A Clear Direction
About 350 years ago a shipload of travelers landed on the northeast coast of America. The first year they established a town site. The next year they elected a town government. The third year the town government planned to build a road five miles westward into the wilderness.
In the fourth year the people tried to impeach their town government because they thought it was a waste of public funds to build a road five miles westward into a wilderness. Who needed to go there anyway?
Here were people who had the vision to see three thousand miles across an ocean and overcome great hardships to get there. But in just a few years they were not able to see even five miles out of town. They had lost their pioneering vision. With a clear vision of what we can become in Christ, no ocean of difficulty is too great. Without it, we rarely move beyond our current boundaries.
I am so thankful that God has given us a clear vision for this church and we will pioneer it where He says we are to go.
18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law. Proverbs 29:18 NIV
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.
Proverbs 29:18 The Message
It is important to see what God is doing, to know what God is saying and to know where God is going. When the will of God, the plan of God is unclear and unknown, the people do what seems good to them. They stumble through life looking for that which is missing and their life ends up a mess. This goes for those in the world and those in the church. Without a clear vision and plan and direction from God you will find that the way before you seems good but it does not lead to the life you long for and that God has planned for you.
25 There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.
Proverbs 16:25 NLT
The enemy is great a misleading people and tricking them into his plan for their life. If you would look at what your life was before you found Jesus you would know exactly what I am saying. Some of you are still struggling to keep the course. In life God has a plan for you and a method that you are to live by and He is willing to assist you in the journey. How do you avoid the wrong path? How can you be certain that you do not do the wrong thing? By taking everything in your life through Christ. If you can do it through Jesus then it is good to do and if you cannot do it through Him then enough said!
13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 NLT
You see everything is obtainable through Him that He has planned for your life. No matter the size of it or the difficulty of it. You can do everything through Christ. It is important to pay attention to what he says to you and what He promises for you. It is important to know the vision and promises of God. Hab 2:2 says to write vision down plain and big that he who reads it can run with it… When you are running the plan/vision of God you will complete the course. You will run and not grow weary, you will not faint. You will succeed.
The very start of our church was birthed by a vision created by a promise that God gave to my father about 33 years ago. It was a promise that was active for 20 years of ministry and then seemed like the enemy was successful in putting an end to it. It laid there dormant, to the naked eyes as though it was dead and gone. A promise that slipped through the fingers of a man of God, who in one instance allowed the enemy to cause him to take his eyes off of it and just see circumstances around him and accept them as truth and get tired and to walk away. It took just a day or so to realize what had taken place but by then it was too late. The next 13 years my father regretted his decision, he longed for what God had promised him and knew the enemy deceived him. The just 19 months ago God came into my car as I drove down Grand Street and breathed new life into the promise… He renewed it, He confirmed it and everyday He continues to reveal it. Turning Point exists because God has called it into existence. There is a plan, there is a promise and before each of us there is an opportunity to participate in it… but it is just an opportunity. It is up to you to take advantage of it.
I have shared with you all of this year that this can be the very best year of your life. It is something that I heard God speak to me regarding the vision of this church and His plan. If you will align your life up with His Word then you will experience the life that He has for you. Keep in mind that the enemy will try to deceive you, trick you and destroy you. But he will not be successful if you will take every area of your life to Lord in prayer and if it does not go with His promises and instructions then it is not right. It is important to note that you will not ever have all that He has for you unless you do all that He has asked for you to do. If there is a part of your life out of balance with what you know He expects the correct it.
I also want to let you know that you do not have to know the complete vision or plan of God, in fact you will not know it all. You will not know what your tomorrow holds…. In fact Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:34 not to even worry about tomorrow. But you can know that God is in control, that He is aware where you are and what you are facing and He has a plan. The fact He has a plan is what you need to focus on.
Facing a tough time… then you simply say I thank you Lord that you are in control I do not know anything for sure about the future except that you know God knows and the He has a plan and it is a good plan.
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jer 29:11 NLT
God says here that He knows the plans that He has for you and that they are good. You do not have to know the plan you just need to know the one who made the plan. It goes on verse 12 & 13 to say that this promise is for those who pray to him and who seek Him with their whole hearts. He says they will pray and He will listen, they will seek Him with their whole hearts and they will find him. If we will do our part, He will do His.
23 The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
Psalm 37:23NLT
This is God casting a vision, His plan before you. He is saying to you that He has a plan for your life, He will direct your steps and He enjoys it... He delights in every detail of your life. In fact if you will trust your life to Him, follow His directing… even if you stumble He says you will not fall because He is holding your hand. Do you want this incredible life that God has orchestrated for you? The follow the plan, catch the vision… allow God to reveal it to you so that you do not stumble in darkness.
The vision for Turning Point church is simple. It is what God has called and anointed me to do. #1 Build strong families – To build strong families that are centered around God and the plan that He has for them. This is something that Turning Point is anointed to do… I believe even more so than other churches.
#2 We are to reach around the world through missions – We are going to make our lives valuable for the Kingdom of God. We are not going to just send money but we are going to send people. We are going to make a real difference in the world we live and expand the Kingdom of God.
#3 We will impact our community – Yes there is impact by building strong families, but even more than that. It is done by the little things and the consistent things. We will be a positive light in the community showing the love of God. As we grow this is one area that will grow as well and will require many resources.
Our goal right now is to have you, the people of Turning Point living committed and real lives for Jesus. To get you to live how God has said we are to live and to be real… to be truthful. That we would be who we say that we are. Then to get you to look beyond your own busy life and touch the lives of those around you. A church that is about relationship with God and not just a religious thing we do. We have a clear vision for the church. Today we celebrate our first birthday as a church and we give God the glory for our success and we say “Yes” to Him for the future. We are His and our lives are committed to Him. Turning Point has an amazing future and the gates of Hell will not prevail against our Kingdom work!
