THE VISION OF TOMORROW
Notes
Transcript
The Power of His Vision
The Power of His Vision
A. What is a Vision? What does it mean to have a Vision? What does it mean when we ask God to show us his Vision for the Church which we are serving in? What do we mean when we ask God to line us up with the Vision for our Church and to have us subject to the authority of that Vision. His Vision. You see the Pastor should get the vision for your Church and he should break that Vision down to how the Vision that God has given him for the Church. I have been struggling with our newly slightly changing Vision for several months now. As I have prayed and contemplated his vision I have been having the same dream or vision for many mornings just before I am fully awake. I feel as if I am awake and I hear people talking in other rooms and they are ministering to people in need. It took me several month to figure out these voices. I have heard several people that i recognize the voices. My Sister in Law Sandra, is one Mrs. April is another voice I have heard, and so is Mrs. Debbie. There are many other voices that I still have not figured out yet but these are a few I remember.
I will stand my watch
And set myself on the rampart,
And watch to see what He will say to me,
And what I will answer when I am corrected.
Then the Lord answered me and said:
“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.
“Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.
I. What is Vision-
Lexham Theological Wordbook חָזוֹן
חָזוֹן (ḥāzôn); Aram. הֱזוּ (hĕzû). n. masc. vision. Divine revelation in the form of a vision or a word from God.
The Hebrew noun ḥāzôn is related to the verb חָזָה (ḥāzâ, “to see”). It sometimes indicates a vision given by God to a prophet. God gave Daniel the ability to understand visions (ḥāzôn) and dreams (חֲלוֹם, ḥălôm; Dan 1:17). Throughout the eighth chapter of Daniel, the word is used to identify the vision Daniel had of the ram and the goat (e.g., Dan 8:1). It is also used in titles of prophetic books (Isa 1:1; Obad 1:1; Nah 1:1); this indicates that prophetic utterances can be described as חָזוֹן (ḥāzôn). The term is thus used to describe revelation given to men by God. The related Aramaic synonym hĕzû appears in the OT only in Daniel. It primarily means “vision” and is used of several visions of Daniel (e.g., Dan 2:19; 4:5; 7:1).
We must understand that God is shifting our Vision within the frame work of OUTREACH. We still want to be a Church of OUTREACH but within our outreach we intend to impact and transform lives with the Love of Christ and the Teaching of the true word of the Gospel. We will teach and share about healing and the raising of the dead. We will share what God has said he is capable of if we can just have the faith and believe without doubt.
God can only work with what you can invision. What can you invision for your own live? A nice home, no debt, a nice ride, a piece of land, a few toys in the garage, and a little nest egg in the bank. Look at your neighbor and tell your neighbor I have a Vision.
II. The Power and Effects of Vision
work it out
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
But happy is he who keeps the law.
When you have received and accepted the Vision and you are on board the train, then we can move forward as a unified body of believers. But we need to catch, understand and receive in our hearts the vision. This is not my Vision for the church this is His Vision. I am not some professional businessman that has a strategic mind that thinks like that. I Vision where a company should be in 5 or 10 years. I am a simple man with a simple plan, follow God. What ever he says do where ever he says go, go what ever vision he gives plan and execute that vision. Listen I may not even see the whole plan that is why the scripture says we are all parts of the body and function as one. I am simply one piece of this body and it take all of us to get the plan. That is why we must all see the Vision and receive his vision.
Once we have done that then the Vision become powerful within its self because wisdom and knowledge are power. When you know something and you agree with something it becomes a powerful tool. The Vision will empower you to do things you have never done before. Like talk to people who you don’t even know, or stop on the side walk and sing a song, or pray aloud in a restarunt and not worry about some one hearing you or offending them. Maybe youll be at the gas pump and be pumping your gas and thumping some “I Raise a Halleluah”, or “Rattle”.
III. Build a Plan to fulfil the Vision
We must collectively build a plan to meet the Vision that we have been given. This Vision may be short lived or long lived. When we build the plan we must build it with the future in mind not where we are today or what we have today but where will we be tomorrow and what will we have need of next year at this time?
We may start with one women’s rehabilitation counselor, one addiction counselor, one social worker, one school coordinator, but where will we be in 6 months 8 months 2 years.
We may start with one women’s rehabilitation counselor, one addiction counselor, one social worker, one school coordinator, but where will we be in 6 months 8 monuths 2 years.
Build a budget to support your plan stretch things and depend on God its his vision he has given to the church and if its his plan and your sure its his plan do you thing he is not going to provide for his plan. God likes to see us stretch out in our faith and stop counting pennies and just believe he does not add and subtract that he multiplies and sustains.
Again let me simple say pieces of this plan have to come from the body of believers. This top down driven mentality only works for a while until that leader is sick or incompacitated in some way or shape or form before it either falls apart or it become bottom up driven any way. I am not the smartest man or woman in the room. I am not the most educated man or woman in the room, I may have the most leadership experience in the room but that could even be debated. Its about the unity of one body working together to have a complete idea and being able to make that idea work with in Gods Vision.
Paul saw the Vision of spreading the Gospel into the world, and he put a plan in place to spreak the gospel to its futherest most points in his day. Gods vision says we need to share and spread the Gospel here at home and make a difference we have evangelist all over the world we just don’t have many at home. Evangelism starts at home.
IV. ReVision
When God is done with that particular Vision he will begin to deal with the leadership about a new Vision and then it is time to revision. That might include changing the church goal the church mission statement, and moving in a totally new direction. You may also revision within the same area and just sharpen or fine tune what your doing to make it better. enlarging your territory. Planting a new Church Who know what God is doing in the future. its all in his Vision for our Church.