Participants: John Dinzey (Host), Dr. Roland Hill
Series Code: FDOF
Program Code: FDOF000010A
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00:18 Hello and welcome once again to "Foundation of our Faith."
00:23 "Foundation of our Faith." 00:24 And this, your network, the Dare to Dream Network. 00:27 My name is John Dinzey 00:28 and it's a pleasure to be with you during this hour. 00:31 And I just praise the Lord for 00:33 the first message in this series with Dr. Roland Hill. 00:37 I must say that I was blessed and I believe you were too, 00:40 if you did have the opportunity to listen to it. 00:44 And after you hear this message, 00:45 you will say, wow, the second one was good, 00:47 the first one must also be good. 00:49 So I encourage you to call the Dare to Dream Network 00:53 to get yourself a copy of these powerful messages. 00:57 Today, we will have the second in the series, 00:59 entitled "Vision Delayed, but not Destroyed." 01:03 Third message will be, "Wealth is in your Worship." 01:07 Praise the Lord. 01:08 And number four, which is the last in this series is, 01:12 "It's Bigger Than Me." With Dr. Roland Hill. 01:17 And Dr. Roland Hill has been a servant of the Lord 01:22 for 39 years of ministry 01:24 and currently he serves 01:26 as a pastor in the Allegany East Conference 01:29 in the good USA. 01:31 And also, I am pleased to tell you, 01:34 that the Lord has blessed him 01:37 with the opportunity to travel internationally 01:40 along with his wife Susie, 01:41 Dr. Susie, that accompanies him when she is available. 01:45 And they present seminars on theo-economics, 01:50 stewardship and wealth creation. 01:52 And they have been happily married for 39 years. 01:57 I was speaking to him and I asked him, 01:59 where did you meet your wife? 02:01 Well, he met her in Oakwood, at Venice University 02:06 and have been together for 39 years, married for 39 years, 02:11 have been blessed with two children which are now adults 02:15 and they have three beautiful granddaughters. 02:18 He has also studied at Oakwood, Andrews University, 02:21 and the Reformed Theological Seminary. 02:24 And he is also the father of 02:29 the Biblical economics philosophy, 02:31 theo-economics, which is God's economy. 02:34 So I encourage you to be with us during this hour 02:38 and receive the blessing 02:40 through the preaching of God's word. 02:42 He believes in God's word 02:44 and I believe he will communicate that 02:46 as you listen to this message. 02:48 Before we hear this message, 02:49 we also have the blessing 02:51 of coming before God's throne of grace in music. 02:56 We have with us Lyndon Carriger, 02:58 and Lyndon Carriger has also been blessed 03:00 with a talent to sing, play the piano, 03:04 and he is happily married and according to my notes, 03:09 I like the way it was written here, 03:10 it says that the most prized accomplishment of his life 03:16 was marrying his wife. 03:18 Praise the Lord. 03:19 His wife Tina serves as a minister 03:22 in the South Central Conference 03:24 and they have two beautiful children, 03:26 Olivia and Braxton, 03:28 and Lyndon is very humbled 03:30 by the opportunity to be used by God 03:32 and considers it a privilege as well as a responsibility 03:36 to stand before God's people, to minister in song. 03:39 He will be coming out in a moment, 03:41 to take us to God's throne of grace in song. 03:44 Before that, we want to encourage you to stand, 03:47 those that are present 03:49 and we're going to go to the Lord in prayer. 03:51 Immediately after prayer we will hear the message in song, 03:55 entitled "Keep on climbing" with Brother Lyndon Carriger. 04:01 Immediately after that 04:02 we will hear the preaching of God's word 04:03 with Dr. Roland Hill. 04:05 Let us go, before God's throne of grace in prayer. 