1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,800 Are you ready to jump into God's word together today? All right today, we're going to the book of habakkuk everybody 2 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:13,120 The book of habakkuk by the way, sometimes it's habakkuk and sometimes it's habakkuk and I say both 3 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,520 And the reason is I was raised like growing up. I always heard everybody say habakkuk 4 00:00:18,080 --> 00:00:21,380 And uh, then I went to seminary and everybody seemed to say habakkuk 5 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:29,360 So I say both sometimes I say habakkuk and sometimes I say habakkuk and it really just comes down to what emphasis 6 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:34,400 I want to put on what syllable you understand what I'm saying? And so um, and so 7 00:00:36,160 --> 00:00:38,560 So anyways habakkuk is where we're going to be 8 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:44,240 And so let me give you just a little background because I think it's so important that how many know it's so important 9 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:47,200 We read the word of god, but it's so important. We understand the context 10 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,200 Because if I have a text without a context i'll get conned 11 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,480 And there's a lot of scripture grabbing in the church 12 00:00:54,480 --> 00:01:00,800 I've heard a lot of pastors do scripture grabbing where they just grab a verse and they preach it and they um 13 00:01:01,340 --> 00:01:08,320 Re-textualize it, but I really think they mis-contextualize it. And so I think it's just so important. So, um, so 14 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:11,120 Habakkuk is one of the 12 15 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:13,840 minor prophets 16 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:20,480 So, um, if you want to know how your old testament is organized if you can remember 5 12 5 5 12 5 12 17 00:01:20,960 --> 00:01:22,720 5 5 12 18 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,280 Five books of law 12 books of history 19 00:01:25,920 --> 00:01:31,920 Five books of poetry five major prophets 12 minor prophets 5 12 5 5 12 20 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:38,000 So habakkuk is a minor prophet now what you need to understand about bible history and this will just help you 21 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:40,080 I'm not going to walk you through all the bible history 22 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:44,560 But after so there's king the first king over god's people we know is king 23 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:50,080 Right saul, right and then we know king david and then david's son solomon 24 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:55,440 After solomon though the kingdom is divided into a northern and a southern kingdom 25 00:01:55,680 --> 00:02:00,480 A you guys and a y'all an unsweet and a sweet tea. You understand what i'm saying? 26 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:05,360 So as a northern kingdom and southern so the northern kingdom is called israel the southern kingdom is called 27 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:11,520 juda solomon's son was rioboam he becomes king over juda and then a 28 00:02:11,920 --> 00:02:16,560 Guy named geroboam kind of defects and and leads a rebellion and he takes over israel 29 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:21,920 Which is the northern kingdom so from that point so you can say roughly a thousand bc 30 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:25,520 So from about a thousand bc when you move forward through the bible 31 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:31,520 You'll have a king over the northern kingdom a king over the southern kingdom and there's always a prophet to the northern kingdom and a 32 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:36,320 Prophet to the southern kingdom so as you're reading chronicles and kings and judges in those books 33 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:38,800 Sometimes it can get a little bit 34 00:02:38,940 --> 00:02:42,480 Confusing if you don't basically understand that basic formula, okay? 35 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:48,320 So, um habakkuk is actually a prophet to juda 36 00:02:48,640 --> 00:02:51,840 He prophesies in the late sixth century bc 37 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:58,400 Probably 604 to 609 is where I I personally think there's some other 38 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:04,080 Scholars, I'm not a scholar but scholarship usually puts him there our son will say around 6 30 39 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:08,320 And and it's he didn't date himself and because we don't have an exact 40 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:13,040 He doesn't name some things that would help us date him, but he gives us enough contextual 41 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:17,520 Information that we kind of can place in one of those two places. I put him 42 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:21,040 It's six, you know, oh four to six. Oh nine bc 43 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:28,320 Or six oh nine to six oh four bc since the timelines moving that way counting down everybody and so um, so what's going on? 44 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:29,760 well 45 00:03:29,760 --> 00:03:31,520 um 46 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,400 Assyria emerged as a world power and in 47 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:41,200 In 721 the assyrians overthrow israel and they take over the northern kingdom of israel 48 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:47,040 And so that was a little over a hundred years ago. Now. Babylon is emerging as a world power 49 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:53,360 Under king nebuchadnezzar. He's actually king nebuchadnezzar too, but the other king nebuchadnezzar is not in your bible 50 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:55,040 So king nebuchadnezzar 51 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:59,920 Um, and so nebuchadnezzar too, uh, he's the one you read about in the book of daniel 52 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:04,640 so now babalon is emerging as a world power and um, 53 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:09,920 Is egypt has kind of been driven back assyria is being defeated. Babylon is emerging 54 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:15,460 And so as that now the northern kingdom is suffering at the hands of the babalones 55 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:22,240 The world is suffering at the hands of the babalones and habakkuk sees the babalones are going to overthrow juda 56 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,040 Like there's a bad day coming here. We have problems 57 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:27,920 um, and it actually did happen, uh 58 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:30,240 Uh when babalon becomes a strong power 59 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:34,800 Uh israel had had our sorry juda had had a good king joseiah 60 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,440 He became king at eight years old 61 00:04:38,400 --> 00:04:41,920 And he ruled for 30 something years and he leads a revival 62 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:50,320 And reformation and a return to god's word. He tears down the high places. He they get rid of the cultic cultish practices all those things 63 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:55,280 Um, and then uh from that there's a couple of kings. They don't stay kings very long 64 00:04:55,280 --> 00:05:00,000 Uh, and then we get to joe joe hoekin and he's a he's a terrible king 65 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,520 In fact, he cuts a deal with babalon to stay in power as a puppet king 66 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:08,880 But they have to pay all their taxes and stuff to babalon and then he rebels and so in 67 00:05:09,740 --> 00:05:16,480 597 bc is when king nebuchadnezzar comes and uh besieges jerusalem and takes juda 68 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:22,080 Uh, and then there's a revolt and then uh in 586 he comes and destroys 69 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:26,480 Uh jerusalem and that's that's when he destroys the temple 70 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:32,320 Um, so that was the first temple period, right? So habakkuk habakkuk is writing 71 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:37,680 Uh