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Vision
July 28, 2008 - 5:21am — bilcorneliusThis weekend we talked about vision. I love to talk on vision at church. Then comes the scary part...revealing ours, and then moving in that direction. That's why this year's series on vision is called "The Price of Vision." Everyone has a vision for their lives, their family, their business, their community, even their physical health. It's not a lack of vision that is the problem…it's the unwillingness to pay the price. The price of greatness is high. Our vision as a church has already cost me relationships, money, ego, accusations, being gossiped about, even being lied to. The price is already being paid, so I might as well go all the way with this vision! Here is a quote of a story I used for the message:
"About 350 years ago a shipload of travelers landed on the northeast coast of America. The first year they established a town site. The next year they elected a town government. The third year the town government planned to build a road five miles westward into the wilderness. In the fourth year the people tried to impeach their town government because they thought it was a waste of public funds to build a road five miles westward into a wilderness. Who needed to go there anyway? Here were people who had the vision to see three thousand miles across an ocean and overcome great hardships to get there. But in just a few years they were not able to see even five miles out of town. They had lost their pioneering vision. With a clear vision of what we can become in Christ, no ocean of difficulty is too great. Without it, we rarely move beyond our current boundaries." (story by Lynn Anderson)
Hope that story resonates with you. Have you gotten soft on vision? Are you selling your future short by becoming too comfortable? I look forward to reading your comments and contributions on this.
© Bay Area Fellowship & Bil Cornelius Ministries 2011
Comments
re: Vision
You know Bil sometimes you make so much sense it angers me haha. You made me realize this past weekend that I have been scared to live the life that God has planned for me. It seems like every time God opens a door for me to be closer to Him I take the first step in and then leave the room when I realize that nobody around me is entering the same door. I realize now, though, that I need to run full speed through the door and just pray that my courage and faith will attract those around me to follow. I am done being scared. I want everything that following God has to offer me (good and bad). Thank you Bil for always telling it like it is. The reason I know that God is in Bay Area Fellowship is because I am never able to be completely comfortable in where my walk with God is. I know it can be better and I will work to make it better. Thanks for looking forward Bil, there seems to be a lack of that in this city.Alex
re: Vision
I really enjoyed this insight. I needed this. I have a vision, rather visions. Many of them have been with me ever since I was young. Like many others, there was a point in my life when I swayed from living the "christian" life. And I failed. It was so bad that it almost cost me my life. But Christ is so good. The funny is after I re-dedicated my life to Christ it seemed as if my battles and struggles increased. But I've had many good rewards as well. There are moments when the vision sometimes seems silly or impossible to do. But still move forward. Like yourself I've lost some friends, some of them great friends. I've been lied to, been the subject of gossip, and had many many discouraging moments. Even during my highest moments in life I've made mistakes. Some of them BIG. But the one thing I could not understand is that; at the very moment I really needed my brothers and sisters, and in this case even my pastor, they were not their. My most vunerable time when I needed them the most they simply were not there. Wiping their hands of me. Turning away and saying "I didn't know." All Lies. As I said before I've made mistakes. But this time around it was a mistake that, "you've should have known better." What does that really mean? For example (the subject doesn't necessarily mean my case);"Hey King David, we know your chosen by God, but you've should've known better than that!" "Pervert, Murderer!" "Were not letting you be King anymore!" God appoints Kings, but man chooses who to serve.I've come to the conclusion that it is our mistakes that allows us to grow from. I don't care who you are. No one is immune. I've heard all kinds of scripture thrown at my face, "well you know the bible says to..." By the love of God, I know. I know they mean well. I know I screwed up, but why turn your face from me?I almost gave up.I began to become angry and bitter. Then one day sitting alone in my room. I wepted. I didn't want to go back. I'd come to far and been through to much to go back. I realized that my vision is bigger than anyone. If anyone in this world believes in me it is God. Nor is this about them, nor is it about me. It's about Christ. It's about accepting an invitation from Him to promote His Kingdome.TD Jakes once said "There can be no great victory without great conflict."Thank you for reminding me that my vision is far greater than anything or anyone. Jesse Duplantis once said, "don't let short term fustrations get in the way of longtime goals." AmenMen doing small things that bring them to greatness makes them Great Men.
