Acts: opportunities and choices

Speaker: Colin Boyd

Notes

Basic questions are: "What is happening here?" and "What should I do about it?"

It does not always mean preaching, but can be offering to pray, encouraging, setting an example, blessing in some way, peace-making. Often only a first step of obedience is indicated, not a full-scale plan.

Examples:

Acts 1:1-4, being ready for power, an act of obedience.

Acts 2:1-16, Opportunity of a curious crowd, and Peter's choice to preach to them.

Acts 3:2-12, Crippled man healed, opportunity 1 was to give more than was asked with healing and opportunity 2 was another curious and impressed crowd. Peter & John's choice was to reject credit for a clear miracle and to proclaim Jesus.

Acts 4:1-10, This could have been a setback as the authorities siezed them, but they turned it into opportunity when asked a direct question (so they gave a direct answer even if they knew it would not be popular). When they were threatened they saw it as a confirmation of effectiveness and chose to pray for more boldness. They got it.

Acts 9:10-17, Ananias chose to be obedient in spite of the danger, and siezed the opportunity to bless Saul with acceptance.

Acts 18:24-26, Aquila and Priscilla chose to bless Apollos rather than criticise, and offered hospitality.

Application

Where did opportunity present itself in the account of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch?

In the encounter between Peter and Cornelius, what were the possible choices?

In the events in Acts 16:6-10, what was happening and what choices were open to Paul?

In the events of Acts 16: 22-34 what opportunities and alternative choices were open to Paul and Silas?

What opportunities do you have on a day-to-day basis that you can pray into as a group?

Share with your group an occasion when you were presented with an opportunity and what you chose to do about it.

Look for an opportunity to encourage and bless somebody this week.

Posted: 7 Sept 2008