Allen's Sermons
Go Back to SermonsHaving a Vision for Your Life
Sunday, January 7, 2007
The Life You’ve Always Dreamed Of: Enlarging Your Vision
2 Kings 2.1-18 Mount Pisgah Allen R. Hunt 1/7/06
As a servant of the Father of vision, what are you doing to understand God’s vision for your life?
I. Sheri Lucas came home from a late night business dinner
Found her son Zach asleep in bed with father
So she just decided to sleep in Zach’s bed
Slept better than she had in years
Next morning – asked her husband, “Why was Zach sleeping in bed with you last night?”
“Oh, he wet his bed and I didn’t feel like changing the sheets.”
Now Sheri had just been looking for the nearest bed – a good place to sleep
No long-term vision – living in the circumstances of moment – tired, go to bed
Lot of us live same way – live by circumstances, day by day, just trying to get through
Never take time, or do not know how, to stop and ask the question of why are we alive – what is our purpose – what on earth does God want from my life?
So start with a basic math exercise – way down deep on your message notes today
Fill in the missing blanks – first with approximate life expectancy – 80
Probably more like 76 or 78 – but you and I have Lipitor and health club memberships and South Beach diets – so let’s say 80
Then fill in your age – now subtract – Uh-oh
That is how many years you have left – what are you gonna do with them?
80 – My age = Urgency!
What you expect is in all likelihood what you will get
II. Elisha must have known
He surely knew what his purpose and his destiny was
Scripture is clear that he spent a lot of time getting ready for it
Took on role of understudy to Elijah – “YHWH is my God”
Great prophet of God to Israel – took on King Ahab, Jezebel, false worship of Baal
All along the way – Elisha by his side
Other prophets around – whole school of them – but Elisha knew his purpose, his reason for being – his destiny – so he was getting ready – observing, following, learning from the master prophet, Elijah
Elisha knew God’s vision for his life – to be the next great prophet of Israel
So when Elijah’s time on earth was coming to an end, Elisha is ready
How do we know? Look at this story
Elisha knew his destiny – he asked for it
Asks Elijah for double portion of Elijah’s spirit – what rightfully belonged to eldest son
Elisha knew God’s vision – he prepared, and when time came, he asked for it
And when Elijah is taken up into heaven – whirlwind – how cool is that?
Elisha receives just that – he steps right into God’s future, vision
So Elisha becomes the prophet who parts the Jordan River, clears spring outside Jericho of impurities, fatally curses kids who taunt him, helps a widow pay her debts, promises a son to a barren woman, nullifies poisonous wild gourds, feeds 100 men with 20 loaves of barley, heals Naaman’s leprosy, punishes Gehazi with leprosy, blinds a Syrian raiding party, and his bones are used by followers to raise dead back to life
All because
He knows his purpose, he has been preparing for it, he asks for it, and he receives it
But the key was first – he knew God’s vision and claimed it
Was not going to settle for less – for a human vision, for own plan, for parents’ plan
Wanted God’s plan and destiny
Otherwise, old saying applies, if you don’t know where you’re going you will probably end up someplace else
If want to live your life with a purpose, destiny, vision – you have to know what it is first
III. So let’s start with basic facts
1) A Believer’s Mission = Love God; Love People
You are on earth to love God
And to love people
Jesus said so – very simple
Every one of us has the same mission BUT
2) A Believer’s Vision is Unique
Just like your DNA and your fingerprint are unlike anyone else’s
God has a unique vision and destiny for your life
And you need to know some things about that vision
A) A mental picture of God’s preferred future (Luke 1.26-38)
It is a picture of where you are going
Elisha had a vision – gonna be a great prophet – gonna be a lot like Moses and Elijah
Ray – did not get a lot of education – so has made up for it as grew older
National Geographic – photo of places – he would say to family, this is where we are gonna go – and every vacation, that is what they would do
Had a picture, literally, of where going
MLK – had a vision – mental picture in his spirit
Of a country – where black folk and white folk could sit together at table of fellowship
Where justice truly was color-blind
Where all men are created equal
Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs – mental picture of computers that were smaller than 18-wheelers – easy and fun
Ray Kroc – vision of hamburgers, billions and billions of hamburgers
You get the picture
B) Progressively imparted by God (Gen. 15-18, 20-25; Isa. 43.19)
Secondly, God imparts the vision
Osteen a good little book on “Your Best Life Now” – but a lot of it is about your vision
You and I want GOD’s vision
Elisha was given his vision from God – look at verse 2.10 – God’s decision to grant this
Mary – had GOD”s vision – not her idea to have Jesus
