Introductory Session: “Vision” as a Biblical Reality
● Proverbs 29:18 KJV “Where there is no vision the people perish.”
● modern translations: “Where there is not revelation (NIV) / prophecy (NRSV) the people cast off restraint”
● Hebrew chazon, technical term for the revelation given to a prophet (Gen 15:1; 1 Sam 3:1; 2 Sam 7:4, 17; Ps 89:19; Job 4:13; Hos 12:10; cf. Jer 14:14; 23:16; Ezek 12:23; Obad 1) prophet = “seer” (1 Sam 9:9) i.e. one who receives visions, though prophets can “see” words/oracles from God (Isa 13:1; Nah 1:1; Hab 1:1)
● the task of the seer/prophet is to keep God’s people in touch with their chosen destiny (2 Sam 24:11; 2 Ki 17:13; 2 Chr 9:29; 12:15; 29:25; 33:18f; Am 7:14)
● no vision means disaster, for it indicates God has cast off the people (1 Sam 28:6; Amos 8:11); classical instance appears at the end of the period of the judges – “The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.” (1 Sam 3:1). This relates to the absence of a king, “In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.” (Judges 21:25). (cf. Prov 29:18 LXX (Greek translation of O.T.) “There shall be no interpreter to a sinful nation.”)
● unlike the O.T. (Num 11:29), the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost means all of God’s people are prophetic in relation to his ongoing mighty works (Acts 2:11,17)
● the N.T. moves in an atmosphere of abundant revelation e.g. vision (Acts 9:10; 10:3; 11:5; 16:9; 18:9; 26:19; 2 Cor 12:1; Rev 9:17), word (Acts 8:26; 11:28; 13:2; 16:9; 23:11; 27:23, note: these are all examples of specific revelation)
● revelation(s) are the common property of the early church (1 Cor 2:10; 14:26; 30; 2 Cor 12:1, 7; Gal 1:12, 16; Eph 1:17; 3:3, 5; Phil 3:15; Rev 1:1)
● it must therefore be concluded that it is normative for the church to move forward on the basis of “vision”
2. Vision as a Personal Reality
● since “vision”/ “revelation” means an “unveiling” or manifestation of a previously hidden reality it is necessarily experiential and not simply cognitive (analogy: Franz Josef Glacier)
● example: JY Acts 3:19-21 Jesus and the restoration of all things cf. Eph 1:10
● axiom: people operate out of their deepest experience(s) whatever this may be
● something that may help you in discovering vision is the principle of “point of joy.” This relates to the observation that the rule or kingship of God brings joy to his people (Ps 51:11-12; Neh 8:10; Luke 10:21; Heb 1:9; Rom 14:17). Wherever you experience joy in the Lord most intensely will be a key indicator of the vision that God has for your life e.g. the “point of joy” might be seeing people come to Christ, offering hospitality, persevering prayer and so on.
3. The Dimensions of Vision
1. The Vision of Jesus
2. Receiving and Communicating Vision
3. Vision and Passion
4. What Blocks Vision?
1. The Vision of Jesus
A. The Plan of God
● from eternity God has been working to a plan (Isa 46:10; Matt 13:35;25:34; Acts 3:21; 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 3:9, 11) that encompasses “all things” (Isa 14:24ff; Lam 3:37 38; Rom 11:36; Eph 1:11).
● this plan is a “secret” or “mystery” hidden from eternity in God (Rom 16:25; 1 Cor 2:7; Eph 3:9; Col 1:26) but now revealed to the apostles, prophets and the saints (Rom16:26; 1 Cor 2:10; 4:1; Eph 3: 3ff 9; Col 1:25-26).
● this plan can be expressed in terms of the restoration or renewal of the whole creation (Matt 19:28; Acts 3:21; 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1ff etc)
● what was unknown to the O.T. prophets was the inclusion of the Gentiles among the people of God on equal terms with Israel, and that this would be achieved by their participation in the life of the Messiah (Rom 16:26; Eph 2:11-16; 3:6; Col 1:21-22, 27)
● at the heart of this plan is that human beings might share in the glory of God, the purpose for which they, and all things, were created (Isa 43:6-7, 21; 48:11; John 15:8; 17:22; Rom 8:17; 9:23; Eph 1:6, 12; 2 Thess 2:14; 2 Tim 2:10; 1 Pet 4:11; 5:4)
● the glory of God is the manifestation of God’s inner nature, in the Bible this is his oneness (Deut 6:4; John 17:1,5; Rom 3:30;1Cor 8:6; Gal 3:20; Eph 4:6; 1 Tim 2:5).
