Vision 3 – Pursuing the Vision

Sunday Morning Bible Study

January 11, 2004

When you think of people having “visions”, what do you think of?

Perhaps you think of someone who might be considered dangerous, in need of medication, seeing things that aren’t there, like Russell Crowe’s character in “A Beautiful Mind”.

Perhaps you think of some strange but great person of history like “Joan of Arc” who claimed to hear voices.

I’m talking about finding out the plans that God has for our lives and learning to walk in them. A good book to read on this subject is Andy Stanley’s Visioneering (Multnomah, 1999)

Vision Reminder

Have you been learning to write down your “visions”?

I’m finding that I’ve got visions in all kinds of aspects of my life: My marriage, my sons, my personal life, my job, my ministry

I’m finding it helps to put these things down on paper. It helps to see it in black and white in front of my face.

We’ve been following the example of Nehemiah. Nehemiah had a position within the Persian government. He also found himself with a burden to have the walls of his hometown rebuilt. It seemed like an impossible thing, but Nehemiah was the man to bring it about.

As the people continued to build the walls, there were some everyday problems that arose. People had left their jobs to build the wall. Farmers had left their fields to build the wall. To make things worse, there was a famine in the land and the people were simply falling too far behind in debt. In those days, when you fell into debt, the only resort you had was to sell yourself or your family into slavery. Yet God had forbidden Israel to make slaves of each other. God had also forbidden His people to charge interest from each other when they made loans to each other.

(Neh 5:1-3 KJV) And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. {2} For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. {3} Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth.

The word “mortgage” comes from a French phrase meaning “death pledge”. Sounds about right, huh?

The people were under a great financial burden. Some of them had even sold their families into slavery to pay off their credit cards.

(Neh 5:6-10 KJV) And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. {7} Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly against them. {8} And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer. {9} Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? {10} I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

“Usury” means to loan money at interest. Nehemiah was also lending people money and grain, but he apparently wasn’t charging interest like these other fellows.

As a result of Nehemiah’s rebuke, the leaders actually returned the lands they had foreclosed on and set the slaves free.

Lesson #1

Dying to Self

The building of the walls was proceeding nicely, but the financial problems that began to creep up threatened to shut down everything.

Nehemiah had this vision of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. At first everyone was completely on board and heading in the same direction.

But as time went on, some of the folks began to develop other priorities that would eventually end up derailing the plans to rebuild the walls if it wasn’t dealt with.

Nehemiah had to stop the building of the wall to address the problem. Sometimes it’s important to stop and get things back on track.

For these other leaders, their own personal gain had become more important to them than the vision of building the wall.

Though we might like to think that most church splits happen because of serious theological heresy, sometimes it’s really just pure goofy selfishness that causes us to get off track. I get to thinking that “my” wants are more important than yours.

Illustration

GREELEY — A little Jewish praise word caused a lot of controversy as a Colorado church, divided over the proper spelling of ‘hallelujah,’ split up and re-formed as separate congregations. The problem arose when the board of elders at Full Gospel Temple budgeted money for a praise banner to hang from the sanctuary ceiling bearing the word “hallelujah,” or “alleluia.” One faction insisted the word be spelled the first way, while the other wouldn’t budge from the second way. Petitions were drawn up, rallies held and late-night threats received by both sides. One man, an “alleluia” supporter, was nearly clobbered by a rock that came through his window. The rock bore a note that said, simply, “hallelujah!” Both sides were adamant that since they had grown up with a particular spelling, theirs was correct. “It makes a tremendous difference, when you open your eyes and see it there on the banner spelled wrong,” said a hallelujah supporter. “It’s so jarring to see it without the ‘h’ at the beginning. Nobody spells it that way anymore.” “I was so sick about it I couldn’t sleep,” said Evelyn Haney, 57, an equally ardent ‘alleluia’ supporter who carried a sign during a recent day of picketing. “To think some people spell this wonderful word with a ‘j’ in it. It’s not something where I question their salvation, but at times you have to wonder.” The two churches now meet in separate school auditoriums, and each has fashioned a banner to suit its own preference. Worship, says one parishioner, is “much better now.”

Jesus told a story about a farmer who was planting his crop. The seeds were sown on different kinds of soil, and produced different kinds of results.

(Mk 4:18-19 NLT) {18} The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, {19} but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced.

The goal is to produce a crop. That’s the vision. Yet when our lives get caught up in selfish things, even subtle ones, we get off track and the vision is derailed.

(Neh 5:14-19 KJV) Moreover from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that is, twelve years, I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor. {15} But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God. {16} Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land: and all my servants were gathered thither unto the work. {17} Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, beside those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us. {18} Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days store of all sorts of wine: yet for all this required not I the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people. {19} Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

Nehemiah was a man of influence. He had been able to influence the leaders and the wealthy people of the city to give back the interest they had charged and to set the slaves free. How did he do it? He had already set the example.

