Vision From God and Finishing Well

Paul 

His vision helped him overcome his past. He was responsible for people’s deaths and persecution. (Phil. 3) It freed him from guilt and shame. He pressed into the vision the Lord gave him. You can’t change your past, but you can pursue your vision. Principle: keep your eyes on the vision.

“You can’t change your past, but you can pursue your vision.”

Joseph
His vision allowed him to endure and overcome adversity. He experienced 20 years of adversity. God uses the events of today to prepare us for tomorrow. We interpret events through our eyes according to what we see right now and whether like it or not…

Abraham
His vision allowed him to overcome comfort and material blessing. He was a prosperous man. (Gen 13.) He left his source of prosperity to to follow his dream. His vision inspired faith to leave his place that provided security and comfort.

Esther
Her vision allowed her to overcome fear. She was in Iran, a Jewess, and her vision allowed her to overcome fear and rescue her people, at risk of her life. Esther 4:16. Women are leaders used by God.

Gideon
His vision helped him overcome his insecurity. People was hiding. The angel said to him, “…mighty warrior…” Gideon says you got the wrong Gideon! My family is the least in the nation, and I’m the least in the family.

Joshua
His vision allowed him to overcome his own insecurities and unbelief…self-doubt. And the hindrances and unbelief of others. He had to wait 40 years to see his vision to come to pass. For 40 years he was surrounded by death – he had to wait for people to die off first! Think of AIDs in Africa. He was probably happy when they were gone! He held onto to the promise and he inherited the promise. When Joshua acted he didn’t ask for the people’s opinions, he had seen that for 40 years.

Moses
His vision helped him overcome failure. He killed an Egyptian. He had to flee for 40 years. The problem he saw was accurate, but his response was wrong. Not 40 years at the spa! Living with guilt and failure for 40 years. When God spoke he was riddled with shame. I can’t speak. Don’t let past failures keep you from future successes.

“Don’t let past failures keep you from future successes.”

David
His vision helped him overcome lack of formal training. He had not formal training, he’s a shepherd boy. He’s not a trained warrior. He had a vision, a cause from God. See 1 Samuel 17. The soldiers saw Goliath as a threat to them, but David saw him as a threat to God’s purposes. He was trained by fighting a bear and a lion. Goliath was 9 feet tall, his armor weighted 125 pounds. David saw Goliath and started running toward Goliath! He had no training – he had a vision from God.

New Testament church 
Their vision gave them courage to overcome the old ways, to step out in something new, to break out of established patterns of doing “church”, to enter the new covenant.

By Floyd McClung (used by permission)
All Nations

For more resources relating to church planting visit Floyd's homepage: www.floydandsally.org/