● the creation of humans in the image of God is with a view to “the multiplication of oneness”(Bilezekian) across the face of the earth via the dominion or rule a unified humanity was to exercise as co-regents of God (Gen 1:26-28)
● this vocation that God granted to people is his “point of joy”, and so the revelation of the content of his vision (Gen 1:31 = Prov 8:31)
B: Eden and the Future Destiny of Humanity
● Eden means “delight”, it represents God’s desire to share with humans the eternal inner joy of his own life as Father, Son and Holy Spirit (note: the 3-fold pattern of “God”, “Spirit”, “Word” in Gen 1:1-3; the “let us” of Gen 1:26, and the explicit revelation of the trinitarian unity in creating recorded in the New Testament (1 Cor 8:6; Col 1:15-16; Heb 1:2)
● the first human beings knew about these things because they were directly spoken to them by God as revelation; they had free reign in creation, with the exception of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:15-17 )
● the boundary that God established for humanity means that God knows there is something that exists in the creation that brings him no joy, this is evil (Gen 3:22); this condition is especially acute over the summation of evil and humanity’s great enemy, death (Ezek 18:23,32; 333:11; 1 Cor 15:26; Heb 2:14-15)
● it is because evil brings such intense pain to God’s heart (Gen 6:5-6) that he preferred we never knew, that is, experienced, it; “the knowledge of good and evil” excludes participation in the vision of God to fill the earth with joy
● as long as the first couple were obedient to God’s Word from the heart (Ps 119:11; Rom 6:17) i.e. from their innermost being (Prov 4:23), they lived by faith (Rom 10:10) and God was an intimate presence (John 1:4; 8:51; Heb 4:12) empowering them to fulfil the destiny he had established for them from the beginning
● they were in possession of the vision of God because “the eyes of their hearts were enlightened” (Eph 1:18) through the Word already spoken to them (Ps 119:105,130; John 1:9; 1 John 2:8)
C: The Loss of the Vision
● according to the scriptures, humanity en masse has lost the ability to clearly perceive what God is doing, this is a state of spiritual darkness (Isa 60:2; John 3:19; Rom 1:21; Eph 4:18; 5:8; 1 Pet 2:9)
● this is consistently attributed to the work of the devil (Acts 26:18; 2 Cor 4:4)
● the Genesis 3 account is a symbolic exposition of how temptation leads to spiritual blindness
● the devil denies that the first human persons are already in the image and likeness of God (Gen 3:5) i.e. sharing his glory (1 Cor 11:7) and the recipients of his overflowing joy cf. Job 38:7
● they need to have their “eyes opened” to fully be in the divine likeness, the only way for this to happen is to be in possession of the one thing God had not given, the “knowledge of good and evil”
● this is effectively a denial that God is the Father of humanity (Luke 3:38), for a true Father shows his children everything that he is doing for their welfare (John 5:19-20)
● at the root of the rebellion recorded in Genesis is the sin of ingratitude or thanklessness (Hos 2:8; Acts 14:15-17; Rom 1:21); God was no longer humanity’s “point of joy”
● since thankfulness and joy in God are essential prerequisites for revelation, Adam and Eve have now effectively fallen away from the vision of God
● the “delight of their eyes” (Gen 3:6) is no longer the world and humanity as given by God (Eden, the pleasant garden Gen 2:9; Eve, the fellow-helper Gen 2:23) but what can be seized/stolen from God by self-directed or unaided human wisdom (Gen 3:6 “desired to make one wise”)
● this entailed a complete rejection of the revelation of the wisdom of God in the Word of God and an abandonment of the life of faith-obedience
● since God was no longer living in them by his Word, they lost their personal participation in the glory of God and “died” as God had warned (Gen 2:17; Rom 3:23; 6:23)
● spiritually speaking, they now shared in the vision of another “father”, the devil (John 8:44a), whose purposes are the opposite of God’s, his will is not to bring life but to kill and destroy (John 8:44b; Eph 2:1-2)
● to accomplish this purpose he substitutes self-gratification through sensuous satisfaction for the eternal and holy joy of God (Gen 3:6 “good for food”; Rom 1:24-32; Eph 2:3; 2 Pet 1:4; Jude 16, 18 etc.)