God’s vision – angel Gabriel – nothing impossible with God – Luke 1.37
We want God’s vision – and God imparts that vision gradually
Rarely is it a total vision dump in one moment – we can’t handle that
Abraham – 10 chapters, decades for full vision to be revealed to him
When I received a call into full-time ministry – God did not show me Mount Pisgah, or global family, or School, or radio ministry, or any of that
NY streets - simple invitation to give myself to him and to lead people to him
Use my life and gifts to reach the lost - period
Then a few years later – vision cleared a bit – more work in NT
Then in CT – vision of preaching burned into heart – reach the lost
Then in Rome – Anita’s vision of our moving to mission fields of suburbs
Gradual – and comes from GOD
C) You must conceive God’s destiny before you can receive it
(Col. 3.2; Heb. 11.1)
Here is the crucial point
Before you can receive the future – you have to conceive it
Does not just happen – we are co-laborers with God – we participate in it
And to participate – you first have to figure out what God desires
Then that picture guides you every day, every decision, until God clarifies it some more
Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things (Col. 3.2)
3) So how do I figure it out?
80 – My age = Urgency!
19 does not = 24
You saw the video – how you spend each day
For most folks, 19 minutes is spent loving God and loving people
Worshipping and serving – 19 minutes
Now for most folks – that works out to a little over two hours a week
So go to church – just about it counting traffic, coffee, and here
A few folks mess that up by serving lots of hours in homeless shelter, mission teams – they mess up the curve – so really average person spends less than that, right?
So first thing to do is to understand math
Right now, you and I are giving 19 minutes unless we have figured out how to allow God to be a part of our workplace, family, and friendships
Jesus asks for your whole life – what is that? 24 hours
Lot of folks like to use the OT idea of tithing – 10%
I think they like that because it is easier than what Jesus said – WHOLE LIFE – 24 hours
Does not mean you are called to be a pastor or missionary or director of homeless shelter
Means your whole life belongs to Him – and He desires to be a part of everything you do
Every thing, every decision, every job, every relationship – every thing – WHOLE LIFE
Now that is an enlarged vision – 19 minutes does not = 24 hours
Means you are declaring war on Satan in your life – not gonna be slack, not gonna give in to my selfish desires, not gonna set mind on earthly things, not gonna live day to day and miss the whole point
I only have 37 years left – we’re in the third quarter – halftime is over, band is off the field – we’re playing here and clock is running
And Jesus wants to be a part of all of it – wants my vision to be enlarged so that I do what He wants – His vision not mine
We are talking about an enlarged vision
SO if that is what you want, start here
Commit to be a person of influence
Make the decision today – right now
Scripture says TODAY is the day of salvation- not tomorrow, not when you retire, not when the kids leave home – TODAY
What better time than start of 2007 – first Sunday
Today – make the decision – I want to spend my remaining days or years fulfilling God’s vision for my life – and I am going to do something about it starting now
Name your passion
To help you – think about the things that energize you – get you pumped up
Think of no more than 3 – write them down
Pray over them – ask God to show you how the passion He gave you can become centerpiece of your life and purpose – it is His passion, He just loaned it to you
For a few more years
Gather data and analyze
As you pray, collect data
Maybe your passion is children – so collect information about kids, what they do, how they develop, what they need, what they are missing, what God wants
Analyze how all that data matches your passion
Touch checkpoints
like Scripture, accountability partners, fear, difficulty, and worthiness
Here are ways you will know it is God’s vision, not yours
Scripture will confirm it
Accountability partners – 3 close friends praying with you will confirm it
You will have fear – because it is God’s vision – you cannot do it on your own – that means it is God’s
Difficulty – no way you can do it without God – means it is God’s vision
Worthiness – God does not make junk – and He does not want you to waste your life on something foolish or worthless – His vision for you will have a fragrance of worthiness – significant, worthwhile
Now some of you are still perplexed or you want help
Life Groups – 5 weeks – partners, prayer, Scripture, vision statement
Some of you – so in debt that you cannot even think vision – you are like Sheri above – just living for the circumstances of the moment
Dave Ramsey – Crown
And on your sermon notes is a helpful step – do it this week
Urgent – I will use my days being who God sees – His vision - destiny
ONE Way to Enlarge Your Vision
My Mission:
God’s Vision for my life:
HOW?
