Casting the Vision

What is your mission? Why are you here?

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Proverbs 16:1–3 NASB95

1 The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the Lord weighs the motives. 3 Commit your works to the Lord And your plans will be established.

What are you wanting to accomplish with your life?

What are we wanting to accomplish with our local church body?

What does the Lord want for us?

What do these verses tell us?

Luke 6:40 NASB95

40 “A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher.

Romans 8:29 NASB95

29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

Galatians 2:20 NASB95

20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

So, in one word, what is the goal of the Christian life?

What does the Lord want from us? What has He told us to do?

Great Commandment -

Matthew 22:37–40 NASB95

37 And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 “This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

We are to love the Lord and to love others! That's gotta be first. We've got to build our lives on the foundation of Jesus Christ. ()

1 Corinthians 3:1–15 NASB95

1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, 3 for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men? 5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 14 If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Great Commission -

Matthew 28:18–20 NASB95

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18–20 NASB95

18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

And, we are to MAKE DISCIPLES!

And, we are to MAKE DISCIPLES!

If our life goal is to be Christlike, then we will be disciple makers, because Jesus is a disciple maker.

Our Mission:

Colossians 1:28–29 NASB95

28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

TELEIOS

τελειοσ (teleios); having reached its end, i.e. complete, by ext. perfect: complete (2), mature (4), more perfect (1), perfect (12).

What do you see in these verses?

Matthew 5:48 NASB95

48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

James 1:2–4 NASB95

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Philippians 1:6 NASB95

6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4:11–14 NASB95

11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

Ephesians 4:11–16 NASB95

11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

Ephesians 4:11–14 NASB95

11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;

John 19:30 NASB95

30 Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.

complete: brought to completion; fully accomplished, fully developed; fully realized, thorough; complete, entire, as opposed to what is partial and limited

Ok, so our mission is to make complete, mature, disciples of Jesus Christ. HOW?

New methods? Not really...

“Men are God’s method. The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.”

- E. M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer (1912), -Excerpt From: Sanders, Shane. “Critical Mass.” Xulon Press, pg 45

-Excerpt From: Sanders, Shane. “Critical Mass.” Xulon Press, pg 45

Our strategy is simple to understand.

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Luke 5:1–11 NASB95

1 Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; 2 and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. 3 And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. 4 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” 6 When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; 7 so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!” 9 For amazement had seized him and all his companions because of the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” 11 When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.

Luke 5:1-3

VERSES 1-3

Jesus had been wowing people with his teachings and healings/miracles -

Jesus needed a good stage to teach the crowd

The fisherman and owners of the boats had come in for the day, were putting away their gear - washing the nets 

VERSES 4-5

- Jesus had healed Peter’s mother-in-law

I wonder what Peter was expecting. Jesus had healed people and turned water to wine, but nothing like this.

Jesus speaks. Jesus initiates contact. Peter responds.

Jesus speaks. Jesus initiates contact. He goes to where they are.

Peter responds.

this picture is of our salvation too

this picture is of our salvation too‘WE WORKED HARD’ - ‘CAUGHT NOTHING'But I will do as You sayHe responds with faith

‘WE WORKED HARD’ - ‘CAUGHT NOTHING'

But I will do as You say

He responds with faith

VERSES 6-7

Jesus did more than they could imagine

Provision

positive reinforcement for obedience

success - income, lots of income

fisherman with more fish than two boats could hold!!!!

a test to come

VERSES 8-10a

Peter’s response to the miracle

I am a sinful man - this comes from faith and humility

Jesus was not like anyone else they knew - not even close. 

Peter knew the consequence of sin - separation from the Lord

VERSES 10b-11

Jesus’ offer

You think catching more fish than your boat can hold is amazing? Wait until you start catching men! 

Peter your faith in Me is what is going to work

When you obey and step out in faith, miracles happen

Peter’s response

They left everything - everything the world had to offer

They followed Jesus.

1 Corinthians 11:1 NASB95

1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.

Our strategy for how to make disciples is the same as our goal for our lives - be Christlike! If we are to make complete disciples, we must first be made a complete disciple.