Text: Acts 22:22-26:32 | Listen to Message
Seize The Day
Have you ever found yourself thinking, “I could do so much more for God if only…”? If only…what? I had more time. More money. A better job. A more supportive spouse. A different background. A more outgoing personality. A larger audience.
But what if God doesn’t need you to do more for Him? What if He’s already put you right where He wants you? What if your situation in life is the one where you’re supposed to be? What if the people in your life – yeah, those people – are the ones who need to experience Christ’s love through you today?
In Acts 22-26, we find the Apostle Paul in a series of prisons, facing a series of trials – a victim of serious false accusations. His location and schedule and audience are all determined for him by others. He’s not free to travel – either to plant new churches or to strengthen the churches he’s already planted. His options and freedoms are extremely limited.
But instead of wallowing in anger or self-pity, Paul thought, “Okay, if this is where God has me then this is where I’ll seize every opportunity to proclaim the grace of Jesus Christ!” So he spent 2 years of his life witnessing to one governor – Felix – and his wife. He spent even more time telling fellow prisoners and guards about the grace and forgiveness of Jesus. Why? Because he decided he was going to make a Gospel impact wherever God’s providence put him.
How many opportunities to live for and share Christ here and now get wasted simply because we’re more interested in telling God how we’ll serve Him if and when…?
Don’t kid yourselves. If you won’t live for Jesus with the life you have, you wouldn’t live for him with that imaginary life either. And if you’re not willing to share his love now, in less than ideal circumstances, with less than ideal people, you wouldn’t share him in that perfect situation either.
Remember: Like Paul, you might be trapped in less than ideal circumstances. Most of us are. But you can always trust the providence of God and you can always let Him shine His light into the darkness of your situation.
Sermon Notes & Application Questions