Vision Night: Time To Move Into Your Inheritance
Passages
Joshua 5: 1-15
Joshua 6:1-5
Napoleon once pointed to a map of China and said: ‘There lies a sleeping giant. If it ever wakes up it will be unstoppable.’
The same quote can be applied to the church of Christ. It has awesome potential when it becomes spiritually awake to its purpose and power.
2006 is a year when we are called to accelerate a move forward on all fronts. It is time to see transformation and breakthrough personally, as families and as a church community.
Key Text
'At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again." So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.'
Joshua 5:2-3
1. We Must Be A Church Of Covenant
Circumcision is a sign of covenant - that the people had been marked out for God. He promised to be faithful to them and they promised to be faithful to Him.
Just as rings are symbols of the covenant of marriage so circumcision was a sign that people were committed exclusively to God.
Circumcision involved:
A cutting away of flesh
When God made his original covenant with Abraham he required that each male be circumcised as a sign of cutting off the old life and beginning a new life with God.
Genesis 17:13
Galatians 5: 16-24
A change in family life
Joshua 5:6-7
The new consecration began in families. The fathers had been part of a cynical, critical and unbelieving generation aimlessly wandering in the desert. But from within those same families God raised up children who would turn their backs on disobedience and cynicism. They took the place of their fathers. The sons were circumcised and God raised up a new generation who would model something different in their families.
Believe for breakthrough in your family. Pray for your family. Be an example to your family.
A coming together in unity and faithfulness
The whole nation had been circumcised - they were united as a covenant community.
God is for unity. Satan is for division. We must learn to place a high value on unity and continually to stand faithfully together with a common heart, spirit and vision.
Covenant faithfulness is a bedrock value of the church. This is what church is about.
2. We Must Be A Church Of Healing
God planned to do great things through His people. They would engage in great battles and see great victories. But first they were a people who had to be healed up. At this point in time they were in too much pain to go anywhere or do anything!
Many Christians are hurting. There are too many sensitivities and insecurities. Therefore don’t panic if you are not yet ready to move into your inheritance! Don’t quit if you are not yet ready for the battlefield.
Recognise that:
You need to take time to be healed
You can only walk and fight once you have been healed
Have no doubt God wants to take away the hurt, shame, guilt and reproach and turn you from a captive into a conqueror!
This is what church is about!
3. We Must Be A Church That Knows God’s Provision
Joshua 5:10-12
For 40 years God had miraculously and faithfully supplied food for the Israelites (see Exodus 16:14-31).
Once they had come into the Promised land they no longer needed this special supply because they now had it within their grasp to plant and harvest all they needed.
You can move from getting by day by day
Have a faith goal that you won’t just get by in your finances. Believe to have more than enough.
You can come to a new place of prosperity
God will bring you into situations where by your investment (sowing and reaping) you can have a financial harvest. Be open to God giving you ideas for business. Look for Him to direct you into situations when you can flourish.
You must keep God first, not your finances
God would bless them but He didn’t want them coveting the stuff of the land. Similarly we are to make a priority of building God’s house, not our own. Remember Matthew 6.33.
4. We Must Be A Church That Encounters God
Joshua 5:13 -15
We need to come to a new place of humility before God
We need to experience the holiness of God and value the presence of the Holy Spirit
We cannot just turn on the anointing. God comes to us when we bow before Him and obey Him. We must hunger and thirst for His presence-valuing this above all else.
Therefore we need to develop:
• Prayer - individually, as families, as cells, as a church
• Praise and worship: it’s for the Lord not us.
5. We Must Be A Church Of Faith
Joshua 6:1-5
The Israelites had a goal to take the land they were promised and they did so town by town and city by city.
They committed to doing this BEFORE they saw the walls fall. Faith goals are key to seeing growth and breakthrough.
Dr David Yonggi Cho said: “Your church will not grow if you have no clear vision from God.”
Cesar Castellanos wrote: “Vision is the determining factor in success.”
Over the Christmas holidays I read Bill Hybels book 'Courageous Leadership.' He is pastor of Willow Creek, America’s second largest church but confessed that for the first 20 years of the church’s history they never had any specific goals.
‘How would we know if we were moving towards the vision of an Acts 2 church if we didn’t put markers along the way?’
That’s when, he said, the church discovered the value of BHAG’s!! - Big Hairy Audacious Goals!
‘We decided we wanted our goals to be big enough to require the supernatural activity of God. We wanted to set goals that would keep us on our knees.’
There is much to do but also much to be achieved. As we commit to see developments in covenant, in healing, finances, in experiencing God and in living by faith, this year will be a year of great breakthrough and great blessing!
