Catch The Vision
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· 9 viewsA key to revival is understanding the vision that God has for our life and grabbing onto it with all our might!
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Catch The Vision
Catch The Vision
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And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
2 Kings 6:15-
Introduction
Sears, Kodak, Blockbuster - what do they all have in common? They lost vision!!!
Dixie Cafe, K-Mart, Radioshack
I heard a story about a church one time - a true story of a church! When a former saint decided to finally return years later, there was only a tombstone in the place where the church had been. The pastor and few saints finally gave up and made up the church’s grave...
I am here to talk to you today about something that has been on my heart… and it is of grave importance...
I have never preached or taught this anywhere else. I may preach it at our church in the very near future...
There’s something that God deeply, greatly, wholly desires for us to understand today.
I don’t believe that the greatest challenge to the Apostolic Pentecostal church is a lack of knowledge of the Bible.
I don’t believe that the greatest challenge is a lack of demonstration of the Spirit.
I certainly don’t believe that there is a challenge by a lack of worship.
I don’t believe that demons and satan himself are the biggest challenge or problem that we deal with.
I could get up here and harp on a hundred and eleven different kinds of sin today… and understand me: all of these things are pertinent, they call for preaching and they all are important issues...
But what I am here today to talk about is something that if it is gotten ahold of and received from God well, it has the potential to turn a church and its city UP. SIDE. DOWN.
As a matter of fact, this one thing is SO IMPORTANT, that the only way that I can best express it to you is to read it to you from the Word of God verbatim, as follows:
Where there is no vision, the people perish:
But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
The biggest challenge: LACK OF VISION.
Body
The Importance of Vision
I want you to notice that in this scripture...
It does not say, “Where the Pastor has no vision, the people perish,” though that is necessary.
It does not say, “Where the church board has no vision, the people perish.”
But rather, I believe the Lord said through the man of God, very generally, “Where there is no vision, the people perish!”
I would like to submit to you that it’s not enough that God would place a vision for this church in the heart of the Pastor.
YES, it is necessary! And YES, he’s got to be committed to it!
But what I believe God is speaking this morning is that the whole church has to catch onto the vision that He has given the man of God!
Try this on for size: “Whatever you thought was the potential for this church, is no longer adequate!”
How about this: “The type of services and moves of God you’ve had in the past that you once thought were so powerful, are not going to be able to stand in comparison!”
I am on a mandate from God to challenge your eyes and your thoughts today!!!
It’s time to expand our vision!!!
WITHOUT a vision the people perish...
WITH a vision, THE PEOPLE PREVAIL!!!!!
Elisha: “Open His Eyes!”
Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place; for thither the Syrians are come down. And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and saved himself there, not once nor twice. Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled for this thing; and he called his servants, and said unto them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king: but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. And he said, Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him. And it was told him, saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
2 Kings 6:
The angel of the Lord encampeth
Round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
Psalm 34
Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see—The invisible guard of angels that encompass and defend us (). The opening of the eyes, which Elisha prayed for, were those of the Spirit, not of the body—the eye of faith sees the reality of the divine presence and protection where all is vacancy or darkness to the ordinary eye. The horses and chariots were symbols of the divine power (see on ); and their fiery nature denoted their supernatural origin; for fire, the most ethereal of earthly elements, is the most appropriate symbol of the Godhead [Keil].
God gives vision to the man of God! The Pastor!
Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 234). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.God gives vision to the man of God! The Pastor!
He has delivered to him a plan for this church!
Can I tell you that it is a plan for revival!!!
THAT OUGHT TO EXCITE SOME HERE TODAY!
God’s Vision For You (No Matter Who You Are!)
Worshipper
God intends for you to be a worshipper! It is what you were MADE FOR!
Bless the Lord, O my soul:
And all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psalm 103:
While I live will I praise the Lord:
I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
Praise ye the Lord.
Praise God in his sanctuary:
Praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts:
Praise him according to his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the sound of the trumpet:
Praise him with the psaltery and harp.
Praise him with the timbrel and dance:
Praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Praise him upon the loud cymbals:
Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.
Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.
Praise ye the Lord.
It’s not the most complex message that’s ever went across a pulpit, but it rings true! God wants you to be a worshipper!
It’s His vision for you!
SIDE ILLUSTRATION: Bro. Nazarock’s bell.
Holiness
Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
I’m not here to preach a bunch of standards today - that’s not my job, I’m not your Pastor.
But I AM here to say that God intends for you to progress far beyond that of a newborn saint!
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
God’s intentions are to take us from holy place to holier place, until we are to the point where one day, we are LIKE HIM!
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I’M LOOKING TO MOVE INTO A HIGHER GLORY TODAY!!!
Purpose (Ministry)
IMPORTANT NEWS FLASH: EVERYBODY who has the HOLY GHOST is a MINISTER!
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
Ephesians 4:11
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense.
Now, I don’t know what specific calling God may have placed upon your life, but I can tell you that THERE IS A CALLING on your life!
If nothing else, God has given spiritual gifts to everyone - including you!
And there are to be many more ministers in the
Conclusion
The Tapestry Story
I heard the story of a minister who was in a far away country.
He was standing in a a foreign marketplace, checking out the different items for sale.
A merchant approached him and said, “Have you seen that wonderful blanket, that tapestry that she is sewing together over there???”
He looked, and saw this ugly, horrible blanket.
“No, honestly that looks terrible.”
He came back later, and was asked again.
“It looks worse!”
He came back once more, and walked over to the woman.
“Ma’am, I’m going to be honest, this doesn’t look good at all.”
Then she turned around the blanket, to the front, and he saw the beauty of the tapestry that he did not have a vision for.
A TAPESTRY is coming together, formed by God!
We’ve got to get a vision for it!!!
We’ve got to expand our vision!!!
I’m not looking to see us buy a new bottle of oil… I’m looking to see us start buying it in gallons!!!
You are not just a saint on a pew! You need to see what God is calling you to! You need a fresh vision!
“Lord, help me to see the vision you have given my pastor for this church!