The Issue of Vision
Matthew 16:18
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church (ekklesia), and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. NIV
Correct building of church (church, being a system of correct human existence and ruler-ship in the earth) is not possible without the consideration of certain realities. During the Pentecostal-Charismatic dispensation, the Bible Schools would teach us theology and then launch us into the realm of building. “Study” (and in fact correct study) is important but is not sufficient to producing church builders. We want to explore the kind of “context” that must be in place for church to be built to its rightful position.
Considerations and Context for Church Building
1) Understanding the “whole counsel” of God
2) The Issue of Leadership
3) The Issue of Vision
Defining Vision
Vision is sight of the intents of God for the construction & development of human life unto perfection in Christ.
Primarily, vision is sight of the nature and process of development of human life in Christ.
Colossians 1:28
28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. NIV
Ephesians 4:13
13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
NIV
The ultimate position of God is to bring all of human life back to a place of correct alignment to the nature of Christ. God is doing this by developing the vision (sight or spiritual perception) of leaders progressively (1 Cor 13:9&10, Prov 4:18). The more we as leaders understand the correct construct of human life in Christ is the more life (within the church) will be brought to a place of correctness and perfection. When life within the church is brought to a place of correction, then the nations will have a pattern to look at (Isa 2:1-4).
If vision is sight of perfected life in Christ, then we have to consider the following:
· Vision statement must not primarily focus on a “bunch of externals” we want to achieve but on a process of our progressive development in Christ.
· That is, vision must state the kind of human we want to build and produce as we move into the future and not primarily the numbers of people we want to have within the church.
· Vision is not simply a “statement of intent” concerning the number of members we want to have or the church building we want to own one day. These things can be good as our plans but they do not indicate that we have a vision in God.
· Vision is a “now-description” to the people, concerning who they are becoming in the Lord.
With this in mind, we will realise that vision focuses on:
· The description of the revealed positions in Christ that must be possessed by the people.
· The nature and the process of development of people into the newly revealed positions in Christ.
Where there is true vision, we should not only realise “infrastructural or materialistic development” in the church (e.g. new church building, new instruments etc.) but improvement of human life.
Essentially, a vision of the church must propose and or lead people to:
· New character positions in Christ.
· New and better lifestyle positions in Christ.
· New and better platforms of marriage and family life.
· New and better positions of community life within the church.
· New and better positions of functionality in the kingdom of God.
· New and better positions of Representation of Christ before the world and the nations.
The issue here is that vision must not be “materialistic” in its emphasis but must be developmental, propelling people to migrate to new positions of human life. As we have mentioned before, our ultimate aim is to present everyone “perfect in Christ” (Col 1:28).
Materialistic vs. Developmental Vision
“Materialistic Vision” is one that focuses on the materialistic accumulation of the church in the future.
“Developmental Vision” is one that focuses on the development of people in Christ.
Since vision is sight, it needs not focus on the materialistic accumulation of the church as that does not need spiritual sight but simply strategic-administrative considerations. Even though the Lord may speak into issues from time to time, we however generally do not need “sight” or “spiritual perception” to understand that we may be needing a new building or new musical instruments; neither do we need sight to understand that we need to increase in our numbers (this is our generic evangelistic mandate that we engage everyday). These things cannot be a critical part of what we consider to be our vision (or sight of Christ).
The Process of Vision Development
· True vision must begin with a revelation of Christ.
· This revelation produces a sense of correct positions and forms of human life (in the visionary).
· The visionary then engages in a process of taking people from their current state into new positions of life.
· Eventually, vision becomes a mechanism by which we produce new life in the earth, i.e. new character positions, new marriages, new families etc.
Vision is the proposition (by the visionary to the people) of new and better forms of human life in Christ.
The Process of Vision Development: Patterns from Habakkuk
Habakkuk 2:2-3
2 Then the LORD replied:
"Write down the revelation (or vision)
and make it plain on tablets
so that a herald may run with it.
3 For the revelation 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.
NIV
The word that is used here for vision is the Hebrew word “chazown” and it means: “sight, a dream, an oracle, a revelation”. In its root meaning, the word means: “to gaze at, to perceive, to contemplate with pleasure, to behold, to see, to prophesy”.
It is for this reason that the definition of vision provided in this article emphasises the issue of vision being “sight”. Vision is not merely a document or a statement; it is an internal perception of the intents of God for the construction of human life unto perfection in Christ.
