Today, I’m concluding a message series called “Just Walk Across The Room.” If you missed some of the messages, you can listen to or download them from our website. This series is about reaching out to those around us who are not believers.
Many people who are not believers consider themselves Christians. In 2006, 80% of adults in the US claimed to be Christians. Yet, only about half of the people who claim to be Christian actually believe they will go to heaven because they have admitted their sins and accepted Jesus as their Savior. So, the majority of people in America are no longer believers by the simplest possible definition. That’s a lot of people, I’m sure you know some of them.
In this series, we’ve talked about some practical ways to reach those around us. Today, I want us to think about how what we’ve been talking about relates to your vision for your life. What is your vision for life? Maybe no one has every asked you that question. Vision has to do with goals, priorities and dreams. Vision has to do with your plans and hopes for the future. For the believer vision extends into eternity. NAS Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law. If you have no vision for your life, you will have no direction and you’ll be unhappy. But with a vision from God comes happiness and hope.
God wants to give you visions and dreams of His plans for your life. NIV Acts 2:17 In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. In case you wondered, we are living in the last days. The Bible clearly teaches that the last days extend from Jesus’ resurrection until He comes again. In this time period, God wants to pour out His Spirit on you so that you will have His vision for your life.
What is the overriding vision of the Spirit? We only need to look back one chapter to NIV Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. God wants to give you a vision and the power to carry out His vision, a vision of being His witness, a vision of reaching out to those who don’t know Jesus. It’s God’s vision for every believer.
Today, my message is entitled “Living With A Grander Vision.” What is this grander vision? It’s a vision of reaching out to the lost, to those without hope, to those with no vision and bringing them to Jesus. Why do I call it a grander vision? Well, everyone has some kind of vision for their life. For some, it is a vision of making it in their job. For others, their vision is saving x number of dollars for retirement, for yet others it is paying off the mortgage. Nothing wrong with those visions, but they pale in light of the grander vision that God has for you, the vision of reaching a lost world. I want to live with grander vision, how about you?
To hear more about this topic, listen to my January 28, 2007 message entitled Living With A Grander Vision