● as created and oriented to vision, it is impossible for humanity to live a fulfilled life without a sense of direction and destiny; the vision of a fuller life still controls human behaviour
● since the foundation of the image of God remains (1 Cor 11:7; James 3:9), the human vision is still, somehow, to enjoy and rule the world
● yet, outside of Christ, this vision cannot be the vision of God, and every human vision, however great, must in the end perish like its maker “For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in exchange for their life?” (Matt 16:26)
D: Jesus and the Vision of God
● in considering the nature of the vision of God we must pass over the O.T. period, recognising only that all its central structures of prophet, priest, king, temple, sacrifice and law find their proper fulfilment in the person of Jesus e.g. John 1:29; 2:19-21; Acts 3:22; 7:37; 17:7; Matt 5:17; Rom 10:4; Heb 3:1; 4:14; Rev 17:14; 19:16
● considered from a heavenly or eternal perspective, Jesus is essentially related to the totality of the vision of God. He is the Word and light of God who dwells in the heart of God, the only Son of God (John 1:1-4, 18). There is no possible access to the vision of God apart from Jesus.
● the purpose of the Word entering our weak and fallen humanity (John 1:14; 2 Cor 8:9) is to restore the knowledge of God that he alone possesses (Matt 11:27)
● Jesus comes as the second Adam (Rom 5:14; 1 Cor 15:45), whose wisdom and ambition are not selfishly demonic (James 3:13-15)
● where the first couple sought to seize the rule of the earth, the Lordship of Jesus is exercised and attained through humility and suffering service (Phil 2:5-11)
● his declaration in Luke 4:18-21 (cf. Matt 11:4-6) is a statement that the universal dominion of God entrusted to humanity is in the process of being restored through his life and ministry
● the passion that Jesus exhibits at every point of his work (Mark 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 20:34; Luke 12:50; John 2:17) manifests the holy war that God is pursuing upon the earth to rid it of every element of destructive evil cf. Rev 11:18
● Jesus’ vision is not of his own personal dominion but of his Father’s kingdom: the message he brings is of the kingdom of God (Mark 1:15)
● he has no other desire than to perform the will of God (John 4:34; 5:30; 6:38)
● this is why he can so easily resist the temptation of Satan in the wilderness that mimic those in Eden (Luke 4:1-13)
● it is this Father-centredness that constitutes Jesus as the true Son of God i.e. the central point of issue between Satan and humanity (Luke 4:3, 9; cf. Mark 3:11; 5:7)
● therefore he is able to say, “the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he is doing; …” (John 5:19-20)
● all that Jesus does and says is a manifestation of the Father (John 10:37-38; 12:49; 14:10)
● this is essentially what it means for Jesus to say that he and the Father are “one” (John 10:30)
● Jesus’ statement, “he who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9) entails that he is the complete content of the revelation of God (Col 1:19; 2:9; Heb 1:1-3)
● although we are told relatively little of how the Father revealed himself to the Son there are a number of crucial episodes in the life of Jesus that speak of some sort of personal illumination, these are his baptism, the transfiguration and the return of the 70 disciples
● in each case Jesus sees something in visionary form-the Holy Spirit as a dove (Mark 1:9-11), Moses and Elijah in a cloud of glory (Luke 9:28-36), Satan “falling like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18)
● each revelation is deeply rooted in texts from the O.T. – baptism (Gen 22:1; Isa 42:1; Ps 2:7); transfiguration (Deut 18:15; Mal 3:1; 4:5); return of the seventy (Isa 14:4-11)
● additionally, Jesus is praying on each occasion (Luke 3:21; 9:28; 10:21)
● this leads to the conclusion that the Word and prayer were essential prerequisites in the life of the humanity of the Son of God for ongoing revelation
● foundation to the spirituality of Jesus revealed in these incidents of personal revelation is the mutual delight of Father and Son; what was lost in Eden is now being restored
● the voice that speaks to Jesus at his baptism tells him, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am very pleased.” (Luke 3:22); on the mount of transfiguration the Father utters, “This is my Son, whom I love, listen to him.” (Mark 9:7); it is as Jesus is “full of joy through the Holy Spirit” that he praises the Father for his revelation (Luke 10:21)
●these episodes reveal to us that the coming of the kingdom of God with power upon the earth is Jesus “point of joy”
● it is for the sake of a future joy that he will endure the suffering of the cross (Heb 12:2)
● the crisis in Gethsemane over the “cup” (Matt 26:39,42) is due to the fact that the cup of the Lord in the O.T. is the wrath of God directed to the total destruction of human evil (Ps 75:8; Isa 51:17,22; Jer 25:15-29; Hab 2:16; Zech 12:2). The contents of the cup are the manifestation of the power of evil itself.
