A RENEWAL OF OUR VISION

Let us review the need to renew our vision for Moshiach and His Church. Most of you will remember when you first became a believer that you were fired up with a vision to reach people for Moshiach and to see His Church grow. You probably spent considerable time in prayer asking YHVH to use you for His Kingdom and to make you a strong witness to others. You saw yourself as a champion for Moshiach, proclaiming victory in His Name and defeating the enemy with the Sword of the Spirit. When you heard sermons or read letters about evangelism and outreach, you got fired up and clearly understood and accepted the fact that YHVH could use you in a mighty way but somehow, over the years or months, since your conversion to Moshiach, somehow that vision has faded and become nothing more than a distant memory. You might still talk about it and you know it is something that should be important to you but if the truth be known, it is the last thing on many your minds these days. Think about this for a minute; in this last week, how much time did you spend pondering the fact that YHVH has a vision for your life and for His church? If you are like most people, you probably gave it little, if any, thought. Remember, you are an integral part of YHVH’s plan for this world and He wants to give you the ability to fulfil that plan in your life and in your church. YHVH wants us to begin thinking on a much grander scale than we have been thinking and bring to us a personal renewal that focuses on a vision for the future.

1 -- YHVH says that… :

A – We are commissioned:
When you changed and became a believer, you were also accepting the challenge of YHVH’s mission for your life. -- And Yeshua came and spake unto them, saying, all power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have Commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. -- Matthew 28:18-20. This Commission from Moshiach to make disciples, baptize them and teach them to obey was given to Yeshua’s disciples and is still given to us today. YHVH is telling us that we are both individually and corporately accountable for fulfilling the mission He has sent us on. This is for men, women, young people, children, elderly, married, single, widowed, divorced, it is given to everyone and no one is excused. The sooner we understand this and take responsibility for it, the sooner we will begin to experience the renewal that YHVH’s wants us to have.

B – We are empowered:
Unlike any government, YHVH does not demand unfunded mandates. Sometimes a government will pass rules, laws or procedures that are passed down to the States, County’s or Provinces, yet there is no funding given. YHVH does not work like that, He never asks us to do anything that He does not also give us the resources necessary to accomplish whatever He asks us to do. -- But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. -- Acts 1:8. The same power given to the early disciples is available to us and that power comes from Ruach HaKodesh who indwells every believer. That power was specifically given to accomplish the vision YHVH gave. We can never excuse ourselves from service by saying that we do not have the resources necessary; YHVH promises us that He will empower us to fulfil the vision.

C – We are entrusted:
There is a story that a young man applied for a job as an usher at a theatre. The manager asked him: [What would you do if a fire breaks out?] The young man answered: [Don't worry about me. I would get out easily.] That is how we respond sometimes. What would you do if Yeshua came back today? And He is very close, on His way already! But you are an usher! It is not enough just to get out ourselves; we are responsible for helping others get out! -- But as we were allowed of YHVH to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but YHVH, which trieth our hearts. -- 1 Thessalonians 2:4. YHVH has entrusted His vision to us as individuals and as a church. There is no other plan in place; YHVH is counting on us to get the job done.

2 – We need to.. :

A – We must see ourselves as YHVH sees us:
One of the biggest contributors to lack of vision is a misunderstanding of just who we are in YHVH’s Eyes. Until we see ourselves as YHVH sees us, we will not be able to comprehend the vision. In other words, we cannot envision our roles in YHVH’s Kingdom until we envision ourselves as a fully equipped, loved and cared for, child of YHVH. YHVH sees us as believers that can accomplish His will for our lives. He does not look at us as failures; He looks at us and sees believers that can reign victorious in this life. YHVH is looking at us and saying: [I know that My children has the ability to accomplish great things for My Kingdom, if they would just apply the promises that I have made, and follow My Torah, there would be no limits.] It is clear from the Great Commission that YHVH believes in us. But for some reason we many times do not believe in ourselves. I am not talking about self-confidence, self-esteem or building up a false sense of bravery, I am talking about recognizing that YHVH has instilled within us the supernatural power to accomplish His vision for the Kingdom. And when we are not seeing ourselves in that light, we are denying the very promises that YHVH has made to us. We all need to take some positive steps to correct this and the first thing that we can do is continually remind ourselves that we can do what YHVH has asked us to do, not because we are so intelligent, so powerful or such wonderful people, but because YHVH is everything that He claims that He is and if He says I can do it, then I can do it!