One mark of evangelistic gifting is the ability to see – and a desire to seize upon – any and every opportunity to share the gospel with those around us. In this session we will explore how we can make the most of every opportunity.
SESSION IN A SENTENCE
We should always be ready to seize upon any gospel opportunity that comes our way, explaining the good news with clarity in every situation and circumstance.
SESSION BACKGROUND
Peter tells us that we should always be ready to share the gospel with anyone who enquires about the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15). Paul tells Timothy to be ready to preach the gospel in every season and circumstance of life (2 Timothy 4:2), and writes elsewhere that we must make the most of every opportunity (Colossians 4:5). Jesus demonstrates a lifestyle of readiness to serve and share at all times. Sometimes that means looking in unexpected places to see an opportunity (as with Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1–10), being ready in socially-challenging situations (like with the Samaritan woman in John 4:1–26), being bold in places of privilege (remember the sinful woman at the Pharisee’s house in Luke 7:36–50), sharing with social outcasts (like healing lepers in Luke 17:11–19), or declaring truth during your own suffering (as with the thief on the cross in Luke 23:39–43)… and so the list goes on.
Billy Graham’s crusades – through which he preached to more people than any other person who has ever lived – were the most famous aspect of his evangelism. But this wasn’t the only way in which he shared the gospel throughout his life. Whether meeting with presidents or royalty, appearing on mainstream talk shows, bringing aid to areas hit by natural disaster, ministering to troops overseas, or sharing with individuals he met along the way, he was always ready, prepared and willing to share the gospel with those he met.
Billy Graham’s evangelistic preparedness wasn’t motivated by a heightened interpretation of the great commission. His motivation to see and seize upon any and every opportunity came from having truly understood, received, and submitted to the gospel himself.
One mark of those gifted as evangelists is that they are likely to have a (super)natural compassion for the lost that extends beyond the satisfaction of fulfilling an evangelistic engagement or preaching opportunity. An evangelist is desperate for everyone to hear and receive the gospel, and, even under threat of rebuke and harsh consequences, would not be able to stop themselves from talking about Jesus at every opportunity (Acts 4:18–20). But the truth is, the more any believer – not just those gifted as evangelists – understands the good news for themselves and lives within its precious grace, the more they will grow in compassion for the lost, to share in God’s own compassion as we grow into new life in his own image.
The remarkable true story of Desmond Doss, told in the Hollywood film Hacksaw Ridge, reveals a man who was compelled to enlist as combat medic during the Second World War, but who refused to pick up a gun under any circumstances because of his devout faith in God. Deployed to the Japanese island of Okinawa, Doss found himself behind enemy lines on ‘Hacksaw Ridge’. Under heavy fire from the enemy, yet able to hear the cries of the wounded – both American and Japanese – Doss began to save anyone he could, which involved lowering them down from the ridge using a makeshift rope pulley system. Doss was shot in the arm by a sniper and was later discovered to have seventeen pieces of shrapnel in his body, and yet he kept going for as long as he was able, to save as many as possible.
Interviewed about this incredible feat years later, Doss explained that whenever exhaustion kicked in and he felt that he couldn’t help anyone else he prayed, ‘Lord, help me get one more.’ Doss saved at least 75 men that day.
Doss’s prayer is the cry of the evangelist. It is the cry of all who share the heart of God for the lost. ‘Lord, through every opportunity, however hard or costly, help me get one more.’
Session guide
CATCH UP (10–20 MINS)
Take time to catch up with one another, sharing stories, encouragements, feedback on opportunities and anything else that would encourage the group. For smaller groups, ask each person to share one win and one struggle since last meeting. For larger groups, select four or five people to share specific testimony since last meeting.
PRAYER
Commit the time to the Lord and pray over any situations, positive or challenging, highlighted in the catch up time.
TEACHING (20–30 MINS)
Work through the following teaching material in your own way, either by reading it word for word, or by reworking it into your own presentation.
‘One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer – at three in the afternoon. Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”’
ACTS 3:1–6
It’s easy to miss opportunities. Many of the regrets people face in later life revolve around missed opportunities – the things they wish they had done if only they had had the confidence to try, or had they worried less about what people might think of them.
The world of social media has given rise to a particular phenomenon – the ‘Fear Of Missing Out’, or FOMO. In a constantly-connected world, we can always see what other people are doing – and when it looks like others are having a better life experience than ours, FOMO can kick in. Generally speaking, FOMO is considered to be an unhelpful and often unhealthy side-effect of our connectedness, but how about when we read the Bible? Have you ever experienced FOMO as you’ve read about what Jesus disciples and the early church got up to in the book of Acts?
Reading about the Apostles in the New Testament can leave you feeling like you are missing out on the same level of adventure that they experienced in sharing the gospel. While most of us don’t crave the scary stuff – like being stoned to death(!) – we would love to see and experience more of the signs and wonders that accompanied the apostles’ ministry.
In Acts 3, Peter and John find themselves presented with an everyday situation: a lame beggar is asking them for some money. It would have been easy for the apostles to simply walk past this unfortunate man, or to have given a small donation and moved on. Look at how specific the language is here: instead of moving on, Peter and John look right at him. The NRSV translation sees Peter and John looking intently at the man, who in-turn fixed his attention upon them in expectation of receiving something.
Discuss: How intently are you looking at the world around you? How good are you at seeing and seizing upon the opportunities that arise to share the gospel?
