Buying Into The Vision

Bunbury

Sun am

22/08/10

“Buying into the vision”

Intro: *** I can still remember when I was just a young boy, maybe a teenager in my early teens, the vision that someone had. Actually it wasn’t his vision, he’d got it from someone in America as far as I know. The man had been to America & while he was there he had seen something unique, a chain of hamburgers restaurants called ‘Burger King’. The idea inflamed his thinking when he considered the notion of bringing the same thing back to Australia he knew it would be an instant success. I was maybe 12 or 14 at the time. I can still remember the first one I ever saw at Innaloo shopping centre. People liked the idea & initially it took off here in Perth, W.A. Here was a revolutionary new idea that people all over Australia would buy into. The rest of course is history as people all over Australia have bought into the vision, not only of Burger King but fast food outlets in general throughout this nation.

But it happened b/c someone bought into the vision of fast food hamburger stores!

But there is something about vision we generally don’t u/s.

That is the reality that for a vision to work / be realised / fulfilled we must first ‘buy into’ it / embrace, take it to ourselves as our own.

God’s got a vision for every one of us in life ...... if people are perishing for lack of vision it’s not b/c God hasn’t given us one but b/c we haven’t embraced it.

Have you got a vision in life yet? B/c if you haven’t you should have one.

I want to minister t/m about ‘Buying into the vision’.

Text: Nehemiah 2:11-18 (NKJV) 11So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode. 13And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire. 14Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass. 15So I went up in the night by the valley, and viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.

16And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the official, or the others who did the work. 17Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” 18And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.

# 1. Vision is what is needed to take us from the place of brokenness.

A. Nehemiah comes to Jerusalem & to a people who are in a place of brokenness.

a. He firstly goes out through the ruined walls of Jerusalem surveying the brokenness of the city.

i. Everywhere he looked he saw ruin / defeat / despair / brokenness.

Vs 11-15. 11So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode. 13And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire. 14Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass. 15So I went up in the night by the valley, and viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.

ii. This was the city where God had promised to put His name / His presence / His blessing / His favour.

iii. But instead of seeing all these things God had promised His people he saw defeat.