04:09 Our loving, heavenly Father, we thank You so much, 04:14 for what Jesus has done for us, in us, 04:18 and continues to do for us. 04:21 Lord, during this moment, 04:23 we come before You to ask for the blessing that we all need. 04:27 And Lord, we know that You have a message for us 04:33 and we pray that You will bless Your servant, 04:36 Dr. Roland Hill with Your Holy Spirit, 04:38 that the message that we need will be heard 04:41 and that You will help us to believe in it 04:45 and to follow You as we will hear in the message. 04:49 We pray, Father, 04:50 that You will also bless everyone that will join us 04:53 and that they may be encouraged to follow You 04:56 with all of their hearts. 04:57 We thank You for hearing our prayer. 05:00 For we ask it in the mighty 05:02 and powerful name of Jesus, amen. 05:05 Thank you very much, you may be seated 05:07 and I leave you with Brother Lyndon B. Carriger. 05:35 God placed a dream within your heart 05:40 And if you make a start 05:44 He wants for you to know 05:51 All of your needs He will supply 05:56 He's always standing by 05:59 He's there to see you through 06:06 So keep on climbing until you reach your goal 06:13 Just keep on striving with all your heart and soul 06:21 All things are possible with God so don't give in 06:29 He'll move your mountains 06:32 He believes in your dreams 06:50 And when the road ahead seems long 06:55 With faith you can be strong 06:59 He's there to show the way 07:06 With every step you'll know what's right 07:10 And you'll conquer in His might 07:15 He'll bring that brighter day 07:20 So keep on climbing until you reach your goal 07:28 Just keep on striving with all your heart and soul 07:35 All things are possible with God so don't give in 07:43 He'll move your mountains 07:46 He believes in your dreams 07:53 Keep on climbing until you reach your goal 07:59 Just keep on striving with all your heart and soul 08:07 All things are possible with God so don't give in 08:15 He'll move your mountains 08:18 Yes, He will 08:20 Move your mountains, I know He will 08:24 Move your mountains 08:28 He believes in your dreams 08:38 Your dreams 08:57 Wow, what a powerful, powerful message. 09:00 God does believe, not just in His dream 09:05 but in all of our dreams, praise God. 09:08 Good evening everyone and I'm so excited, 09:10 I'm just glad to be here. 09:11 Are you glad to be here? 09:12 God has been good to us and I'm so excited, 09:16 I'm busting with praise 09:17 because God has another special message for us tonight. 09:21 And I encourage you to take your bibles, 09:24 turn with me to Habakkuk. 09:28 Tonight's message is entitled 09:30 "Vision Delayed but not Destroyed." 09:35 And this message is designed 09:36 to give you encouragement and inspiration 09:39 as you walk through life. 09:41 And I want you to know that 09:42 when we finish this message tonight, 09:44 this will indeed be a message that will revolutionize you 09:48 and change the way you think and change the way you live. 09:52 And again, the title of the message is 09:54 "Vision Delayed but not Destroyed." 09:57 Habakkuk, that Old Testament prophet, 10:01 little book, beginning with verse one, it reads like this, 10:08 "I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, 10:14 and watch to see what He will say to me, 10:18 and what I will answer when I am corrected." 10:21 Verse 2, "Then the Lord answered me and said, 10:24 'Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, 10:29 that he may run who reads it. 10:32 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, 10:35 but at the end it will speak and it will not lie. 10:40 Though it tarries, 10:41 wait for it because it will surely come, 10:45 it will not tarry.'" 10:47 Let us pray, 10:50 eternal Father, righteous God, 10:51 I thank You so much 10:52 for this opportunity to hear You speak to us. 10:56 We come tonight expecting a word from You. 10:59 We've heard a lot of verses 11:00 from a lot of people during the week, 11:02 but now we want to hear a special word from You 11:04 and so tonight, we open up our hearts, 11:07 we open up our minds, so that You will speak to us 11:12 and that You will touch us in places 11:14 that we have never been touched before. 11:16 So that we will leave this message 11:18 transformed as a people, 11:20 ready to accomplish the vision that You've laid in our hearts, 11:24 is our prayer, in the name of Jesus, amen. 11:29 Vision. 