● Jesus must endure to the full the condition of human lostness in order to take it away
● since the cross is Jesus’ immersion in the lost state of humanity in death (2 Cor 5:21; Gal 3:13; 1Pet 2:24); it is a completely joyless experience (Ezek 18:32) for both the Father and the Son
● at the climactic point of dereliction, Jesus is enveloped in deep darkness and is completely without the vision of God (Mark 15:33-34)
● this absence of any experience of God as the indwelling living God and Father is the cost Christ must bear in order to reconcile the world (Rom 5:10; 2 Cor 5:19; Col 1:20)
● in taking away the sin of the world and rising from the dead Jesus enters fully into the joy of his Father (Heb 1:9; 12:2)
● this is a full and glorious joy far beyond anything experienced by Adam and Eve in Eden (John 15:11; 16:24; 17:13; 1 Pet 1:8). It is the joy of complete oneness with God.
● in the reality of the new creation God’s eternal purpose of undiminished fellowship and favour with humanity is now fully realised in Christ (2 Cor 5:16-17)
● the praise and joy of the whole created order under God now centres in the exaltation of the Son of God (Eph 1:6,10; Phil 2:9-11; Heb 1:4-6; Rev 5:6-14; 14:1-3), who is “the man Christ Jesus” (1 Tim 2:5).
E: Jesus’ Ongoing Vision
● through the completed union of divinity and humanity in Jesus the original vision of God will be realised at a deeper spiritual level than was possible in the first creation of Eden
● the measure of the vision of God through Christ is now a renewed universe totally saturated with God’s glory (Ps 67:1-2; 72:19; 86:9; Isa 11:9; Hab 2:14; Rev 21:11, 23)
● this will be the fulfilment of the eternal gospel (Rev 14:6) proclamation “Your God reigns” (Isa 52:7 cf. Zech 14:9; )
● it is the dominion of God in the rule of Christ that effects the completed vision of God (Ps 110:1-2; Acts 2:34; Heb 1:13; 1 Cor 15:24-25; Rev 11:15-16; 20:6)
● the passion of the Father, Son and Spirit is that all of humanity be able to share in the glory of the trinity as it is now enjoyed by the person of its mediator, Jesus
● this means the joy of ruling with God in Christ over all things forever (Rev 5:10; 20:6; 22:5)
● pivotal to the accomplishment of this vision is the restoration of humanity to the image of God as the centrepiece of God’s new creation (Gal 6:15; Eph 2:10; Col 3:10)
● this means the re-making of sons of God in the likeness of the true Son and image of God, Christ (Rom 8:29; Col 1:15; 2 Cor 4:4; Heb 2:10; 1 John 3:2)
● the whole creation is longing for the day of the “unveiling of the sons of God” (Rom 8:19) when they will be presented “before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy” (Jude 20)
● the whole of history is moving towards the time in the new Jerusalem when all of God’s servants will be illuminated by the light of the Lamb (Rev 21:23) and see him face to face (Rev 22:4)
● this will be to see the glory of Jesus (John 17:24; 1 Cor 13:12; Heb 12:14; “when we see him we shall be like him, for we shall see him face to face” (1 John 3:2)
● to see God and not die (1 Tim 6:16) is the climax of the story of creation and the eternal vision of God
● God will then be “all in all” (1 Cor 15:28; Eph 1:23; Col 3:11)
F: The Means to the Vision of Jesus
● the primary means to the completion of the vision of God for oneness is Jesus’ building of the church (Matt 16:18; Eph 2:20-22; 1 Pet 2:5)
● organically, this is realised through the foundational spiritual oneness of the church that reflects/images the glory of God in his essential unity (John 17:20-23; Eph 4:3-6)
● it is only through the church that the fullness of the glory of God in Christ is imparted into the created order (Eph 1:22-23; 4:10)
● this is achieved by the operation of various ascension ministry gifts and those of the whole people of God (Eph 4:11-13)
● it is through the church that Jesus permeates and eventually comes to exercise dominion over all things.
● this means the essence of the church is a missionary reality; it carries or bears in its life, by grace and truth in the Spirit, the power to impart through the gospel the very life of Jesus and so a share in the world to come.