during this time and he sees what's going on and what's really interesting about him 72 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:44,080 That's different from really all the other prophets is all the other prophets receive a word from god to deliver to the people 73 00:05:44,780 --> 00:05:48,880 Habakkuk actually takes an inquisition of the people to god 74 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:55,680 He speaks to god on behalf of people and the ultimate inquisition was god. I can't believe you're gonna let babalon 75 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:01,360 Take over, you know harm your people and enslave your people and um, 76 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:06,400 But it was prophesied because the people's rebellion against god that god would use 77 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:12,720 Essentially assyria than babalon to bring judgment on israel remember this is old covenant not the covenant of grace 78 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,480 So judgment right comes and god says yeah 79 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:21,920 I'm actually gonna you know, so so the chapter one if you will of habakkuk is this inquisition of god 80 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:24,720 Chapter two god actually answers 81 00:06:25,280 --> 00:06:30,960 And we're gonna read just a portion from that but in chapter two god answers and then he says i'm actually gonna do that 82 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:35,360 Uh, because I said I was and but don't think babalon's gonna get away 83 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:40,480 In other words his question was why are the evil people prospering in god's people suffering now? 84 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:42,640 Doesn't that sound like a relevant question for today? 85 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:46,960 Right, and so it's really a cool book if you read god's response, but god says yes 86 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:54,640 But here's what god says in everything you see i'm actually working my plan when it looks like evil is succeeding and righteousness 87 00:06:54,880 --> 00:07:01,520 Is failing don't worry. I'm still working my plan. And so he says i'm actually working my plan, but he actually gives five 88 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:08,560 Theologically called they're called the woe statements of babalon in chapter two gives these five it has to do with their economical 89 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:10,880 because it's shady economical 90 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:14,240 Um practices and their security 91 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:16,960 and it has to do with their uh 92 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:22,480 Pleasure or drunkenness and their idolatry, but he basically says oh i'm gonna take care of babalon 93 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:23,840 Don't you worry about that? 94 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:29,760 But i'm working my plan and so just because god it doesn't seem like he's moving in a way that makes sense to us 95 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:34,720 Come on somebody he's still moving and it will make sense in the end and then chapter three 96 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:39,200 Habakkuk kind of gives this this poem psalm to the lord 97 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:41,200 And so we're going to read in chapter two 98 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,440 Uh something that that god says the way he starts 99 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:48,160 Uh really his answer to habakkuk 100 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:51,600 Um, and then we're going to kind of contextualize that for our life 101 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:56,560 So why don't you stand habakkuk chapter two everybody verse two i'm just going to read verse two and verse three 102 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:01,680 Um, but verse two it says and the lord answered me 103 00:08:02,640 --> 00:08:05,760 Write the vision down now. This is one of the familiar 104 00:08:06,320 --> 00:08:08,320 verses in habakkuk 105 00:08:08,320 --> 00:08:12,640 Uh, there are some others that are very familiar like the just shall live by faith 106 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,920 Paul says it but it actually is a quotation from habakkuk 107 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:22,240 But habakkuk says uh chapter two verse two and the lord answered me write the vision now make it plain on tablets 108 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:24,960 So he may run who reads it 109 00:08:25,120 --> 00:08:30,000 For still the vision awaits its appointed time it hastens to the end 110 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:32,480 It will not lie 111 00:08:32,560 --> 00:08:34,560 If it seems slow 112 00:08:34,560 --> 00:08:39,520 Wait for it. Come on. Here's your word for the day if it seems slow wait for it. Come on 113 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:42,880 It may not be here yet, but that doesn't mean god's not working 114 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:47,360 Come on god is the slowest person i've ever met to always be on time, but he's always on time 115 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:49,440 Are you understand what i'm saying? 116 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:51,120 um 117 00:08:51,120 --> 00:08:56,640 If it seems slow wait for it. It will surely come it will not delay. Come on 118 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:00,000 We're in a series that we called unstuck 119 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:05,280 Today I want to talk uh along these lines see your way 120 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:11,600 Forward or see your way out. Okay, let's pray together father. Thank you so much for your word 121 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:15,040 As we open it god, we open our hearts 122 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:19,520 I believe you have a word for everyone that's here and everyone that's watching online 123 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,000 Lord help us to hear it and receive it 124 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,200 And help us to hide it in our hearts 125 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:29,040 In jesus name and everybody said amen you can be seen 126 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:32,320 Amen, you can be seated. Thank you so much for standing to honor the word of god 127 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,880 See your way out see your way out 128 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:43,360 We haven't I haven't got to go in a couple years but but for several years in a row 129 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,960 The guys in my life group or some of the guys in my life group 130 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,240 Uh would go on a hunt and I remember 131 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:56,160 One hunt we went on and if you understand about going on hunting you get up before it's 132 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:59,220 Daylight and you go out and you you know you hide 133 00:10:00,500 --> 00:10:05,780 And you wait on the animals and then you and then you uh, you uh love them and um 134 00:10:07,220 --> 00:10:14,180 And you uh, we'll use the word harvest them and you harvest the animal because the lord gave it to you 135 00:10:14,580 --> 00:10:16,100 and um 136 00:10:16,100 --> 00:10:18,340 And if you're with peta, I I don't care 137 00:10:18,900 --> 00:10:20,900 and um and so 138 00:10:20,900 --> 00:10:28,100 Uh, but I remember coming back in uh to the to the house where we're gonna have breakfast that morning after hunting 139 00:10:28,580 --> 00:10:34,500 I saw this like rent a car in the middle like we're in west texas. It's terrible terrain. You don't drive 140 00:10:35,060 --> 00:10:39,220 Cars certainly you don't really don't even drive trucks out to where we were we were using atvs 141 00:10:39,700 --> 00:10:45,380 And side by sides and um, and this car is just kind of beat up and it's beat to death 142 00:10:45,540 --> 00:10:48,900 And it's just kind of stuck and I said what's the deal? Obviously it didn't belong there 143 00:10:48,900 --> 00:10:51,780 Look, what's the deal like they said well this guy came in last night 144 00:10:52,500 --> 00:10:56,820 To hunt and he took a wrong turn in the entrance and just drove out through the wilderness 145 00:10:57,220 --> 00:11:01,140 Until he finally got stuck and then I guess he got out and