Text: MT 22:36-40. 22:18-20 Title: “Where Vision Starts ”
Date: January 4, 2004 Series: VISION & VALUES – 1
Intro: A golfer’s errant shot ended up on an ant hill. So he found the ball, squared up, took a big swing – and missed. Thousands of innocent ants were killed. Then the golfer took another swing – and missed again. Another wave of innocent ants was destroyed. Panic stricken insects scurried everywhere.
Just at that moment, one ant took charge. “Follow me,” he cried with authority. Another ant yelled back, “But where are we going?” The first ant pointed to the golf ball sitting in front of them. “There!” he cried. “If we don’t get on the ball, we’re all going to die!”
Transition: I don’t know about you, but there’s something about that story that I identify with. Part of it may be that I’m not a very good golfer! Actually, the story’s punch line comes from the ant’s cry. In those short, authoritative words, we find Vision, Urgency and Clarity.
Welcome to January of 2004. This morning I would like to begin this new year with you by launching a new series about Vision and Values.
3 Reasons: There are three very specific reasons why I feel led in this direction at this time.
1) Growth – On an average Sunday, there are some 150-200 people who were not with us a year ago.
• Vision -- That leads to a need for painting the Vision as if we were doing this for the very first time.
2) Vision Leaks – Unless the vision is repeated and clarified, the faithful lose sight, lose energy.
• Urgency – Andy Stanley teaches that vision must be repeated again and again because vision leaks.
3) Impact – The Church is most effective when we are clear on what we’re doing and why.
• Clarity – The more we can identify practical next steps for each person who is part of North River, the
closer we will come to unleashing the redemptive capacity that God has given to us as a church family.
Where Vision Starts…
1. With a Dream of a better future.
a. Bill Hybels makes the point that Vision is a leader’s most Potent Weapon.
Listen to what he writes about the potency of a dream set loose in the human mind.
1) “In 1774 a leader named John Adams boldly declared his vision for a new nation, a union of thirteen states independent from the parliament and the King of England. Against great odds, his words came true. Within two years of his prophetic proclamation, the United States of America was
born.”. It took six years to win the battle, but the nation was born with a God-given dream.
2) “In 1789 William Wilberforce stood before the British Parliament and eloquently cried out for the day when men, women and children would no longer be bought and sold like farm animals. Each year for the next 18 years his bill was defeated, but he continued his tireless campaign against slavery. Finally, in 1833, four days before his death, Parliament passed a bill completely abolishing slavery.”
3) In the late 1800’s two brothers who ran a bicycle shop announced that “the age of the flying machine” had arrived. After ten years of failed experiments, Wilbur and Orville Wright got the first airplane off the ground in 1903. Over the next few decades, air flight revolutionized battle strategies, travel, and made the world a whole lot smaller.
4) “In the early 20th century a dynamic industrialist named Henry Ford stood in front of his ragtag band of employees and vowed to make automobile transportation affordable for the average American family. The nation laughed out loud.” Did anyone walk here this morning??
5) “In the 1940’s a young evangelist named Billy Graham had a radical dream. He and a few college buddies envisioned packed stadiums where people far from God could hear the… gospel As of this year, 210 million people have heard Billy Graham preach live, while over one billion have heard Dr. Graham present the gospel via television and radio.”.
6) “And who can forget 1963? Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and painted a picture of a world without prejudice, hatred, or racism… Although Dr. King was cruelly assassinated, his dream lives on. Almost forty years later his passion guides our nation as racial barriers fall.” --source: Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership, p. 29-30 (Zondervan, 2002).
b. But the most powerful dream ever painted rose from 9 words uttered by Jesus….
Matthew 16:18 – “…and on this rock I will build my church…”
1) Make no mistake: It is HIS church. And North River is HIS Church, far more than it is ours.
2) And he plans to build his church stronger and stronger as the years go by. He does not sit still.
c. North River began as a dream that was rooted in Christ’s dream 14 years ago.
1) We began as a very small group of people with an idealistic dream that Jesus is still building.
2) Our hearts were set on creating a church that would become a safe place for seekers to hear and evaluate the claims of Christ. Like most dreamers, we were misunderstood. Some other church leaders accused us of watering down the gospel to get people in the door. Others claimed we were just out to entertain. Others still said what we were trying could never work in New England.
• Kathy Reed story: The Selectmen in our town weren’t sure they would let us meet the Community Center back in 1989 when we launched the church. I didn’t know this until a few weeks ago. A woman named Kathy Reed told me that she was there in that meeting because she was involved in local town politics. The selectmen were nervous that letting us into the community center would be a violation of church and state. Others were concerned that they didn’t know who this new group of people were. Then Kathy spoke up. She mentioned that she had known my family since I was a boy. She knew my mom from a Pioneer Girls program in my home church. She knew the values I stood for - and therefore, she was pretty sure of the values North River would stand for. They asked if she would vouch for us. And she did! Sometimes all it takes is one person to stand up in the right moment to make a difference. And without any of us knowing it for 14 years, God had put someone in just the right place at the right time.
