A Vision Beyond
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Dr Cho, founder and Senior Pastor of the Full Gospel Christian Center in Seoul, South Korea, the largest church in Christendom, has often said: “Dreams and visions are the language of the Spirit.”
He takes that from the passage in Joel 2 which was fulfilled in Acts 2, where God promised to give people spiritual dreams and visions as a way of communicating with mankind.
God can and will give His children, even you, the spiritual ability to:
See beyond your moment and dream beyond your years.
During the month of October of this year, approximately 50 of us cleared our schedules and committed to meet together in the sanctuary early every morning for 30 consecutive days. These times were designed to discipline our faith and refine our character while at the same time offering each of us a challenge and chance to change elements of our life which would effectively make us think and act more pleasing to God. Basic discipleship, if you will.
In addition to those meeting in the sanctuary, many others also gathered around their computers, accessing our Church’s online live web site at home and in offices around the world, as well as the growing group of what came to be known as ‘parking lot partners’ listening to the live broadcast over our FM transmission on their car radios, in our church parking lot, prior to going to work or school.
The format was simple. It was a survey of an approximate 25 year span in the life of Joseph. This period of Joseph’s life was divided into 30 segments, each given a single word description. These single word descriptions we called elements, or steps to becoming successful in finding and accomplishing the will and purpose of God for our life.
Perhaps you missed this discipleship opportunity. Good News! The live sessions were recorded and archived and are available to you on our website at www.cotr.com, click on the ‘Church Online’ box, then click ‘On Demand’ Programs and go to ‘30 Steps To Success In Life’. Each of these days is available here in 20 minute segments in broadband, dial-up, audio and MP3 formats. You can view or even download these to your MP3 player and listen while you work, jog or go about your busy day.
Just to note: These are listed in reverse order on our web site, so go to the bottom of the list to October 2, Step #1, Dream - to begin your journey.
Even though we spent 30 days dissecting the life of Joseph, we only covered about 25 years of his 130 year life. After Joseph had reached the pinnacle of his success he lived another 90 years or so maintaining that successful plateau.
In all we learned and in all we left out, I have concluded that in summation of Joseph’s life; if I had but one thing to gain from his example, I would say that Joseph was a man of vision.
* Vision beyond his moment
* Vision beyond his adventure
* Vision beyond his ability
* Vision beyond his lifetime
In respect to this great champion of faith, let’s look once again into the scriptures to see if God will but grant us the same ‘Vision Beyond’.
Today we begin a 4 part series on Vision Beyond.
* Wednesday evening, November 10th - Vision Beyond Our Adventure
* Wednesday evening, November 17th - Vision Beyond Our Ability
* Sunday morning, November 21st - Vision Beyond Our Lifetime
* This morning, we begin with:
I. Vision Beyond Our Moment
When I think of someone else who had vision beyond the moment, I am drawn to Abraham. Specifically the moment when he was asked by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Let’s look at that passage in:
Genesis 22 (NKJV)
Remember, this is after Abraham had prayed, believed God and had waited for the miracle of Sarah getting pregnant for over 25 years. Abraham has his promised son, Isaac, whom he loves.
1 ¶ Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."
2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."
3 ¶ So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off.
5 And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you."
6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together.
7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"
8 And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together.
The story continues that as Abraham was ready to slay his son, an angel of God stopped him.
Genesis 22
11 ¶ But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am."
12 And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me."
13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided."
A. Abraham evidently saw and had faith in something and someone beyond his moment.
B. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul reveals what it was.
Hebrews 11
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, …
19 concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead
C. Abraham saw, had vision, beyond his moment.
D. Jesus also saw beyond His moment. He is our example.
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We must look through the fog of our moment and see God both with us and on the other side, waiting for us to come through.
Life is a process and God is the only One Who knows how this thing works … but we know God and we have been told in:
2 Corinthians 4
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
II. Three Elements Of A Vision
A. The Burden Of A Vision
The burden of seeing beyond your moment is that it enjoins us to go forward - even so often when others cannot yet see and will not yet go without complaint. Such was the case with Moses and the children of Israel.
B. The Benefit Of A Vision
The benefit of seeing beyond your moment is that it gives you faith to go forward like Joshua and Caleb who had faith that God would cause their enemies to fall. When others hearts fail them, yours is strong. You understand their fear but you do not share in it.
C. The Blessing Of A Vision
The blessing of seeing beyond your moment is that afterward everyone else will see then what perhaps few can see now.
Genesis 22
15 ¶ Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven,
16 and said: "By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son —
17 "blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
18 "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."
19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they rose and went together to Beersheba
Note: Notice that there is no record of Abraham involving Sarah in this moment of vision and decision.
Just as God does allow more to come upon us than we can handle, we too should be watchful what burdens we place on others to share our vision and have the faith which God has challenged us to have.
III. Close
This morning I would like to pray for those of you who may be facing a moment of which you had rather not face.
I want to pray for you to have vision beyond your moment.
First make sure it is God speaking. Test it against:
* God’s revealed word
* God’s known will
* God’s continuing way
Then: Stare through the fog to catch a glimpse of God’s blessing waiting just on the other side of this moment.
Instead of focusing on the problem, focus rather on the promise and let God give you a ‘vision beyond your moment‘.
