What is God’s vision?
Dare we dream together.
Duncan McGregor was a very famous All black In 1905 part of the Originals team that travelled to Britain, Ireland, France and the United States and that only lost one out of 35 games. While on tour, the British press dubbed him the "Flying Scotsman" in recognition of his speed.He scored four times in one match in a Test match against the English.[3]
But it was the game against Wales that the All blacks lost that, according to a recent book, Duncan McGregor helped cause them to lose
A portion of blame for that defeat has been aimed at McGregor, who TP McLean claimed sold secrets when giving a lecture in Bristol on New Zealand's methods of play a day before facing the Welsh in front of more than 50,000 fans at a packed Cardiff Arms Park.
Tobin's book reveals how McGregor's ticket-only lecture demonstrated their unique scrum formation, how All Black front row hookers used the inside leg and foot to hook the ball, and how the New Zealanders were prepared to break the rules if their opponents were attacking close to their try line. ..
If this is true, then it shows the importance and value of team culture.
Vision is important – but the game is often won or lost because of the team culture.
In Psalm 133 one of the great passages on unity we notice that unity precedes the blessing.
The psalm opens with the words – How good and pleasant it is when god’s people dwell together in unity. For their God bestows his blessing – the blessing follows the unity
Likewise in Acts chapter 2 we read when all the believers were together – It is the togetherness that it seems is a prerequisite for Pentecost.
Unity is important and we find that in John chapter 17 Jesus prays for it.
Now there is great unity in a cemetery if you go to a cemetery among dead people you won’t find a single argument. Any disagreements will be settled on the day that the deceased meets with jesus in Paradise. Opinion won’t matter anymore the only thing that will matter is the truth.
Jesus is the truth so Jesus will settle every issue every argument and discussion and theological disagreement – settled in the person of Jesus who is the Truth. Disunity is normally caused by the lack of truth. Sometimes we might consider that we have the truth but that is not necessarily the case we have a slant on things but sometimes we have missed out a wholelot of facts. The missing facts make us shallow. Like the Samaritan woman who meets Jesus at the well. She is living by the truths that she considers worthwhile to steer her life but they are shallow truths and everytime they bring them up Jesus puts them into perspective until he demolishes every argument. The arguments crumble and eventually truth explodes in her face all over her and she runs back to town and says John chapter 4 28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”
I think that is where unity gathers around truth not the urban and personal myths that have run our lives but Jesus the truth that is the place of vision and it is from that place that vision real vision is really birthed.
Jesus in John chapter 17 has some profound things to say about vision. 6 “I have revealed you[a] to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I
gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. Jesus is truth and he released that truth to his followers. Where there is truth disunity is dispelled.
But I think we often live out of Urban myths. Some people still believe that there are Alligators living in New yorks sewers and that the moon landings didn’t happen but that is not truth – They are Urban myths. The bible and jesus expose truth.
Vision and unity are partners and they gather and grow out of God’s truth. Many great Christian movements have failed because of disunity and when disunity happens - vision fails.
I don’t know what happened in the famous Crystal Cathedral in the USA but it seems it failed on two scores – unbalanced financial stuff and family relationships in the Schuller family.( By Adelle M. Banks.) The urban myths of Prosperity Doctrine and self focus may well be found to be the source of the collapse of this ministry. A little myth embedded in the foundation of a ministry will prove to be a huge distortion moving forward if not corrected. Judas did that! I guess he started with the kind of attitude – that goes – “I feel like a coke – I’ll just use the ministry money.” It is a lie and he moves into more and more until he is really replacing God with money – You can’t fulfil avision like that nor canyou get unity – it kills Judas.
1.For Unity and vision – we need to walk in truth.
John 1 …3For I was overjoyed when the brothers came and testified about your devotion to the truth, in which you continue to walk. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. 5Beloved, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, and especially since they are strangers to you
Secondly You can’t fulfil a great vision on your own you need others.
General Sherman is a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) tree located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park in Tulare County, in the U.S. state of California. By volume, it is the largest known living single stem tree on Earth
You might think it would be Ok to cut all the other trees down around this tree maybe to see it better but here is the trugh if you did that it would fall over. Red Wood Trees on California-have shallow root systems, but they are intertwined with one another to stand still during the storms.