Habakkuk therefore tells us the following:
· True vision begins with a sight of God; it does not proceed from the carnal motivations of man.
· When vision has been received from God, it needs to be “made plain on tablets”. This goes beyond simply documenting the intents and desires of the church community. The idea of making it “plain on tablets” involves the issue of establishing “a systematic understanding” of your intents in the hearts of the people. In other words, a vision must be the central feature of the doctrinal conversation in a church community. It cannot be something that is recited only during the anniversary of a church.
· “So that a herald may run with it”: people must be mobilised to present their lives so that God can bring about the vision to reality.
· “The vision awaits an appointed time”: vision places us on a path of pursuit, where we are pressing into God so that we can become what He has promised us.
· “The Vision speaks of the end”: vision is a “now-description” of the positions of life we are moving into in the future.
The Process of Vision Development: Patterns from Paul
Galatians 1:15-16
15 But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, NIV
Ephesians 3:1-6
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-
2 Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. NIV
· Vision begins as personal revelation of Christ in the life of the leader: “…to reveal his Son in me…”
· Vision begins as personal revelation of Christ and it produces an understanding of new and better positions of human life, e.g. “Gentiles are heirs together with Israel”. What we see here is that Paul is literally proposing a new world not characterised by ethnic intolerance or racism.
· Paul then went on to develop doctrine (a systematic description) of the world or life he had seen in Christ. This doctrinal position of “integration” was a consistent theme of Paul in his messages. Paul was a man of vision.
There are therefore four basic processes of vision development:
i) Personal revelation of Christ in the leader.
ii) The formation of an understanding of new and better positions of life in the leader (out of a revelation of Christ).
iii) The proposition and proclamation of the new better positions of life by the leader to the people.
iv) The establishment of processes and systems that will help the people realise the declared vision (or new positions of life).
Guarding against Pharaonic Positions in Vision Development
Exodus 5:4-10
4 But the king of Egypt said, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor? Get back to your work!" 5 Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working."
6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and foremen in charge of the people: 7 "You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks; let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don't reduce the quota. They are lazy; that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' 9 Make the work harder for the men so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies."
10 Then the slave drivers and the foremen went out and said to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you any more straw. NIV
What is a Pharaonic Vision?
A Pharaonic vision is one that puts greater emphasis on what the people must do and achieve for the organisation and lesser emphasis on how the people must develop in Christ. In other words, a Pharaonic vision will always produce a situation where the “outer life” seems to be improving, e.g. new church building, new structures etc. when the “inner life” (or the life of the people) is static, regressing or collapsing. Whenever we find a situation when “the outer environment” of the church is improving (new buildings, membership growth) with the lives of the people remaining static (i.e. without a measurable character development, measurable development in marriages and families, measurable development in kids etc.) then we know that we have already fallen into Pharaonic positions.
A correctly constructed vision will put more emphasis on who the people are becoming in Christ. This development in the lives of the people then becomes the platform from which they can engage in kingdom works.
Discovering the Character of Vision
Hebrews 11:13-16
13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country-a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
NIV
Our forefathers in the faith obviously had vision. They saw something from a distance. Let us see what their vision produced in them:
· It produced faith. We defined faith in the previous article as “internal persuasion that produces human action”.
· It produced a sense of rejection of erroneous positions of life: “they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth”.
· It produced pursuit: “people who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own”.
The Vision provides the framework of existence for People; it therefore must be owned by the People
Proverbs 29:18
18 Where there is no revelation (or vision), the people cast off restraint;
but blessed is he who keeps the law.
NIV
The other translation says: “where there is no vision, the people perish”.
The word that is translated “vision” in this verse is the same word Habakkuk uses. The absence of vision brings people to a place of death.
The word “perish” does not refer to literal death. The word means: “to loosen”. The word “perish” therefore speaks of a situation where people begin to enter into positions of “spiritual lawlessness” or “spiritual anarchy” simply because there is nothing pulling them forward to a definite future. Spiritual order is maintained in a church community when people know exactly where they are going and what they are becoming in Christ, beyond just simply attending the church services every Sunday. In this context, vision must be at the centre of the conversation within a church community, this in turn builds momentum and energy as well as a sense of pursuit in people’s lives that makes them live with a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
The Role of Leadership in the Realisation of Vision
The leadership plays an important role in the pursuit and realisation of the vision. Leaders must be the first ones to enter into new territories and new character dimensions of Christ, showing people the way.
