The message is entitled “Mission and A Ministry”
Acts 26:12
On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.
Acts 26:13
About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions.
Acts 26:14
we all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic,‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
Acts 26:15
“Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’
“ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.
Acts 26:16
‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you.
Acts 26:19
“So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.
See Paul was on his way to do what he normally did. He was on his way to go persecute some Christians and try to get them to blaspheme God, when all of a sudden he had an encounter with the Lord Jesus.
As he was riding along the road, on his horse, Jesus appeared to him and knocked him off his horse, then asked him why do you persecute me?
Paul asked who are who and the voice responded with I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. I have appeared to you for a specific reason and as we read in verse 16 the purpose was to appoint him as a servant and witness.
The thing that I like about Paul is that as soon as he had that encounter with Jesus and found out God's purpose for his life, he pursued that purpose with all his heart.
What was that purpose? That purpose was to be both a servant and a witness.
A servant to the body of Christ and a witness to a hurting and dying world.
Paul was given a ministry and a mission. Using our abilities to impact a hurting world for the Honor and Glory of Jesus Christ.
His ministry was what he did in the body of Christ and his mission was to reach people.
Now let's bring it to you and I. Just like Paul had an encounter with God I believe most of us if not all of us here have had an encounter with God.
We were living our life and going about our own business like Paul, when all of a sudden someone witnessed to us, someone gave us a flyer, or we heard the call of God and we surrendered our lives to God.
See God appeared to me through a flyer – don't ever under estimate the power of a flyer.
Just like God appeared to Paul for a specific purpose and gave him a vision and a mission –
God has appeared to you and I for a specific purpose and has a vision and mission for our lives.
The challenge for you and I is to find out what that mission is and to pursue it with all our heart….
What you and I accomplish for God is not a chance it is a choice…
You and I need to make a choice to go after all that God has for us.
God told Abraham in Genesis 13:14 – as far as you can see of the land I will give to you and your descendants…
Let me read to you a quote from Helen Keller who was blind she said – “The only thing being worse than blind is having sight but no vision…”
Somebody say Vison…
I want to take a look at a few things of what vision does for you and I then I will be done…
What does vision do for our lives?
1) Having a vision gives meaning to our lives.
See when you and I have a goal and a vision for our lives, it gives our lives meaning. We know that we are not just here by accident or just here by mistake, but we know that God has a specific plan and a purpose for our lives.
We were placed here for a reason and our goal should be to see that vision and mission come to pass.
Vision gives our lives meaning because it gives you and I something to shoot for. It gives us a goal for our life.
I often say – Living our life without a vision is like playing soccer with no Goal, you have nothing to shoot for.
See having a vision and living for God is exciting?
Vision gives us meaning because it gives us something to accomplish.
It gives us a reason to do what we do.
Just like Jesus had the mission to seek and to save that which was lost while He was here in the body on earth, so you and I are now His body and we still have that same mission to seek and to save that which is lost.
What is your part in the body to help us in reaching the lost?
There are different spiritual gifts.
Not everybody is called to preach.
Not everybody is called to be a missionary.
Not everybody is called to full time ministry.
We all have a part to play in helping us reach a hurting world for the Honor and Glory of God.
Do you feel your life needs meaning today, then I encourage you to get a vision for your life and it will bring both excitement and meaning, to your life.
Once you and I give our lives over to God's purpose and plan then we will know just like Paul, that we have been given both a ministry and a mission.
Our ministry is what we do in the body of Christ and our mission is to impact the world.
2) Having a vision gives you and I direction.
Have you ever met someone doing all kinds of work, but not ever getting anything done?
It seems they have all kinds of movement, but no progress.
It is probably because they have no vision or direction in their life.
They just do whatever comes up and whatever can occupy their time.
If we live our lives without vision, it is like living our lives on a spirtual treadmill.
There is all kind of action, but no progress. All kinds of movement, but seeing the same thing.
See having a vision and a goal for our lives gives you and I direction, it sets boundaries of what you should and shouldn't do to get where we want to go.
