Vision
Helen Keller once asked, “What can be worse than being blind?” Her answer: “To have sight without vision.”
Proverbs 24:16 tells us that without a vision, people are unrestrained. That is, there is no focus, no direction, no meaning, no purpose to their lives.
Vision is vital. That’s why Jesus set forth a very clear vision for his church. That vision, given on a mountain in Galilee just before our Lord ascended into heaven, is often referred to as The Great Commission.
“Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, literally ethnos, or people groups, teaching them to live in the way I have taught you. And I will be with you as you go. With you until the end of this current age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Making disciples of Jesus. That is the vision we are adopting at Embrace Church in High Point, North Carolina. And to guide us in our vision, we have four values.
How do we make disciples of Jesus?
By Teaching Scripture.
By Prayer and Other Disciplines.
By Building Relationships.
By Celebrating Our Differences.
I think it’s worth noting that all of us are disciples of someone or something. Even the great leaders throughout history have been disciples of others, and their leadership reflects this.
As Christians, we believe that Jesus’s life and teaching surpass all others. His eternal nature and conquest of death are his qualifications. And so, we have enrolled in his school of life, learning from him.
The word translated disciple in the New Testament literally means learner. You and I are learning from the Master, the Lord of Life. Who could be better qualified to teach us?
But disciples are more than learners. In today’s world, knowledge is often equated with information, facts, and data. But Jesus clearly teaches that it is those who both hear and do what he says who build their lives on a secure foundation. (Matthew 7:24-27)
This is why disciples are also followers. We follow the teachings of Jesus AND we follow Jesus himself. “I will not leave you as orphans,” he promised. “I will come to you.” Through his Spirit, Jesus leads us in this wonderful, often painful and difficult, but always mysterious thing called life. As Christians, we follow more than a book; we follow a person. And a large part of growth as disciples comes from learning how to hear and follow Jesus.
And how do we hear Jesus? Through Scripture, through prayer, through relationships with others, and by celebrating and honoring our differences as people from all kinds of backgrounds and perspectives.
“You are the body of Christ,” I Corinthians 12:27 tells us, “and each of you is a part of it.”
I’ll be sharing more about our lives and values as disciples of Jesus in future posts. Stay tuned.
In Christ,
Dan
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You can listen to my weekly messages at Embrace Church, High Point.