Hebrews 4:14
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. NIV
Hebrews 6:20
20 where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
NIV
The Lord has gone before us and has entered into dimensions of the spirit that we are now appropriating. He is our example. When we see Him then we become like Him. So He is the first to “possess”, long before we can possess character positions in God.
John 14:2-4
2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
NIV
Jesus here uses the analogy of the “house” or “mansion” to capture the whole principle of leadership’s ability to migrate or move people to new positions of existence. We know that “the house” (or mansion) represents “dimensions of revelation of God” (according to Gen 28:17). We also know that the “house” represents “dimensions of human existence” (Jer 29:5). The house or mansion is a place where people live. John 14 is not a proposition of the wealth in heaven. It would not make sense to go and proclaim “mansions in heaven” to rich people who already have mansions here on earth. It is the traditional-materialistic interpretations of scripture, combined with poverty that produced that doctrinal concept. Heaven is a real place but we still need to clarify distorted doctrinal viewpoints of what heaven is. The issue is not mansions; Christ here is talking about moving us to new positions of existence.
The leader must be able to “go before the people” to prepare “a place”. “Mansions” or dimensions of human existence are prepared through the leader possessing certain character positions contained in the vision. When the leader and his family possess these, then he gets the right and the authority “to come back and take people to be with him there”.
1 Corinthians 11:1
1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
NIV
If the leader cannot step into positions declared in the vision, then he compromises people’s ability to appropriate the vision. This reduces church proclamation to pulpit rhetoric. When this sets in people fall back into a religious mode of simply attending church and before you know it, you will find that people start finding “pleasure” in other things within the church like music. In such environments, you find that a lot of people love not “worship” but the whole idea of singing led by skilful musicians, failing to understand that the first time the word “worship” was mentioned in the Word of God, it was a time when a man was going to sacrifice his son (Gen 22:5). And so at the centre of “worship” is not music but sacrifice, death to self ambitions and a complete obedience to God’s will (as Abraham shows us in Gen 22). We sing together on Sunday as an expression of these values that have become a part of our lives.
Vision must be Progressive
Proverbs 4:18
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
NIV
1 Corinthians 13:9-10
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. NIV
Isaiah 48:6-7
6 You have heard these things; look at them all.
Will you not admit them?
"From now on I will tell you of new things,
of hidden things unknown to you.
7 They are created now, and not long ago;
you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
'Yes, I knew of them.'
NIV
Isaiah 43:18-19
18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.
NIV
Ephesians 3:4-5
4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. NIV
If Vision is sight of Christ then it must be progressive. In building the church community, we are not only relying upon what we saw or upon what God said in the past but we are looking at Christ as He reveals Himself to us now. In this sense, the vision (or sight) will continuously shift to new positions, without necessarily negating initial positions of sight the leader had. New positions of sight will always qualify our old imperfect sight (Matt 5:17). The old imperfect positions of sight become the foundation upon which we stand as now see into Christ afresh (Heb 6:1). A constant referral to old positions of sight without a declaration of “now-revelation positions of Christ” can only be an indication that there is no progression of sight.
Progressive vision does not only allow people to appreciate new character dimensions of Christ but it also allows human life to progress to new and better positions. In building life within the church, we are limited by our own sight, the more we see is the more we can build. If we lose sight, then we fall into religion and the cycle of Sunday.
“See, I am doing a new thing”: means that we are commanded to have vision or sight of new dimensions of Christ being released to the church at this point in time. This new sight releases new energy to build people, allowing us to remain at the cutting edge of the doings of God.
Characteristics of True Vision
· True vision begins with a sight of Christ.
· True vision is a description of new positions of life that the people must appropriate in Christ.
· True vision is developmental; it focuses primarily on human development. It is about people’s development and not about infrastructural-material accumulation of the church organisation.
· True vision is progressive.
· The appropriation of true vision produces an improvement in people’s lives and not the development of the “outer environment” of the church.
· True vision allows people to step into Christ progressively.
· True vision activates a sense of corporate journey; it imparts a sense of purpose and meaning in people’s lives.
· Vision must be at the centre of the doctrinal formulation of church and must be a part of the conversation of the people within a church community.
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