walked 146 00:11:01,540 --> 00:11:03,540 um, and and he 147 00:11:03,620 --> 00:11:09,060 What I realized is he got out and walked and left the car there because he was stuck and he couldn't 148 00:11:09,700 --> 00:11:11,700 See his way out 149 00:11:11,860 --> 00:11:17,300 Because a lot of times when we're stuck what we need is we need to be able to see a way out 150 00:11:17,300 --> 00:11:22,820 We need to be able to see a way forward maybe feel like in life between 2020 and this 151 00:11:22,820 --> 00:11:29,220 We've just never seemed to recover and we're still like we talked about last week living a little bit reactive to the world instead 152 00:11:29,220 --> 00:11:34,660 It's almost like we're living in reaction to the world instead of in response to god's calling on our life 153 00:11:35,060 --> 00:11:40,020 And maybe you just still kind of feel a little stuck like i'm just waiting embracing for the next thing 154 00:11:40,020 --> 00:11:42,020 I'm you know, just trying to survive 155 00:11:42,020 --> 00:11:45,220 Well, maybe that's just because you haven't seen your way out 156 00:11:45,220 --> 00:11:48,820 Your way out you haven't seen a better way to go 157 00:11:49,060 --> 00:11:54,420 And so what I want to talk about today is really the power of vision in our lives and how we all 158 00:11:54,820 --> 00:11:58,900 Not only need a vision. That's true, but we can all have a vision 159 00:11:58,900 --> 00:12:03,460 in fact, i'm going to end by giving you some steps to take to really um, 160 00:12:04,260 --> 00:12:06,020 kind of 161 00:12:06,020 --> 00:12:12,180 To really get some clarity and really understand the vision that god has for your life 162 00:12:12,180 --> 00:12:17,460 Um, I think when we're talking about vision, let me just start by saying a few things 163 00:12:17,460 --> 00:12:22,100 I think there's a danger in not living with vision 164 00:12:23,300 --> 00:12:28,180 And and let me try to explain this if I could if you could imagine being blind for a minute 165 00:12:28,580 --> 00:12:35,060 And i'm not saying blind people don't have vision. In fact, one of my favorite quotes from helen keller is 166 00:12:35,380 --> 00:12:37,700 Is this quote where she says? 167 00:12:37,700 --> 00:12:42,740 I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget it and then I don't know where it is 168 00:12:43,300 --> 00:12:45,540 But she says essentially 169 00:12:46,340 --> 00:12:51,940 The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision 170 00:12:53,940 --> 00:12:58,820 So so I the only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision 171 00:12:58,820 --> 00:13:01,540 But I want you to imagine if you were blind for a minute 172 00:13:01,540 --> 00:13:04,980 There's when we don't have vision we could liken it to being blind 173 00:13:04,980 --> 00:13:09,380 Because in a way you think about it when you're blind you're more um 174 00:13:09,940 --> 00:13:12,820 You're more open to being injured 175 00:13:13,780 --> 00:13:16,500 Because you just can't see obstacles and you can't see things 176 00:13:16,500 --> 00:13:23,140 And so and so when we don't have like the number one danger of vision is it in it increases the opportunity for injury 177 00:13:23,780 --> 00:13:30,340 And I think this could be true a lot of people you were injured by a bad decision by a bad business decision by a bad life decision 178 00:13:30,340 --> 00:13:33,700 By a bad relationship because you just didn't have clear vision 179 00:13:33,700 --> 00:13:41,620 Right so when I can't see when I don't have vision it increases the opportunity for for injury it also inhibits acceleration 180 00:13:41,620 --> 00:13:47,620 For instance if I said right now everyone just pack up your stuff and exit the room as fast as you can 181 00:13:47,620 --> 00:13:50,100 Then you'd get up and you would take off like this 182 00:13:50,100 --> 00:13:57,060 But if we turned off all the lights and I blindfolded everybody and I said now exit the room as fast as you can 183 00:13:57,060 --> 00:13:59,060 It would be more like 184 00:13:59,060 --> 00:14:06,100 Right are you with me you understand what I'm saying and so when I don't have vision listen it increases injury 185 00:14:06,100 --> 00:14:12,580 But it also inhibits acceleration meaning I really can't reach my potential I don't move as fast through life 186 00:14:12,580 --> 00:14:18,420 Because I'm not sure which way to go and the third danger of vision is that it demands 187 00:14:18,420 --> 00:14:24,580 Or the third danger of not having vision is it demands assistance when I can't see I need a lot more help 188 00:14:24,580 --> 00:14:30,020 I don't know the plan for my life I need somebody to help me I need someone to point me in the right direction 189 00:14:30,020 --> 00:14:39,060 In fact if we're being honest sometimes when we don't have vision not only do we need assistance but it makes us codependent 190 00:14:41,060 --> 00:14:45,860 And it also makes us susceptible to people sometimes who say they have a vision for us 191 00:14:45,860 --> 00:14:51,940 Well that's good because I don't have a vision for me I'll go with your vision for me except for me 192 00:14:51,940 --> 00:14:58,100 I'll go with your vision for me etc and so there's some dangers to not having vision 193 00:14:58,100 --> 00:15:03,060 I think when we're talking about vision you say well what are we talking about well I think there's a principle in vision in that 194 00:15:03,060 --> 00:15:12,020 I really think the first thing God wants to do is to give vision the first thing God does in all of creation is he turns on the light 195 00:15:12,020 --> 00:15:19,620 Essentially he enables sight because sight is possible when there's illumination or there's light 196 00:15:19,620 --> 00:15:29,140 In fact in Genesis 1 God said let there be light and I think the first thing that God does is that God turns on the light 197 00:15:29,140 --> 00:15:34,500 He wants to give vision when you think about the great patriarchs in the Bible or the great people in the Bible you think about 198 00:15:34,500 --> 00:15:41,860 You know Abraham God says God comes to him and God in a way turns on the light by saying Abraham I want you to be a great nation 199 00:15:41,860 --> 00:15:48,660 Moses God is literally just living his life in the wilderness he's a shepherd and God lights a bush on fire 200 00:15:48,660 --> 00:15:54,180 But it doesn't burn but he turns on the light if you will gets Moses attention and says hey 201 00:15:54,740 --> 00:15:58,900 I want you to lead my people out of Egypt and you could walk through God 202 00:15:59,300 --> 00:16:05,940 David is just in a shepherd field minding and taking and tending care of taking care attending sheep 203 00:16:06,500 --> 00:16:12,260 When God calls him out and says I want you to be a king by the way a point here might be made 204 00:16:12,260 --> 00:16:18,420 If you really want vision be faithful because all those men were faithful where they were 205 00:16:18,420 --> 00:16:22,340 Which is why God came to them to give them greater vision than what they had 206 00:16:23,940 --> 00:16:29,060 Are you with me? The point is though you walk all through the Bible and God starts by giving vision 207 00:16:29,060 --> 00:16:35,060 If you think about it the apostle Paul the way he becomes the apostle Paul 208 00:16:35,060 --> 00:16:40,020 Remember as he's on his way to Damascus he's actually persecuting Christians 209 00:16:40,020 --> 00:16:44,500 And God blinds him in order to give him vision 210 00:16:47,540 --> 00:16:52,180 He says no you're going to preach the gospel and he ends up being really the apostle to the Gentiles 211 00:16:52,180 --> 00:16:57,460 Which for most of us that's us and we're so thankful and grateful and so the first thing God does is 212 00:16:57,460 --> 00:17:02,740 He gives vision when we're talking about vision vision is a conceptual view of the future 213 00:17:03,540 --> 00:17:08,500 In other words you could say it's kind of like a picture it's not everything about the picture 214 00:17:08,500 --> 00:17:13,220 Or the future it's not everything about the future and it's not everything that's going to happen 215 00:17:13,220 --> 00:17:18,260 And it's not every step that I'm going to take but it gives me something that's in the future 216 00:17:18,260 --> 00:17:24,500 Just like what we just read in Habakkuk he said write this vision down he said it's for an appointed time 217 00:17:24,500 --> 00:17:30,740 It's not going to delay but it's not yet it's coming but it's not today in other words it's a future that's out 218 00:17:30,740 --> 00:17:38,100 It's a picture that's out in the future and it's something to start giving some context to your life 219 00:17:38,100 --> 00:17:43,860 And meaning to your life and so when we're talking about vision what we're asking God for is we're asking God 220 00:17:43,860 --> 00:17:50,740 Hey give me that picture that I'm working towards that I'm moving towards that I'm you could say living towards 221 00:17:50,740 --> 00:17:55,700 And so when we're talking about vision you need to understand that vision comes from God 222 00:17:56,340 --> 00:18:00,740 