11:33 Vision, vision, I've come to understand, 11:36 is the powerhouse 11:39 and the power plant of the soul. 11:43 I've come to understand that vision is the rocket booster 11:47 for a productive life. 11:50 In other words, 11:51 a vision is what will carry you into your future. 11:55 It will carry you to your destiny. 11:58 I've discovered that vision is the mental component 12:01 that determines, listen to this, 12:04 whether you will soar like an eagle, 12:08 or spend your life wobbling like a turkey. 12:12 And the sad thing about it, 12:13 many people have spent their lives waddling as turkeys 12:17 and I believe God wants you to fly like an eagle. 12:21 But that will only happen, my brothers and my sisters, 12:25 when we catch the vision that God has for our lives. 12:31 There she stood, resolute behind barbed wire, 12:36 a barbed wire fence on Mrs. Tweedy's chicken farm. 12:44 Ginger was her name. You remember Ginger. 12:47 She was the hero 12:48 in that British movie called "Chicken Run." 12:51 Actually my favorite movie. 12:55 And after dozens of failed attempt, 13:00 the vision was still very clear in Ginger's mind. 13:04 Again, she was hoping and working 13:07 to get off of Mrs. Tweedy's chicken farm. 13:10 She was locked behind the barbed wire fence 13:13 with all of her chickens, 13:15 with all of her colleagues. 13:17 And in her mind, she says, we don't deserve to be here. 13:21 We need to be off of Mrs. Tweedy's chicken farm 13:24 and she tried all kinds of ways 13:28 to get off of Mrs. Tweedy's chicken farm. 13:32 But after dozens of failed attempts, 13:36 you would think that she would become discouraged 13:38 but the vision was still in her heart. 13:44 I can imagine, she said, like our title says, 13:49 vision maybe delayed but it is not destroyed. 13:56 After one of them disastrous escape attempts, 14:00 Ginger was chided by Bunty, one of the talkative, 14:04 easily discouraged chickens on the chicken farm. 14:08 And she said to Ginger, 14:10 "Ginger, haven't you thought about just quitting?" 14:15 Sounds like what some people tell us. 14:19 "Don't you know that our chances of escaping 14:23 are a million to one?" 14:27 Vision sparkled in Ginger's eyes. 14:31 Determination was etched on her face. 14:36 Bulldog tenacity was heard in her voice. 14:40 And in her British tone she said, 14:46 "Well, I guess we still have a chance." 14:51 What a classic line. 14:53 "Well, I guess we still have a chance." 14:58 I want to let you know, 15:01 I want you to understand that you still have a chance. 15:06 I'll say amen to that. 15:08 Regardless of what is happening around you, 15:12 and to you, you still have a chance. 15:19 I want to share something with you 15:20 that keeps me excited and you know, 15:21 I am an excited person. 15:24 I am, I'm, as I told you at the last message, 15:27 I'm an eternal optimist. 15:29 And one of the reasons why is 15:30 I've understood some important lessons in life, 15:33 and so I want you to buckle up your seat, audience, 15:38 buckle on your seatbelt, 15:40 because I'm gonna give you something 15:42 that's gonna rocket boost you. 15:43 Listen now, odds don't determine your destiny, 15:49 vision does. 15:50 Oh, I need to say that again. 15:52 Odds don't determine your destiny, vision does. 15:57 See, destiny determines, 16:01 our destiny is determined by God's vision for us. 16:07 See, vision determines the success of an individual, 16:11 it determines the success of a group 16:14 and it determines the success of an organization. 16:17 I've come to understand that. 16:19 It's become clear to me, odds, and I got to say it again, 16:23 odds don't determine your destiny, vision does. 16:30 Think about it. 16:31 If it was left up to odds, 16:33 some of you would have never been where you are now. 16:37 It was the vision that brought you where you are, 16:40 so odds don't determine your destiny, vision does. 16:46 Let me fire you up tonight. 