 4. Churches and ministries in the United States have sent and supported more missionaries throughout the world, since its foundation in 1776, than all other nations. |
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| What has happened to England? |
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| Progressively England lost its holdings of other countries throughout the world. It is no longer an empire. And listen to this startling finding by the British Research Group MORI: only 3 percent, of the entire British population, attend church. |
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| Do you see the shift in the spirit realm? |
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| At certain times we as believers can see that not only is the window open, but it is open wider than at other times. The days following September 11th, 2001 are a prime example. For a few days people were rushing to get in. They were looking for comfort, for prayer, for stability. But just as quickly as they came searching, they left, and since that time have avoided even walking by God`s window. |
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| People don`t realize their need for Jesus Christ. They don`t call out to God until something corners them. But when things get better, many just walk away. Again they don`t realize their need for Jesus Christ because: |
| · I`m young with a long life ahead of me. I have other things on my plate right now. Besides, I`m a good person. I give to charities. |
| · Many don`t know who Jesus truly is. |
| · They have been taught that sin is acceptable as long as you are sorry later. That makes it all better. That shouldn`t be surprising to us…what do we think will happen when we have judges and courts in America who are accepting, condoning, and legalizing sin, and fighting for a person`s right to continue to sin? What do we expect? |
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| But even though man closes his “inner” window (the window to his soul) to the things of Christ, which until he opens up again, has shut off his opportunity, God has not closed His window. It remains open to all who will come in! Jesus said, in John 6:37, “…him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.” And to the Church, Revelation 3:8 says, “…I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it…” |
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| As we mentioned before, today, we have a great opportunity set before us to win the lost to Christ. But with every great opportunity, comes great opposition. |
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| The devil doesn`t want you out there telling others about Christ. He will tell you that you don`t know what you`re doing. He will tell you that people will reject you and slam their door in your face. He will tell you that it is your Pastor`s job, not yours. He will try to get into your mind and play head games with you. Opposition in the mind is the greatest type of opposition you will ever face. Wars are won and lost in the mind without a single shot ever being fired. If satan gets you to think that you can`t or shouldn`t, you have lost, and won`t do the job that is set before you. It is important for all of us to realize that satan has no say in what you do if you don`t allow him in, and that “Greater is He (Christ) who is in you than he (the devil) who is in the world.” |
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| And we must see to it that we are not in opposition to the Word of God. You may not understand that right off, but listen to this: Why is it that we know what it says in the Word of God about what we are to do in reaching the lost, but when the Pastor asks us to do it, we have to “pray about it first”!?? And this pertains to other areas of our life of faith as well. There is enough opposition from external forces without allowing them to be reinforced by our own internal opposition. The Word of God is in you. Don`t oppose what is in you, oppose what comes against you! |
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| It is our job, since we know Christ, to make Him known to others. But do we truly realize the importance of reaching the lost? Lost means just that! Not just until they`re back on the right road, it means for all eternity. |
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| This is not a push to reach people just to build church numbers, it is a push to build the Kingdom of God. That is the vision of this ministry. A house is not a home without people. A kingdom is not a kingdom without people. |
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| We have all been called to reach through the window of opportunity that is open before us and pull in the lost, to rescue the perishing, to bring them in from a world of sin. |
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| Witnessing and testifying to others is not just walking by them and saying, “Have a blessed day”, or God is good!” It is presenting the salvation message to them. It is giving them the information they need to receive Christ and truly have a blessed day and that they experience first-hand through the redeeming blood of the Lamb, that God is good! A “Jesus Saves” bumper sticker gives them the idea, but not the direction. The spoken Word gives that direction and eternity changing information to all who will hear the heart of God! |
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| Jesus has handed us the baton. We are the ones who will be finishing the race and completing the work. In John 9:4, Jesus said, “I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. (v5) As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Believer, Jesus Christ is in you. The Light is in you and you are to take that light to the world. And I John 4:17, “…as Jesus is, so are we in this world.” Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world…” |
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| Do you know what the Word of God says about soul-winners? It is found in Proverbs 11:30. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” |
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| Are you willing to speak to others about Jesus Christ, and to make the great way of salvation known to them? Are you willing to be a soul-winner? Is your nourishment to do the will of Him that sent you, and to finish His work? |
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| Let us all work diligently together as a Church to reach the lost so that the Lamb that was slain might receive the reward for His suffering. |
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| I want to leave you today with a point to ponder…with a question that will cause us all to think deeply about our service to the Lord: |
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| What will you say when God asks, |
| “Who have you told about Me?” |
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