Revive Our Vision
Notes
Transcript
Handout
(S1)
Series—Revive
— More than a name—Lord, revive us again
— Mission—Lord, Revive our passion for mission
Today, the importance of the church having a vision…
People who have done great things, have a clear vision for the future.
John F. Kennedy famously dreamed of putting a man on the moon—Eleanor Roosevelt had a vision of a world of equal opportunity for women and minorities—Arnold Schwarzenegger had a vision of becoming a body-building champion and movie star—Steve Jobs was famous for saying, “If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” https://www.njlifehacks.com/vision-for-the-future/
Before the time of Jesus, prophets were charged with bringing God’s vision of His preferred future to the people, often revealing plans to put His people in places of influence for God. Without divine revelation the people were left unrestrained, only to wander without purpose, or affect of Godly influence to the world around them.
Proverbs 29:18 “Without a vision, the people will perish.
The same is true for the church today—without a vision of God’s preferred future, it will remain ineffective, unable to influence people to God.
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Did you know we have a vision? What it look like for us to be affective in offering hope, serving our community and connecting people to Jesus?
Did you know God has a vision for the church his church?
John 17—One prayer 3 sections —Jesus’ vision for the church (future believers)
— Summed up this way…
25 “O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know you, but I do; and these disciples know you sent me. 26 I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so.
The church would become Jesus’ instrument of revealing God to the world.
What does God’s preferred future for Revive look like? What is our specific vision?
Prayer—Lord, revive us again. Revive our passion for mission.
Lord, open our eyes to REVIVE our vision for your church
Bibles—Pray
(S3)
Vision—What is it? Not visions but vision. An intended reality or picture of a desired outcome.
Vision is different than our mission (why)...
“Your vision is what the mission will look like when it is lived out in your church and community. It is the desired change, or the end result”. Hal Seed, Pastor
Its a picture of a preferred future for the church.
— Who doesn't want to see a full church with more kids…problem is it will remain a pipe dream unless there is a vision and a strategy…
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“A vision statement is aspirational, short, and to the point. It sets the tone for ministry and reflects the church’s culture and core values. It should be a picture of what the church wants to accomplish.” Rod Kalajainen
Jesus vision for the church is to make God known so the preferred future of salvation can become a reality. By humans hands alone, the small c church…has the potential to fail, without a vision it will. But because its God’s big C church, it will prevail.
Matthew 16:18 “Now I say to you that you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.”
What is our vision, what does it look like for this church to be an instrument of God’s kingdom...
Jesus’s vision for the church in three parts. First is…
I. Its bold witness of Christ, through its MESSAGE
I. Its bold witness of Christ, through its MESSAGE
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20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message.
— The miracles of Jesus were witnessed by many; word about him spread...
— Those who were healed by Jesus could’t keep it quiet...
— The news of Jesus’ resurrection spread quickly by those who saw him alive!
Acts 28:31 “Paul was...boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.”
The church relied on three things in its bold witness of Christ
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1. The WORD of God
1. The WORD of God
The teachings of Jesus witnesses and then passed down generation to generation. The bible is the best selling book of all times—between 5 and 7 billion copies sold.
More than a book, its Jesus alive…it is and has to be the source of our message
2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
The church today must rely on the WORD of God for its message!
(S7) — The church relied on..
2. The SPIRIT of God
2. The SPIRIT of God
The church revived cannot be manufactured by a vision alone, is is God with us who revives the church in the hearts of people.
Acts 1:8 “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere
Peter’s message…they were cut to the heart…and asked what should we do?
Acts 2:37 “Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?””
The church today must rely on the SPIRIT of God for it to be revived!
(S8) — The church relied on..
3. The WORK of God
3. The WORK of God
The church must work, to effectively witness in making God known and bringing people to Christ, but its not alone in its work.
John 14:10–11 “The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.”
The work of Jesus in your life is the witness of the word through God’s spirit. The work of God is given to the church by Christ himself.
Jesus said, it is finished, my work is done, but church yours us not…
The church relied on the WORD, SPIRIT, and the WORK of God for its bold witness of Christ
Jesus second vision for the church is for...
II. Its UNITY IN Christ
II. Its UNITY IN Christ
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John 17:21a(NLT)
21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you.