● as the gospel is preached in the power of the Spirit, God’s plan for the multiplication of oneness (“he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit” 1 Cor 6:17) is achieved at the personal level by supernatural regeneration that imparts a spiritual life that is indestructible
● this is because those who are “born from above” (John 3:3,5; 1 Pet 1:3-4, 23) are actually united to the risen Christ (Rom 6:5) and share with him in the powers of the age to come (Heb 6:5)
● they are integrated into “the renewal of all things” (Matt 19:28; Tit 3:5)
● numerically, the extension of oneness comes about by the making of disciples across the face of the earth (Matt 28:19)
2. Receiving and Communicating Vision (Participating in the Vision of Christ)
A: Sustaining the Centrality and Supremacy of Christ
● the centrality and supremacy of Christ is the true order that God has established in the universe (Matt 25:31; 28:18; John 5:22-23; Phil 2:9-11; Col 1:15-20; Heb 1:5-6; Rev 5:9-13; 11:15)
● since (see before) the vision of God for humanity is Jesus, our ability to receive and communicate vision is completely tied to us giving him first place in our lives
● this can be expressed in many ways; the primary Christian confession that “Jesus is Lord” (John 20:28; Acts 2:36; 10:36; 16:31; Rom 10:9; 1 Cor 12:3; Phil 2:11; Rev 11:8) entails a receptivity to his dominion over our lives
● to the degree we submit to his rule we will share it upon the earth
● insight into the ongoing rule of Christ through us begins with a revelation of who Jesus truly is
B: Revelation of the Identity of Jesus
● Peter’s foundational vision is the revelation from heaven that leads to the exclamation, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16-17)
● Paul’s comes on the road to Damascus, “’Who are you Lord?’ ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.’” (Acts 9:5-6)
● John’s testimony to Jesus flows out of the appearance of the glorious Christ (Rev 1:10-16)
● there are many analogies to this in the O.T. – Moses and the burning bush (Ex 3); Gideon and the angel (Judges 6); Samuel and the voice of God (1 Sam 3) etc.
C: Revelation of Personal Identity
● Peter becomes the apostolic leader of the early church, a man with a new name/identity on the basis of the revelation of Jesus (Matt 16:18)
● Paul becomes the apostle to the Gentiles because of Christ’s visitation from heaven (Acts 9:15-16; 26:16-18)
● John becomes the seer of the Apocalypse with a commission to speak the words of the Lord to the churches (Rev 1:1, 4, 22:8) because he has seen the exalted Christ
● a revelation of personal identity as it relates to the progress of the kingdom of God is directly proportional to a revelation of the glorious identity of Jesus
● our understanding of God must always precede our understanding of who we are, his image; an image now fully realised in Jesus
● God cannot enact the vision apart from the receiver accepting the newly revealed dimensions of who they are in Christ
● this means agreeing with your potential as God sees it
● the vision in its fullness does not exist apart from the truth of the identity of the person to whom it is given; it should impart a sense of “I was born for this.”
● Paul expresses the union between the revelation of Christ and his own person by saying, “God, who set me apart from birth, and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him to the Gentiles” (Gal 1:15-16)
D: Revelation Creates Faith
● revelation of the Word creates faith in the hearer (Rom 11:17; 2 Pet 1:4)
● faith “sees” what is not yet actual (Rom 4:9-22; Heb 11:1,27)
● this seeing is internal to the recipient (Eph 1:18), it is actually a part of their new life in Christ
● “Leaders actually perceive a reality before the event has happened.” (Pringle) cf. Eph 3:20
● this explains the contemporary language of “pregnancy” and “incubation” eg. D.Y. Cho; J.R. Bond
● vision is the gift of faith in action – it anticipates something good happening (this is grounded in a theology of blessing e.g.Gen 1:28; 9:1; 24:1; Num 6:22-27; Luke 24:50; Rom 15:29; Gal 3:4; Eph 1:3; 1 Pet 3:9 etc.)
● this element of foresight marks the difference between a visionary leader and a manager or spokesperson (cf. Moses and Aaron)
● “The scribe tells you what he has heard, the prophet tells you what he has seen.” (Tozer)
E: Vision and Process
● in the life of Jesus, the Word and prayer (Luke 3:21-22; 9:28, 35; 10:21) occupied essential roles in the impartation of a revelation of personal identity
● this was also the priority of the apostles (Acts 6:4)
● likewise, the Word and prayer are integral to the ongoing life of the early church (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:24; Eph 6:18; Col 3:16; 2 Tim 3:15-16; James 5:13 etc.)
