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Happy New Year!
We want to see you have the best year ever.
2020 Vision
We have been talking about your MISSION & VISION
- Mission is the WHAT. What are you going to do.
- Vision is the HOW. How are you going to do it.
We have been talking about the mission of Jesus.
- If we seek first the kingdom mission of God, then all the other things will be added to us. If we prioritize God’s mission, He will accomplish our personal mission.
Let’s look again at our scripture memory verse – Habakkuk 2:2
Habakkuk 2:2 (NIV2011) Then the Lord replied: “Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets so that whoever reads it may run with it.
Where does this vision come from? If you guessed the Lord, you are right.
I have great news!
God gives a Supernatural vision.
The vision God gives is beyond the natural.
When you receive a supernatural vision from God, then get ready for huge breakthroughs, miracles, and unthinkable blessing.
When you receive a mission & vision from God you will want to write it down and remember it… you will want to see it accomplished.
I have more great news.
God is going to give you a vision. You will be very excited about it. You will devote yourself to seeing it accomplished. There will be some struggle, but you will stand in faith and not give up. You will work harder to try to bring the vision to pass. …but things won’t turn out like you thought and things might get a lot worse.
…Now your vision seems in danger… it stopped breathing! …and so you will get down on your hands and knees and try to resuscitate the vision God gave you. You think, “This vision came from God I can’t let it die…” but although you tried your best, although you had faith, although the vision came from God… THE VISION WILL DIE.
The vision will die
Praise the Lord! Isn’t this great news!?
Maybe you don’t know how to feel about this… How can God give a vision, and then allow it to die?
Some people may even tell you that, if the vision died then it must not have been from God… “you just thought you heard God.”
Some may say, the vision was from God but you probably messed everything up…
I want to tell you plainly… “make it plain…” …that God will give you a vision and then you will see that vision die.
This may seem uncomfortable and you may want to disagree… or even through me out of the church for saying it… but it is true.
There is a pattern in your Bible…
- God gives someone a vision
- they set out to accomplish the vision
- they fail so badly that the vision completely dies.
Eve was given the vision that her seed would defeat satan. Eve has two sons and she is sure that this is the true promise of God, but her son Cain kills her other son Able…
She has a funeral for her son, but she is also burying her vision…
Abraham is told that he is going to be the father of many nations. …Descendants as numerous as the stars in the heaven and the sand of the shore… But although he tries to accomplish this, Abraham & his wife Sarah are unable to have any children. Father of many nations??? He can’t even be the father of a single son… The vision fades as Abraham grows old…
The children of Israel have been set free from slavery in Egypt. God is going to fulfill the vision of giving them the “promised land.” …But as they are trying to leave Egypt to walk into their vision, Pharoah and his army of Egyption soldiers are chasing them down. The children of Israel are now trapped with the red sea in front of them and the Egyptian army behind them. It is clear that their best efforts were not enough and that they will die…
David the young shepherd boy is anointed King while another man still sits on the throne. The prophet Samuel travels to David’s house and gives the vision that God has chosen David to sit on the throne of Israel.
Although David has the vision from God, another man sits on that throne.
QUESTION: Who was the first king of Israel? (King Saul)
QUESTION: King Saul dies, and who becomes the second king of Israel? (the answer is not David or Jesus)
2 Samuel 2:10 (NIV2011) Ish-Bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel…
David receives the vision of becoming king. David goes this long drawn out ordeal with king Saul. Saul dies and David surely thought that this would be the moment the vision would be fulfilled… but no. Israel crowns Ishbosheth king. The vision dies…
Jesus is the fulfillment of the vision God gave. He does miracles and teaches truth that blows everyone away. He arrives in Jerusalem one day riding on a donkey, and everyone starts honoring Jesus. They welcome him has a king and shout “Hosanna.”
The disciples though this was it. This was the moment the vision would be fulfilled. Jesus will be crowned King and overthrow the rule of the Romans… but no. Later that week Jesus was arrested… beaten, had his hands and feet nailed to a cross, he breathed his final breath and died… and so did the vision.
The vision will die
There is a pattern in your Bible…
- God gives someone a vision
- they set out to accomplish the vision
- they fail so badly that the vision completely dies
This pattern holds true in scripture. I believe that if we went around and talked about our life experiences we would see the same pattern.
I am talking to someone who God has given you a promise, but…
- You have not seen it fulfilled.
- It looks impossible.
- You don’t have the means or the ability to
But I seriously do have good news for you today. Here it is.
God gives a Supernatural vision.
The vision that God gives is supernatural. When a supernatural vision dies, it doesn’t stay dead.
Eve did have to bury the child she thought would be the fulfillment to the vision… But God resurrected the vision through a son named Seth, and through that son Messiah would come.
