Pastor Tony Ashmore recasts the vision of LifeGate Church in this Sunday morning celebration.
Vision Sunday
Pastor Tony Ashmore
Sunday, December 04, 2011
www.mylifegatechurch.com
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1st Sunday is Vision Sunday
Proverbs 29:18b (KJV) “Where there is no vision, the people perish (wander)…”
Habakkuk 2:2-3 (NKJV) “Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”
* Nehemiah Principle: Important to “re-vision” every 25 to 30 days to prevent ‘vision drift’
* Make the Vision BIG so we can see it when we are wide open, in pressurized situations, blurred by our feelings and emotions, battling fear because of bad reports (Sheryll having to quiet herself when we received the call from Melissa about Kayla’s sight), disqualifying ourselves because of mistakes, or becoming complacent or overconfident because everything is going so well (Timothy about to wander out into ocean alone, “I got this.”)
A Regional Church Sharing the Life-Giving Message of Jesus with West Georgia and the World.
This is the reason God has birthed this church and Jesus is building it. This is the reason the Holy Spirit is helping us. When we make a choice to become a member of LifeGate Church, we are joining a vision—it is becoming ours. God begins with a vision. He finds those who will join Him in the vision and make it theirs, not just His, and then the vision begins to come to pass. God had a vision for a Messiah for thousands of years. But when a young girl named Mary joined that vision, making it “theirs” instead of just “His”, the vision came to pass. When we become a member of LifeGate, we adopt the vision, it becomes “ours” instead of “theirs”, and it begins to come to pass. “…Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come…” Vision requires people taking ownership, investing their time, talent, and resources in the vision. Each time someone becomes a member of LifeGate, takes ownership of the vision, and begins investing their time, talent and resources into that vision, we move forward. Heaven’s plan for our church comes to pass. What’s it mean to be a member of LifeGate? It means we are co-owners of Heaven’s vision for our church. That’s so much more than our traditional view of membership. Our church is not a place we go, we are the church and we are members of Heaven’s strategic plan for our home, our neighborhood, our city, our region and the world. If the vision God has given our church is accomplished, each of us and everybody around us will be better off. (Proverbs 29:2a “When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice…”
If Heaven’s vision for our church is going to continue to move forward then every member must find their place in that vision. Every member must become a minister.
Acts 26:19 (NKJV) “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision”
Paul was given a vision from Heaven. (Acts 26:15-18 “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future. 17 And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles 18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’)
He was so grateful to Jesus that nothing would stop him from obeying that vision. Yet, in spite of the hardships he endured, Paul says his life was fulfilled, satisfying, that he wouldn’t trade all the world had to offer for what obeying that vision had brought into his life. God’s vision is for the world, but it benefits every individual who joins it. When we become part of a church and fail to find our place as a minister, we are being disobedient to Heaven’s vision. But when we begin to find our place as a minister in that church, the church grows stronger, the vision moves forward, and our individual lives are blessed. (Isaiah 1:19 NIV “If you willingly obey me, you will eat the good things of the land.”)
Ephesians 5:31-33 “As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one.”
What if we treated our marriage like we treat the church, and what if we treated our church like we treat our marriage?
Our model of ministry: Moving people from an experience to their destiny.
Revelation 1:5b-6 “Christ loves us and by his blood he set us free from our sins. He lets us rule as kings and serve God his Father as priests. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.”
4 progressions from Experience to Destiny
Each progression is for our personal good—we enter more into The Blessed Life, enjoying the rich and satisfying life Jesus said He came to give us—and as we move forward in each progression the Kingdom is extended. As members of LifeGate, each progression makes us healthier as individuals and moves us forward in Heaven’s vision for our church.
1. “Christ loves us….” The lost get saved, the hurting get healed, the broken get fixed. This happens when we gather together in our large meetings. It’s important that our weekend celebrations are a safe place for you to bring your friends and family, the unconnected and the disconnected.
Weekend Celebrations – Experiencing God’s love, forgiveness and freedom.
2. “…lets us rule as kings…” The saved get pastored. This starts with learning to manage (rule) our own lives well. That happens as we make healthy connections, find mentors, models, friends and partners. (Example: Melissa and Denise Wham—response to doctor’s exam of Kayla)
Connect – Developing Biblical skills for victorious life. Doing Life together Sunday to Sunday.
3. “…serve God, His Father, as priests…” The pastored become disciples. Discipleship doesn’t happen through information impartation, it happens as we join with others to serve God. We learn what our specific unique gifts are and we learn how to use them, how to operate in order and under authority. “You’ve have to get under what God puts you under before you can get over what God puts you over.”
Dream Team – Serving God in my church. The Bible teaches that we serve “the household of faith” first.
4. “To Him be glory… “ The disciples become ministers. We live an others-focused life, working together to transform our communities, our region and the world by serving others. The fulfilled life is not found just by using my God-given gifts, it is found by using those gifts for the good of others.
Servolution – Fulfilling my destiny by sharing His hope all over the world.
The result is a continuously growing, healthy, happy church filled with continuously growing healthy, happy people living the Blessed Life and making the name of Jesus famous all over the world.
The ultimate reward: Not all the blessings of the rich and satisfying life, not all the good we will experience as we follow His vision, not all the personal benefits. The ultimate reward will be hearing our Savior, our King, the One who paid it all for us say:
Matthew 25:23 “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful…Enter into the joy of your lord.”
Pastor Tony Ashmore continues the series "Living the Life You're Intended to Live" in this Wednesday evening celebration.
