Expanding Our Vision
8/3/03
The Lord loves His church so much and desires
to do great and marvelous things through His church!
Eph. 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and
revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the
eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to
which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19
and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the
working of his mighty strength, 20 which he exerted in Christ when
he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly
realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and
every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one
to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed
him to be head over everything for the church, 23
which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every
way.
Eph. 3:7 I became a servant of this gospel by the
gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8
Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me:
to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and
to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages
past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. 10 His intent
was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God
should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11
according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
Eph. 3:20 Now to him who is able to do
immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power
that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in
Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
I would never lift Community of Faith above
another church, but I praise the Lord Jesus for what He has done here!
In 1979, the Lord spoke to John Somers and put it in his heart to leave his
position as Evangelism director over the state of Illinois in the Southern
Baptist Convention and come to Southern Illinois to start a church. The very
first meeting was November 4, 1979. There was an add put in the paper
announcing the service to be held at John A. Logan--over 100 people were in
attendance for that first meeting!
Through out the growth of Community of Faith the Lord Jesus has done
marvelous things.
I remember so vividly what happened on October 25, 1992. Sue and I were just
about to purchase an acre of property in Spillertown when the Lord spoke not to
do it.
July 9, 1994 the Lord spoke to Sue about coming out here and the vision was
renewed. That was on a Saturday. On Sunday I shared this with the congregation
and on Monday we started clearing the property in the woods to move our mobile
home here. One month to the day we moved in.
During that period of time as we were seeking the Lord about the exact
purpose of the building would be, the Lord revealed to us exactly the purpose
of the home.
July 30, 1995 we dedicated the property for the refuge home.
October 2, 1996, Al, Gloria, David and Jonathan spent the first night in the
home as house parents--the water had not been turned on yet.
For weeks my heart has been stirring with the word “potential.”
Last week David mentioned two things about this. 1) the word potential. 2)
His own sense of what God is really wanting to do with the Refuge Home.
What David shared represents the heart of the leadership.
There is a fine line between presumption and
faith--but it’s our responsibility to know where it is!
If we were following a man made vision, or our own ambition--that would be
sin and fruitless.
On the other hand, not to believe God and live on the edge of faith is also
sin and grieves the heart of God!
Years ago we did a Wednesday night Bible study entitled “Experiencing God”
by Henry Blackaby. Out of that whole study there was one statement he made that
I have never forgotten. “Find out what God is doing and join Him!”
Listen to what Jesus told Peter about the
church.
Mat. 16:13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his
disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah;
and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the
living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this
was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I
tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will
give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed
in heaven.” 20 Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that
he was the Christ.
“On this rock I will build my church.” The rock of
faith--Peter’s confession.
The power of the devil will not overcome it!
We hold the keys!
Failing to see the vision of what God can do!
2 Ki. 13:14 Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died.
Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My
father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!”
15 Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 16
“Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken
it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
17 “Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!”
Elisha said, and he shot. “The LORD’S arrow of victory, the arrow of victory
over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at
Aphek.”
18 Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them.
Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19
The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the
ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and
completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”
20 Elisha died and was buried.
God forbid that we would be satisfied with
less than what He wants to do!
Amos 6:1 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion.