I have been so, so very anxious to share this next month
with you because I believe that with anything foundation is everything.
We have been working diligently for this amazing church
family and especially for the cause of
Christ. I believe it's now time to begin yet again in the vision God has
given to us.
He said in His word in Hebrews 12:12 to NLT "[12]
So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees."
So we must regain our grip on the Gospel of Christ and the
strength of God regaining our footing and take the land God has given unto us.
I.
We are going to #reachUkiah with a
vision.
A.
Vision can be defined as a picture of
the future that produces passion in the present.
1.
A picture of the future that produces
change in the present.
2.
A picture of the future that produces
results in the present.
Philippians 1:5-6 NLT "[5] for you have been my
partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard
it until now. [6] And I am certain that God, who began the good work within
you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ
Jesus returns."
Vision of CWC: Our vision is to
see people saved, healed, set free, discipled, equipped, empowered and serving.
1.
Vision has a standard.
1.
A level, a quality, a
principle about it.
2.
If you don't get chills and
shutter in fear then your vision isn't big enough.
1.
I don't want to operate in
flesh I want to operate in faith!
2.
That's why we are launching a
church-wide fast so that God may instruct us, so His Spirit may engage us, and
that the blood that Jesus shed will heal us.
1.
Heal our emotions, heal our
bodies, heal our minds, and heal our city!
3.
Vision doesn't push you it
pulls you.
1.
Vision calls into the depths
of you, deep calls out to deep.
2.
I envision a full church!
1.
2 services every Sunday
morning.
2.
I envision ministering to
thousands.
3.
I believe we can build a
church of 1500!
3.
I envision a church that
trains leaders and those leaders train leaders who train leaders.
4.
I envision a church that
makes disciples who make disciples who go and make disciples!
5.
I envision a missions giving
mission accomplishing church.
6.
I envision a church where
healing is the norm.
1.
I can see hundreds
worshipping in Spirit and in truth!
2.
I can see us having 2 and 3
worship teams lined up ready for action, ready for service, ready to give their
gift as the minister to their generation.
7.
I can see hundreds passionate
about God.
1.
Passionate about serving.
1.
People everywhere.
2.
Ushers everywhere.
3.
Prayer people everywhere.
4.
Soul winners everywhere.
5.
Parking in the field.
6.
Nursery workers everywhere.
7.
707Kidz kids and leaders
everywhere.
8.
707Students and leaders
everywhere!
2.
Passionate about giving.u
3.
And Passionate about changing
lives!
8.
Hundreds beings baptized!
1.
Can you envision CWC
launching a water shortage, a drought if you will, in Ukiah because of all the
water we're using for baptizing new believers?!
4.
Vision is not just a
statement but it must become a lifestyle.
1.
How can we expect God to move
in our lives, in our families, in our church, in this city if we don't put our
faith to something?
5.
As we Value God, Value
Others, and Value the Mission we will be fulfilling the very assignment of
Jesus Christ which is to seek and to save that which was lost.
1.
The global church has a
voice, this church has a voice, I have a voice and I'm called, separated unto
that calling.
6.
When prayer, fasting, worship
and the word become our weapon of choice nothing is impossible with God.
1.
Nothing becomes impossible!
2.
When prayer, fasting, worship
and the Word become our priority all of heaven hears the bible declares and God
will come to heal our land.
2.
Vision has an outcome.
1.
Our vision is to make a
difference, make the difference.
2.
Vision calls out to you, it
accelerates you heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit.
1.
I believe with every ounce of
my being that we are going to make THE difference in this community.
2.
We are the change.
1.
We have the answer and we
must demonstrate that starting within ourselves.
2.
Then we must demonstrate that
to a lost and dying world in and around us.
3.
I believe we can so become
the difference that this church has a dramatic effect on this community, on
this county, and on our families.
1.
Start there, start with your
self speak life, and watch God do miracles.
2.
Then move to your families,
keep speaking life and He will use you to do miracles just like he did with
Ezekiel in Ezekiel 37, just like He used the disciples in the book of Acts.
3.
Next move to your neighbors,
friends, coworkers, acquaintances and even your enemies.
1.
Challenge yourself this year.
2.
Show the Devil I am a
walking, talking, life giving, man of God!
3.
I am to be used of His
Spirit, mightily, powerfully, and miraculously.
4.
You have no hold on me or
direction over my life and I will accomplish all that I was born for.
1.
ALL.
3.
Let's reach out like never
before, let's pray like never before, let's trust in His Word like never
before, let's change the world like never before.
1.
My God will make the
difference and it will be resounding, it will be miraculous, it will be
eternal.
2.
This church will make a
difference and it will be noticeable, it's people will be life changing machines
under the power of an Almighty God.
