This sermon emphasizes the importance of seizing the opportunity to live a life that counts for God, to let our light shine in darkness, and to seek after Him wholeheartedly. It challenges listeners to prioritize God above all else, to pursue His will, and to trust in His promises for a bright future. The message encourages a life of passion, purity, and perseverance in faith, knowing that God will bring His work to completion in us.

Well, here we are. It's not a coincidence that you're sitting here looking at this video, listening to me. You've got one life to live. You've got one opportunity to make a difference for King Jesus. You've got one chance to repay the debt of gratitude for what you did. You've got one opportunity to let your light shine in darkness. One opportunity to explore what the power of God can do through a yielded vessel. This is it. Let me tell you, in the busyness of life, you may have a full-time job. You may be raising kids. You may be in school, all kinds of studies. Let me tell you, the hunger can be there 24-7. Let me tell you, in the midst of everything else you're doing, something within you can say, God, I want my life to count. God, I know there must be more. God, I do not want to waste my life. One of my friends has begun to pray in recent years as he's gotten into his 50s. God, whatever you do, don't consign me to insignificance. No, we don't have to be famous. No, it's not a matter of who knows our name or who recognizes our face. It's a matter of, I want my life to count. I love the words of Nate Saint, who is a missionary pilot who was martyred by the Aka Indians in the 1950s. Extraordinary story of he and four others, Jim Elliott being the most famous of them, martyred by the Akas. And Nate Saint said, people who do not know the Lord ask us why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. So they fail to recognize that they, too, are expending their lives. And when the bubble has burst, they'll have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years, the lives that they have wasted. At the end of our lives, we stand before God. We look into eternity. We see the glories of his presence, the reward for the righteous. We see the horrible punishment for the lost. None of us on that day are going to say, no, I prayed too much. I shouldn't have sacrificed for the cross. It wasn't worth being rejected for Jesus. No, we're going to say, oh God, if I could just go back and do it again. God, if I could just have one more opportunity, I'd go after you. Well, here it is. Here's the opportunity. Here's the chance. Methodist preacher W.E. Sangster said, how should I feel at the judgment if multitudes of missed opportunities passed before me in full review and all my excuses proved to be disguises of my cowardice and pride? Come on, what's stopping you? Is it a fear of man? Is it a fear of failure? Is it just a history of spiritual apathy? Is it the inability to get out of a rut? Is it the midst of a successful career or a successful pastorate where everybody likes you and you know to really go after God would cost you? What's stopping you? Adam I. Judson, missionary who suffered much for the gospel in Burma, made the statement that the future is as bright as the promises of God. You may have gone through hard times, difficult times, tragedies. You may have even fallen and messed up yourself. The future is as bright as the promises of God. Take hold of his promises. Don't just say the generic, God is with us. If your life is right with him, look in the mirror and say, God is with me. God is in me. I put my trust in the living God. I put my trust in the Heavenly Father. I want my light to shine. I want my life to count. You say, what do I do? Go after him. Seek his face. Cry out. Bring the dreams, the promises back to him. Yeah, you've been disappointed. So have I. You've lost hope at times. So have I. It happens. Put your hope, your trust back in God. Go after him. Seek his face. Shut off the TV. Turn off the computer. Put away the unnecessary distractions. Cancel some of the unnecessary appointments. Go after God. Seek his face. Pour through his word. Read things. Listen to things that stimulate you, charge you, and then walk in the light you have. Take whatever step you can today. Don't worry about 10 years down the line. Don't worry about where your life's going to be even next month. Today, here I am, God. I want to seek you. I want to do your will. Put him first. Go after him. Honor him. Live by the convictions he lays in your heart. Turn from the things that are wrong, that are evil. Turn back to what you know is right and he will not disappoint you. The fire will fall on the sacrifice laid on the altar. Something will happen in your life. Your light will begin to shine in dark places. You will make an impact. People will be touched and transformed. It'll happen as surely as God is God. He who began the good work in you will bring it to completion. The path of the righteous does get brighter and brighter, just like the dawn coming up to the full noon sun. That's what you need to take hold of. There is hope. There is promise. No life. Even if you can't open your mouth and speak, God hears the cry of your heart. Even if you're in a difficult home situation where ministry seems impossible, God hears the cry of your heart. No one can stop you from being pure. No one can stop you from being holy. No one can stop you from being passionate. No one can stop you, even in the privacy of your home, from being a world changer. So you make that determination. Here I am, Lord. I'm going after you. You fall flat on your face tomorrow. Get up and keep going. Soon enough you'll be a changed person. Soon you'll be touching others. You'll look back a year, five, ten years later, and you won't even recognize yourself. As surely as God is God, as surely as Jesus died and rose from the dead. God will do it.