re: Vision
I am fired up about this series. This is exactly the message I need to hear. Although all your messages seem to speak to me directly. You are doing an awesome job and I appreciate you and BAF. The fact that the lights were out made this message even clearer to me. Thanks for all you do! Can't wait to be a part of the new vision for BAF.
re: Vision
It seems to me that we are on the cusp of truly becoming a dangerous church !!: ).....Many times I have been afraid of taking that blind step, for fear of past failures. But you can't unscramble eggs, and if you are gonna receive God's message and blessing, you have got to let go of the past and all of the insecurities that go with it.Count me in !! Let's take it to the next level, oh spikey haired oracle without peer !!!
re: Vision
Interesting. A blog about vision with the inclusion of a story about pioneering.It brings to mind the adventure of childhood puzzle books with word search and mind binders, etc. The first word that came to mind after reading this blog was Visionary... a word mesh of vision and pioneer. Visionary... a black and white word....some hear the word and think flaky or impractical....some are excited when they hear the word and think cutting edge or imaginative. I happen to be in the latter mentioned ‘some’.That is my Dreamer-loves-to-be-inspired Response; And here’s my factual Response...2 weeks ago I was %100 certain of Divorce and two days ago I was holding my husbands arm while listening to you at the 5 points campus. Two weeks ago I dressed my beer with tears at a bar and last week I declined the invitation from a friend to go out. Two weeks ago, after 2 months of separation in my marriage I gambled with my marriage (my first step at learning about the cost of vision)...I told my husband the only way we were going salvage our marriage was 1st. To attend church, 2nd counseling. He fought the church ultimatum more than the counseling. Finally, he conceded and asked “which church?”....(DUDE...I had a vision but no plan..LOL,) I panicked and racked my brain to answer quickly....The Bay Area flyers I always receive came to mind and I blurted out “Bay Area Fellowship”....(That Sunday was actually the first service for that campus...Chilling, huh?).....Your vision (the flyers) focused my plan in putting God first, I have trust and faith that your continued vision will only bring my family strength.....Funny Note: I ‘ve lived next door to a church for 4 years...really!.
re: Vision
Just yesterday I realized I've spent the last 5 months without a sense of goals, direction, progress, or purpose. I hate to admit trepidation is present when asking God to give me new vision, inspiration, and passionate energy but it was/is. It's like jumping off a high cliff into a lake...scary but fun when you know the landing is protected.
re: Vision
It was a few months ago that a band of people had the vision of launching a campus in the 5 Points area. That same group of people grew and worked and bonded and two weeks ago saw the launch of Bay Area Fellowship 5 Points.It is my passion to never let us forget that we built it to reach out to the community and never let us forget to keep forging the way and taking new ground and making this area and beyond the hardest place to go to hell.God let this fire never dim but grow stronger every day in our campus.Bil...I'm all in.
re: Vision
The price of vision is often far greater than we can know on the front end. I left the comfort of a church I had planted and stepped into Tallahassee and started over. I did this because of vision, vision that God had planted deep in my heart about a church planting movement in North America. This past year has been marked with personal sacrifice. My family has experienced the loss of my father, surgery on my back, my son’s appendix, and my wife’s hand (broken in a car accident which totaled her car). We have struggled financially, relationally, and spiritually. At times we have felt abandoned and alone. We have done this all for the vision. We have seen lives changed. To date over 50 people have trusted Christ and have gone public through baptism. We have launched our second campus targeting students. The vision that God has planted is becoming a reality, thank you Bil and Bay Area for joining God in the quest of this vision. Vision is costly but God’s vision is worth our lives.
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