● it is only as we prayerfully reflect on the biblical revelation of God in Christ and wait expectantly for God to speak to us can we anticipate the impartation of vision
● this impartation actually comes by the work of the Spirit who internalises the Word of God received in prayer
● this is true for Jesus (Luke 3:21-22; 10:21); the apostles (Acts 1:8; 2:1ff ; 4:8; Rom 15:18-19; 1 Cor 2:4-5; 1 Thess 1:5; Rev 1:10) and the early church (Acts 4:29, 31; 10:44-46; 19:6; 6:10; 1 Cor 12:3; 7-11; Eph 5:19-21; Rev 22:17)
● without a dependency upon the Spirit of God there can be no spiritual illumination
● it must not be thought that vision emerges in an abstract, “spiritualised”, or limited church context; for God is restoring the whole created order
● some practical process steps (Leighton Ford) in vision formulation are:
● 1 observe where people are suffering and what God is doing in the world to alleviate this
● 2 reflect and journal until we see what God would have us do with him
● 3 act in partnership with God to fulfil the vision
● “I sit here and I pray. As I pray, I hear. What I hear I write. What I write I speak.” (John Wesley)
F: The Communication of Vision
● it has been suggested that there is an invariable order in communication: information > revelation > participation > communication (G. C. Bingham)
● there are many practical strategies for the communication of vision, these include:
● embodying the vision: this is the most fundamental of all communication strategies as it reflects the “incarnational principle” of God in Christ (John 1:14; 2 Cor 5:19) e.g. Hudson Taylor, Mother Teresa
● sharing the vision one-to-one: this follows the example of Jesus with his disciples
● going public: the vision must be clear and precise
● “A vision generates direction, order, devotion. It overcomes aimlessness, chaos, lawlessness. Leadership grasps God’s will, clarifies it to the group, then motivates the group to act on it. The greatest vision a leader can have is one that participates in God’s will for world evangelism and explains to the group how it can be accomplished.” (John Haggai)
Appendix: Contextualising Vision
Most of the struggle over the implementation of vision has to do with the natural resistance to change. Peter Corney’s attached article is helpful here. He takes into account the need for anxiety reduction and alternative approaches to manage change. His final diagram summarises the steps between the formulation of a vision and its enactment.
3. Vision and Passion
A: The importance of passion
● there is unanimity about the importance of passion to realising and communicating vision
● “Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion” (Hybels); “The leader cherishes his vision. He thinks of it by day and dreams of it by night.” (Haggai); “He lives the dream, breathes the vision, sleeps the mission, and eats the goal every day.” (Pringle); “Are you a visionary? Is your Christian faith merely functional and routine, or does it inspire you, throwing light and meaning on all you do, moving ahead of you like a pillar of cloud and fire? (O. Guinness); “Vision is spawned by faith, sustained by hope, sparked by imagination and strengthened by enthusiasm.” (C. Swindoll)
● the intensity of the passion connected to vision arises from the reality that a Christian will have one main life vision/call (this gives rise to mission and a multiplicity of goals)
● “When a leader is casting vision publicly the goal is to help people know, understand, and remember the ‘main thing’.” (Hybels)
● the burning nature of passion is due to its focussed nature cf. welder’s torch
● if genuine spiritual passion is to be differentiated from other forms of intensity, it is important that it be related to the revelation of God in Christ
B: The Passionate God
● the passion of God is one of the distinctives of biblical religion
● these passions, which are never seen as impulses, include jealousy (Deut 32:21; Ps 78:58; 1 Ki 14:222; Ezek 8:3; 1 Cor 10:22; Js 4:5); wrath (Isa 63:10; Jer 10:10; Hos 13:7-8; Nah 1:6; John 3:36; Rom 1:18-32; 2 Thess 1:9), mercy (Ex 34:6; Deut 16:9; Ps 77:9; Isa 19:22; Hos 6:1; Hab 3:2; Luke 1:50; Rom 11:32; Eph 2:4; Tit 3:5); compassion (Judges 2:18; Neh 9:19; Ps 51:1; Isa 14:1; Jer 12:15; 2 Cor 1:3; James 5:11)
● the strength of God’s passion, in all of his attributes, shows that he has a heart for humanity; the God of the Bible is never apathetic but loves us with his whole heart
● godly human passion is a participation in the attributes of God
C: Jesus and Passion
● the context into which Jesus comes is one of prophetic passion
● John the Baptist appears in the Elijah tradition proclaiming a baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire (Luke 3:15-17)
● Jesus takes up the imagery and expresses deep constraint until this fire is kindled on the earth (Luke 12:49-50)
● Jesus’ passionate commitment to the kingdom of God can manifest itself in anger to those who oppose his Father’s gracious purposes (Mark 3:5)
● the most common emotion in the life of Christ is heartfelt compassion for the poor, sick and distressed (Matt 8:2; 9:35-36; 14:14; Mark 6:34; Luke 7:12-13)
● the relevant Greek term (splagchnoisomai) literally mean a twisting of the intestines
● at times, in scenes related to judgement, Jesus is so “deeply moved” that he breaks out in tears (Luke 19:41; John 11:33,35,38)
● his passionate “zeal” for his Father’s house (temple) will lead to his suffering and death (John 2:17)
● Jesus’ whole life is lived under the constraint of the indispensability of dying for a lost humanity, “the Son of Man must suffer” (Mark 9:12; Luke 24:44 etc.)
