• Proverbs 29:18 MsgB
If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.
INTRODUCTION:
God has given birds of all kinds eyes so they can see where they are going. Many birds pick and choose their direction as they fly to and fro. Many birds fly by instinct they head where they are directed—south for the winter, north for the summer. Unfortunately many birds are nearsighted and only see what is in front of them. Like me you too have probably had a bird fly out in from of you as you drive down the highway. Some birds will see the speeding vehicle in time and make a quick fight adjustment. Others were not quick enough to see the impending danger crossing its flight path and die with a sudden thud on the front bumper.
Eagles on the other hand are known for their keen vision. An eagle is not a nearsighted bird, but can see things up to five miles away. As the eagle flies it knows where it is going and determines how it is going to get there.
While other birds migrate by instinct the most eagles stays in their territory throughout the year, season after season. I keep looking to see again the American Bald Eagle I saw perched high on a tree along State Route 82 in Trumbull County. They are amazing birds! When a storm approaches, other birds fly away in fear or seek shelter in the trees, but the eagle is energized by the challenge of the storm. The eagle catches the wind and rises above the storm. The eagle glides over its habitat during the storm.
I believe God is looking for men and women like eagles. People of vision “who can see” with their spiritual eyes what God is doing in and through them. People who will catch the wind of the Spirit and soar; not in their own strength, but in the power of the wind that carries them. These men and women like the eagle are dependable, focused and fearless when it comes to their God given purpose, will overcome the storms and adversities of life because they have vision to see and faith to not give up.
God wants us to have spiritual insight to see what He is doing in and through us. God wants us by faith to have vision to see what is unseen, to see what will be in the weeks, months and years to come. Vision 2012—if an eagle can see 5 miles, then by faith the man and woman of God can see 5 years into the future and know what God is going to accomplish in and through them.
This morning we are going to ask God to give us eyes to see. God has given a five year plan to our church—Praise Assembly of God. The board and I aren’t too creative—a five year plan, it’s 2007 so five years from now it will be 2012. That’s it lets call our plan Vision 2012! Now pay attention because I’m going to lay it all out for you in one sentence. This is the key to seeing Vision 2012 become a reality. Are you ready? There will be a test later, so make sure you are listening.
Life Connection—we’re doing life together as we connect, grow and serve.
I. Vision 2012—Life Connection
1. Think for a moment about the necessity of having a vision from God.
• Proverbs 29:18
If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.
a) It is time to stop walking aimlessly. Let God give you vision to see!
• Proverbs 29:18 NIV
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.
• Proverbs 29:18 AMP
Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish.
b) Without a fresh revelation of God and what He is doing in and through us we not only walk aimlessly. Solomon understood with the wisdom God had given him that the lack of a God given vision will also cause us to wander into all kinds of sin and rebellion. Without a vision we actually walk away from Jesus.
• Amos 8:11-12 NIV
11 "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign Lord, "when I will send a famine through the land — not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord. 12 Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to east, searching for the word of the Lord, but they will not find it.
c) Without a God given vision or things only go from bad to worse! Ours is a nation that is desperate for the Word of God, to have a fresh revelation of God but it cannot be found. We live in a day when the things Paul spoke of in Romans 1 are happening all around us. People have rejected God and the Lord has turned them over to a depraved mind. They invent new ways of doing evil and give approval for those who chose to do what is sinful.
ILLUSTRATION: I heard a news report this week in which the mayor of San Diego has now changed his mind and wants his city to join others throughout California in recognizing gay marriages. Mayor Jerry Sanders was prepared to veto the measure passed by city council. What changed this man’s mind? How is it that what was once viewed as wrong and unacceptable is now seen as a valid option? Mayor Sanders’ daughter has a lesbian lover. Through tears he said, “I’ve decided to lead with my heart, which is probably obvious right now, to do what I think is right and to take a stand on behalf of equality and social justice . . . I want for them [his daughter and her lover] the same thing that we all want for our loved ones, for each of them to find a mate whom they love deeply and loves them back, someone with whom they can grow old together and share life’s experiences, and I want their relationships to be protected equally under the law.” I guess it’s one thing to tell other people’s children that homosexuality is unacceptable, but not your son or daughter. The minds of men are depraved. They stagger from sea to sea searching for God’s word, for truth, but they cannot find it! (September 19, 2007; http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20070919-1819-bn19sanders.html)