I am the same I can be very shallow at times and sometimes so can you. I know it would be cool if we were perfect and then we would be a perfect church but we aren’t we can be quite shallow rooted sometimes. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 11Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing. We need each other folk
In Leadership magazine, Carl Conner writes about the dangers of standing alone. A few winters ago, heavy snows hit North Carolina. Following a wet, six-inch snowfall, it was interesting to see the effect along I-40. Next to the highway stood several large groves of tall, young pine trees. The branches were bowed down with the heavy snow - so low that branches from one tree were often leaning against the trunk or branches of another. Where trees stood alone, however, the effect of the heavy snow was different. The branches had become heavier and heavier. Since there was no other trees to lean against, the branches snapped. They lay on the ground, dark and alone in the cold snow.
When the storms of life hit, we need to be standing close to other Christians. We need each other; we can’t stand alone.(Vol. 16- #4)
This week I received a clip of persecution happening in Northern India and it is true that the church often faces fiery times but somehow we are much better together during such times.
Incidently the sequia tree’s small cone provides seeds for regrowth and it is only when the undergrowth beneath it is cleared by fire that the seeds are able to regenerate in the ashes of the undergrowth with the light flowing in - During that fiery process, the sequoia itself is protected. The thick, spongy bark shields it from the tremendous heat of forest fires. In fact, the bark contains tannic acid, a fire retardant used in modern fire extinguishers. The thick, spongy bark can be as much as 31 inches thick. The thick, spongy bark shields it from the tremendous heat of forest fires. In fact, the bark contains tannic acid, a fire retardant used in modern fire extinguishers.
Commonly referred to as the “faith chapter,” Hebrews 11 records the stories of many faithful followers of God. Most of them did not have easy lives and faced various faith-testing situations. They are historical examples of people who, like we must today, stood fast in true faith toward God to extinguish those fiery flames (verse 34)—like the mighty sequoia in the natural realm. Faith carries you through the fires of life and helps you grow.
Commonly referred to as the “faith chapter,” Hebrews 11 records the stories of many faithful followers of God. Most of them did not have easy lives and faced various faith-testing situations. They are historical examples of people who, like we must today, stood fast in true faith toward God to extinguish those fiery flames (verse 34)—like the mighty sequoia in the natural realm. Faith carries you through the fires of life and helps you grow.
Sometimes in Church we try to put out the fires but it is fire that makes the redwood forests flourish.
We are in fact, better together.
Jesus said in John chapter 17-22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.
The combination of walking in God’s glory – Christ in us and us in him produces complete unity and prepares the way for vision.
Secondly You can’t fulfil a great vision on your own you need others.
Thirdly – Honouring God and one another fulfils vision.,
When the world was created God had an incredible vision.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image
Chapter 2 18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
God’s unity – Father son and Holy Spirit – needs to be implicit and a huge part of our Christian communities.
The number of times we are told that members of the Trinity give honour to one another is significant. In Jesus’ prayer to his Father in John 17, the number of times that Jesus speaks of either the glory he gives to his Father, or the glory the Father gives to him, is noteworthy. (See verses 1, 4, 5, 22, 24: also John 13:31-32). The Spirit gives glory to Jesus (John 16:14). The Father and the Son send the Spirit (John 15:26). They acknowledge, respect and honour what he does. The Father gives all authority in heaven and on earth to the Son (Matthew 28:18). Jesus delivers the kingdom to God the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24). There is never any competition, feeling of inferiority or insecurity between members of the Trinity. They each know and respect who they are and who the other members are and they honour each other. It is true that, in order to share our full humanity, Jesus, speaking as fully human, can say: “the Father is greater than I” (John 14:28), but this is a position he took voluntarily, as Paul explains in Philippians 2:5-8. He came down to our level in order to lift us up to his level.
I would agree with Miroslav Volf, who says:
Within a community of perfect love between persons who share all the divine attributes, a notion of hierarchy and subordination is inconceivable.
1.For Unity and vision – we need to walk in truth.
Secondly: You can’t fulfil a great vision on your own you need others.
Thirdly – Honouring God and one another fulfils vision.,
