No proofs of disobedient to the heavenly vision. It is a sensed of great satisfaction in having obedient, in having followed through our dream to fulfill our vision.
There is a very distinguishable difference between successful and unsuccessful people. Successful people are motivated by a vision bigger than themselves. It is out of their reached. While unsuccessful people are motivated by today. They are not tomorrow's thinkers grabbing with gusto the present. Not even taking into consideration what tomorrow may present them. Many people both young and old stop dreaming because of poverty. They claimed the difficulties to live by faith and accepted the life of no meaning at all.
I. Introduction: tragically, our world is full of what we can call mundane men. The mundance concerns of day to day life. Who see only what is immediate? It is a person who does not belong to a particular group. Independent mindset. According to the members of that group. The implication is that such persons, lacking imagination, are concerned solely with the mundane. The quotidian, and ordinary. dull and ordinary. Relating to ordinary life on earth rather than to spiritual things. Fixation on materialism rather than ministry. They only reach out for things they can tangibly put their hand on. They go for the convenient. They never look beyond themselves & they never look at what they could be. They can be found in every profession, as they lack depth because they lack vision.
A. The dream of a vision. When you receive a vision that could change your life or you are grabbed by a dream that could really help you become all you can be. There is a natural sequence that could ever happened.
1. First there is the 'we thought' stage. Maybe this is for us. When I was promoted as production manager, my wife and I decided to look for a house somewhere in Monumento, city of Caloocan, to get closer at the place of my work. Walking around the place, we met an old friend and invited us to Sta Maria Garden Village at Bulacan.
A) that's when a vision just flashes by. Could it be? We met a woman telling us that she had seen us in a dream that the Lord Jesus send to pioneer a church in their village.
B) What would happen if we did that? Maybe this is for my family to evangelize the whole garden village.
2. Then there's the "we caught it" stage. (Could this be my family?) A picture in our mind walking around the place with my family distributing flyers and related Gospel of Christ inspirational reading materials.
a) every person goes through this stage wondering. What would happen if we did this?
b) we go from 'we thought it's to 'we caught it' stage. After we think about the vision that God gives us, we get excited and begin to talk to our neighbor about that vision and then see ourselves to win souls.
3. The third stage is the 'we bought' it stage. Everyone goes through the 1st two stages. But on stage three, it makes a difference. It's a matter of choice. It's what we call the 'i bought it' stage
a) after we catch that vision, investment follows. No dream comes true automatically. We must invest to that dream, and that is the 'i bought it' stage
b) we decide to pay the price. It is a great bargain, to lay up treasures in heaven, than a treasure on earth.
c) people who are not going to reach their vision stop at this stage. They don't buy into it. They struggle and keep on fighting on it and they never become what they could become for God.
4. The fourth stage is the "we sought it" stage. This is where desire comes. We beging to plan to rent a dwelling place as the centrality of praise and worship as part of the church planting.
5. Finally comes the "we got it" stage. This is where we can see God's perspective. This is where we can say "To God be all the glory!"
A) satisfaction guaranteed - I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision. He sensed great satisfaction in having been obedient. In having followed through on his dream.
B) we are glad we paid the price. As we delighted ourselves in the Lord and He also shall give these desires of thine hearts. We're glad we dreamed a dream. This applied to all kind of godly vision
C) intimacy. Paul vision gives him a burning desire to have an intimate relationship to God. That I may know Him. And the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death. (Phil 3:10)
B. God allow us to see our potential. When we have a vision from God, we not only see our position, but thankfully, we also see our potential. We see our possibility. He's going to encourage use and help us see what we
1. We will see our position. We will see who we are.
2 we also see our potential. We see our possibilities. The goodness is that God believes in you and He won't allow you to see yourself and your problems without allowing you to see your potential.
A) God will not frustrate us. He's going to encourage us and help us see what we can become.
B) the value of a vision. Is that it encourages you to give up at any moment all that you are, in order to receive all that you can become.
C) Bible examples that had a vision from God. They were allowing to see who they are in troubles & likewise, God also allows them to see their potential. Here observe as follows;
1. Abraham - His vision. God will provide Himself a sacrifice. He went from an old and stricken in age, a childless man to become the father of many nations.
2. Joseph - A dislike dreamer. To Room at the top. Only the throne of Pharaoh makes the difference.
3. Moses - His vision: the burning bush (not consumed) in the holy ground. He went from 'i'm slow to speak to Deliverer of the Nation of Israel.
4. King David - His vision. He saw the cause when Goliath defiles the armies of the Living God. Which is an insult to Yahweh. David also went from an adulterer/murderer to a man after God's own heart
5. Prophet Isaiah - When Isaiah had a vision from God, he began to see himself and his 1st comment was "woe is me!" In effect, he was saying "wow! I'm in trouble!"
a) he feels he is not supposed to be what he should be. He is not what God want him to become. Isa. 6:5
b) Isaiah saw the potential. He went from 'woe is me' to 'here I am Lord send me!'
6. Apostle peter - His accurate perception to see in full expression. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Also, he denied the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 times, then to become a dynamic preacher, baptized 3000 souls.
7. Elder and Sis Bayan - our vision. Church planting in the Phil's. Organizer of the first Filipino west coast conference in 1991& 1992 at first church south bay Torrance. Pioneering Church of JCRC, Mission field at Pinas Pioneered two JCRI with the feeding ministry. We see ourselves from persecutor and battered wife to a couple working in a team spirit side by side in the ministry, a complete and perfect image of God.
Conclusion:
History is filled with examples of people, who though they had accomplished a great thing, lost sight of their vision. When David had a vision, he conquered Goliath. And when he lost his vision, he couldn't conquer his own lust. When Solomon has a vision, he was a wisest man,when he lost the dream God had given him, he couldnt control his own evil passion for foreign woman. Same thing happen to Samson, Saul, Noah, and Elijah. It is the dream that keeps us young. It's the vision that keeps us going and going.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!