Ultimately vision is not determined it's discovered 223 00:18:01,860 --> 00:18:06,180 Now here's what you need to understand about you that may help with the vision conversation 224 00:18:06,180 --> 00:18:10,340 You need to understand that you are here because God had vision 225 00:18:13,860 --> 00:18:22,740 You actually were created from God's vision and for God's vision 226 00:18:23,940 --> 00:18:31,140 Let me explain so what is God's vision well simply put on earth as it is in heaven 227 00:18:31,140 --> 00:18:38,500 So God is the sovereign ruler of the universe but he decides I want to create a physical planet 228 00:18:38,500 --> 00:18:43,540 In other words God is spirit he's incorporeal that's the doctrinal name the incorporeality of God 229 00:18:45,060 --> 00:18:51,140 But because God doesn't have a body he's spirit he's the ruler of the universe but he decides 230 00:18:51,140 --> 00:18:56,980 I want to make a physical planet and I want to rule over it and in order to do that now watch this 231 00:18:56,980 --> 00:19:02,340 So there's my vision I'm going to expand my kingdom and my rule in my reign over a physical planet 232 00:19:02,340 --> 00:19:06,740 So he says let there be light and he creates the heavens and the earth and all these animals and all this 233 00:19:06,740 --> 00:19:12,180 And then day six comes and he says now in order to really reign over earth what I want to do 234 00:19:12,180 --> 00:19:19,140 Is create a family in my likeness and image but they will have physical bodies and to them 235 00:19:19,140 --> 00:19:24,740 I will delegate the authority to rule and reign and expand my kingdom over the earth 236 00:19:24,740 --> 00:19:31,780 So because God wanted to expand his reign and kingdom over the earth it necessitated 237 00:19:31,780 --> 00:19:39,700 Adam and so Adam came from the vision of God but he was created also for the vision of God 238 00:19:39,700 --> 00:19:46,820 And ultimately this is what the Bible talks about you in the same manner because when the Bible talks 239 00:19:47,700 --> 00:19:54,420 We have wonderful scriptures about Jeremiah where God says hey before I formed you I knew you and 240 00:19:54,420 --> 00:20:01,220 Before you were born I appointed you as a prophet to the nations meaning Jeremiah created you from my 241 00:20:01,220 --> 00:20:08,260 Vision for my vision but we all love to claim the promise and we should Jeremiah 29 11 that God has 242 00:20:08,260 --> 00:20:14,820 A plan for us and it's a good plan to give us hope and a future well what are we talking about hope 243 00:20:14,820 --> 00:20:21,060 And a future and a good plan sounds like we're talking about a vision that you too are called 244 00:20:21,060 --> 00:20:26,260 Just like Adam we are all given a commission Adam was given a commission we're given a commission 245 00:20:26,260 --> 00:20:30,980 Go into all the world and preach the gospel and make disciples teaching them to obey everything 246 00:20:30,980 --> 00:20:38,660 That Jesus has commanded that that's our commission well we then were created from the vision of God 247 00:20:38,660 --> 00:20:46,980 For the vision of God in fact Hebrews 2 verse 10 says we are his some versions say craftsmanship 248 00:20:46,980 --> 00:20:52,500 Some versions say masterpiece I kind of like masterpiece because I've looked in the mirror y'all 249 00:20:53,700 --> 00:20:57,540 You understand what I'm saying and when I looked in the mirror it didn't look like a masterpiece 250 00:20:57,540 --> 00:21:02,980 But I'll take God's word over my opinion any day amen God wants to call me a masterpiece I'll say 251 00:21:02,980 --> 00:21:09,380 You're exactly right praise God right and so but this is what Ephesians 2 and it's talking about you 252 00:21:09,380 --> 00:21:16,980 And it's talking about me but it says we are his masterpiece now watch this that he created 253 00:21:17,620 --> 00:21:23,060 But what did he create us for he said for the good works that he created beforehand 254 00:21:24,020 --> 00:21:30,740 So that we should walk in them so this tells me yet again God had good works for you and good 255 00:21:30,740 --> 00:21:37,860 Works for me and so he created me to walk those out so how many understand we've said it before 256 00:21:37,860 --> 00:21:46,020 God doesn't start with a person he starts with a purpose right God starts with a vision and a purpose 257 00:21:46,020 --> 00:21:53,140 And then creates persons and he created you so you were created from the vision of God and you 258 00:21:53,140 --> 00:21:58,740 Were created for the vision of God if you don't get anything just nothing else you get from me today 259 00:21:58,740 --> 00:22:03,620 That's okay but would you write that down so that you go here I want you to go home with God's 260 00:22:03,620 --> 00:22:09,460 Opinion of yourself and not your opinion of yourself and not someone else's opinion of yourself 261 00:22:09,460 --> 00:22:16,180 I want you to have God's opinion of yourself and if nothing else Ephesians 2 verse 10 God thinks 262 00:22:16,180 --> 00:22:22,660 You're awesome you're a masterpiece and God has a purpose and a plan for you okay are you with me 263 00:22:22,660 --> 00:22:27,940 God thinks pretty highly of you I wish you thought as highly of you as God thinks of you amen 264 00:22:27,940 --> 00:22:32,980 And so we we need vision now I can't say that without saying this because this is true too 265 00:22:32,980 --> 00:22:39,460 God has a vision for your life right I hate to tell you this but Satan has a vision for your life 266 00:22:39,460 --> 00:22:47,460 And while God's vision is hope and and God's vision is a future Satan's vision is death and destruction 267 00:22:47,460 --> 00:22:53,860 So you need to understand there are some competing visions in your life and I think really 268 00:22:53,860 --> 00:23:02,020 Significance success meaning whatever you know word you want to assign to it I think is found in 269 00:23:02,020 --> 00:23:09,300 When my vision is God's vision when there is a synergy and a congruency between my vision and 270 00:23:09,300 --> 00:23:16,340 God's vision which also protects me from Satan's vision are you with me and so I want you to 271 00:23:16,340 --> 00:23:20,980 Understand God has a vision for your life let me give you five values of vision you can write these 272 00:23:20,980 --> 00:23:30,020 Down five values of vision number one is vision identifies vision identifies ultimately vision 273 00:23:30,020 --> 00:23:36,980 Starts to help me identify God's purpose for me in other words it helps me to start understanding 274 00:23:36,980 --> 00:23:42,900 Why God created me what I'm working towards if you think about for instance the people in the 275 00:23:42,900 --> 00:23:47,380 Bible that receive vision some of the ones we talked about Abraham was the father of our faith 276 00:23:47,380 --> 00:23:54,180 David if you think about his significance in leading God's people really to you know encounter 277 00:23:54,180 --> 00:23:58,100 And in a relationship with God and expanding God's rule and kingdom you can think about 278 00:23:58,100 --> 00:24:03,700 Moses and the deliverance of God's people but but vision is where we really start to understand 279 00:24:03,700 --> 00:24:09,780 The purpose that God has for us and listen here's this is a life principle but it's also a leadership 280 00:24:09,780 --> 00:24:15,700 Principle you can't measure I'm sorry you can't manage what you can't measure 281 00:24:15,700 --> 00:24:23,140 Right so for me to know if I'm managing my life we would use this word stewarding that's more of the 282 00:24:23,140 --> 00:24:29,940 Church word if I'm stewarding my life correctly I need something to measure it against and and I 283 00:24:29,940 --> 00:24:34,340 Don't listen I don't measure my vision against someone else's nor do I measure my life against 284 00:24:34,340 --> 00:24:39,940 Someone else's Paul even said this comparing each comparing ourselves with each other is not wise 285 00:24:39,940 --> 00:24:46,100 But I need something from the Lord that I'm measuring my life against and that something is vision 286 00:24:46,100 --> 00:24:54,180 That something is vision I remember when I was 19 years old I was in college at the time 287 00:24:54,180 --> 00:24:58,900 At the time I really wanted to do something in the medical field and so those were the classes that I was taking 288 00:24:58,900 --> 00:25:05,060 But that was where God really clarified and gave me the vision for this church where we're at now 289 00:25:05,060 --> 00:25:10,820 Was when I was 19 years old now it was for a time appointed obviously it wasn't for that time 290 00:25:10,820 --> 00:25:15,780 I didn't know when we would get here I didn't know what the buildings would look like I didn't know 291 00:25:15,780 --> 00:25:21,460 Those things but I had the vision for the church but once I had the vision for what we now call pathway 292 00:25:21,460 --> 00:25:27,540 I didn't have that name then once I had that vision it started identifying oh this is the reason I'm 293 00:25:27,540 --> 00:25:33,540 Existing this is this is what I'm living towards this is what I'm