Vision for Valley View CF and other participating Fellowships

As Presented 23 May 2010 at VVCF

Text: 1. Petrus 5:1-11

• Prayer: all things related to ministry must be cloaked with prayer. My first vision is to be a praying church – seeking the Lord’s will in ALL things we plan and do.
  1. I challenge those of you with needs to write them down on prayer cards and deposit them the drop box located at the exit.
  2. On Tuesday mornings, those seeking to join us in prayer will meet at our sanctuary - doors open between at 9:00 to 10:00 AM to pray. For it is written,  (Matthew 18:19-21 ASV)  ¹⁹ Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven.  ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. 
• After the Resurrection of Christ, Jesus asked Peter three times, "Simon Peter, do you love me?”
  • After Peter answered positively the first time, Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Our vision includes children as a high priority. 
  • We seek a couple with children that has the call of the Lord in their hearts for ministry, specifically to children and young families.
  • We will seek out God's Will in gathering young people and young families to participate at our church.
• Jesus commissioned the 72 disciples with special instructions. The Lord’s 2nd and 3rd responses to Peter’s query (“Feed my sheep,”) applies as Part 3 of our vision – to (1) train others to be (2) house missionaries [i.e. to the German Language people], (3) community missionaries in our surrounding towns and to encourage (4) those who encounter resistance to God’s Word. Luke 10:1-12 (NKJV):
  1.  ¹ After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also,^[a] and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.
  2.  ² Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
  3.  ³ Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. [Lambs are symbols of Peace.]
  4.  ⁴ Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road.  Matt. 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” Regarding the “carry no essentials” part – we pray for volunteers, interns, college & seminary students and future missionaries in training to help us out.]

  5.  ⁵ But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’  ⁶ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you.
  6.  ⁷ And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. [Remember Peter’s dilemma with God’s vision for him to eat things he had never eaten before? Again, three times the Lord commanded him to eat – 3 times he refused.]
  7.  ⁸ Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.  ⁹ And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ [Beginning next month (in June), we will truly be celebrating “Combined Services” as we welcome community outreaches that are partnering with us {i.e. St. Benedict’s German Fellowship, etc.} to participate with us in services designated “Combined Services.”]
  8.  ¹⁰ But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘The very dust of your city which clings to us^[b] we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.’
  9.  ¹² But^[c] I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.
• Part 4 of the Vision is to move into the very next phase of the Lord’s commission. Our church represents the Great Banquet Hall of the Lord; we invite people (as we did for this occasion) and a good number come, yet we still have a number of empty places to fill. In  Matthew 22:8-10 (NKJV):

1.  ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. ⁹ Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ ¹⁰ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. [Hallelujah!]
2. Would it be at VVCF as it was at Pentecost in the Church at Jerusalem, where at least 16 recognizable languages were spoken when the Holy Spirit filled the room, so that we would not be limited here to only German and English, but become truly an International Outreach! (see Acts 2:8-11)
3. Would it be at VVCF as it was after Pentecost in the Church at Jerusalem, where, according to Acts 2:46-47 – ⁴⁶ So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

5. VVCF is located on top of a hill with a view to the valley below. Part 5 of our vision must be in accordance with Matthew 5:14 (NKJV): “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.”
6. Since we live in the days that many call the “End Times,” our Vision must include Part 6, a contingency plan. Apostle Paul has charted out this plan in his letter to the Thessalonians. He writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, putting on the breastplate of faith and love,

• “ ¹ But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. ² For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ³ For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.

•  ⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵ You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ⁶ Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober,
  • and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

•  ⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.
  ¹¹ Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

7. This vision does not immediately foresee a building program to expand our facilities; however, we already have doors opening at other sites to partner with other churches. If we prove ourselves to be faithful, God will provide as the need arises.

In conclusion, permit me to quote Joshua, one of the two physically-fit-at-a-high-age servants of the Lord: Joshua 24:14-15: ¹⁴ “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! ¹⁵ And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”