Garwood Presbyterian Church

Be Thou My Vision

Proverbs 4:23, Acts 2:17, Acts 16:9-10, I Peter 4:10-11

Introduction So far we have seen that "Our Past Is Not a Problem" in becoming a great leader for God. We have also seen that "Your Character Is the Key" to becoming God's leader, as well as "Being a People Person" and "Producing Excellence." We also need to be successful as a leader because "Results Are the Bottom Line." Today we are going to see why having a vision is important for a group, and how you can lead your people to have the right one for them.

1. Why a Vision Is Important to Have
   1. It provides the purpose for the group you are leading.
   2. It provides the direction for your group to go in.
   3. If accepted, it provides the motivation, energy and excitement needed to accomplish it.

      Transition: How can I lead my people to have the right vision?

2. The Supernatural Revelation Method
   1. If you are a Christian, you can receive a vision for your people from God's Spirit within you.
      1. Acts 2:17
      2. Acts 2:17 and other Scriptures say you can also know what God wants you to do through the dreams you have. However, most of our dreams are about our problems and unresolved issues, and not about the positive future God wants us to move into.
      3. Most of the visions and dreams God gave to His people in the Bible were when He wanted to convey something extremely important to them. They are not the usual method God uses to convey information to us.
   2. We read in Acts 16:9-10 how God gave Paul a vision one night to cross over from Asia to Europe in order to present the gospel to the people there for their salvation.
      1. Because of this vision, Paul knew what God's will was, and led his companions over to Macedonia.
      2. Receiving and following a vision from God is one of the reasons why Paul was a great leader for God.
3. The Sanctified Mind Method
   1. This is the method you will usually have to take in order to lead your people into knowing what God's vision is for them.
   2. You can lead your people into knowing what God's vision is for them by having them answer the following five questions.
   3. Proverbs 4:23 encouraged us to ask the first question, which is, "What is in our hearts?"
      1. What moves and motivates us?
      2. What do we enjoy doing?
   4. Rom. 8:28 tells us to ask the second question, which is, "How can the experiences we are having here, including the negative ones, be turned into something good?"
   5. I Peter 4:9-10 told us to ask the next three questions.
      1. What gifts and abilities does my group have?
      2. How can we serve others? What needs can we meet?
      3. If the group is a Christian one, also ask, "What can we do that will give the most praise and glory to God through our lives?"
   6. Your answers to these five questions reveals God's vision and will for your group.

Conclusion: Only 1-2% of people surveyed have a vision or dream for their life. This means they will always be limited in their success and fulfillment in life. To become a great leader for God, you need to know and follow God's vision for your people. When you do, it will bring you fulfillment and make you successful. It will also bring purpose, direction, motivation, energy and excitement to the people you are leading.