living towards this is what I'm 294 00:25:33,540 --> 00:25:39,700 Living towards this is this is something now that's giving me a sense of purpose and understanding 295 00:25:39,700 --> 00:25:46,340 Of why God made me and it gave me a way to measure am I getting closer or farther away 296 00:25:46,340 --> 00:25:52,020 So now I can steward my life better and I can manage my life better because now the vision gives me 297 00:25:52,020 --> 00:25:58,820 A sense of measurement to know am I living on purpose am I living according to the vision am I 298 00:25:58,820 --> 00:26:03,780 Living according to God's plan you know God can give you a vision but if you don't ever move towards 299 00:26:03,780 --> 00:26:09,220 It you'll never reach it are you with me I've met a lot of people that have visions from God and my 300 00:26:09,220 --> 00:26:13,940 Question is but what are you doing because come on Jonah you're on the wrong boat going the wrong way 301 00:26:13,940 --> 00:26:22,980 If you're supposed to be in Nineveh you got to turn around are you with me and so vision identifies 302 00:26:22,980 --> 00:26:28,740 The next thing number two value of vision is it clarifies well what does it clarify well it clarifies 303 00:26:28,740 --> 00:26:36,580 Priorities it can clarify convictions it can clarify values but it also clarifies a directionality 304 00:26:37,380 --> 00:26:44,420 I remember then when when I you know okay well I'm supposed to I'm supposed to be a pastor someday 305 00:26:44,420 --> 00:26:49,780 Well it since I was supposed to be a pastor someday going to medical school didn't necessarily 306 00:26:49,780 --> 00:26:55,940 Seem the right path anymore right nothing wrong I mean if God calls you you should go to medical 307 00:26:55,940 --> 00:26:59,540 School nothing nothing wrong with that at all but I'm saying when all of a sudden you thought you're 308 00:26:59,540 --> 00:27:04,660 Going this way and God's like well I need to adjust this is actually what I want you to aim towards here 309 00:27:04,660 --> 00:27:09,300 Well all of a sudden it changes priorities in other words what's first in my life and what's second in 310 00:27:09,300 --> 00:27:15,940 My life and what's third in my life and all of that is is based on on vision it also changes values 311 00:27:15,940 --> 00:27:21,940 Because at the time I was in a secular college and I was you know a nice person and so I got invited 312 00:27:21,940 --> 00:27:28,900 To places that people who want to end up as pastors probably shouldn't go are you with me 313 00:27:30,420 --> 00:27:36,500 But because I knew I you know was it because I knew well the plan for my life the vision for my life 314 00:27:36,500 --> 00:27:42,740 Is to be a pastor and I knew that then I was like well these values don't work for me I've got to have 315 00:27:42,740 --> 00:27:47,620 These values over here does that make sense and so when I have vision all of a sudden it starts 316 00:27:47,620 --> 00:27:53,940 Clarifying what needs to be first in my life what are the priorities of my life and and what are the 317 00:27:53,940 --> 00:27:59,780 Values I mean I remember I almost had my amp1 textbook memorized I can almost name every part 318 00:27:59,780 --> 00:28:03,300 Of the body because I thought people are going to die if I don't know what that is 319 00:28:04,260 --> 00:28:10,020 Right and all of a sudden I realized with the same veracity that I have been trying to memorize 320 00:28:10,020 --> 00:28:15,940 The amp1 textbook I better get in the bible and I better memorize some scripture it created some 321 00:28:15,940 --> 00:28:21,700 Priority it created some values it created some um some directionality so it clarifies the third 322 00:28:21,700 --> 00:28:28,180 Value of vision is it restricts now this sounds negative but it's really very helpful let me tell 323 00:28:28,180 --> 00:28:34,980 You what I mean by this proverbs 29 18 says where there is no prophetic vision people cast off 324 00:28:34,980 --> 00:28:42,900 Restraint but blessed is he who keeps the law where there is no vision the people one version 325 00:28:42,900 --> 00:28:49,140 Says perish I believe there's been a lot of lives lost I'm not saying they were lost early I'm saying 326 00:28:49,140 --> 00:28:55,140 They never reached their potential because they never found vision they perished without vision 327 00:28:55,140 --> 00:29:01,860 And where there is no vision people perish but this version I like the sv because it says they 328 00:29:01,860 --> 00:29:08,180 Cast off restraint in other words when there's no vision there there's there's nothing telling 329 00:29:08,180 --> 00:29:14,980 Restricting my movements and my behaviors there's nothing there's nothing refining if you will 330 00:29:14,980 --> 00:29:19,460 The direction of my life that we're talking about and so here have you ever you know I don't know we 331 00:29:20,260 --> 00:29:26,500 We all went to school with that one guy that had a new major every semester 332 00:29:28,340 --> 00:29:36,100 Was at college 37 years and still never graduated because every week he had a new dream a new idea 333 00:29:36,100 --> 00:29:39,780 A new vision he was this and then that well that makes more money I'll do that well I don't know 334 00:29:39,780 --> 00:29:44,900 Why I got hard I think I'll try this in other words there's no there's there's no focus 335 00:29:46,420 --> 00:29:52,420 Right we're just all over the place with our lives we're just wandering aimlessly through our life 336 00:29:52,420 --> 00:29:58,260 But when there's when there's vision there's there's focus right when there's vision it 337 00:29:58,260 --> 00:30:04,900 Restricts have you ever have you ever gone on maybe like a if you've seen horses um we were in 338 00:30:04,900 --> 00:30:09,700 New York a couple months ago and you can do a carriage ride around central park but they put 339 00:30:09,700 --> 00:30:14,580 The blinders on the on the horses right and that's so they don't get spooked by something going on 340 00:30:14,580 --> 00:30:18,980 The peripheral and take off the wrong way or so they don't see somebody eating an apple and decide 341 00:30:18,980 --> 00:30:23,300 They want to go eat their apple I don't you know what I'm saying so it restricts their vision so 342 00:30:23,300 --> 00:30:28,580 They can be more intentional with their movements and and really more successful really with their 343 00:30:28,580 --> 00:30:34,900 Movements and this is what vision does it puts some blinders on that brings focus to my life it 344 00:30:34,900 --> 00:30:41,140 Restricts my vision so that I'm always moving with intentionality in the right way listen if you don't 345 00:30:41,140 --> 00:30:47,140 Have vision you don't have focus and if you don't have focus everything's an option and everything 346 00:30:47,140 --> 00:30:53,860 Can be a distraction are you with me so so the third value of vision is it restricts the fourth 347 00:30:53,860 --> 00:31:00,900 Value of vision is it simplifies vision narrows your opportunities and it narrows your options 348 00:31:00,900 --> 00:31:07,700 But that's really good vision makes decisions for you if you I don't know if you're a business owner 349 00:31:07,700 --> 00:31:12,980 Or you're in management especially I know our pastors probably run into this a lot I do you can 350 00:31:12,980 --> 00:31:19,380 Get decision fatigue right because we make thousands of decisions a day and if you run a business 351 00:31:19,380 --> 00:31:23,540 Or if you run a company and you have to make not only your decisions like you had to decide 352 00:31:23,540 --> 00:31:28,660 What shoes you're going to wear but you also have to make decisions for many people in your company or 353 00:31:28,660 --> 00:31:32,660 The managers in your company or maybe all the employees in your company as far as who's going 354 00:31:32,660 --> 00:31:38,660 To do what when where and how or or what you know how you're going to manage you know your your you 355 00:31:38,660 --> 00:31:43,060 Know if you have an inventory I mean there's obviously all these decisions and sometimes you can 356 00:31:43,060 --> 00:31:48,900 Just get decision fatigue where it's like man and literally psychologically this exists where it's 357 00:31:48,900 --> 00:31:53,460 Just I can't make good decisions I can't make any more decisions I'm just tired of making decisions 358 00:31:53,460 --> 00:31:57,460 And by the way if you haven't ever managed a company if you've had kids you've had decision fatigue 359 00:31:57,460 --> 00:32:04,580 Amen are you with me? But the point is this that when I have decision when I have vision 360 00:32:05,300 --> 00:32:10,420 It starts making decisions for me I don't know if you ever thought about this but vision will 361 00:32:10,420 --> 00:32:20,100 Actually make relationship decisions for you come on I am some of us in our lives could have saved 362 00:32:20,100 --> 00:32:27,620 Ourself from some pain if vision would have said no to somebody are you with me right I mean it is 363 00:32:27,620 --> 00:32:31,940 Because you start saying well this is not where I need to go but sometimes this I don't need to