The Need for Vision
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesDate written: March 18th, 2006
Scripture ref: Proverbs 29:18
SUBJECT: Stewardship, Responsibility, Planning, Leadership, Church Growth
TITLE: The Need for Vision
PROPOSITION: We need vision because 1) Not having vision results in disaster, 2) Having a vision improves attitudes, 3) Having a vision improves industry, 4) The future literally depends upon our having vision.
Objectives: Each Christian, especially the leaders, ought to recognize the need to have vision for their lives and the church.
Aim: To motivate each to see the need for vision in their lives to spur the growth of the church.
INTRODUCTION:
1. Read: Proverbs 29:18
2. About the Text:
1) The book of Proverbs is a book of wisdom.
2) The writer conveys to us small chunks of knowledge that are designed to immediately enlighten.
3) In the particular proverb under consideration, the word “vision” is of importance.
4) In this context, the word refers to God’s revelation through the prophets, i.e. a divine vision.
5) And where such does not exist, the people have no standard other than themselves to guide them.
6) With no such standard, they will perish.
7) The original meaning of the word “vision,” however, is simply “to see.”
8) The word came to mean, “to see the future” and thus was used by prophets to refer to their revelation.
9) But the word also means to have a foresight of what the future ought to be like; to plan for the future.
10)This last sense is what we want to consider today.
3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.
DISCUSSION: Why do we need vision?
I. NOT HAVING VISION RESULTS IN DISASTER
1. The world understands this principle all to clearly.
1) What business survives without a vision for the future?
2) What successful family exists without setting goals?
3) What government can so provide for the safety and freedom of her people without a vision of the future?
2. God also understood the need to have vision.
1) God made plans for man’s salvation before time began. Ephesians 3:10-11.
2) Jesus made plans for his disciples. Matthew 10, the limited commission.
3) Jesus also made plans and set goals for the disciples after his resurrection. Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16, Acts 1:8.
4) The apostles made plans under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Acts 16:6-10.
5) What if God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit had had no vision?
6) Where would we be today?
3. Without some kind of vision we would have…
1) No purpose – no direction in which to focus our efforts.
2) No goals – nothing to seek to accomplish.
3) No agenda – no plan by which to work or organize our efforts.
4. Failure to have vision results in.
1) Apathy – no one cares about anything because there is nothing to care about.
2) Laziness – no one wants to do anything because there is nothing to do.
3) Confusion – no one can agree upon what to do.
II. HAVING VISION IMPROVES INDUSTRY
1. By industry we mean, “Energetic devotion to a task or an endeavor; diligence:” (AHED).
2. Status report illustration.
3. God’s vision for man’s salvation includes a work for man to do.
1) We have to take the gospel to the world (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16).
2) We have to do good to those in need (Galatians 6:10).
3) We have to exhort the faithful (Hebrews 3:13).
4) God has created us to do good works (Ephesians 2:10).
5) Knowing God’s vision improves our industry.
6) Our vision is to work God’s vision in our local setting.
4. When we have vision…
1) We will set goals – where do we expect to be 5 years from now? 10? 20?
2) We will have a plan to accomplish those goals.
3) We will expect that there is something to do.
4) Everyone will have something to do.
5) We will rejoice when the work is done.
5. The bottom line is that we won’t get any work done unless there is a plan for the work!
III. HAVING VISION IMPROVES ATTITUDES
1. It is easy to get downhearted when we have nothing to do!
1) When we don’t have vision, we won’t have anything to do.
2) The old adage is true, “Idle hands are the Devil’s workshop!”
2. With vision, our attitudes improve because we have things to do.
1) We have unity.
2) We have a common purpose.
3) We will have common goals to pursue.
4) We will have focus.
5) We will have good moral as a result of our accomplishments.
3. Happiness, Gladness, and Joy result from these attitudes.
1) Consider John’s words: 3 John 1:4 “Greater joy have I none than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”
2) Philippians 2:2 “make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind…”
3) 1 John 1:4 “and these things we write, that our joy may be made full.”
4. With a clear vision, our attitudes will improve because we will not wander aimlessly.
1) Consider the children of Israel who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because they didn’t accept God’s vision.
2) Will we learn from their mistakes?
IV. THE FUTURE LITERALLY DEPENDS UPON IT
1. If we have no vision for the future then what kind of future will we have?
1) Unplanned.
2) Unorganized.
3) Unexpected.
2. In order to have the kind of future that God wants us to have, both upon the earth and in eternity, we need vision.
1) Living by God’s plan will guarantee our eternal future.
2) Our immediate future on the earth, however, requires some vision for how to execute God’s plan in the here and now.
3) We need to plan the work and work the plan to ensure that our future will be of God’s making and not our own.
4) We need to organize effectively in order to get the work done.
5) We need to set goals and plan for unexpected contingencies.
3. Consider the example of Joseph in Genesis 41.
1) There he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream.
2) Seven years of plenty; then seven years of famine would follow.
3) In order to get through those years of famine, Joseph had a vision.
4) Save 1/5th of the produce from the first seven years.
5) Pharaoh put Joseph in charge so that the plan would be done.
6) That plan worked because Joseph had vision.
7) As a result, the future of the nation of Israel was protected.
4. If we fail to have a vision of the future, there will be no future for us as a church.
CONCLUSION:
1. We need vision because…
1) Not having vision results in disaster.
2) Having vision improves industry.
3) Having vision improves attitudes.
4) The future literally depends upon us having vision.
2. Do we have vision? For our own lives? For the church?
3. Invitation