A. My experience of getting glasses.
1. Young boy still in elementary school.
2. Loved to sit in the back of the class like normal boys.
3. Couldn’t see what the teacher wrote on the blackboard.
4. I’d leave my seat, slip up through the aisle, write down the material, then return to my seat.
5. I suppose the teacher caught on and she contacted my parents.
6. Mom and Dad gave me the home version eye test.
7. Discovered I was half blind.
8. Went to the eye doctor, got horrible looking glasses that would now be in style, and my blurry world became clear.
9. Then came the stigma of being called four eyes and laughed at.
10. Took one vacation to Cherokee.
11. Walking down the street, enjoying myself, walking backwards laughing at my parents, turned around and ran smack dab into a light pole.
12. Glasses were bent so much they would not stay on my face and there was no place to repair them.
13. The rest of the trip was blurry and unenjoyable.
B. Vision is important but what is vision.
C. Different translations of the word:
1. Where there is no vision the people perish is the familiar version of the verse (KJV).
2. Most other translations use the word “revelation” instead of vision.
3. Perish is also variously translated as run wild, ungovernable, unrestrained, disorderly, don’t accept divine guidance, let loose or left to run loose.
4. “That person has gone wild.”
D. What is revelation?
1. What prophets received from God.
2. God’s revealed will.
3. A word from God.
4. The purpose was so people might know and do God’s will.
E. Some examples:
1. Moses
a. God’s revealed will for him was leading the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery to the Promised Land.
b. The people went but most hadn’t caught the vision.
c. While Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments, they persuaded Aaron to make a gold calf, proclaim it was their god, all because they didn’t know what happened to Moses.
d. When they spied out the land before entering, only two of the twelve spies brought back a favorable report saying they could take the land.
2. Nehemiah
a. Though the cupbearer for a foreign king, God revealed he wanted him to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem, the holy city.
b. Many shared his vision but not all; some opposed him (foreigners and his own people) and others worked but grudgingly.
c. Nevertheless, he rebuilt the wall in 52 days; a magnificent feat.
3. The period of the judges.
a. Before the monarchy was established.
b. God was working through local deliverers to rescue his people from their enemies.
c. Judges 17:6 In those days Israel had no king, so the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.
F. With these examples as a background, what can we learn about vision?
G. We can adopt, promote, explain, and still not completely understand it.
H. The main part says; ______________ Church __________ shall be a church that promotes the growth and multiplication of disciples. We will be focused on providing mission oriented services and relational small group discipleship to people of all ages with an emphasis on increasing the number of young and middle adults.
I. VISION MUST BE INTENTIONAL
A. It must be sought after and prayed about.
1. Our Task Force did this.
2. We looked at the demographics and our twenty year history of baptisms and attendance and then asked God what he wanted from us.
3. God had a vision. He’s been watching our church, but God doesn’t necessarily share what we or the right people don’t ask for.
4. God certainly isn’t satisfied with poor track records but neither does he force his will on us. But there are consequences when we don’t follow or ask him about his will.
B. Nehemiah did this when he heard the discouraging news about the walls and gates of Jerusalem. He fasted, prayed and asked God what he wanted him to do. He asked for a vision.
C. Moses wasn’t excited about God’s vision for him but reluctantly agreed to lead the people out of slavery. And he had to contend with reluctant followers who wanted to leave Egypt but who certainly were not consistent in their obedience to God.
D. God’s vision for us individually, for our church or for the church universal must be sought after and when revealed it must be obeyed and acted upon so strategies can be developed to help us fulfill it.
II. VISION MUST BE GOD GIVEN
A. This was the challenge given to our Task Force.
1. We listened to each other’s vision.
2. At our workshop you heard mine and parts of other team member’s vision.
3. Vision should certainly come from the pastor and other leaders in the church.
B. What happens when there is none?
1. We flounder, go in too many directions, not enough directions, run wild, are ungoverned and end up with bad track records.
2. Who God uses to share the vision is really unimportant; what’s essential is that the vision comes from him.
3. When it doesn’t, we may still accomplish some things but they won’t be the things God has in mind for us to do. And they can be good things but not just the ones God wants us to work on.
4. Many churches are doing wonderful and noticeable things but perhaps still missing God’s unique plan for them.
5. That was part of the reason for the demographic breakdown so we could know who lives in a five mile radius of our church.
C. Vision declares God’s will and his direction for particular churches (and individuals).
III. VISION DRIVES
A. It did with Moses.
1. It drove him to obedience.
2. It drove the people to follow him.
3. It propelled them into a future they believed in but had not experienced.
B. It did with Nehemiah.
1. It drove him to risk the king’s anger.
2. It drove him to leave his comforts, face enemies and a daunting task.
3. It drove him to accomplish a major task in 52 days.
C. Vision drives us to get on with God’s agenda; one he won’t force on us.
D. We can avoid getting on board at all, come on board reluctantly and half heartedly, or get on board enthusiastically. The choice is ours but so are the consequences.
E. We should be excited about the future God has waiting that we haven’t experienced yet.
F. God forbid we would be satisfied for the next twenty years to be what the previous have been. We should always strive for improvement.
G. This doesn’t mean we’re doing everything wrong or haven’t done anything good; we have. But we should never be satisfied. Don’t settle for less than God’s best.
IV. VISION MUST BE SHARED
A. Nehemiah
1. He shared his vision with the king and with the people when he got to Jerusalem.
2. Helping is part of sharing in the vision. Nehemiah couldn’t have built the wall by himself.
B. Moses
1. Aaron and others assisted him with the journey.
2. The people had to share it or they would never have left Egypt.
C. Those God has shared the vision with must share it, and those who have it shared with them must accept and own it; otherwise having the vision won’t accomplish anything.
D. Simply adopting a Mission and Vision statement and nothing more won’t bring any results.
E. We must share and own the vision. We must say: We believe this is God’s vision for our church. I want to get on board and see it realized. I’m excited about the future we haven’t realized yet.
F. The opposite choice is to remain satisfied where we are.
Conclusion:
A. Have you caught the vision?
B. Are you willing to go where God wants to take us?