Joshua 5: 1-15
Joshua 6:1-5
Napoleon once pointed to a map of China and said: ‘There lies a sleeping giant. If it ever wakes up it will be unstoppable.’
The same quote can be applied to the church of Christ. It has awesome potential when it becomes spiritually awake to its purpose and power.
2006 is a year when we are called to accelerate a move forward on all fronts. It is time to see transformation and breakthrough personally, as families and as a church community.
Key Text
'At that time the LORD said to Joshua, "Make flint knives and circumcise the Israelites again." So Joshua made flint knives and circumcised the Israelites at Gibeath Haaraloth.'
Joshua 5:2-3
1. We Must Be A Church Of Covenant
Circumcision is a sign of covenant - that the people had been marked out for God. He promised to be faithful to them and they promised to be faithful to Him.
Just as rings are symbols of the covenant of marriage so circumcision was a sign that people were committed exclusively to God.
Circumcision involved:
A cutting away of flesh
When God made his original covenant with Abraham he required that each male be circumcised as a sign of cutting off the old life and beginning a new life with God.
Genesis 17:13
Galatians 5: 16-24
A change in family life
Joshua 5:6-7
The new consecration began in families. The fathers had been part of a cynical, critical and unbelieving generation aimlessly wandering in the desert. But from within those same families God raised up children who would turn their backs on disobedience and cynicism. They took the place of their fathers. The sons were circumcised and God raised up a new generation who would model something different in their families.
Believe for breakthrough in your family. Pray for your family. Be an example to your family.
A coming together in unity and faithfulness
The whole nation had been circumcised - they were united as a covenant community.
God is for unity. Satan is for division. We must learn to place a high value on unity and continually to stand faithfully together with a common heart, spirit and vision.
Covenant faithfulness is a bedrock value of the church. This is what church is about.
2. We Must Be A Church Of Healing
God planned to do great things through His people. They would engage in great battles and see great victories. But first they were a people who had to be healed up. At this point in time they were in too much pain to go anywhere or do anything!
Many Christians are hurting. There are too many sensitivities and insecurities. Therefore don’t panic if you are not yet ready to move into your inheritance! Don’t quit if you are not yet ready for the battlefield.
Recognise that:
You need to take time to be healed
You can only walk and fight once you have been healed
Have no doubt God wants to take away the hurt, shame, guilt and reproach and turn you from a captive into a conqueror!
This is what church is about!
3. We Must Be A Church That Knows God’s Provision
Joshua 5:10-12
For 40 years God had miraculously and faithfully supplied food for the Israelites (see Exodus 16:14-31).
Once they had come into the Promised land they no longer needed this special supply because they now had it within their grasp to plant and harvest all they needed.
You can move from getting by day by day
Have a faith goal that you won’t just get by in your finances. Believe to have more than enough.
You can come to a new place of prosperity
God will bring you into situations where by your investment (sowing and reaping) you can have a financial harvest. Be open to God giving you ideas for business. Look for Him to direct you into situations when you can flourish.
You must keep God first, not your finances
God would bless them but He didn’t want them coveting the stuff of the land. Similarly we are to make a priority of building God’s house, not our own. Remember Matthew 6.33.
4. We Must Be A Church That Encounters God
Joshua 5:13 -15
We need to come to a new place of humility before God
We need to experience the holiness of God and value the presence of the Holy Spirit
We cannot just turn on the anointing. God comes to us when we bow before Him and obey Him. We must hunger and thirst for His presence-valuing this above all else.
Therefore we need to develop:
• Prayer - individually, as families, as cells, as a church
• Praise and worship: it’s for the Lord not us.
5. We Must Be A Church Of Faith
Joshua 6:1-5
The Israelites had a goal to take the land they were promised and they did so town by town and city by city.
They committed to doing this BEFORE they saw the walls fall. Faith goals are key to seeing growth and breakthrough.
Dr David Yonggi Cho said: “Your church will not grow if you have no clear vision from God.”
Cesar Castellanos wrote: “Vision is the determining factor in success.”
Over the Christmas holidays I read Bill Hybels book 'Courageous Leadership.' He is pastor of Willow Creek, America’s second largest church but confessed that for the first 20 years of the church’s history they never had any specific goals.
‘How would we know if we were moving towards the vision of an Acts 2 church if we didn’t put markers along the way?’
That’s when, he said, the church discovered the value of BHAG’s!! - Big Hairy Audacious Goals!
‘We decided we wanted our goals to be big enough to require the supernatural activity of God. We wanted to set goals that would keep us on our knees.’
There is much to do but also much to be achieved. As we commit to see developments in covenant, in healing, finances, in experiencing God and in living by faith, this year will be a year of great breakthrough and great blessing!
posted by WESLEY at 12:20
<< Home