Pursuing Our Vision

PURSUING OUR VISION

 

Proverbs 29:18; Proverbs 4:25-27; Matthew 28:19-20

 

Proverbs 29:18

 

18) Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law.

 

 

Proverbs 4:25-27 (NLT)

25) Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

26) Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe.

27) Don't get sidetracked; Keep your feet from following evil.

Matthew 28:19-20

19) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

 

"Everybody needs a dream for life. It is a psychological necessity. If you're not dreaming, if you don't have a goal for life, if you don't have a dream, if you don't have a vision, you're dying." - Rick Warren

 

 

            These words of Rick Warren, author of the popular book, Purpose Driven Life, should remind us of the fact that we cannot go on with life without any desire of achieving something worthwhile. The truth of the matter is: If we are not dreaming, we’re not really living.

 

            On a personal level, I would like to believe that you are moving towards accomplishing the vision God has set for you. I hope you have considered carefully what your SHAPE is:

 

            S – Spiritual Gifts

 

            H – Heart

 

            A- Abilities

 

            P – Personalities

 

            E – Experience

 

 

            And are doing your best to live the kind of life which God has purposed for you. Remember, you only have one life, one chance to be all that God wants you to be.

 

            This morning, I believe it’s going to help us as a church to understand better what our vision is and how we hope to achieve it. I am convinced that the more we understand our vision, the more we will support it. And the more we will be a healthier church. So allow me to share several important factors about our vision:

 

 

I           THE MANDATE OF A VISION:

 

            First and foremost, when we talk of vision, we are primarily talking about a clear mental picture of a preferable future. This is the future that you want to have, the place where you want to arrive.

 

            King Solomon writing the book pf Proverbs clearly declared that without Revelation or Vision (KJV), the people will go off without restraints, meaning the people of God will run wild. The emphasis is if people don’t have a worthwhile direction, they’re going to waste their potentials, their God-given opportunities.

 

            The same can be said of the church. If we don’t have any vision we will be wasting our potentials. God has gifted us with so much time, talents and treasures. We are accountable to Him on how we are using them. We cannot afford to waste them.

 

            Now, with regards to vision, it is must come from God. It is not something that we generate ourselves or just simply dream up. Our dream must originate from God. This truth is based on the word, revelation, which literally suggests a word from the Lord.

 

1 Samuel 3:1

 

1) The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.

 

 

   

 

 

            No wonder George Barna, one of the church growth scholars today, gives his definition of a vision as a reflection of what God wants to accomplish through His church to build His kingdom.

            So, what is our God-given vision? Does it translate God’s purposes for our church? Let’s move to the next point.           

 

 

II          THE MISSION OF OUR VISION:

 

            My heart’s desire is for all of us to understand that our vision is not just a new building. The new building is not the end of our vision. It is simply a means to an end.

 

            You see, in Matthew 28:19-20, our mission to the world is clearly declared by Jesus Christ - go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

 

            Please understand that our mission is not only winning people to Christ. Our main task is discipleship, which means we have to continually teach people in order for them to be more committed to Christ, and productive for the kingdom.  Let me explain this further. If our task is simply winning souls, we can go out there, share Jesus to people, and help them surrender their hearts to Jesus. Once they did that, we’re done. However, our text says more. These people need to grow. They need to be productive for Christ. This means, we need to bring them to a place where they can worship, know their gifts, and then serve the Lord.

 

            As much as we are grateful for having our own building, we have reached the point that we can no longer grow in this facility as much as we should. If you are asking why we should continue to grow? Here are two verses to ponder upon:

 

2 Peter 3:9 (God does not want anyone to perish)

 

9) The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

 

 

Colossians 2:19 (God wants His body to grow)

 

19) He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

 

           

 

The church facility we hope to build is not just a home for us. It's for those who are not yet among us. Imagine this, if you are a couple who is expecting to have a baby soon, you will definitely prepare an adequate place for the coming baby. Likewise, the church must prepare an adequate place for our coming members:

 

            With our growing number, here are our needs:

 

·        More Sunday School rooms for children

 

·        An adequate nursery room for babies

 

·        A sufficient area where our children can play

 

·        A bigger stage for all our musical presentations

 

·        A bigger worship center that can house more people

 

·        An ample parking space for all our attenders

 

 

I am fully convinced that God will bless us with more people if we have adequate facility for them.      

 

           

 

III        THE MOBILIZATION FOR OUR VISION:

 

            How can we achieve this vision? Do we have the capacity to accomplish this vision? These are probably some of the questions you have in your mind. Well, most definitely, we need to mobilize all our people to cooperate with God in pursuing this vision.

 

On our own, we do not have the capacity to achieve our vision. And that’s exactly how it should be. If we will envision to accomplish that which we are capable of doing, we will get credit after it is accomplished. We have a God-size vision, so God will get the credit when everything has been accomplished.

 

            How can God use me? This is the most appropriate question. Well, God is calling all of us to do two things:

  1. Be a voice for this vision:

A vision is useless if there is no one who will give a voice for it. We can be an instrument to enlighten and encourage the people who belong to our scope of influence in relation to our vision.

Ø      Family

Ø      Friends

Ø      Fellowships

Be careful that you don’t become a vision killer or a vision stealer:

Genesis 37:19-20

19) "Here comes that dreamer!" they said to each other.

 

20) "Come now, let's kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we'll see what comes of his dreams."

 

 

            God gave Joseph a dream, and as soon as he shared it, his own brothers conspired to kill it. Without a doubt, their decision to oppose God’s vision led to a lot of complications in their own lives.

 

  1. Make a sacrifice and invest for the vision:

To build our new worship center, we will need to trust the Lord for about $2.5 million dollars. The challenge for all of us is to ask the Lord this question – Lord, what do you want to do through me?

How I wish I can tell the church that there are people outside of our church family who will finance our vision. There may be some, but there are no guarantees. Each one of us must dig deep into our own purses, and give over and above what we are already giving. The only guarantee I can give everyone is the truth that WE CAN NEVER OUTGIVE GOD. As we honor the Lord by investing in His vision, I know God will shower us with his blessings – materially, physically, emotionally, and spiritually:

Luke 6:38

38) Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

 

 

            Indeed, when we give to God, the picture He is giving us in the text is: When He returns our gifts, He will use the same container we used for giving to Him, but the big difference is it will be pressed down, shaken together and running over.

            Now, would you consider becoming a voice for this vision? Would you be willing to make a sacrifice and invest for it too? May the words in Proverbs 4:25-27 keep us focus on our vision - Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don't get sidetracked . . .