Those boundaries help you and I to stay in line toward our vision. It restrains us.
If you want to get to your vision stay within these boundaries.
Proverbs 29:18
That is why most sports have boundaries or out of bounds lines.
They have boundaries that keep you and I going in the direction of our goal.
And if we get outside of those boundaries the referee will blow the whistle.
That's how our life should be. It should have boundaries that keep us the direction of our goal and when we get off track –
Vision will blow the whistle and say you are getting off track.
How many know if I have no goals or vision I will do whatever I want?
I will do whatever comes up. I will act however I feel that day.
You can also look at it like this. Say I have a vision or goal to get fit.
Right away that gives me direction and puts boundaries on my life.
Can't eat late at night, stop eating certain foods, start exercising, and start eating right.
So if I want to reach my vision I need to stay within those boundaries.
Well so it is in the things of God, when you and I are pursuing the vison and purpose that God has for our lives, it gives us direction and helps us to stay within certain boundaries in order to see that vision come to pass.
What we need today are Christians who have a Godly vision and who are willing to pursue that vision with all our hearts…we need to be people who are willing to follow the disciplines of the vision.
You may have a vision to serve God with all your heart – it will tell you stay away from this and stay away from that. Stay away from him or stay away from her.
You may have a vision to do great things for God – Vision will tell you don't do this or don't do that or you need to do this or you need to do that.
You and I may have a vision to be used of God – the question is what steps are we willing to take to go towards that vision?
When everyone else is doing whatever and living outside of the lines, vision tells you and I do this or do that if you want to reach the goal you have set before you.
The bible says in Proverbs 29:18 where there is no revelation the people cast off restraint. In other words they have no boundaries or directions for their life.
It is important for you and I to have vision because it give us directions.
Vision acts like a spiritual navigation system. It tells you and I the steps we need to take in order to get where you and I want to go.
How many know in order to get those directions from the navigation system you need to type in a destination of where you want to go?
Somebody say Vision.
3) The last and final thing is that Vision gives you and I passion.
Paul was a man who had passion. Once he found out God's purpose and plan for his life, he pursued it with a passion.
You know the thing I like about Paul, is the same passion and energy he put into the things he did before he served God, is the same passion and energy he put into the things of God.
He didn't use all his energy for worldly things and then get saved and kick back.
No he said king Agrippa I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven and that is why I am standing before you today.
First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem, all Judea, and to the gentiles I preached.
Paul had a passion to, preach the Word of God, because he had a vision.
The same energy that he used to do the things that he did before he got saved, he turned it around and used that same zeal and energy for the things of God…
Let me ask us a question – are we willing to put that same energy, commitment, radical ness, and boldness in the things of God as we did for the things of the world?
Paul was committed to the heavenly vision.
Here are a few things that Paul went through after he got saved and started to, pursue his God given mission but he didn't let it stop him from preaching the Gospel…
II Corinthians 11:24
24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.
27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
Imagine that going through all these things and still keeping that fire and passion for the vision that God had placed on his heart.
Is there anybody in the house tonight that has a Godly vision.
I know before you got saved you did this or you did that, but is there anybody in the house that is willing to have a radical commitment to what God has called you to do?
Is there anybody in the house that’s Got Vision?
You say I may be going through some things rig now, but I am still staying focused on my Godly vision and going after all that God has called me to do…
See when you and I have a vision for our lives it gives us passion.
Passion keeps us going – passion wakes us up – passion helps us give – passion gives us fire and passion gives us radical ness!!
Somebody say Passion!!!
A vision drives us and gives us a passion to put in work for the things of God.
The same passion in the world now for God…
Someone who has passion keeps on pressing even in the midst of opposition because it burns on the inside of them.
Their vision gives them energy to keep pressing toward their goal and pursue it with a passion.
Acts 20:24
But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus-the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love.
Let me ask you “Got Vision”
Let's all stand!!!
1 – Vision will give our lives meaning –
2 – Vision will give our lives direction –
3 – Vision gives us passion
Thank you for taking the time to read through my blog. If you have questions you can email me at pastordre@pastordre.com
