Vision Sunday
What is Joy all about?
Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT) – Jesus came and told His disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
A worshiping community reaching the world
An intergenerational, multicultural army of Spirit filled worshippers who know their identity in Christ and walk in His authority and power.
Contending for people to become and display who God created them to be.
1. Worship Jesus!
Romans 12:1 (NIV) – Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
Worshiping Jesus privately
God Time
Acts 10:9b (NIV) – …Peter went up on the roof to pray.
Acts 10:19-20 (NIV) – While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
Luke 5:16 (NIV) – But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Luke 6:12-13 (NIV) – One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
Revelation1:10 (NIV) – On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,
2. Build Community
Acts 2:42 (NLT) – All the believers devoted themselves to…. fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
Acts 2:46-47 (NLT) – They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
What is God doing?
3. Reach the world!
Matthew 28:19a (NLT) – Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations…
Acts 10:42-43 (NLT) – And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. 43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.
John 4:35 (NIV) – Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
Questions for Discussion/Reflection:
1. What comes to mind when you think about Jesus’ vision for His church?
2. If you broke up your spiritual life into these four categories: (1) corporate worship, (2) Christian community, (3) reaching the world, and (4) personal God time, which would be the strongest and which would be the weakest?
3. Share some ideas about growing in your weakest areas.
4. What is the next step the Holy Spirit is leading you to take toward building community and reaching the world for Jesus?