By making … a DAILY part of my life.
By regularly …
By generously….
By treating my body as the temple of God …..
By helping other people to ………
Life’s Values and Beliefs
1. Submission to God Trusting in God’s will is critical to my
maturing as a Christian
2. Relationship with…. Revealing love, commitment, patience,
and guidance to …. is THE most important
relational aspect of my life
3. Family Relationship Being a role model for …….. is critical in
building a strong Christian home
4. Other Relationships Building and maintaining honest, nurturing
relationships with others is vital to growing as a
Christian
5. Character and Physical My integrity and moral character is more
Development important than success in the temporal world
and maintaining and improving my physical and
mental health is important to build a proper temple
to God
6. Worship DAILY worship and being an accountable
member of a Christian Church is vital! And to live, knowing that I own nothing, but I am merely a
steward of what belongs to God.
GOALS for 2007
Spiritual:
Living in the World:
Write down the plan and make it plain…(Hab. 2.2)
Where there is no vision, the people perish. (KJV: Prov. 29.18)
2 Kings 2.1-18 Mount Pisgah Allen R. Hunt 1/7/06
As a servant of the Father of vision, what are you doing to understand God’s vision for your life?
I. Sheri Lucas came home from a late night business dinner
Found her son Zach asleep in bed with father
So she just decided to sleep in Zach’s bed
Slept better than she had in years
Next morning – asked her husband, “Why was Zach sleeping in bed with you last night?”
“Oh, he wet his bed and I didn’t feel like changing the sheets.”
Now Sheri had just been looking for the nearest bed – a good place to sleep
No long-term vision – living in the circumstances of moment – tired, go to bed
Lot of us live same way – live by circumstances, day by day, just trying to get through
Never take time, or do not know how, to stop and ask the question of why are we alive – what is our purpose – what on earth does God want from my life?
So start with a basic math exercise – way down deep on your message notes today
Fill in the missing blanks – first with approximate life expectancy – 80
Probably more like 76 or 78 – but you and I have Lipitor and health club memberships and South Beach diets – so let’s say 80
Then fill in your age – now subtract – Uh-oh
That is how many years you have left – what are you gonna do with them?
80 – My age = Urgency!
What you expect is in all likelihood what you will get
II. Elisha must have known
He surely knew what his purpose and his destiny was
Scripture is clear that he spent a lot of time getting ready for it
Took on role of understudy to Elijah – “YHWH is my God”
Great prophet of God to Israel – took on King Ahab, Jezebel, false worship of Baal
All along the way – Elisha by his side
Other prophets around – whole school of them – but Elisha knew his purpose, his reason for being – his destiny – so he was getting ready – observing, following, learning from the master prophet, Elijah
Elisha knew God’s vision for his life – to be the next great prophet of Israel
So when Elijah’s time on earth was coming to an end, Elisha is ready
How do we know? Look at this story
Elisha knew his destiny – he asked for it
Asks Elijah for double portion of Elijah’s spirit – what rightfully belonged to eldest son
Elisha knew God’s vision – he prepared, and when time came, he asked for it
And when Elijah is taken up into heaven – whirlwind – how cool is that?