The lame man saw an opportunity to get the thing he thought he needed most: money. Fortunately for him, the apostles were paying attention to the opportunity in front of them, meaning they were able to give him what he really needed most: Jesus. It was a love for the lost that caused Peter and John to stop, not simply a compassion for his disability or social status.
The Bible tells us that he who honours God will in turn be honoured by God (1 Samuel 2:30). This is never more true than when we honour God in life’s ‘small things’. As we prove to be trustworthy in the secret place – in the smaller, less noticeable areas of life – God entrusts us with bigger things. That could be a bigger platform, but why settle only for a bigger audience? Better than a larger platform is a greater demonstration of the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives. The full measure of the Spirit of the living God is available to you today as you submit to the Lord, but he seems to entrust it most fully and most often to those he knows will use it best for his service. Anyone in the Israelite army could have defeated Goliath with God’s help, but it was David who stepped up and proved trustworthy in the specific task, and so the road to the throne was set.
If you want the full adventure, be faithful in the little things, those everyday opportunities, and see what God does. If you are struggling to get motivated about seizing those opportunities, ask God to take you out of your comfort zone and press on with choosing to be intentional even when you don’t feel like it. If you are feeling guilty about missed opportunities and feel like you’re letting God down, remember that God doesn’t want you to feel guilty about missed opportunities, he wants you to love the lost out of your love for him.
Not one of us is perfect. The apostles made mistakes in their evangelism and surely missed opportunities along the way. The point is not to hold ourselves to an impossible standard that piles on the pressure, but to hold ourselves in the incomparable love of God that piles on the grace. It is from this reality that we grow, maturing to become increasingly faithful to the opportunities he puts in front of us day by day.
D.L. Moody famously said, ‘God has given me a lifeboat and said… “Moody, save all you can.”’ Your capacity to row, to see those drowning and pull them from the water is found in your love for God, and his love for the world.
Here are three practical suggestions for how to become more aware of everyday opportunities and to be faithful in them:
- JOURNAL – There are many helpful aspects to keeping a journal. With opportunity in mind, write down details about your day. Who do you spend time with at work? Do you walk past the same homeless person regularly in your city? Who do you speak to at the school gates? Writing in your journal will keep these people fresh in your mind so that you can keep them in prayer, and it can also be used as a personal accountability check: are you being intentional about faith based conversations with them over time? Have conversations been trivial for weeks, or have you made attempts to go deeper? If you feel able, you could also ask accountability partners to read your journal and ask you questions about these areas too.
- CHALLENGE – Why not set challenges for yourself if you struggle to seize daily opportunities? For example, ‘This week I want to talk to at least one stranger about Christ.’ The challenge can be practical as well as proclamational, and should stretch you beyond your normal practice of evangelism.
- ADVENTURE – Shift your mindset from duty to adventure. We have an evangelistic responsibility and we want to be obedient to what God asks us to do, but without love we are missing the point. Think of the opportunities in your week ahead not simply as a burdensome duty, but as the high point of adventure. Many people in the nine-to-five grind – even those who love their jobs – can’t wait for the weekend to come. Could we be people who can’t wait for the next opportunity to share Jesus with the same anticipation? If we can, we will begin to embrace the adventure with a healthy mindset, so that even when it’s challenging, we can dust ourselves off and go again.
In the words of Martin Luther,
‘If he has faith, the believer cannot be restrained. He betrays himself. He breaks out. He confesses and teaches this gospel to the people at the risk of life itself.’
DISCUSSION (20 MINS)
- Have you ever missed an obvious opportunity? What did you learn from the experience?
- What are the biggest challenges you face in seizing every opportunity to share the gospel?
- How do you intentionally create opportunities for sharing the gospel that otherwise might not be there?
- Discuss the three suggestions from the teaching (Journal, Challenge, Adventure). Do you see the value of these things and could you implement them?
‘Here is the principle – adapt your measures to the necessity of the people to whom you minister. You are to take the gospel to them in such modes and circumstances as will gain for it from them a hearing.’
CATHERINE BOOTH
APPLICATION (5 MINS)
Be intentional this month about seizing opportunities that you might usually walk past or choose not to engage with. Is there an old friend you could reach out to? Could you take some extra time to sit and talk to a homeless person? Do you regularly get coffee from the same barista, and if so could you turn the conversation to Jesus?
It is almost certain that everyone in the group will be able to think of an opportunity in their regular week in which they could be more intentional about sharing Jesus. Commit to taking this opportunity between yourselves and hold each other to account for how you got on next month. Remember, this isn’t just about setting arbitrary goals and targets, but changing habits and patterns of behaviour. What starts out as intentional practice can develop into natural behaviour over time. Consider starting a journal.
PRAYER
Thank God that he provides us with opportunities to proclaim his gospel and share our faith with others. Ask him to provide some specific opportunities in situations where you have been hoping for breakthrough, and for general opportunities day by day. Pray for each other that you will be perceptive of the opportunities around you, and faithful to each one as it arises.
ACCOUNTABILITY (15 MINS)
In threes, discuss some obvious opportunities that you have ignored. Talk about why you think this is and really try to get to the root of the issue. Seek forgiveness from God where necessary, and encourage each other in practical ways so as to make progress in seizing these opportunities in the future.
Complete accountability forms, share in pairs or smaller groups and pray for one another.
DON’T FORGET…
Encouragement between groups is an essential part of the journey, stay active in your communication (via whatever messenger platform your group has chosen), celebrating successes and breakthroughs, sending out and responding to prayer requests and cheering one another on.