be 364 00:32:31,940 --> 00:32:36,820 In a close relationship with this person for single people sometimes if you if you really know 365 00:32:36,820 --> 00:32:41,300 The direction you're supposed to go then all of a sudden this person is not going the same direction 366 00:32:41,300 --> 00:32:45,940 So no we shouldn't be in a relationship with them or we shouldn't date them because we have a vision 367 00:32:45,940 --> 00:32:52,340 How can two walk together if they're not agreed in other words how can you really walk with someone 368 00:32:52,340 --> 00:32:58,180 If you don't share vision with them right that's why it's important especially marriage 369 00:32:58,180 --> 00:33:03,940 Married couples like you should be at the marriage weekend because you leave with a sense of vision 370 00:33:03,940 --> 00:33:10,340 For your relationship so that you can walk together because you're going in the same 371 00:33:10,340 --> 00:33:17,060 Direction are you with me so so vision it simplifies and speaking to the relational 372 00:33:17,060 --> 00:33:23,140 Component it creates unity as well that's just another one but but it simplifies and the fifth 373 00:33:24,020 --> 00:33:29,380 Value of vision is it energizes remember what we said one of the dangers of vision is 374 00:33:29,380 --> 00:33:34,900 That we have to slow down when we can't see but when we can see we can move faster 375 00:33:34,900 --> 00:33:41,140 Well think about Habakkuk because what God says is after you write it down run 376 00:33:43,220 --> 00:33:50,820 Once you have vision you can move faster once you have vision the people around you can move faster 377 00:33:50,820 --> 00:33:59,220 And so he's saying hey vision expedites but why does it expedite because vision I think brings passion 378 00:33:59,220 --> 00:34:04,260 Like when I really have a vision that comes from the Lord I get passionate about that vision 379 00:34:04,260 --> 00:34:11,460 Because it is from the Lord and I get excited about it and I'm energized by it and I can't wait to get 380 00:34:11,460 --> 00:34:16,340 Get moving right like for me all week long just the fact that I was going to get to talk to you about 381 00:34:16,340 --> 00:34:21,220 Vision because this is what I love to do and it's part of my vision so the fact that I got to talk 382 00:34:21,220 --> 00:34:25,220 To you today I was waiting all week long to get here to have this conversation because I'm like oh 383 00:34:25,220 --> 00:34:29,940 I just got to tell them I just want to help somebody today there's probably one person that needs some 384 00:34:29,940 --> 00:34:33,940 Clarity that needs some vision and God's going to give it to them and he's going to use me to help 385 00:34:33,940 --> 00:34:39,140 Clarify some things and make some points and I was very excited because this is what I do it's my vision 386 00:34:39,140 --> 00:34:45,860 So I'm energized by it like I'm excited to do it right and and and so that's what vision does it 387 00:34:45,860 --> 00:34:53,380 It energizes because think about this um it is true I should say this it is true that 388 00:34:53,380 --> 00:34:58,820 It is possible we all have desires in us that came from us that didn't come from God 389 00:34:58,820 --> 00:35:05,620 Are you with me like like I don't think my desire for junk food really came from the Lord I think that 390 00:35:05,620 --> 00:35:12,340 I don't I don't I don't think it's from him I do think he made the cocoa plant I do think that 391 00:35:12,340 --> 00:35:18,020 I'm not sure you know he made sugar cane so I mean he made the ingredients you understand 392 00:35:18,020 --> 00:35:23,860 Like everything an M&M is made out of came from the Lord and uh and I just want to point that out 393 00:35:23,860 --> 00:35:30,660 Right now um and you know I'm not saying that God you know Janne eats ice cream and um like every 394 00:35:30,660 --> 00:35:36,980 Night she eats ice cream it's it's her thing and and I started eating ice cream and uh then I started 395 00:35:36,980 --> 00:35:42,980 Being larger and it doesn't it doesn't it doesn't affect her in that way I wonder the guys that will 396 00:35:42,980 --> 00:35:51,380 Ice cream uh ultimately the cow eats the grass then the cow magically turns the grass into ice cream 397 00:35:52,100 --> 00:36:00,820 Is somewhat of a miracle so technically ice cream is processed salad and uh and you understand I'm 398 00:36:00,820 --> 00:36:06,660 Saying it's really not about what's right it's about what you can justify in life no it's that's bad 399 00:36:06,660 --> 00:36:18,180 Don't write that down Pastor Marty says no he didn't um it is possible to have desires that are 400 00:36:18,180 --> 00:36:24,260 Not holy and desires that are somewhat selfish because we are you know beings that do exist in 401 00:36:24,260 --> 00:36:28,180 The flesh and we are being sanctified and we are working out our relationship with God 402 00:36:28,180 --> 00:36:32,260 And God is transforming us into the image which has come but there's a process so there's the 403 00:36:32,260 --> 00:36:36,980 Immediate work of salvation and then there's the progressive work of salvation and so I get that 404 00:36:36,980 --> 00:36:42,180 But there are desires here's what I need you to hear there are desires that you have inside you 405 00:36:42,180 --> 00:36:50,340 Right now that aren't from you they are from God they exist on the inside of you when scripture says 406 00:36:50,340 --> 00:36:57,620 When God says you know he will give us the desires of our heart he's not saying if you serve your time 407 00:36:57,620 --> 00:37:02,900 I'll give you what you want you know that's not like God's not making you a prison deal you 408 00:37:02,900 --> 00:37:08,500 Understand like like you know what hey you hey you do really good I'm gonna all help you in the end 409 00:37:08,500 --> 00:37:14,500 No what is he saying he's saying listen as I draw near to God and as I really build my relationship 410 00:37:14,500 --> 00:37:21,380 With God I'm gonna come to realize that the the strongest desires of my heart probably exist 411 00:37:21,380 --> 00:37:29,940 Because of him and they actually accelerate or expand his kingdom he put them on the inside of me 412 00:37:29,940 --> 00:37:37,860 And that's why God says listen hey you you hang out with me you draw near to me right you you put me first 413 00:37:37,860 --> 00:37:44,260 Yeah I'm gonna give you the desires of your heart because I put the desire there 414 00:37:44,260 --> 00:37:54,980 I'm the one that you it didn't come from you it came from me and I didn't give you that desire to frustrate you 415 00:37:54,980 --> 00:38:02,980 I gave you that desire to fulfill you because it came from me and so you need to understand that 416 00:38:02,980 --> 00:38:10,180 That ultimately God gives us these desires and and ultimately they come from him when we talk about 417 00:38:10,180 --> 00:38:15,940 Finding our vision what you and write this down this this will help you because now we're going to turn the corner 418 00:38:15,940 --> 00:38:27,140 Into really finding our vision okay but write this down what I believe for the most part your vision is actually inside of you 419 00:38:27,140 --> 00:38:34,660 How do I know that because where does your vision come from help me out everybody your vision comes from God 420 00:38:34,660 --> 00:38:47,540 And who is inside of you and who made you and who created you and who is recreating you into the image of his own son 421 00:38:47,540 --> 00:38:54,260 God and so I ultimately think so many times we're looking out here and we think well there's a good vision or there's a good vision 422 00:38:54,260 --> 00:39:01,780 Or I saw this on TikTok or my friend did this or I saw this on Instagram and those may be wonderful for whoever they are 423 00:39:01,780 --> 00:39:10,740 But if you want to find vision then you get with God and find out what did God put on the inside of you 424 00:39:10,740 --> 00:39:18,260 Because listen to me listen to me I believe this would be good to write down I believe design reveals destiny 425 00:39:18,260 --> 00:39:27,060 Let me say it another way God has a plan and a purpose we'll call that destiny 426 00:39:27,060 --> 00:39:36,500 Well if God wants you to get there then he designs you to get there if God wants you to do that he designs you to do that 427 00:39:36,500 --> 00:39:44,980 Write this down God never uses what you don't have 428 00:39:44,980 --> 00:39:50,660 God doesn't need what you don't have because so many times we will sit in our pew and say well God I can't do that because 429 00:39:50,660 --> 00:39:58,980 I'm not kind of like Moses I'm not good with words I'm not good with words either I have a terrible vocabulary right 430 00:39:58,980 --> 00:40:07,460 But I can get really excited and make a point I'm not good with words I'm good with arguments 431 00:40:07,460 --> 00:40:15,060 Are you with me like my mama said baby be a preacher or a lawyer it's your only hope 432 00:40:15,060 --> 00:40:26,980 Right but the point is God I believe design reveals destiny and if God designed me in a way 433 00:40:26,980 --> 00:40:32,660 Or if God