KIDS TALK - VISION
Choose some children to come out and draw a picture on the board whilst blindfolded.
Get them to draw a house while blindfolded:
Draw a square / a door / a roof / downstairs windows / chimney / upstairs windows / smoke coming out of the chimney/ someone looking out of a window / a tree in the garden / flowers / the sun.
Let the children see their pictures!
People who choose to travel through life ignoring God and not reading the Bible are like people trying to draw a picture wearing a blindfold.
The picture of their lives can turn out to be a big mess instead of the beautiful picture God want’s to make of their lives.
Proverbs 29:18 says Without vision people run wild, but blessed are those who follow God’s teachings.
God wants each of us to make beautiful pictures of our lives.
God has given us His Word, the Bible to help us make the right choices, and to see the right way for us to live our lives.
Never be to busy to look for God’s will in your life. Don’t blindfold yourself by ignoring God’s word.
SONG: You are my Vision (Rend Collective Version)
MESSAGE:
Vision, Lord, Best Thought, Wisdom, Word, Great Father, Battle Shield, High Tower, Soul’s Shelter, Inheritance, High King, Treasure, Son, Ruler, Heart of my own heart.
Still be my vision, oh, ruler of all
What amazing words, what an amazing God
The song writer is giving us one simple message - God alone deserves “first place” in our lives.
Who would dare to substitute anything or anyone else for a real relationship with the living God!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, oh, ruler of all
Is that the desire of your heart this morning?
A single-hearted focus and devotion to Jesus.
Many Christians claim to put God at the top of their priorities but the testimony of their lives often shows something very different.
Often God is pushed off the top of the list of priorities, other things often get in the way.
Sometimes our vision is clouded by things that happen in life that we have no control over...
Sometimes we choose to look in a different direction and we choose to make other things more important than God.
If we choose to allow anything to obstruct our vision of God our heart will never be fully focussed on Him, His Will or His purposes for our lives.
In Mark 12:30 Jesus said each of us should: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
When we follow Jesus as Lord, as Saviour, as ruler our vision must be on Him and not the things of this world.
In both the secular and spiritual realms it is easy to underestimate the incredible power of vision.
Throughout history there are many examples of people who choose to have a limited vision.
Real vision has a way of ignoring those who say it can’t be done and doing it anyway.
We are human, we are not perfect, we are fallible,
and if we allow it to, at some time or another,
the flame of our vision for God can begin to dim.
We can let our passion for God begin to ease,
our heat begin to cool, we can even allow our vision of God and for God to fade away.
Let me remind you of the words of Proverbs 29:18
Proverbs 29:18 New King James Version (NKJV)
Where there is no prophetic vision, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.
Proverbs 29:18 The Message (MSG)
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 New Living Translation (NLT)
When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is joyful.
Friends we need to keep our eyes on Jesus.
We need to allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us.
We need to be a people who pray for vision.
There is a real necessity for each of us to have a real vision of God, a real vision for God in our daily lives.
We need a clear vision of what we can become in Christ, no ocean of difficulty is too great when we trust God to lead us and guide us.
We need vision to move forward in our faith.
The flame, the fire of vision for God’s work must never be extinguished.
There are three things I want us to see about what Vision really is this morning. Awareness, Attitude & Action.
VISION IS: AWARENESS
Are you an Optimist or Pessimist?
Having vision is more than just looking on the bright side - It is looking at things from God’s perspective.
Are you aware of the Vision God has for your life?
Finding the vision God has for your life requires you to take time to pray - to seek His will and purpose for you.
We need to remember, A God given vision may not necessarily be the one we would choose for ourselves, He may call us to do something we would rather not, it may involve a commitment of time, it may involve a commitment of finance, it may require sacrificial living.
Trust His wisdom, trust His true word,
He is with You
He is your Heavenly Father and you are His beloved child.
The Holy Spirit dwells inside you.
God’s ways are best - we can trust Him - He loves us and cares for us and has a perfect plan for each of our lives. Will you trust His vision for you?
VISION IS: ATTITUDE
Satan’s greatest attack on the vision that God gives each of us is our attitude.
We can adopt an attitude that says “No body else cares so why should I.”
He is your battle shield, the sword for the fight
He is your dignity, He is your delight
He is your soul’s shelter, He is your high tower
By Faith trust in His power.
We can have the attitude that says “No body appreciates anything I do so let’s see what they do when I don’t.”
Don’t seek after empty praise from people,
if you serve the Lord, do it out of love for Him alone - He is your inheritance, now and forever.
Our attitude must be one where God and God alone holds first place in our heart.
He is our king and treasure.
Have Faith in God’s Vision for you, have faith in God’s purpose for you,
VISION IS: ACTION
The courage of Vision is to say Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, oh, ruler of all
Whatever comes... yes!
Whatever we are called to do... yes!
Whatever befall - He is our Lord, He is our prophet, priest and King, He is our father, He is the great I AM.
The courage of vision is to say “Lord if that is you, let me come to you walking on the water.”
The courage of vision is to say “If God be for us, who can be against us.”
As I draw the message to a close, let me simply ask you again:
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, oh, ruler of all
Is that the desire of your heart this morning?
If you consider your current Awareness, Attitude and Action, do you need a new vision from God?
- A vision for your life?
- A vision for your family?
- A vision for your ministry?
Then simply Pray for God to give you a new vision.
Be aware of Him, Open your heart to Him.
Have an attitude of faith that God can and will do great things through you.
Be courageous enough to pray that God will lead you to Action that will bring honour and glory to His name.
