Infinite Fellowship Ministries

The Import Of Opportunity – Part 2: Sermon By Bishop Gobanga

For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Matthew 25:14-30 (NKJV)

When the Bible speaks of the word talent, it denoted a specific amount of money equivalent to $1,000. However, Jesus was not speaking about money. The underlying thing is the salvation of each of the servants that were spoken about in Matthew 25:29-30.

God is more concerned with whatever is done with the talent/opportunity that He has given. The destiny of each individual lies entirely with what they do with the talents (opportunities) God has apportioned and not on how many talents that you have.

Maximize on every opportunity that God has given you. You cannot maximise on the talent unless you understand the times and season like the sons of Issachar.

Talents are not of any use to you if you don’t know the time and season and the opportunity for that time and season. We need to comprehend time and season and the opportunities vested in that season and the grace released in order to multiply since there is a specific grace for every time and season.

Talents (opportunities) are not distributed like natural gifts. They are given to those who have a relationship with God. The deeper the relationship the more the opportunities. The shallower your relationship with God, the lesser your opportunities. A deep relationship means that you have a higher capacity for the opportunity that you have. The one that has deep relationship has more opportunity granted to him by God

There are levels in the house of God. Unless you know your level in God you will fail. For example, you cannot give a child a knife because they will injure themselves. It is the same way that God will not give you something that will hurt you.

Talents are not natural abilities. However, they are granted to us according to our natural abilities. God will give you opportunities depending on your capacity and ability. The gifts you possess determine the opportunities you’ll be given.

Talents are investments and one can gain or loss. God hates people that are fearful to invest their life when the opportunity is there. The Lord revels in people that will invest their lives for the expansion of the Kingdom and gain for the Master. The talent is to bring multiplication for the Kingdom.

When God gives you opportunity in the right season, He expects return for the kingdom. There is no self-centeredness in the Kingdom. The talent is not for the selfish personal use of the servant. The opportunity/talent is not for your own use but for God’s gain.

Many times we have wasted and misused opportunities.

In the Kingdom of God, there are risks involved. When you come into the Kingdom, you have to lose before you gain. You lose your old self/nature. The opportunity that God gives you when you come to the Kingdom is to die daily so that you may live in Christ.

You cannot be able to bring fruit in the right season when you are walking in the counsel of the ungodly. The truth may hurt, but it also heals. Listen to the truth and let the truth align you. Prophecy is not to excite you. It helps you muse over from where you are and to arise. Prophetic words have a prophetic purpose to correct your mistakes and align according to the word of God and His heart and Mind

Opportunities are golden moments that are given to us by God. They don’t stay forever. The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity and as such we need to maximize them as they last. We cannot afford to live as though we have the rest of our lives ahead of us because it is by the grace of God that we live.

Some opportunities last for a day and others for a season that is why it is important to know time and season. We need to be keen to discern the opportunity in each day and season. There are certain opportunities that you cannot get again. Once we miss out on opportunity, you miss out on an aspect of purpose.

It is not your gifting that will save you in the end, it is your character.

God has given us opportunities as moments of decision making whereby you can choose to play it safe or take a risk, even in your reputation and obey God. We are not to focus on the sideshows because when we do we will miss out on the opportunity. It is a moment of choice not a moment to complain about the current situations that we are facing.

The more you seek God, and draw closer to Him the more you draw closer to your destiny, closer to your prophetic moment.

Those who make good use of our opportunities more will be given to you, if you are not then the opportunity you have will be taken away from you. Your purpose will not be held hostage by your disobedience. God is sovereign and is not a respector of persons but of principles. He will displace you and use someone else.

The last servant was given a very unique opportunity to serve God and invest his life in the Kingdom of God but he wasted it. He was to invest the whole of his life in the Kingdom of God including the ideas and wisdom that he had.

He had an added advantage over the one who had five in that vested in the talent was a huge opportunity that he did not even invest in the bank. He was supposed to serve God but he was fearful with it.

There are some things that can never find expression except that you are in the presence of God.

The devil steals our opportunities so that the when you try to express them, there is no grace.

The purpose of life is to grow, increase and to return. God wants us to grow in our lives as a believer in whatsoever He has invested in you. When the Lord brings you into a space of opportunity He wants you to render increase into the Kingdom.

What returns have we given to the Kingdom ever since we knew God? What have you given back to God? Have you increased and brought profit for the kingdom?

Ask yourself – what profit you have brought for the Kingdom of Christ? What have you increased in? If you have not increased in wisdom, the fear of the Lord, then you need to evaluate yourself.

You cannot expect to grow in wisdom and yet you do not read the word of God. You cannot cast out demons unless you have been a person that takes time to pray.

If we don’t grow, we die.

Are you growing in prayer?
Are you growing in the word?
Are you growing in fellowship?
Are you growing in service?

Have you increased in wisdom and favour with God and man?

Have you given back that which the Lord has given you?

What is your give back to society?

We need to be risk-takers in order to serve God. To be able to invest our lives in God. No risk means no increase. Increase comes about where there is investment and it only comes after you have invested. If you are not a risk taker you will not know any increase.

What profit has been registered in your life and in all that you do?

The last servant gained nothing because he did not risk. He was a pretender, a phoney and a fake person. He claimed to be a servant of God but He was not sold out to his master. The last servant had a bad opinion of the master. He did not want to risk his own life.

We should not be lazy and fearful to make investments.

It is very risky to be a believer. We are to count the cost. It is costly to be a Christian yearning for prophetic relevance in our day and age.

If the opportunity comes with a separation from people allow it to happen. This was the case with Abraham and Lot at the Oaks of Mamre. You will always have times where people will leave. Bless them as they go to their prophetic destiny.

We need to do an introspection. What level are you in your spiritual life? Maximize on the opportunity.

How well have you made use of your life?