destined me then God designed me and God gave me what I needed to get there 434 00:40:32,660 --> 00:40:39,380 God never uses what you don't have he never asks for what you don't have and he never calls who you are not 435 00:40:39,380 --> 00:40:46,580 He only calls who you are with what you have with where you have because God actually doesn't need you to do it 436 00:40:46,580 --> 00:40:54,180 He needs you to surrender to it and if you'll surrender to it he'll use you to do it and he'll make up what you don't have 437 00:40:54,180 --> 00:41:02,820 Like just like your your word says like Paul says his strength is made perfect when I can't in my weakness God can't 438 00:41:02,820 --> 00:41:11,620 He needs listen he needs my availability a lot more than he needs my availability 439 00:41:11,620 --> 00:41:18,100 But I think ultimately I think I think your vision is inside of you because God's inside of you 440 00:41:18,100 --> 00:41:25,060 And remember vision listen vision vision comes from God 441 00:41:25,060 --> 00:41:28,900 Let me give you some things to consider when you're when you when you want to consider you might ask these 442 00:41:28,900 --> 00:41:33,620 You can ask yourself these questions you may want to jot them down I'll give you four questions really quickly 443 00:41:33,620 --> 00:41:41,140 Number one what thoughts do I have that will not leave thoughts that will not leave what thoughts do I have that I've never got 444 00:41:41,140 --> 00:41:45,220 They don't leave they don't leave I've had these thoughts for years and years and years 445 00:41:45,220 --> 00:41:51,620 It's the first question here's another question what dreams do I have that that don't die 446 00:41:51,620 --> 00:41:56,580 What are the dreams that I have they just don't die they just keep coming up again coming up again they just don't ever die 447 00:41:56,580 --> 00:42:01,540 What thoughts do I have that won't leave what dreams do I have that won't die what ideas do I have that don't fade 448 00:42:02,580 --> 00:42:04,580 These ideas just don't go away 449 00:42:05,220 --> 00:42:08,180 Right and then what desires do I have that don't diminish? 450 00:42:11,300 --> 00:42:13,540 I think these are four great questions to ask 451 00:42:14,100 --> 00:42:19,380 On this on this path if you will to finding God's vision for your life if I have thoughts that won't leave dreams 452 00:42:19,380 --> 00:42:22,660 That won't die ideas that don't fade desires that don't diminish 453 00:42:22,660 --> 00:42:29,700 This really is helping I think me to understand what God has locked up on the inside of me another way to say it is 454 00:42:29,700 --> 00:42:33,060 What desire do I have that would change something in the world? 455 00:42:34,420 --> 00:42:40,660 What desire do I have that change something another another thing to say is if it if it's a problem that bothers you 456 00:42:41,220 --> 00:42:43,220 Maybe you're called to do something about it 457 00:42:43,220 --> 00:42:51,060 I mean sometimes finding God's vision for our life is that happy medium between what ticks us off and what makes us tick 458 00:42:54,020 --> 00:42:57,540 Right like like for me like what makes me tick is 459 00:42:57,940 --> 00:43:02,660 This like today makes me tick because I feel like here are people I see you leaning in you're writing things down 460 00:43:02,660 --> 00:43:05,380 You're like, okay. We're with you preacher like we want to live the life 461 00:43:05,380 --> 00:43:11,700 God called us to we want to live on purpose that fires me up what what ticks me off when I see people wasting their lives 462 00:43:11,700 --> 00:43:17,060 Right and choosing to do that. No, I don't get mad at them. It just you know, it ticks me off 463 00:43:17,060 --> 00:43:21,060 I'm like stupid devil. You know what I'm saying? Like, um, like I want to go get them 464 00:43:21,060 --> 00:43:26,420 It's like God has a plan for your life. You know what I'm saying, but that's weird to do in Walmart. And so um 465 00:43:30,580 --> 00:43:35,940 You know and and then what really you know, one of the things like I love another thing I get I realize 466 00:43:36,500 --> 00:43:40,820 This really this last year. I'm so protective of of the big C church 467 00:43:40,820 --> 00:43:47,860 So not just I'm obviously protective protective pathway, but the big C church because I see so many enemies of the church today 468 00:43:48,660 --> 00:43:52,660 In fact, I think the thing that's threatening the church more than anything else 469 00:43:52,660 --> 00:43:58,820 There are a few huge threats that I see one is today pastors care more about being famous than making disciples 470 00:43:59,620 --> 00:44:03,860 And so so because of that they don't preach the truth. They preach for clicks 471 00:44:03,860 --> 00:44:09,700 And this is this is horrendous and it is it's heretical in a lot of ways what they're teaching 472 00:44:10,020 --> 00:44:17,460 But they won't actually talk about the right things the right way and we're leaving good sound theological doctrine behind because 473 00:44:17,780 --> 00:44:20,580 All we're really interested in is being more famous 474 00:44:21,140 --> 00:44:26,020 And so we're using the pulpit and all the church's resources to build our kingdom of fame 475 00:44:26,420 --> 00:44:30,420 So we can write a book or whatever and leave the church and go do a podcast or whatever 476 00:44:30,420 --> 00:44:33,940 And so to me that's something that's really bothering me 477 00:44:34,340 --> 00:44:37,940 And then another thing is just the the doctrine of demons it happens 478 00:44:37,940 --> 00:44:41,700 You know there was the liberal theology that came out in the early 1900s today 479 00:44:41,700 --> 00:44:47,940 We have the progressive christian christian theology which undermines the deity of christ and the inerrancy of scripture 480 00:44:48,420 --> 00:44:49,460 And that's by the way 481 00:44:49,460 --> 00:44:55,220 That's what you need to do in order to have a fake gospel is you have to remove the deity the specialness 482 00:44:55,220 --> 00:44:58,580 That is jesus the holiness that is jesus you undermine the 483 00:44:58,580 --> 00:45:04,500 Essentially the authority of god's word and you undermine the the what made jesus jesus the fact that he was god incarnate 484 00:45:04,900 --> 00:45:08,660 And so so to me these are these are things but I realized this last week 485 00:45:08,660 --> 00:45:11,380 I was listening to a clip on instagram and I just got mad 486 00:45:12,180 --> 00:45:14,180 I got mad I was like 487 00:45:15,860 --> 00:45:17,860 Like I was about to go prophetically 488 00:45:17,940 --> 00:45:22,980 Psycho billy ninja if I could have got a hold of somebody in that moment right like 489 00:45:22,980 --> 00:45:28,500 Woof anyways, and I thought what is this? I thought man. I don't like it because it's false doctrine 490 00:45:28,820 --> 00:45:32,180 It's bad teaching and it's motivated by selfish ambition 491 00:45:32,500 --> 00:45:36,900 And it is actually in my opinion taking advantage of the church and I don't like that 492 00:45:37,540 --> 00:45:42,980 And so to me, you know this it's between what ticks you off and what makes you tick everybody. Are you with me? 493 00:45:43,300 --> 00:45:45,940 Let me give you three i'm going to call them three steps 494 00:45:45,940 --> 00:45:49,380 They're very simple if you want to find god's vision for your life 495 00:45:49,380 --> 00:45:53,540 Let me give you these three the the first one is this capture it 496 00:45:54,420 --> 00:46:01,300 Capture it and what I mean by that remember what god told habakkuk right? He said write it down 497 00:46:01,940 --> 00:46:08,340 Write it down guys. I don't have time to go through all the science of this. There's power in writing things down 498 00:46:09,060 --> 00:46:13,300 If it wouldn't have been then god wouldn't have told habakkuk to write it down 499 00:46:13,940 --> 00:46:16,100 Even david makes this comment. He said 500 00:46:16,100 --> 00:46:20,500 These things I didn't understand until I wrote them down 501 00:46:21,380 --> 00:46:27,380 King david said that and so by the way, that's you can't search it exactly like that because that's a paraphrase version 502 00:46:27,540 --> 00:46:32,020 I think the actual quote would be he made known to me these things in writing 503 00:46:32,340 --> 00:46:37,540 But he's by my own hand. I think that's going to be closer if you want to google that verse anyways, but the point is 504 00:46:38,020 --> 00:46:41,460 There's power in writing it down. So capture it and you say well pastor. I don't know what to write down 505 00:46:41,460 --> 00:46:43,060 Here's where I think people get blocked 506 00:46:43,060 --> 00:46:49,860 You sit down and try to write a vision statement, but what you need to do is try to unpack vision 507 00:46:50,820 --> 00:46:53,780 So when I say capture it you could say brainstorm it 508 00:46:54,340 --> 00:47:00,980 In other words, i'm going to sit down now. You're going to sit down with god. Come on. Good vision is not dreamed up 509 00:47:00,980 --> 00:47:04,020 It's prayed down. Come on somebody. Are you with me? 510 00:47:04,020 --> 00:47:10,180 So you're going to sit down with god and you're going to try to unpack how god has designed you what the vision is 511 00:47:10,180 --> 00:47:16,500 What makes you tick what ticks you off maybe look at some of these questions like what are the thoughts that don't leave the dreams that don't die 512 00:47:16,500 --> 00:47:18,500 The thoughts that never go away 513 00:47:18,500 --> 00:47:23,460 What are those things and you're not trying to get a sentence you're trying to fill a page or two 514 00:47:23,460 --> 00:47:28,660 With things that are in your heart their desires of your heart. You're going to get them out on paper 515 00:47:28,660 --> 00:47:30,660 You're going to capture them on paper, right? 