2. Vision 2012 is not about a program, purpose statement, or pie chart. VISION 2012 IS ABOUT PEOPLE!
a) We live a long way from San Diego, California, but the hearts of people living in our neighborhoods are just the same. People are searching for truth. They are looking for hope. Just this week I had someone stop me right here and in Garrettsville. She was hurting because her husband of 33 years wanted a trial separation. He had an affair years ago that she had forgiven him for, but now he seemed ready to find another lover instead of remaining faithful to his wife. She is not alone. I once had a man stop me in the McDonald’s parking lot and tell me through tears that his wife was having an affair and wanted a divorce. People are hurting all around us!
b) We’ve set some pretty a aggressive goals for our five year plan. Vision 2012 looks for continued growth in our church. By the end of this year we want to again be pushing hundred in attendance. We want a planned to once again have two growing worship services, so that by the end of 2011 our Sunday morning attendance is pushing 200. With growth in attendance we also believe God for an increase in finances. Ultimately were looking forward to the construction of a new building, phase two if you will in the building project that started here 10 years ago. However, we won’t build in hopes that they will come. We will build because they have come and will continue to come as god works in and through us.
c) If Vision 2012 ever just becomes a building project or attendance goals and we’ve missed everything. I’ll say it again it’s not about a program, a purpose statement, or pie chart. Vision 2012 is all about people.
3. Life Connection small groups is how God will accomplish His work IN and THROUGH US. We’re doing life together!
• Acts 2:42-47 NIV
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
a) The New Testament church did life together! I could preach a long time about what the church in Jerusalem did, and how it is a model for our church today. The good news is I’m not going to. I just want to point out three important things that this church did that we need to do as well:
[i.] This was a church committed to the Word of God! They were devoted to the apostles teaching. If we are going to be the church God has called us to be then we too must be committed to the Word of God.
[ii.] This was a church that joined together for worship. Believers joined together at the temple to celebrate what God had done among them.
[iii.] This was a church that met together in small groups from house to house. Ministry did not just happen at church on Sunday. Ministry was happening daily—this was a 24/7 church that lived out it’s faith in the home and market place.
b) What happened when the church did these three simple things? GOD ADDED TO THE CHURCH DAILY! How many of you believe that god is still the same today? Do you believe that God can do today what he did then? If God were to add to our church daily then a year from now we would have over 400 people attending worship together with us! That’s as many or more people than are attending the six evangelical churches in our immediate area this morning! Even if God added daily to each of these churches and spread the people around all six of these churches could potentially DOUBLE in size in one year if the church would just be the church as God designed it to be.
c) God wants to do it more than any of us are willing to believe that He will. Vision 2012 is not a program—it’s about people! Without God, we cannot. Without us, God will not.
d) If our church is going to be the kind of church that God wants us to be then we must make a LIFE CONNECTION. We’re doing life together as we connect, grow and serve.
II. We’re doing life together as we CONNECT.
1. The most important connection that anyone of us can make is a GOD CONNECTION! People need to connect with God.
2. None of us are to go through life alone. As believers we must CONNECT WITH OTHERS.
III. We’re doing life together as we GROW.
1. We grow in THE WORD OF GOD.
2. We grow in FAITH and OBEDIENCE.
a) Faith is the natural outgrowth of growing in the Word of God.
• Romans 10:17 NKJV
So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
b) Growing faith through the Word of God brings growing obedience to the Word of God. Obedience is the ultimate harvest of God’s Word in our lives. God’s word is like a seed planted in our hearts which sprouts into faith. Obedience then is the harvest of a mature and growing faith planted by the Word of God.
IV. We’re doing life together as we SERVE.
1. We serve within our CHURCH FAMILY.
2. We serve within our COMMUNITY and WORLD.
a) As we serve others we bring them to a place that they too can make the all important first step—they make their GOD CONNECTION.
Remember Vision without action is a daydream; Action without vision is a nightmare.
TOWELS NOT TITLES