Lesson #2

The Influence of Example

He didn’t just talk about not taking advantage of people, he lived it.

There may be times in the pursuing of a vision where you may be faced with the temptation to take a shortcut.

The temptation may be to sacrifice a little of your character for the sake of getting things done.

God gave Abraham a vision of having children. God gave him a son, Isaac. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. Abraham was more concerned about pleasing God than he was about clinging to the vision of a son.

God gave David a vision to be king one day. He found himself in a cave with the opportunity to kill Saul and acquire his goal. But he knew it was wrong. He didn’t sacrifice his character for the vision.

We read this morning in 1Thess. 2:1-12 about the importance that Paul placed on being an example. He reminded the Thesssalonians over and over about the example he had set for them. Paul would write to Timothy:

(1 Tim 4:12 NLT) …Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Jesus set some examples for us to follow.

When He washed the disciples’ feet, He said,

(John 13:14-15 KJV) If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. {15} For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

When He died on a cross for us, He set the ultimate example.

(1 John 3:16 KJV) Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

(1 John 4:9-11 KJV) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. {10} Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. {11} Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Pleasing God ought to be of more importance to us than even the vision we think we’ve gotten from Him.

When you have a vision from God, you’re most likely going to need other people alongside to help.

People don’t willingly follow a person they’re unwilling to be influenced by.

The kind of influence that lasts is that of moral authority – the life that matches what it declares.

You and I will be constantly tested on this. We need to keep the vision in mind when we’re tempted. Don’t undermine your moral authority. Be an example.

This isn’t something you get overnight. It’s something that has to be built up over time, something you don’t dare let go. You’ll need it one day.

(Neh 6:1-4 KJV) Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) {2} That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. {3} And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? {4} Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

Lesson #3

Say “no” to distractions

Nehemiah was getting close to meeting his objective. The walls are up, but the gates need to be repaired. The enemies are getting worries that they won’t be able to stop the progress, so they start a series of last ditch efforts to get things derailed.

There are some legitimate reasons for slowing down or even stopping the work on a vision.

Back in chapter five, Nehemiah realized he needed to stop the work long enough to take care of the problem of the economy.

But this time Nehemiah sees these proposals as nothing but distractions.

They could have actually been some pretty good opportunities.

Perhaps Sanballat wanted to make a peace proposal. Wouldn’t that be a good thing?

“Good” things can distract us from the “best” things.

If we don’t keep our vision in front of us, it’s easy to get distracted with things that will take up our time and change our course.

It’s like driving your car down the freeway and getting distracted by something on the seat next to you, taking your eyes off the road, getting off course.

What’s your vision of a healthy family? Don’t get distracted by working so much to make the big bucks that you end up sacrificing your family vision.

Illustration

This letter came from a gal who is a talented actress, but who has chosen to put her career on hold while raising her family. The letter is to Andy Stanley, author of Visioneering (pgs. 216-217)

Dear Andy,

I wanted to let you know what happened to me a few days after your encouraging sermon. I had read an audition with Paul over the phone, as he sometimes does on a voice-over audition. After the audition he said, "They will probably cast you. You are really good at this."

A week later, I happened to return a call to this same agent on Paul's behalf, and the lady I talked to commented on how great she thought my reading was. Her co-worker had remarked that she didn't realize Paul's wife did voice-over work, and she said if I ever wanted to do any work to call her.

How flattering for this housewife who never ventures beyond the Christian elementary school where I substitute for little pay and work many other hours as a volunteer with kids that I love. I know the difference in earnings only too well. And in Atlanta there are many opportunities to pursue voice-over work.

I thanked her, and said maybe when Lindsay was older, but that right now I couldn't consider it. There was no struggle to say this. I hung up the phone, smiled, and said aloud: "I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down."

Thanks for encouraging the ladies who might have really struggled to say this. It’s what I hope a lot of mothers will realize, and your sermon was encouraging to all of us. As a follow-up, when I told Lindsay about this, she squeezed my hand for a long time. She knows that we give up things so that I can be a stay-at-home mom.

But the best part came on Mother's Day. I always insist that she make, rather than buy, a card for me because she makes these incredible cards. This one was no exception. On the front cover was a sketch of two hands reaching toward each other. The words written across the sketch were: "I am doing a great work. . ." The back cover was similar, but in this sketch the hands were touching, and the words read: "...and I cannot come down."

That was all the confirmation I will ever need.

Thanks,

Vicky

When you’re faced with distractions, learn to say to yourself,

“I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down”

Look at your vision-list. Are they “great works”? Are they worth sacrificing the “good” for the sake of the “best”?