Are We Losing Our Vision

ARE WE LOSING OUR VISION

Proverbs 29: 18

Intro: I am very much disturbed by the condition of today

A. The condition of the USA

1. Guns and weapons in our schools

2. Violent crimes and mass murders

3. The encouragement of people not to work

4. Known criminals being let go free

5. Child abuse

6. Abortion

B. I’m even more concerned about churches closing their doors

1. Going broke and can’t pay the bills

2. Closing because of a lack of people

C. I am most concerned about churches that continue to meet week after week and do nothing to bring lost people to Christ

1. Of 45,000 churches in the Ga. Baptist Association

(a) 10,000 had no baptisms last year

(b) !5,000 more had only 1 baptism

(c) Of 45,000 churches 25,000 had one or none

D. Church don’t lose their vision----- the church is made up of people

1. People lose their vision

2. If enough people within the church lose their vision it becomes very difficult for the church to effectively be a witness

3. If you lose your vision you cease to be an effective witness for Christ

E. East Griffin Baptist Church is not immune from losing our vision

1. We need to examine how people lose their vision so that we won’t do it

I. Reason #1 The vision was never made clear

A. Sometimes the pastor’s fault

1. Let me make it clear----- Our vision is to win souls to the Lord and save them from Hell

2. Not a social club

(a) We socialize in order to be more effective as a witness

3 Not a learning center

(a) We have study to be more effective as a witness

(b) You won’t graduate-- It is on the job training ( Earn while you learn )

4. Not a correction facility

(a) Not our place to punish or to rehabilitate sinners

B. It’s not always the pastor’s fault

1. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink

2. Each member must see the vision for themselves

3. The vision is in your heart, not in your head

C. We need some tell-a-vision

1. The vision must be shared

2. It’s contagious

(a) That’s the reason that some people won’t get involved

(b) Satan can build up an immunity

D. More than tell-a-vision we need some show-a-vision

1. Don’t tell me how much you love the Lord ---- Show me how much you love the Lord

2. Don’t tell me about your vision for the church ---- Show me

IV. Reason #2 Things get too hard

A. If the church does have a vision you can bet that Satan will be there trying to remove it

1. Not enough dedicated workers, It will cost too much money, Not enough time to visit, Growth causes problems, The children cause too many distractions, Nobody cares, Etc. Etc. Etc.

B. Adversity brings about the greatest growth in an individual

C. Adversity brings about the greatest growth in the church

1. Every time we come through a problem with our vision intact we get stronger

2. Lord don’t move that mountain, just give me strength to climb

V. Reason # 3 Things get too easy

A. Contented to allow things to stay as they are

1. We have a good church group here

B. Riding on the laurels of the past

1. We’ve done a good job

C. As long as there is one lost person in this community we need to keep our vision

VI. Reason # 4 The vision from God is replaced with one from Satan

A. Tunnel vision

1. Only one way of doing things--( My way )

2. We’ve always done it this way

C. Mirrored visions

1. Mirror mirror on the wall -- who’s the grandest Christian of them all

(a) Whatever you are doing it could be more

(b) I’m doing more than so and so

(c) Your also doing less than so and so

2. We need to turn the mirror into a window

(a) A window looking out into the needs of the lost world

(b) A window looking into hell

D. Nobody wants to see The Church lose it’s vision

1. As long as I don’t have to work to keep it

Members-- Why did you join this church to begin with

You had the vision --- did you lose it

Non-members -- Do you want to see this church keep it’s vision

Do you want to see it bad enough to help

Lost people-- You are the reason we exist