3) Many of you here are evidence that our dream was planted by God. Let me see a show of hands:
• How many of you began attending North River during this past calendar year??
• How many of you either made a commitment to follow Christ or were baptized here at NR??
d. For those of you who are new, I’d like to invite you to adopt our Dream.
1) Take the next 101 Class
2) Get involved in a small group or a ministry. Let’s see where God leads…
2. With a sense of Urgency.
a. The last phrase from Jesus’ declaration conveys that urgency.
Matthew 16:18 – “…and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”
1) Jesus spoke with a Spiritual urgency because many people in our day are spiritually lost & confused.
2) Rather than being a club for the already convinced, the church is supposed to be a gathering of people who bear witness to the life changing power and grace of Christ.
b. We must keep that sense of Vision & Urgency to be a Prevailing Church.
1) Notice that Jesus has designed His church to prevail. But when we lose our Vision, we cannot.
2) Let me tell you a story of what happens when the church loses that sense of Urgency…
• Just around the corner from here there used to be a small Baptist church.
• A few years ago an elderly man from that church would occasionally attend North River
• “I’m going down with the ship. But I come here to remember. I see all of these young families.
And I sense the energy. This is what church is supposed to be like”.
3) That church no longer exists. They stopped reaching out – and soon were left only with the dying.
3. With a words of Clarity.
a. North River is oriented around Marching Orders from the Lord Jesus.
"A GREAT COMMITMENT TO THE GREAT COMMISSION
AND THE GREAT COMMANDMENT WILL BUILD A GREAT CHURCH."
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…"
The Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40)
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus replied, "’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ’Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets hand on these two commandments."
Christ’s Five Purposes for the Church:
1) Go and Make Disciples EVANGELISM MISSION
2) Baptizing them FELLOWSHIP MEMBERSHIP
3) Teaching them to Obey… EDUCATION MATURITY
4) Love the Lord WORSHIP MAGNIFICATION
5) Love Your Neighbor SERVING MINISTRY
b. Let me explain why these are marching orders from Jesus.
1) In the Great Commandment Jesus identified the Irreducible Priorities of a Christian.
2) In the Great Commission, he us with the definitive action steps of a true follower of Jesus Christ.
3) And they are not optional! He wants us to obey EVERYTHING he taught…
c. Why this vision needs a structure:
1) Recent comment at the funeral of the pastor of my home church: “discipleship is more important
than evangelism.” Everyone kind of nodded in agreement. But is that right?
2) Unless we have a structure designed to help us Excel in all Five Purposes, churches are sooner or
later strong where the pastor is strong and weak where the pastor is weak.
d. How clear can we make this Vision?
Three years ago, I articulated these goals. That North River would become:
1) A Safe place for Seekers of God to hear, feel and see the Life-Changing Grace of Christ.
2) A training center for people at several levels of faith development
3) A worship center where praise honors God and inspires people
4) A teaching center where children and teens and singles and families are nurtured in God’s truth.
5) A regional model for impacting New England culture
6) Must be led by leaders who share the same vision,
who demonstrate personal courage and character,
who cultivate intimacy with God and move others toward
that goal,
who support and bring out the best in each other,
who serve and guide teams to higher levels.
e. So now let me Re-Clarify those goals for the next 3 years…
1) MISSION A Safe place for Seekers –
• During the 40 Days of Purpose we saw 600 study the Word
• We had 1000+ on Christmas Eve
• Implement 401 Class over the next few months
• Let’s aim to unleash our outreach potential each season.
2) MATURITY -- A training center for people at several levels of faith development.
• Over next 3 years develop an Adult Curriculum for biblical knowledge & leadership development.
• 40 Days multiplied our small group ministry – Now we need to become a church of small groups.
• New Community: “God’s School of Leadership” – biblical profiles of leadership development.
3) MAGNIFICATION -- A worship center where praise honors God and inspires people.
• We will host a New England worship leaders’ event in April
• It is now time for a North River CD of original music that our team has been writing…
4) MEMBERSHIP – Keep taking next steps! Take 101 class.
5) MINISTRY – Our Student Ministries have planned an annual local Impact project. Let’s follow Pastor Todd’s lead and see if we can match that energy with adult involvement too.
Conclusion: I’d like to add one final note of inspiration as we conclude. A few years ago, I shared with some of you the amazing story of Herman Ostry’s barn.
Herman Ostry’s barn floor was under twenty-nine inches of water because of a rising creek. The Bruno, Nebraska, farmer invited a few friends to a barn raising. He needed to move his entire 17,000 pound barn to a new foundation more than 143 feet away. His son Mike devised a lattice work of steel tubing, and nailed, bolted, and welded it on the inside and the outside of the barn. Hundreds of handles were attached.
After one practice lift, 344 volunteers slowly walked the barn up a slight incline, each supporting less than 50 pounds. In just three minutes, the barn was on its new foundation. (Joseph F. Mlaker in Fresh Illustrations ,pub. By Leadership Journal, ed. By Edward K. Rowell)
Friends, we’re building a lot more than a barn!
