Welcome to our vision day which was planned to give the family at HICC the opportunity of moving forward together as one body. I feel it appropriate to remind you of the major points from my message last Sunday and to develop it further. I hope you will be inspired to run with us as we seek the purpose of God.
PURPOSE BEGINS WITH VISION. VISION FROM GOD COMES FROM THE FORESIGHT AND FOREKNOWLEDGE OF WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO. Vision has to begin with what we can see by faith. We want our vision revealed and shaped by the Lord.
I asked three questions:
- What can you see for yourself?
- What can you see in yourself?
- What can you see for the fellowship?
The results of these questions are so closely linked because they overlap. We are partners in the work. A personal vision is generally fulfilled within the Church because vision from God is bigger than our own lives. God seems to work this way. He moulds our lives as one body because we can only achieve God’s will together.
We were reminded of the time Jeremiah went down to the potter’s house and saw a jar of clay being reshaped into a pot without blemish. It is an image of God working in our lives and also the Church. I know the context is primarily for Israel but the principal of God working within the clay of our mere humanity to produce his perfect Son in us applies to us all. Sometimes we cannot see the gold of God within because we cannot see past the clay of our imperfections. Until we see Jesus there will always be reasons why we feel we cannot fulfil God’s purpose but, amazing grace takes us up and uses us together for His glory. What a humbling thought!
VISION IS THE DOORWAY TO YOUR FUTURE, BUT GOD’S STRATEGY WILL UNLOCK IT. You will recall that I used Cornelius and Peter as examples. They were two men brought together by God. The power of the Spirit invaded the ordinary spiritual routine of life with the supernatural. Cornelius was already doing what he knew was right in the sight of the Lord, which enabled God to give him specific direction and his obedience was to start a chain of events that would reshape the New Testament Church. It broke the religious restrictions of the past and opened up the opportunity for many souls, Jew and Gentile, to be saved. Peter was already active in service and praying openly on the roof. He was busy and open to God. The Lord spoke to him in a dream which would connect these two men and change the shape of the early Church.
Drawing from Old Testament days I spoke of when the twelve spies went in to spy out the land and all saw it was good just as the Lord had said. Ten returned with a negative report. Only Joshua and Caleb believed they should go up and take possession of what God said was already their own. Forty-five years later Caleb reminded Joshua of the promise and claimed the hill country. He claimed the high ground which would be possessed by driving out the enemy with the help of the Lord.
- What can you see? – clay or gold?
- Can we believe for God-given strategy?
- Can we decide to do what God has called us to do?
I believe together we can, with the help of the Lord.
