Why do we need to talk about the vision of our church?
1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV (10) Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Genesis 11:6 NLT (6) “Look!” He said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them!
- The reason we talk about vision and purpose is for this thing called unity.
There are three things that make us who we are as a church:
- Purpose – the reason someone or something exists.
- Springhill Church exists to reach people with God’s grace, His unconditional love, and the life-changing power of His Word and the Holy Spirit.
- Mission – How you plan to fulfill your purpose.
At Springhill Church, we organize ourselves around these four guiding principles to fulfill our purpose. We lead people to:
- Know Jesus – (Salvation) – To introduce people to a meaningful, life-changing relationship with Jesus.
- Encounter God – (Worship and Prayer) – We believe all of us need to have an encounter with the presence of God because it is impossible to stay the same after coming face to face with Him.
- Experience Life-Change – (Discipleship) – Real life-change happens as we grow in God’s Word and in the context of relationships with others.
- Make A Difference – (Service) – We believe your life will never make sense until you discover, develop and fulfill your purpose and you use that purpose to serve and meet the needs of other people.
- Vision – What the end results look like. (Objective)
Proverbs 29:18 MSG (18) If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.
- The local church is supposed to be Jesus to the world.
John 17:20-23 NKJV (20) “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; (21) that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. (22) And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: (23) I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
- The local church is the hope of the world.
Jesus is the hope of all mankind.
1 Timothy 1:1 NKJV (1) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope,
1 Corinthians 3:9 AMPC (9) For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God’s garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God’s building. [Isa 61:3]
We are called and designed to be God’s work force in the earth.
- Jesus takes the Church very personally.
Acts 9:1-6 NKJV (1) Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest (2) and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. (3) As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. (4) Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” (5) And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” (6) So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
- The Church is a really big deal to Jesus.
Matthew 16:13-19 NKJV (13) When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” (14) So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” (15) He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” (16) Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (17) Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. (18) And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (19) And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Jesus is saying:
- The Church is going to be big.
- The Church is going to take you some places that maybe you would not have gone into.
- This Church is a big deal, not meant to be a shelter or club for people who are already convinced but is going to go into the darkest places of this world and make a difference in the lives of people who otherwise would be lost.
- Gates are designed to keep people in or keep people out. Jesus said it is hell that has the gates so who should really be attacking whom? Is it hell attacking the church or is it us attacking the gates of hell and snatching people from their grasp? We should be the ones going after them and not the other way around.
Our God is not a marginalized God and that is what we want to show people how big our God is.
We are going to be bold in asking you to volunteer and to give because we believe that this really is a big deal.