Three sources of the church as one! Jesus’ vision for unity. FIRST is…
1. The ever-present all-encompassing EXISTENCE of God
1. The ever-present all-encompassing EXISTENCE of God
Omnipresence — God is eternal: not bound by time but instead is equally present in all times — God is spiritual: immaterial and not bound by physicality...is wholly present in all places.”
Psalm 139:7–10 “I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.”
Its like telling your kids when they go out for the first time...
"The Force will be with you...always." Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope.
As the Spirit indwells believers in the body of Christ, it finds unity IN the presence of God
Notice the word IN…172 times the phrase, “In Christ” or its equivalent is found.
E. Stanley Jones, “that not only does Jesus reveal God but that God reveals Jesus.”
In Christ we find God, and in God we find UNITY in Jesus’ vision for the church.
The SECOND source of Jesus vision of unity is...
2. The RELATIONSHIP between father and son
2. The RELATIONSHIP between father and son
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John 17:23a “I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity.
I know that all relationship between father and son are not good…in Christ we can find the perfect relationaship between father and son, as a source of hope in even the worst of situations.
My step-father was a good man but not a perfect father…but it was through his relationaship with his heavenly father, that I saw and came to Christ.
Jesus’ vision for the church, I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one
Oneness in marriage—”when a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”
Jesus is the glue for a vision of unity in the church. Only IN Christ will the church will be one; with the eternal, spiritual presence of God, and in the relationship between God the father and the Son
The third source of Jesus’ vision of unity is...
3. In the LOVE of God
3. In the LOVE of God
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John 17:23 “May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”
To love each other is to love as god loved his Son. Jesus in his love for us, death on the cross, revealed God to the world.
John 17:26 “I have revealed you to them, and I will continue to do so. Then your love for me will be in them, and I will be in them.””
A vision for unity must be based on God’s grace for all people…
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The ever-present all-encompassing EXISTENCE of God—The RELATIONSHIP between father and son—the LOVE of God
Jesus third vision for the church is for...
III. Its ETERNAL glory
III. Its ETERNAL glory
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John 17:24 (NLT)
24 Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!
God’s vision is the church triumphant! For all people to come into the full presence and glory of God.
The church triumphant is alive and well. Gaiters
The good news is people come to know that glory in part in this life, by the MESSAGE we bring in our bold witness and our UNITY as the body of Christ, His church.
1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
There is victory in Jesus, the church triumphant, God’s vision of our preferred future.
What is our vision here at Revive? Comes in three parts
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To be a place where...the churched and the unchurched feel welcome, and those who have been away from church feel at home.
Our vision is to to be a place for ALL people to hear the Good News of Jesus. Yet, we understand that this will not be a church for everyone.
How will people come to feel at home here? By our bold witness of the MESSAGE of Christ, through the WORD, SPIRIT and WORK of God. A message that is for the churched, unchurched, and those who have been away from God.
(S15) — Our vision is...
To be a place where...those who desire to know God and Jesus, can experience healing and wholeness.
People will come to KNOW God...and what it means to have a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus…being a part of a church that is UNITED and ONE with Christ!
It is through Jesus’ love that people find healing and wholeness. The church whose love for Jesus is so obvious, will be a church that heals broken lives through Christ’ love.
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To be a place where...we make Jesus known, by loving and serving our neighbors and helping those in need.
A church who serves others, especially those in need, brings glory to God! We make Jesus known in our humility to put others first, just as Jesus did. We serve others best when we lead them to faith in Christ so they can know Glory—And be a part of God’s church triumphant
There is not greater vision for a church than leading people to Jesus!
Why a vision for the church? Because Jesus has one for his church. That is would be bold in its MESSAGE of Christ—UNITED as one in Christ—For the purpose of its and all people to come to God’s ETERNAL glory.
(S17)—Why a vision?
A vision helps us see the not yet, by believing in what is meant to be!
A vision helps us see the not yet, by believing in what is meant to be!
The disciples saw only a few loaves and fishes. Jesus saw it multiplied with an abundance left over (Matthew 16:8). They saw empty nets and Jesus saw them as full to overflowing ( John 21:6)
A vision helps us see the not yet, by believing in what is meant to be! Jesus’ vision for the church, you and me and all those who will come to find this church as home...
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God’s vision for the church is and always has been Jesus...
Lord, open our eyes to REVIVE our vision for your church