● the climax and complete expression of God’s passionate commitment to humanity comes in the passio magna, the great suffering of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane and his death upon the cross (Matt 16:21; 17:12; Luke 24:26; Heb 2:9; 5:8; 13:12; Acts 17:3; 1 Pet 2:21 etc.)
● the exaltation of Jesus to the right hand of God does not terminate fellow-feeling for humanity
● remarkably, he says to Saul on the road to Damascus, “Why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4-5)
● the quality of the love of Christ is “constraining” (2 Cor 5:14)
● the proper content of a passionate vision is the person of Christ, “I have one passion and one passion only, it is He.” (Zinzendorf)
D: The Passion of the Spirit
● the O.T. regularly ties the energy of the prophets to the work of the Spirit of God (1 Sam 10:6; 2 Chron 15:1; Hos 9:7; Mic 3:8 etc.)
● the power that attaches to the ministry of both John the Baptist (Luke 1:15) and Jesus (Matt 12:28; Luke 3:22; 4:1, 14, 18) is due to the presence of the Holy Spirit
● the boldness and conviction of the apostolic message results from the fullness/baptism of the Spirit (Acts 1:8; 2:4; 4:8, 31; 7:55;13:9 etc.)
● the same holds true for the life of the early church (Acts 10:44-46; 19:6; Eph 5:18-20)
E: A Passionate People
● as indicated above, the people of God are expected to be a passionate people
● Phinehas is blessed by God in showing zeal in killing the rebellious Israelites (Num 25:11-13)
● Elijah identifies himself through his zeal for the Lord of hosts (1 Ki 19:10, 14)
● passionate constraint is characteristic of the prophets (Isa 6:9; 21:6; Jer 20:7,9; 26:2; Mic 3:8); “The lion has roared; who will not fear? The LORD God has spoken, who can but prophesy?” (Amos 3:7-8)
● this is also a property of apostolic ministry (Rom 15:18-19; 2 Cor 5:14; Col 1:25; 2 Tim 4:17) e.g. “we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20)
● Paul exhorts all believers, “Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.” (Rom 12:11)
● the passion of the people of God is the imperative of the gospel, “woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel.” (1 Cor 9:16); “I live as though Christ died yesterday and rose again today and is coming again tomorrow.” (M. Luther)
D: Passion and Vision
● the reality that a vision is from God reveals itself by a commitment to the person of Jesus; practically, this means a devotion to his Word, the discipline of prayer and a willingness to endure sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom of God
● vision induces authority to accomplish the call of God; this operates from the principle that we have authority over the sphere we author/initiate (God the creator-all things, parents-children, authors-books etc.)
● vision imparts imparts an energy to accomplish that of which it speaks: “…so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he mightily inspires within me.” (Col 1: 28b-29)
● vision produces a conviction that creates courage (2 Sam 12:7; 1 Ki 20:35-36; Isa 22:15-19; Amos 7:12ff; Acts 4:13, 19-20; 18:9-10; Heb 11:32-33; Rev 2:13)
● what is not felt cannot be imparted internally to others
● this relates to heart-to-heart communication; only those with a whole or undivided heart for God possess the passion of vision (1 Sam 13:14; Ps 86:11; Ezek 11:19; Matt 23 :37; Rom 1:9)
● this is because the heart relates to the central summation of who a person is, their core identity (Prov 4:23)
● “But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching that was committed to you.” (Rom 6:17)
● as the vision of Christ is revealed to the people of God the following sequence spontaneously flows: grace > gratitude > love > obedience (1 Cor 15:10; 2 Cor 5:14)
E: The Problem of Passivity
● lack of passion in the things of God indicates that a Christian’s first love for Jesus has been abandoned (Rev 2:4)
● God does not like the lukewarm because it images the opposite of who he is and of the real need of the world (Rev 3:15-16)
● passion is not to be confused with a drivenness that issues out of legalism (Matt 23:15; Rom10:2)
F: The Necessity of Passion
● every true visionary is possessed of a holy restlessness or inspirational dissatisfaction that cannot bear the status quo
● only passion (with the conviction and cost it bears) can persuade an angry world that God is love
● suffering (com)passion conveys an authority that cannot be ignored
● only passion emboldens and strengthens to take the gospel out of the church to the ends of the earth
● only passion releases the presence of the love of God, “God loves with a great love the man whose heart is bursting with a passion for the impossible” (Wm Booth cf. John 10:17)
● “A vision that thrusts a man’s encapsulated heart out into the unfathomable realms of humanity depravity and causes an immediate active response is truly a vision of profound significance. Only the Father’s heart knows the depths of love that emanates from such a life.” (T.Yaxley)
4. Obstacles to Envisioning
A: Cost
● “The greater the vision the greater the suffering.” (D. Foord)
● Jesus and the struggle in Gethsemane (Matt 26:26-46; John 12:27-28; Heb 5:7-10)
● Paul and the crisis in Asia (2 Cor 1:8-10)
● the normal Christian life (Acts 14:22; 2 Tim 3:12; James 1:2-4; 1 Pet 4:12-14; Rev 1:9 etc.)