Elisha receives just that – he steps right into God’s future, vision
So Elisha becomes the prophet who parts the Jordan River, clears spring outside Jericho of impurities, fatally curses kids who taunt him, helps a widow pay her debts, promises a son to a barren woman, nullifies poisonous wild gourds, feeds 100 men with 20 loaves of barley, heals Naaman’s leprosy, punishes Gehazi with leprosy, blinds a Syrian raiding party, and his bones are used by followers to raise dead back to life
All because
He knows his purpose, he has been preparing for it, he asks for it, and he receives it
But the key was first – he knew God’s vision and claimed it
Was not going to settle for less – for a human vision, for own plan, for parents’ plan
Wanted God’s plan and destiny
Otherwise, old saying applies, if you don’t know where you’re going you will probably end up someplace else
If want to live your life with a purpose, destiny, vision – you have to know what it is first
III. So let’s start with basic facts
1) A Believer’s Mission = Love God; Love People
You are on earth to love God
And to love people
Jesus said so – very simple
Every one of us has the same mission BUT
2) A Believer’s Vision is Unique
Just like your DNA and your fingerprint are unlike anyone else’s
God has a unique vision and destiny for your life
And you need to know some things about that vision
A) A mental picture of God’s preferred future (Luke 1.26-38)
It is a picture of where you are going
Elisha had a vision – gonna be a great prophet – gonna be a lot like Moses and Elijah
Ray – did not get a lot of education – so has made up for it as grew older
National Geographic – photo of places – he would say to family, this is where we are gonna go – and every vacation, that is what they would do
Had a picture, literally, of where going
MLK – had a vision – mental picture in his spirit
Of a country – where black folk and white folk could sit together at table of fellowship
Where justice truly was color-blind
Where all men are created equal
Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs – mental picture of computers that were smaller than 18-wheelers – easy and fun
Ray Kroc – vision of hamburgers, billions and billions of hamburgers
You get the picture
B) Progressively imparted by God (Gen. 15-18, 20-25; Isa. 43.19)
Secondly, God imparts the vision
Osteen a good little book on “Your Best Life Now” – but a lot of it is about your vision
You and I want GOD’s vision
Elisha was given his vision from God – look at verse 2.10 – God’s decision to grant this
Mary – had GOD”s vision – not her idea to have Jesus
God’s vision – angel Gabriel – nothing impossible with God – Luke 1.37
We want God’s vision – and God imparts that vision gradually
Rarely is it a total vision dump in one moment – we can’t handle that
Abraham – 10 chapters, decades for full vision to be revealed to him
When I received a call into full-time ministry – God did not show me Mount Pisgah, or global family, or School, or radio ministry, or any of that
NY streets - simple invitation to give myself to him and to lead people to him
Use my life and gifts to reach the lost - period
Then a few years later – vision cleared a bit – more work in NT
Then in CT – vision of preaching burned into heart – reach the lost
Then in Rome – Anita’s vision of our moving to mission fields of suburbs
Gradual – and comes from GOD
C) You must conceive God’s destiny before you can receive it
(Col. 3.2; Heb. 11.1)
Here is the crucial point
Before you can receive the future – you have to conceive it
Does not just happen – we are co-laborers with God – we participate in it
And to participate – you first have to figure out what God desires
Then that picture guides you every day, every decision, until God clarifies it some more
Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things (Col. 3.2)
3) So how do I figure it out?
80 – My age = Urgency!
19 does not = 24
You saw the video – how you spend each day
For most folks, 19 minutes is spent loving God and loving people
Worshipping and serving – 19 minutes
Now for most folks – that works out to a little over two hours a week
So go to church – just about it counting traffic, coffee, and here
A few folks mess that up by serving lots of hours in homeless shelter, mission teams – they mess up the curve – so really average person spends less than that, right?
