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Happy New Year!
We want to see you have the best year ever.
2020 Vision
Do you want this year to be like last year?
No one says “happy old year.” You don’t want to “groundhog’s day” last year all over again?
If you want this year to be different then you must be willing to be different. You must change.
Do you want to have a successful year?
What is success? Have you defined it?
If you want a successful year you at least need to take the time to define what that success is.
Far too many people give lip service…
-“new year new me…”
-“resolutions that are positive but unrealistic…”
-“declare “this is going to be the best year ever” and expect it to just happen… kinda like when Michael Scott from the Office declares bankruptcy – “I declare bankruptcy” Video
Lip service
Lip service is to consent in one’s words while dissenting in one’s heart.
You can declare all you want with your mouth, but until it connects with your heart and flows through your life you haven’t really done anything.
Jesus warns us about lip service…
Matthew 15:8 (NIV2011) “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. (Isaiah 29:13 prophecy)
What you say, what is in your heart, and what flows out of your life need to agree together.
Do you want to have a successful year?
You need more than lip service. You need to define your success.
Today I want you to give yourself a target to aim for. Give yourself a mission.
Mission– whatever you define as success this year becomes your mission.
Your mission is what you are trying to accomplish this year.
-So many people don’t know their mission. A life with no target is aimless.
Find it! Define it!
Vision
The vision is how you will accomplish your mission.
It is not enough to have a dream of something better. Lip service is not enough..
You need to plan… envision… work every day…
We saw Elizabeth dance earlier. She was amazing! Who here thinks that was her first time dancing?
She did not just decide I’ll try dancing and jump on a stage.
-She made dancing her mission and then envisioned working hard until it became a reality.
-She envisioned hours of practice.
-She envisioned exercise to strengthen and perfect technique.
-She envisioned falling but getting back up to try again.
You want to get in shape… that is WHAT you want to do…
-but can you ENVISION yourself at the gym 3 to 6 times a week?
-can you envision yourself not eating at the all you can eat buffet?
-can you envision yourself running…?
If you can’t envision it… it is just lip service.
You want to have healthier finances… get out of debt, save for future…
-but can you envision a budget?
-can you envision saying no to impulse buys so that you can say YES to saving?
-can you envision cutting spending out of your life? -cancel subscriptions-
If you can’t envision it… it is just lip service.
You want to be closer to God this year?
-but can you envision committing to attending worship services more regularly?
-joining a connect group, and first Wednesday worships?
-can you envision reading your Bible and praying?
-can you envision growing your faith and sharing your faith…?
-can you envision influencing your family and friends? Can you envision your family & friends sitting in the empty seat beside you?
If you can’t envision it… it is just lip service.
2020 Vision
You need 2020 vision. On this first Sunday of the year you need to ENVISION this year
Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) Where there is no vision, the people perish:
Your successful year will perish without a vision… All your goals and dreams with perish.
In the NIV translation is says without a vision the people will cast off restraint.
Without a vision you will cast off restraint… you will wander away from the vision… We need restraint of a focus vision.
What are you going to do this year? (Mission)
How are you going to do it? (Vision)
It is not enough to know in this moment. You need to know it throughout the year!
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.
-Write down the vision. What is written down does not change and is not forgotten. When you write It down it represents that a decision has been made.
-Remember it. Science tells us that when we write it down we are more likely to remember it. Just by writing down your goals you are more likely to accomplish them.
-Make it plain. It doesn’t need to be confusing. It needs to be well thought out. You need to be able to communicate your mission & vision.
-Can others run with your vision? Is your vision compelling?
God spoke to this prophet, Habakkuk, to write down the vision, make it plain, so that whoever reads it may run with it. That is what the entire Bible is! It is the written down vision of God, and you are invited to run with it.
You
can write down a vision for your life today and it will take you
through this year. But even more powerful is this… what
you write down today, someone else may run with.
-Your
spouse
-Your Children
-Your neighbor
-People you don’t know yet
-People you may never meet
Write down the vision
When you came in today you were handed note cards…
I want you to spend time today writing down the vision.
On this simple note card I want you to…
-define your success. Define your mission.
-go beyond lip service and define HOW you will accomplish. Challenge yourself and write down what you will do.
Before you come and spend time talking to God and writing down the vision, I want to tell you to focus on the future.
Future Focus
Wherever you focus you end up traveling… That is why they tell you to keep your eyes on the road.
Some people have trouble focusing on this year because they are still focused on last year..
-past mistake
-past heartbreak
-past decision
Your vision is all about the future.
Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV2011) …one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
ONE THING I DO… FORGETTING (behind) AND PRESSING (toward)
God gives you permission to forget what is behind you.
Repent of the past so you can look forward.
We talked about defining success for this year.
Should God be a part of that definition?
Will you allow God to help you define your future?