07 - VISION EMPOWERED

VISION EMPOWERED

Vision Part II

07 - Your Provider

Church in the City | Sunday, 19 June 2022 | Glen Gerhauser

Text: “So, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on bedrock. The rain fell, the rivers flooded, the winds blew and beat against that house, but it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on rock” (Matt. 7:24-25, CJB).

Theme: Jesus’ vision is to make a people like him.

Intro: Today, we will continue to talk about vision and our opening passage is part of Jesus’ conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount. Why is this passage vital to us? Over the last few years, our church has gone through these things: the rain has fallen, the rivers have flooded and the winds have blown, beating against our house. However, we stand and will continue to stand because our foundation is the Rock, Jesus Christ. Yet, it’s important to remind ourselves that we only build on the foundation of Jesus Christ if we hear his words and act on them. Honouring Jesus with our lips and not our hearts will not make our faith stormproof. So let’s be careful that we’re not fair-weather Christians and fair-weather church members. A fair-weather Christian is only committed to their church when the weather is good. But a true disciple is faithful through the storms. As we focus on vision today, we will recap last week and then build on it.

1) Our vision is Jesus (Hebrews 12:2).

Hebrews 12:2 NASB95

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus is the pupil in our eye illustration.

He is the centre, not us.

He is the sun we revolve around and look to.

He himself is our vision and light.

And only by having him as our vision can we follow him.

The first Greek word of Hebrews 12:2

ἀφοράω, Ion. -έω, fut. ἀπόψομαι: aor. ἀπεῖδον ἀφίδω Ep.Phil.2.23 (codd.):—look away from all others at one (Liddell & Scott).

① to direct one’s attention without distraction, fix one’s eyes trustingly εἴς τινα on someone (Epict. 2, 19, 29 εἰς τὸν θεόν; 3, 26, 11 al.; Herm. Wr. 7, 2a; 4 Macc 17:10; Jos., Bell. 2, 410) εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγόν Hb 12:2 (BDAG)

② to develop more precise knowledge about someth. in the offing, determine, see (Jon 4:5) ὡς ἂν ἀφίδω τὰ περὶ ἐμέ as soon as I see how things go w. me Phil 2:23.—DELG s.v. ὁράω. M-M. Spicq (BDAG)

Matthew 4:19

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19, NASB).

In this message, we will focus on each part of Jesus’ call in this verse: 1) “Follow me,” 2) “I will make you,” and 3) “fishers of men.”

2) Our vision is to be a people like Jesus (Matt. 4:19).

In our eye illustration, our people (the people of our church) are like the eye's iris.

We are like the diverse rainbow surrounding Jesus’ throne (Rev. 4:3).

In Christ, we all look different––we’re unique colours––but by the Spirit we blend together and communicate to the world that God is a covenant-keeping God full of mercy and grace (Gen. 9:13-16).

In Acts 14:19-20, we see the power of fellowship.

Acts 14:19–20 NASB95

But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.

Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city and it seemed he was dead.

But God’s people surrounded Paul. And when they encircled him, resurrection life entered him, and he was able to get up and enter the city again (Acts 14:19-23).

When we encircle those who’ve been attacked because of the Good News––especially through prayer and encouragement––we empower them to stand again.

That’s what fellowship is all about.

And it can only happen if we are present and engaged.

By surrounding our brothers, sisters and leaders, we are a people like Jesus.

3) Our vision is to train mighty warriors for God’s Kingdom (Matt. 28:18-20).

Discipleship––training mighty warriors––is the sclera part of our eye illustration.

The sclera is the white part of our eye.

Sclera comes from a Greek word meaning hard (skleros). The sclera is the tough, fibrous tissue of the eye. Without it, the eye does not function properly. It can’t move up and down or side to side. It holds our irises and pupils in place.

Matthew 28:18–20 NASB95

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

Just like the sclera, training makes us strong so that we’re empowered to do the Father’s will.

Listen to Ephesians 4:11-16.

Ephesians 4:11–16 NASB95

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 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. 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; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 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.

This part of the vision is about equipping people to be like Jesus.

Our Bible School––Holy Fire Ministry Training School––and the JC Souljahs are living this vision (www.holyfireschool.com)

Our whole church is called to be a disciple-making community.

When you follow Jesus, Jesus says, “I will make you.”

It’s this making process that’s foundational for becoming a disciple.

We each need to be willing to be made and formed by Jesus.

We also need to be vessels to help make disciples.

But we don’t make disciples in a micro-managing or controlling way––which is one of the errors some pockets of the church have made.

Lately, the pendulum has swung the other way from this oppressive discipleship, and the church has focused on entertaining a crowd––leaving discipleship behind.

Listen to what Jesus says to the circle around him: Mark 3:31-35.

Mark 3:31–35 NASB95

Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

The same Greek word that is emphasized (by being placed first) in Acts 14:20 – κυκλόω, kukloo – is used in Mark 3:34.

In this talk, Jesus describes his true, spiritual family.

They are those who do the will of God.

They are not talkers or posers but doers.

We need to distinguish between people who come to church and those who are the church.

The people who come to church are part of our mission, but the people who actively make an effort to live out Jesus’ words are the church.

4) Our vision is to serve Christ’s body (1 Cor. 12:12-18).

What’s the purpose of the eye?

It’s to serve the body.

Our purpose is the same: to serve the body of Christ.

We are not just serving our church but the whole body worldwide.

We especially have a call to Brisbane, the Greater Brisbane Area and Australia.

Our purpose is not centred around ourselves. We’re not looking in the mirror and saying, “Oh, how beautiful our eyes are.” Instead, we are using our eyes to help build up the whole body of Christ.

Serving Christ’s greater body may seem straightforward, but most people don’t understand it because churches have been trying to build their own kingdoms rather than focus on God’s kingdom.

Serving the body does not mean floating from one place to another––hopping like a kangaroo to greener pastures. Instead, to serve, we need to be grounded and part of a strong base.

It’s like the military: every soldier needs a solid base.

If your eye does not have a socket, it will not function.

Your church community serves as a socket, stabilizing you.

5) Our vision is to draw people into the Kingdom (Matt. 4:19).

To be continued…

Conclusion: Today, we’ve first seen that Jesus is our vision. Second, our vision is to be a people like Jesus. Third, we’ve talked about how our vision is to train mighty warriors. Lastly, our vision is to serve Christ’s wider body. There’s more to our vision; we’ll cover it when we get back from our three-week mid-year break.