Habakuk 2: 2-3
God bless you specially for taking time out to go through this message.
I hope we all know that today is the future we talked about yesterday and that our future depends on what we see and do today,
If you see a glorious future today, you can have it if you work towards it, Gen 13:14-15.
Brethren, God has put so much power in our vision that it attracts whatever it is focused on.
For example: Pastor Adeboye once said that “ when we acquired the Redemption City in Texas, God told me ‘as far as you can see, it is yours’. I walked as far as I could that day and today everything I saw has become ours, I wish I had walked farther.”
Now, if that sounds distant, how about our own experience here as a parish; though we do not currently own this church space, but you would remember the specification we have now is all we have been talking about since we started Building Fund, Hallelujah!
CHARACTERISTICS OF A VISION
Brethren, our text instructs that you must have a vision, write it down, remember the popular saying that, if it is not written, it did not happen. There is usually no vacuum in life, if you don’t have a vision/plan, you end up running someone’s vision/plan. Lack of vision kills.
Note that your vision can look crazy, ridiculous, laughable to others, but the fact is that God did not give it to them, God gave it to you. For example—-when David had the vision of going after Goliath, others around him thought he was crazy. His eldest brother, in particular, rebuked him very strongly, call him names, see 2 Sam 17:25-28.
Just as people thought Pastor Adeboye was crazy when he resigned as a professor to lead a small church and then moved from the heart of the city to a forest—just like growing up, I insisted I want to go to the university, based on our family income, my mom thought I want to expose our poverty as they would not be able to afford the cost involved.
That brings us to another characteristic of a vision: the God-factor must be there, Col 3:2, now God factor doesn’t mean it must be related to the church, (why not if so), but it actually means, how does your vision help humanity, the people around you, community, nation, mankind.
It means laying up your treasure towards God, not just yourself.
So, your vision this year must be glued to things above!!—–Pastor, what about those who plan to steal, plan to kill to prosper? Well, Ps 73: 12-20 has the answer, check it out.
Another characteristic of vision is that it is usually starts very little, almost insignificant, then it blossoms, Heb 11:8-10 says Abraham was living in tents because he saw a city whose maker and builder is God. Zach 4: 10 warns against despising the days of little beginnings.
Yet another characteristic of a vision is that it is for an appointed time, not necessarily when you want, but at due time, Hab 2:3, so wait for it?
So, how do you wait for it? 1 Corinth 9:24-27, strict training, focus, temperate, etc, remember that the world is competitive, Paul said he had an end-goal, kept his body under control.
Now, in this new year, what is your plan, what is your vision, what are you seeing? How are you living your life today, so that you can achieve your dreams tomorrow? Does your lifestyle reflect or show that you have a great vision for your life?
Remember that lack of vision kills, in Luke 12:15-21, the rich fool died because he told his soul to rest and pursue nothing.
In this New Year, your vision should drive you to be awake while others are sleeping, keep going while others are giving up.
NEVER lose sight of your vision, keep your focus on God for God is the author and finisher of our faith, our vision, the one that creates something out of nothing.
Get up and go for it, you can do, make it, you can get there and accomplish that goal, go for it in Jesus Christ name.
NEXT SUNDAY, WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER HAVING THE VISION?
Leave a Reply