• "THE NEED FOR VISION"
• Any successful endeavor requires a vision...
• Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained..”

• INTRODUCTION
• The word "vision":
• Literally means the ability to see things that are visible
• But it is also used to mean the ability to see other things
• "unusual competence in discernment or perception; intelligent foresight" (American Heritage Dictionary)

• INTRODUCTION
• "Vision is the art of seeing things invisible" (Jonathan Swift)
• Such ventures as business or politics require "men of vision"
• Companies require CEOs with vision, countries require leaders with vision
• Without the ability to visualize worthy goals and how these can be realized, very little of importance is achieved

• The Need For Vision
• In the Lord's work, we desperately need an elevated vision of what it is all about...
• We need greater goals (what can be done) and greater objectives (how it can be done)
• Jesus certainly had a great vision: the saving of souls! –
• cf. Matthew 9:36-38; John 4:35

• The Need For Vision
• We need to have visions that are worthy of the "King of kings and Lord of lords"
• What can help us to elevate and enlarge our vision in the Lord's work?
• Let's first notice how an inadequate vision can actually stifle our work...

• TWO WAYS OUR VISION CAN BE INADEQUATE
• AN ILLUSTRATION OF AN INADEQUATE VISION...
• Suppose a man is driven by the "vision" of "making as much money as possible"
• Two things may keep him from making as much money as he should
• He may be limited in his idea of what is "a lot of money"
• He may never make any specific plans other than have the vague notion of "making as much as possible"

• TWO WAYS OUR VISION CAN BE INADEQUATE
• His problem?
• His vision:
• May be too small concerning what can be done
• May be too general without any plan for what he can be doing now to make his vision a reality

• TWO WAYS OUR VISION CAN BE INADEQUATE
• OUR VISION OF THE LORD'S WORK MAY LIKEWISE BE INADEQUATE...
• We may have the vision of "teaching as many people the gospel as possible"
• A noble vision on the surface, but we might be afflicted by the same shortcomings:
• We may think too small concerning what can be done
• We may think too generally about what we should be doing

• TWO WAYS OUR VISION CAN BE INADEQUATE
• THE PROBLEM OF A VISION THAT IS TOO GENERAL...
• No dream has ever been achieved except by someone who dared to flesh it out in terms of the specifics necessary to make the dream a reality
• For example, it is fine to plan:
• To go to heaven
• To serve the Lord faithfully
• To do the work of evangelism

• TWO WAYS OUR VISION CAN BE INADEQUATE
• But how do we do such things?
• By what means do we get those results?
• What specific, measurable actions will take us where we want to be?
• How much time, effort, and money will it take?
• We need to see our vision of the Lord's work in concrete terms of things we can actually do...and plan specifically how much of them we are going to do!

• TWO WAYS OUR VISION CAN BE INADEQUATE
• THE PROBLEM OF A VISION THAT IS TOO LITTLE...
• When we do think specifically about the Lord's work, we often fail to set our sights high enough
• Perhaps we are hindered by our past experience
• Personal efforts made in the past may have not born fruit

• TWO WAYS OUR VISION CAN BE INADEQUATE
• Congregational efforts did not seem to go anywhere
• Perhaps we have been fed a steady diet of defeatism
• Told by others that people are not interested in spiritual matters anymore
• Telling ourselves that people are not interested

• TWO WAYS OUR VISION CAN BE INADEQUATE
• With small visions, many churches and individuals seem content with:
• Just "keeping house for the Lord"
• Just an occasional conversion, usually involving our children or spouses
• -- With the limited vision of many churches, little is done and little is accomplished

• TWO WAYS OUR VISION CAN BE INADEQUATE
• I believe the Lord intends greater things for His church, especially for those servants with a willingness to work (cf. Matthew 13:31-33; 1 Corinthians 16:8-9; Revelation 3:8).
• What does a vision worthy of our Lord's work require?
• Perhaps the following thoughts might be a step in the right direction...

• WHAT OUR VISION NEEDS
• OUR VISION NEEDS TO BE GREAT...
• Some suggestions:
• To double in attendance every year
• To spread the gospel to thousands in our community each year
• To have a greater knowledge of God’s word than the year before.

• WHAT OUR VISION NEEDS
• OUR VISION NEEDS SPECIFIC ACTION-STEPS...
• To double in attendance every year:
• Invite two people a week; by the end of the year you will likely have a least one attending regularly
• Provide transportation to people who can't drive; is the value of a soul not worth what time or effort might be involved? - cf. Matthew 16:26

• WHAT OUR VISION NEEDS
• -- If each person succeeded in just getting one person to come regularly, the attendance would easily double
• To spread the gospel to thousands in our community each year:
• Give a tract to one person per week
• A congregation of 50 would share the gospel with more than 2500 people per year
• How does that compare to the past year, where no vision was present?

• WHAT OUR VISION NEEDS
• OUR VISION NEEDS FAITH...
• Faith in the power of the gospel
• To save souls - Romans 1:16-17
• To produce souls that have been born again –
1 Peter 1:22-25
• Faith in the power of the Lord
• To open doors for His prepared servants –
1 Corinthians 16:8-9; Revelation 3:8
• To empower His servants wanting to do His will - Philippians 4:13; Ephesians 3:16,20

• WHAT OUR VISION NEEDS
• OUR VISION NEEDS BOLDNESS...
• A virtue displayed often by the early Christians - Acts 4:13; 9:27; 13:46; 14:3; 19:8; 28:31
• For which they prayed and solicited prayers –
Acts 4:29,30; Ephesians 6:19-20
• A boldness based upon our hope in Christ –
2 Corinthians 3:12
• To say what needs to be said, when it needs to be said, despite the circumstances –
1 Thessalonians 2:2

• WHAT OUR VISION NEEDS
• OUR VISION NEEDS PERSISTENCE...
• Not losing heart, for we shall reap in due time - Galatians 6:9
• Always abounding, knowing that our labor is not in vain - 1 Corinthians 15:58
• Many visions are never realized because people give up too soon!

• The Need For Proper Vision
• Not all "vision" is good...
• Some have "tunnel vision" - focusing on small and often insignificant problems in the church
• Some have "visions of despair" - seeing only the negative, never the positive
• But a vision that has...
• A grand scope worthy of its mission (saving souls)
• Specific steps to accomplishing its goal (teaching others)
• Faith in the Lord and in His word
• Boldness and perseverance in carrying it out

• Conclusion
• ...such a vision is what the people of God need today!
• Have you allowed yourself to have "tunnel vision" or a "vision of despair"?
• How much better to heed the words of Jesus: "Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" (John 4:35)
• What do you see in your future?

By Carey Scott from an outline by Mark Copeland

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