Fulfilling God's Vison By Connecting With Our Community

Fulfilling God’s Vision by Connecting with Our Community

Luke 9:1-6

In this passage in Luke Jesus makes it clear that His Vision for His followers and the church is to connect with the surrounding community. Jesus sent out his twelve apostles and gave them power and authority to cast out demons and to heal all diseases. Jesus sent them out to the surrounding villages to preach good news and heal the sick.

In 2007 we are called to fulfill God vision by connecting with our surrounding community. We are called to pray for our community and offer good news and meet needs of people who live around us.

We need to ask, “What is God’s Vision?” In the beginning why did God create Adam and Eve to begin the human race? God is all sufficient in Himself. Yet He created a wonderful universe for human kind go enjoy. In recent years we have explored parts of our vast universe.

We sent a man to walk on the moon.

We cooperate in the manned space station.

We send rockets to Mars and outer space.

We have sent submarines many miles in the depths of the

ocean.

In Genesis one God created all the wonders of the universe: sun, moon, starts, planets, sea creatures, birds of the air. Genesis 1:26-27, “Then God said, ‘Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life – the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals, and small animals.” So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.” New Living Translation

God created people in the image of Himself for communion and fellowship. From the very beginning God’s vision was to provide salvation and redemption from sin for all people who would believe in Him and obey His commands. Genesis 3:15

God’s vision included prophets and teachers to instruct his people in holy living and righteousness.

God chose Abraham to become the founding father of His people. Abraham obeyed God’s call to leave Ur of Caldeans and travel to a land that God would show him. By faith Abraham took his family and all his possessions and followed the Lord’s leading.

God made a covenant with Abraham and promised Abraham that he would become the father of a great nation. His nation would not be the descendent of his first son born to his wife Sarah’s servant, Hagar an Egyptian.

In their old age Abraham and Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Isaac’s wife, Rebekah gave birth to Jacob, years later in the line of Abraham, David was born and in the line of David, Jesus, God’s Savior was born.

Throughout Biblical history God has spoken through prophets and teachers calling people to repent and trust in the Lord the creator of heaven and earth.

God’s vision is that all of the people of the earth become part of His Family and community of believers. God’s vision is for us to know Him and to make Him known.

God ordained the church as His instrument to carry out His plan of salvation and redemption. God gave instructions to build the synagogue and then the temple to provide a visible place of worship for the people of God. God has always expected His followers to come together as a worshipping community.

When Jesus entered human history He made it clear that God’s vision is to equip the people of God to infiltrate the larger community and the world and use all means to communicate good news of the Gospel to all who would listen.

God’s vision is for us to keep the “Go” in the Gospel.

“Go into all the world and make disciples of all people

groups, baptizing the min the name of the father and the

Son and the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:19

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10

God did not use the same means and methods to communicate to His people. He spoke directly to Adam, Moses and the Prophets. He spoke to Samuel by calling Samuel’s name. To other prophets God spoke through dreams and visions.

God’s last way of speaking was and is in the person of Jesus Christ. God spoke through his chosen leaders to record His Word. Today God continues to speak to us primarily through His Word. Hebrews 1:1-3 – “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. But now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son. God promised everything to the Son as an inheritance, and through the Son he made the universe and everything in it. The Son reflects God’s own glory; and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven.”