B: Fear of People
● “Fear of man will prove to be a snare” (Prov 19:23)
● you cannot strive to seek both God and others, this blocks both reception and communication of vision (John 5:44; 12:41-43; Gal 1:10; 1 Thess 2:4)
● vulnerability to criticism and innuendo are fatal to enacting vision
● since all fear is based on a fear of punishment (1 John 4:18), it is knowing the favour of who we are in Christ (God’s good pleasure) that frees us from being people-pleasers
C: Control
● this issues from confusion between stewardship and ownership (in the sense of possession)
● one may own a business but God alone owns a vision and the ministry that flows from it
● control imposes a personal vision onto others and robs them of freely entering into the distinctive vision God has for their lives
● in contradiction to the teaching of the N.T. where “every joint supplies” (Eph 4:16), it results in “homogenised saints” (Thwaites)
● patterns of control tend to be centralised and attractional rather than diverse and releasing Christians to live their life in the world
D: Failure to Articulate Goals
● it is impossible to move from vision to destination without a clear strategic plan
● a careful examination of scripture (see “The Vision of Jesus”) shows God’s plan leading from creation to consummation was always centred on Jesus and progressing towards his comings
● people remain confused concerning the status and progress of the vision without specified goals
● some principles for goal setting might include:
Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Tangible
E: Unstated Goals
● these will almost certainly undermine stated goals
● the delayed emergence of unstated goals indicates a prior state of mistrust and produces future distrust
● unstated goals may come into conflict with the stated goals concerning an agreed vision
● when this happens relational breakdown is common and confusion results
F: Delay
● delay seems to be a common strategy of God in developing character as a preparation for the completion of a vision
● Noah and the flood; Abraham and the birth of Isaac; Moses in Midian; Israel in the wilderness; David’s flight from Saul; Jesus thirty private years; Paul’s hidden time (Gal 17-18; 2:1); the souls under the heavenly altar (Rev 6:9-11)
● the most central aspect of this spiritual reality is the period of Jesus’ seeming abandonment on the cross (Mark 15:34) followed by the apostles lost hope in the resurrection (Luke 24:21)
● when outward circumstances appear to contradict God’s Word we must rely on his revealed character
● faith always involves trusting in the invisible (Heb 11)
● an essential aspect in vision, part of its “newness” i.e. participation in the resurrection, is that it stands in contradiction to prevailing customs, values and priorities
● “The known facts are against God, but the known facts are not all the facts” (Guinness)
G: Mediation
● this may be related to control, but is essentially an attitude taken up where someone other than Jesus is allowed to bridge our relationship to God (1 Tim 2:5)
● it is a case of vicarious living, where people lead their lives through someone else’s vision
● this is a reversion to O.T. patterns of ministry that have been abolished through the High Priestly work of Jesus (Heb 4:14-7:28)
H: Spiritual Warfare
● this is operative in all the factors listed above
● we see this in Satan’s attempt to stop Jesus going to the cross (Matt 4:1-11)
● in Paul’ ministry (2 Cor 2:11; 12:7; 1 Thess 2:18)
● in the warnings of the N.T. (Acts 5:3; 1 Pet 5:8; Rev 12:9; 13:10; 14:12)
● we must assume that the level of spiritual attack and the insight and faith to meet these attacks will be in proportion
Exercises
1. Reflect on the deepest spiritual experience you can recall that has imparted a sense of call and destiny to your life.
2. On a scale of 1 to 10, how free and happy are you with the person that you are?
3. What causes you to feel “I was born for this?”
4. Who do you fully share the deepest thoughts of your heart with?