So first thing to do is to understand math
Right now, you and I are giving 19 minutes unless we have figured out how to allow God to be a part of our workplace, family, and friendships
Jesus asks for your whole life – what is that? 24 hours
Lot of folks like to use the OT idea of tithing – 10%
I think they like that because it is easier than what Jesus said – WHOLE LIFE – 24 hours
Does not mean you are called to be a pastor or missionary or director of homeless shelter
Means your whole life belongs to Him – and He desires to be a part of everything you do
Every thing, every decision, every job, every relationship – every thing – WHOLE LIFE
Now that is an enlarged vision – 19 minutes does not = 24 hours
Means you are declaring war on Satan in your life – not gonna be slack, not gonna give in to my selfish desires, not gonna set mind on earthly things, not gonna live day to day and miss the whole point
I only have 37 years left – we’re in the third quarter – halftime is over, band is off the field – we’re playing here and clock is running
And Jesus wants to be a part of all of it – wants my vision to be enlarged so that I do what He wants – His vision not mine
We are talking about an enlarged vision
SO if that is what you want, start here
Commit to be a person of influence
Make the decision today – right now
Scripture says TODAY is the day of salvation- not tomorrow, not when you retire, not when the kids leave home – TODAY
What better time than start of 2007 – first Sunday
Today – make the decision – I want to spend my remaining days or years fulfilling God’s vision for my life – and I am going to do something about it starting now
Name your passion
To help you – think about the things that energize you – get you pumped up
Think of no more than 3 – write them down
Pray over them – ask God to show you how the passion He gave you can become centerpiece of your life and purpose – it is His passion, He just loaned it to you
For a few more years
Gather data and analyze
As you pray, collect data
Maybe your passion is children – so collect information about kids, what they do, how they develop, what they need, what they are missing, what God wants
Analyze how all that data matches your passion
Touch checkpoints
like Scripture, accountability partners, fear, difficulty, and worthiness
Here are ways you will know it is God’s vision, not yours
Scripture will confirm it
Accountability partners – 3 close friends praying with you will confirm it
You will have fear – because it is God’s vision – you cannot do it on your own – that means it is God’s
Difficulty – no way you can do it without God – means it is God’s vision
Worthiness – God does not make junk – and He does not want you to waste your life on something foolish or worthless – His vision for you will have a fragrance of worthiness – significant, worthwhile
Now some of you are still perplexed or you want help
Life Groups – 5 weeks – partners, prayer, Scripture, vision statement
Some of you – so in debt that you cannot even think vision – you are like Sheri above – just living for the circumstances of the moment
Dave Ramsey – Crown
And on your sermon notes is a helpful step – do it this week
Urgent – I will use my days being who God sees – His vision - destiny
ONE Way to Enlarge Your Vision
My Mission:
God’s Vision for my life:
HOW?
By making … a DAILY part of my life.
By regularly …
By generously….
By treating my body as the temple of God …..
By helping other people to ………
Life’s Values and Beliefs
1. Submission to God Trusting in God’s will is critical to my
maturing as a Christian
2. Relationship with…. Revealing love, commitment, patience,
and guidance to …. is THE most important
relational aspect of my life
3. Family Relationship Being a role model for …….. is critical in
building a strong Christian home
4. Other Relationships Building and maintaining honest, nurturing
relationships with others is vital to growing as a
Christian
5. Character and Physical My integrity and moral character is more
Development important than success in the temporal world
and maintaining and improving my physical and
mental health is important to build a proper temple
to God
6. Worship DAILY worship and being an accountable
member of a Christian Church is vital! And to live, knowing that I own nothing, but I am merely a
steward of what belongs to God.
GOALS for 2007
Spiritual:
Living in the World:
Write down the plan and make it plain…(Hab. 2.2)
Where there is no vision, the people perish. (KJV: Prov. 29.18)