3.
This man will make a
difference and it will be apparent.
1.
It will be a life change that
alters a city just like Jonah and Nineveh.
3.
Vision has a cause.
1.
Risking everything for a
dream no one else can see but you.
1.
The reason we serve, the
reason we minister, the reason we sacrifice, the reason we give is so that
someone else will come to know Jesus.
2.
Not just know the bible but
to know the author of it!
Isaiah 42:5 God, the LORD, created the heavens and stretched
them out. He created the earth and everything in it. He gives breath to
everyone, life to everyone who walks the earth. And it is He who says, 6
"I, the LORD, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness. I
will take you by the hand and guard you, and I will give you
to my people, Israel, as a symbol of my covenant with them. And you will
be a light to guide the nations. 7 You will open the eyes of the blind. You
will free the captives from prison, releasing those who sit in dark dungeons.
2.
Seven is the number of
completeness and perfection, both physical and spiritual.
1.
He says it 7 times to denote
the righteous task He has given to us, set out before us, and envisioned us
performing.
1.
See God move in your life!
1.
Perspective and vision, it's
everything.
Romans 1:5 NLT "Through Christ, God has given us the
privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has
done for them, so that they will believe and obey Him, bringing glory to His
name."
3.
The difference between a
dream and a vision is the audacity to act.
1.
We must act upon the Gospel
of Jesus Christ...
2.
We must act as the disciples
did, full of faith, full of the Holy Spirit, and full of the vision that Jesus
gave long, long ago.
1.
If not now, then when?
2.
When is a better time?
3.
When is the mission of Jesus
Christ good enough to share?
1.
When is the gospel to be
shared instead of selfishly, silently and neatly tucked away?
2.
This mission lives undone and
we should live to do it.
4.
Vision has a man.
1.
A man without a vision for
his future, always returns to his past.
2.
I bring you good news that no
matter what state we are in, we can grow from where we are.
1.
We must know what growth is
and what it is not.
2.
Growth is life that comes
from within and flows out.
3.
We don’t
grow from the outside in but the inside out.
1.
Growth is not improving the
wrapping but rather improving the product.
2.
We think we have grown when
we do something to the exterior.
1.
Church attendance,
demonstrative in worship, clap our hands more, give more, praise more makes it
obvious we have changed but what have we changed?
1.
The product or the package?
3.
When challenged are we still
inclined to say we can’t
do?
1.
Do we still panic whenever a
crisis arises?
2.
Are we still negative and
expect the worst?
3.
Do we still get our feelings
hurt at the drop of a hat.
4.
Do we quit when things don’t go our way?
5.
Do we fly of the handle when
someone rubs us the wrong way?
1.
The packaging looks good but
what about the content?
1.
You can’t
progress by looking backward, “used to” can
be a good reference point, but it cannot move us forward.
2.
Used to may be a good anchor
but an anchor is for sitting still, not sailing.
4.
God created man to have a
desire to serve Him, love Him, worship Him, and honor Him.
1.
Not to just punch our
spiritual punch card.
2.
Vision is a God word for
sure.
3.
Once God pours out vision His
people must flesh it out.
1.
Don’t be surprised when you face
adversity in the birthing of dreams, adversity acts as the contractions that
push your dreams into reality.
1.
Jesus is the who vision is
the how.
2.
Love is the what vision is
the how.
3.
The church is the why vision
is the means.
4.
Christ's sacrifice on the
cross is the cause we are it's visionaries, ambassadors, representatives.
Altar Call
Romans 3:25-28 "For God presented Jesus as the
sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus
sacrificed His life, shedding His blood. This sacrifice shows that God was
being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past,
26 for He
was looking ahead and including them in what He would do in this present
time. God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He himself is fair
and just, and He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they
believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be
accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It
is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by
obeying the law."
In 1519, Captain Hernán
Cortés landed in Veracruz to begin his
great conquest.
Out of all the blazingly inspiring speeches to his men,
ironically, it would only be 3 words which Cortes’ spoke, that would change the
history of the New World.
As they marched inland to face their enemies, Cortes
ordered, “Burn the ships.”
Cortes forced himself and his men to embrace their mission
and either succeed or die. Retreat was not an option and failures off the
table.
The question we have to ask ourselves is this: What are my
ships? What am I afraid to let go of?
A decision that should have backfired. With no exit strategy in place to save
their lives, the command to burn the ships had a dramatic effect on his men,
left with only 2 choices, die, or ensure victory.
If we are going to #reachUkiah and have an eternity
altering affect on this community we have to burn every ship that would try to
keep us from doing so.
We must eradicate any notion of retreat from our minds and
commit ourselves unwaveringly to the cause.