Everything told Abraham in the natural that he would never see the vision fulfilled. ..But God resurrected that vision through a supernatural miracle when a 100 year old Abraham and a 90 year old Sarah had a baby named Isaac.
The children of Israel were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. The vision was dead and they would soon be dead. But God resurrected the vision and told Moses to lift up his staff and stretch out his hand and God parted that red sea. Israel crossed and the Egyptian army was buried in the sea.
David had received the vision from God, but when there was a vacancy on the throne, 11 of the 12 tribes rejected David… they rejected the vision. 1 tribe follows David but the other 11 tribes follow the son of Saul Ishbosheth.
Because David is not after the line of Saul, this vision shriveled up and died. David would not be the king of Israel. …except… The prophet Samuel really did hear the voice of God… He really did anoint the correct son of Jesse… …God really did choose David. BECAUSE THIS IS TRUE, When the vision died, God supernaturally resurrected the vision.
Ishbosheth reigned over Israel 2 years and died… 5 years after that David was crowned King over all of Israel. God declares David’s throne will last forever!
A supernatural vision comes from God.
A supernatural vision will die as you try to accomplish it.
A supernatural vision will be resurrected by God!
Habakkuk 2:2 (NIV2011) Then the Lord replied: “Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets so that whoever reads it may run with it.
Habakkuk 2:3 (NIV2011) 3 For the vision awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.
A supernatural vision…
- Awaits an appointed time
- Speaks of a future
- Will not prove false
- It may linger… but wait!
- It will certainly come and will not delay
Be encouraged! Be full of faith! But know this…
Supernatural Visions are not trouble free
A supernatural vision does not equal ease
John 16:32 (NIV2011) “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
John 16:33 (NIV2011) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
We think that because we…
Heard from God…
Read our Bible…
Prayed…
Felt God’s presence… We will not any more difficulties.
Supernatural Visions are not trouble free
There are places in the Bible where Jesus tells us that we will have trouble because of Him.
People will hate you, because they hate me.
Following Jesus wil often cause you to travel against the current of society… this makes people mad at you… but they are really mad at Jesus.
You can receive a supernatural vision from God today, but it doesn’t mean it will be accomplished today.
God gives visions so big that they can’t be accomplished in a single generation.
Abraham you will be the father of many nations… Abraham did not live long enough to see that fulfilled… and Abraham lived to be 175 years old!
Supernatural Visions are not trouble free
But they are worth the trouble, patience, struggle, tears, heartache, time, ridicule of others, fear, sacrifice, the feeling of isolation as you walk alone…
The vision will die
The vision will LIVE AGAIN
Jesus! Who better than Jesus to demonstrate that supernatural visions die and are resurrected.
Jesus was killed on the cross and spent 3 days in a grave. Everyone lost hope. Some disciples said “We had HOPED that He was the messiah…” There hope was gone because Jesus was dead.
But Jesus is more than a man’s vision. He is the supernatural vision and plan of God!
Jesus rose from the grave and He lives forever, because when it is a God given vision, God resurrects it!
Some of you have been mourning a dead dream, dead vision, dead faith, dead career, dead ministry, dead relationship, dead hope, dead joy… It has been dead so long that it has completely decayed and is just dry bone…
Ezekiel 37:1-2 (NIV2011) The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry.
Ezekiel 37:3 (NIV2011)
He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
Ezekiel 37:3b (NIV2011) “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
Great answer! Lord, you know! Stop listening to the other voices that say it is over and done… Lord let me hear what you have to say.
Here is what the Lord has to say!
Ezekiel 37:4-5 (NIV2011) Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.
Ezekiel 37:6 (NIV2011)
I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
You are the Lord! You are the resurrection and the life! You are the one who speaks the Word, gives the vision… You are the one bring dead bones back to life.
As Ezekiel prophesied to the dead vision they came back to life..
God wants you to prophesy… Speak it out…
I challenge you to prophesy to dead vision today in this altar.
Before we come, I want to tell you…
The devil has to do more than kill you
Jesus says that our enemy has come to KILL, STEAL, & DESTROY.
John 10:10a (NIV2011) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…
But devil, it is not enough to kill me… it is not enough to steal my vision… it is not enough to destroy my dreams…
Because my God is the resurrection & the life… anything you can kill, God can resurrect.
Because my God is the giver of all good things… anything you can steal, my God can give back.
Because my God is a healer & a restorer… anything you can destroy, my God can heal & restore.
The Devil has to do more… Because Jesus gives more than you can take away!
John 10:10 (NIV2011) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Jesus has life for you today. A supernatural life.
Jesus breathes life into dead people.
Jesus brings a full life into empty people.