Seizing Divine Opportunities for Eternal Impact

If God used a donkey, he can use you. God has used people that we look at in life and say, how in the world did he use them to fulfill his plan and purpose? Well, I believe it's because God is a God that uses things that we don't normally think of being used or people we don't normally think that he can use because it's not about that person. It's not about that thing. But it's about God. God receiving all the glory. Amen. [00:00:55] (35 seconds)


And so as we enter into 2025, it's a time for us to focus on opportunities that God gives us for eternal impact. So over the next five weeks, we're going to be looking at five different opportunities that will engage us as individuals to make a difference. In eternity, an eternal impact for heaven and for the hearts and the souls of mankind. [00:01:36] (27 seconds)


And so when it comes to reaching the loss for Jesus Christ, we have to narrow in. We have to narrow in our focus. And the first thing we have to do is keep our focus, as Hebrews 12 says, on Jesus Christ. Fix your eyes. Focus in on Jesus and the cross. [00:05:50] (21 seconds)


And an amazing thing happens because he showed her compassion, because he offered her living water. This woman actually becomes the first evangelist in her community. She becomes the first person to evangelize those in her own town. And she runs back to the town and listen to these words she says. She says, come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ? [00:08:52] (28 seconds)


You see, Jesus used her story to transform an entire community. He used her story, a story of a woman that was looked down upon, a woman that had basically given up her body in so many ways and so many different men. And yet God said, I can use you because I'm going to give you living water. [00:09:25] (23 seconds)


In order for us to reach the lost, number one, we need to fully devote ourselves this year to God. We need to fully develop, devote ourselves to the Lord this year. 2025, it's a fresh start. You know, the calendar turned over and I'm going to have this resolution or that resolution. I might do this or that. Friends, can I tell you the greatest thing you can do is to say, Lord, I want to devote my life to you this year. Commit fully to him. Commit fully to him. What does that mean? Well, it means we commit fully to engage in worship. It means we commit fully to receive the word of the Lord. It means we commit fully to serving in ministry. It means we commit fully to praying on a daily basis. [00:13:51] (46 seconds)


When you get involved in serving in ministry, it changes your perspective on things. According to religious teachings, particularly within Christianity, it says this people involved in ministry. Tent this blew me away. People involved actively involved in ministry tend to complain less because their focus is on serving others more. Fostering gratitude and relying on faith. To navigate challenges, which can discourage a complaining attitude. [00:16:22] (35 seconds)


The Samaritan woman's message was simple. Come and see. That's all she did. Come and see. Come and see Jesus. Come and see this man. Listen. I'm not completely sure who he is. He says he can offer living water. But man. He knew everything about me. He knew that I had 500. Husbands. He knew the guy I was with now wasn't my husband. He knew everything about me. Come and see. I don't know exactly who he is. But wow. [00:18:46] (30 seconds)


As followers of Christ, we need to start building bridges to those who don't know Christ. It means stepping out of our comfort zone, possibly to befriend somebody that's different than us. But they're different. I don't know about that. Yeah, well, guess what? We're all different. We all are quirky. We all are strange. We all have our own little things that somebody looks at us and goes, man, they're different. [00:26:27] (30 seconds)


When you look at this passage here, you see that Jesus is talking about sowing and reaping. He says, just as one person is sowing and another person's reaping. But I love what he says. He says, but both of them rejoice together at the harvest. Someone is sowing the seed, but then comes the reaper after several months, and he reaps the harvest, but they both celebrate at the end. [00:29:26] (27 seconds)


When we look at this story, we can ask the question, can one person really make a difference? Can one person make a difference? The Samaritan woman's testimony wasn't just her testimony alone, but it became the testimony of her community. You see, her testimony led many in her town to faith. And similarly, God can use you. Yes, even you. [00:31:34] (36 seconds)


You see, God used Edward Kimball so that we can look back and say, because of his faithfulness, to share with us, that most likely millions of people have been saved. So let me ask you, are you the next Billy Graham? Are you the next Billy Graham, or maybe you're the next Edward Kimball that God wants to use? [00:37:03] (30 seconds)