516 00:47:30,660 --> 00:47:35,460 And so you're going to write that down just you know, whatever like god. I'm really passionate about this 517 00:47:35,460 --> 00:47:37,460 I really love this this kind of thing 518 00:47:37,460 --> 00:47:44,020 I'm really passionate about this. I really love this this kind of annoys me like here's a dream i've always had here's a thought that won't go away 519 00:47:44,020 --> 00:47:47,540 Here's a desire that just never seems to fade away, right? 520 00:47:47,540 --> 00:47:52,420 And we're just putting this on paper with the lord processing with god in our quiet time 521 00:47:52,980 --> 00:47:54,980 If it takes a month fine 522 00:47:54,980 --> 00:47:57,700 It's we're not putting a time stamp. It's not like a drive-through thing 523 00:47:57,780 --> 00:47:59,780 I know we live in the drive-through world 524 00:47:59,780 --> 00:48:04,500 But sometimes vision is not necessarily something you just drive through and get on a sunday. Come on somebody 525 00:48:04,500 --> 00:48:09,220 All right, you just can't order a number three at you know, chick-fil-a and walk away with vision 526 00:48:09,300 --> 00:48:12,820 All right, and so I mean you can get away with chicken but not vision and so 527 00:48:13,700 --> 00:48:17,780 And so capture it the next step is is consolidate 528 00:48:18,800 --> 00:48:22,020 Consolidated and here's where i'm really weighing this out 529 00:48:22,020 --> 00:48:26,340 And so I take all these different fragments and ideas and statements or whatever 530 00:48:26,820 --> 00:48:31,140 And I try to put them in categories if I can and name the categories 531 00:48:31,140 --> 00:48:35,780 Uh, I try to see what's alike about them or how they fit together 532 00:48:36,020 --> 00:48:41,060 So i'm trying to consolidate trying to distill maybe that's a good word to distill this down 533 00:48:41,620 --> 00:48:45,140 And ultimately I want to take all of that and and I want to get it to 534 00:48:45,860 --> 00:48:47,540 maybe four 535 00:48:47,540 --> 00:48:52,260 Sentences at most somewhere between two and four sentences one and one is great 536 00:48:52,260 --> 00:48:58,900 But somewhere between two and four sentences five if you just have to but you consolidate it down 537 00:48:58,900 --> 00:49:00,900 Um 538 00:49:00,980 --> 00:49:06,820 And and and then once it's consolidated then here's the third one you contemplate 539 00:49:07,300 --> 00:49:09,460 This is where we go back to the lord again 540 00:49:10,020 --> 00:49:15,860 Really go back to the lord and say hey, i've kind of got a paragraph here. I've got four sentences three sentences something like that 541 00:49:16,500 --> 00:49:18,500 But lord, I want to sit with you 542 00:49:18,500 --> 00:49:23,940 And I want us to go over this because remember good vision is not dreamed up. It's prayed down 543 00:49:24,100 --> 00:49:25,220 Are you with me? 544 00:49:25,220 --> 00:49:29,540 And so god, you know, let's let's work on it and refine it, right? 545 00:49:30,100 --> 00:49:37,220 Um, and then this is where you come on. This is a revision. Come on somebody division again, right revision 546 00:49:37,380 --> 00:49:43,140 And that's where you just keep working it down and hopefully you leave here now with a sentence 547 00:49:43,860 --> 00:49:45,860 It could be a complex sentence if you want 548 00:49:46,260 --> 00:49:52,900 But it's a sentence and it's one that you feel like okay god and I have met right? I have captured it 549 00:49:52,900 --> 00:49:57,700 I have you know, I have distilled this down. I've consolidated it 550 00:49:58,260 --> 00:50:02,660 I've contemplated it with the lord and by the way contemplating may take a few weeks 551 00:50:02,660 --> 00:50:05,060 I'm not saying this something that just happens on a monday morning 552 00:50:05,300 --> 00:50:11,860 It could be that clear but it's okay to take some time with this because remember we're trying to get a a life vision a vision 553 00:50:12,020 --> 00:50:16,820 For our lives if if we don't have one or even if we have one we're trying to make it as clear 554 00:50:16,820 --> 00:50:21,060 Come on. That's what habakkuk said make it plain. God said to habakkuk make it plain 555 00:50:21,060 --> 00:50:24,500 Right. I don't know about you. I need things plain. I'm pretty simple, right? 556 00:50:24,500 --> 00:50:30,740 I need things plain and so when you get there then you can always come back and reevaluate it as you're walking through life 557 00:50:30,980 --> 00:50:33,220 Because it is true at different seasons 558 00:50:33,220 --> 00:50:40,020 God may nuance that vision a different way for a different people group or for a different company or for a different idea 559 00:50:40,020 --> 00:50:44,900 Whatever the case may be god can I mean he can make in course corrections 560 00:50:44,900 --> 00:50:49,540 So we this is something we walk out with him. It's not something that we walk out by ourselves 561 00:50:49,540 --> 00:50:51,540 Are you are you with me? 562 00:50:51,780 --> 00:50:55,780 Here's what I want you to understand is god if nothing else 563 00:50:56,820 --> 00:50:59,620 God has this incredible vision for creation 564 00:51:00,660 --> 00:51:03,780 And out of that vision you were created and I was created 565 00:51:04,580 --> 00:51:07,700 And and we were created for god's vision 566 00:51:08,420 --> 00:51:15,860 So god has a vision for you and god has a plan for you and god has a purpose for you and I think 567 00:51:15,860 --> 00:51:19,060 Not just about getting unstuck as we're talking about 568 00:51:19,700 --> 00:51:27,780 I think just life in general having success or fulfillment for life to be meaningful for us to sleep well at night 569 00:51:27,780 --> 00:51:34,820 I think is about living god's plan and walking out god's purpose and we don't do that without god's vision 570 00:51:35,700 --> 00:51:38,500 So I want you to understand god just doesn't call pastors 571 00:51:39,220 --> 00:51:41,460 Right god calls everybody 572 00:51:41,460 --> 00:51:46,020 You roman's eight says you are called according to the purpose of god 573 00:51:46,580 --> 00:51:51,700 Well, if god calls you you had a vision because god starts with vision. He turns on the light first 574 00:51:52,020 --> 00:51:58,500 And so church, I want us all especially this last week of the fast. Let's lean in to a god 575 00:51:58,980 --> 00:52:07,380 born vision for our lives and really try to understand the plans like we read in jeremiah 29 that god has for us 576 00:52:07,380 --> 00:52:11,940 For a hope and a future and that way if you feel stuck you can see your way out 577 00:52:12,260 --> 00:52:15,940 If you're a little confused and wandering around you can see your way forward 578 00:52:16,260 --> 00:52:19,540 But I want everyone to have god's vision for their life 579 00:52:19,780 --> 00:52:26,340 Especially if you feel your way stuck today if you feel stuck today, you can see your way 580 00:52:26,900 --> 00:52:30,100 out amen come on give jesus praise today 581 00:52:32,100 --> 00:52:35,700 Hey pastor marty here from pathway church, and I just want to say thank you 582 00:52:35,700 --> 00:52:42,100 For joining us and I want to encourage you to get connected and stay connected and there's several ways you can do that 583 00:52:42,100 --> 00:52:48,820 Number one you can download the pathway app that we are all the time offering resources and information on that app for you 584 00:52:48,980 --> 00:52:51,540 You can also subscribe to our youtube channel 585 00:52:51,540 --> 00:52:58,420 And if you do make sure you click the bell so that you never miss any life giving and life changing content as we add it 586 00:52:58,580 --> 00:53:00,580 To the channel and then also 587 00:53:00,580 --> 00:53:06,420 Make sure you follow us on social media on instagram on facebook look our hope and heart for you 588 00:53:06,420 --> 00:53:12,500 Is that you walk in the purpose for which god made and created and redeemed you for 589 00:53:12,900 --> 00:53:14,900 We love to connect people to purpose 590 00:53:14,900 --> 00:53:19,140 We thank you for giving us this opportunity and if you're ever at long view or you are in long view 591 00:53:19,140 --> 00:53:23,140 I'd love to invite you to join us in person each weekend listen 592 00:53:23,460 --> 00:53:27,780 I pray god's best for your life. I believe if you follow jesus 593 00:53:27,780 --> 00:53:29,780 Your best is ahead