16:48 Sometimes I've found people are not that fired up. 16:52 I want to light a little fire under so when you leave here, 16:55 you'll be running up and down the aisles 16:56 with excitement like me 16:58 because you've got to understand 17:00 that your vision cannot be destroyed. 17:05 Oh, I need to say that again 17:06 because that will revolutionize the way you think. 17:09 Your vision cannot be destroyed. 17:15 You see, true vision is indestructible. 17:18 True vision is invincible. 17:20 True vision is unconquerable. 17:22 True vision is unassailable. 17:24 True vision is undauntable. 17:26 Yes! True vision! I got it. 17:29 True vision is unstoppable! 17:35 You see, true vision is tinka or tonka rather, Tonka Tough. 17:43 Now y'all may not remember the Tonka toys, 17:48 but I sure do. 17:49 I hope you remember the Tonka toys. 17:53 I got a Tonka truck for Christmas. 17:57 And it was the best toy and the worst toy I ever got. 18:04 It was a good toy, a best toy because, 18:07 I mean, it was fun to play with and you could ride on it 18:11 and you could do a lot of things with it, 18:13 it was nice, it was a real dump truck. 18:16 Remember? Yellow with the black wheels on it? 18:19 But it was the worst Christmas gift 18:22 because I couldn't tear it up. 18:28 See all my other Christmas gifts, 18:30 within 30 minutes they were gone. 18:33 But the Tonka toy lived on, 18:35 the Tonka truck lived on and on and on 18:39 and on and on and on. 18:42 In fact, I read an article 18:44 a while back about a Tonka truck, 18:45 a little boy got tired of his Tonka truck, 18:48 listen to me, he got tired of his Tonka truck 18:51 and they had a little pond out in the back of their house, 18:54 he took it and threw it in the pond. 18:59 And his daddy said, where's your truck? 19:00 He said, it's gone, Daddy. 19:04 And for years, no one knew where the Tonka truck was 19:07 but the little boy. 19:08 And the weather got hot and the pond dried up, 19:14 and there was his Tonka truck. 19:17 His dad pulled it out, washed it off 19:20 and it was still rolling. 19:24 And I want you to know your vision is just as tough, 19:28 in fact, tougher than the Tonka truck. 19:35 In fact, the proof of its toughness, 19:39 that is your vision, 19:42 is where it has originated from. 19:47 Where it has originated from. 19:50 Turn with me to Joel Chapter 2. 19:54 Powerful text, Joel 2:28. 20:05 Powerful text... 20:11 that will bless your socks off. 20:18 Bible makes it clear 20:19 in Joel 2:28 that in the last days, 20:22 God will pour out His spirit on all flesh, on men and women. 20:27 He will give them visions. 20:28 So the origin of visions, listen carefully, 20:31 the origin of vision, listen carefully, 20:34 the origin of vision is God. 20:39 Vision is God's importation and God's implantation. 20:43 Let me say that again, 20:44 vision is God's importation and God's implantation. 20:49 It is the mental image of God for your life, 20:56 that's etched in your brain, burned into your DNA, 21:02 coded in your genes. 21:04 It is God's high-definition plan 21:08 and display for your life. 21:13 I didn't know what high definition was 21:16 until my mother-in-law came to visit 21:18 my wife and I several years ago. 21:21 And she was really discouraged when she walked in our house 21:24 because we had the hi-tech computers 21:29 but a low-tech television. 21:32 I didn't see anything wrong with our television. 21:34 We had a 19-inch Sony Trinitron color-tube television, 21:42 without a remote. 21:45 And I thought we were doing well. 21:46 And my mother-in-law said 21:48 ya'll are not watching television right. 21:50 Let me go out and buy you a television. 21:53 And she bought us a 52-inch 21:59 and that's when I began to understand 22:01 what high definition was all about. 22:05 Because now you could see the pictures sharp and clear. 22:11 That anchorwoman 22:12 that looks so beautiful on my Trinitron television 22:16 now didn't look so pretty 22:17 because the high-definition showed up the zits on her face. 22:24 So when we talk about vision, 22:25 we're talking about 22:26 God's high-definition plan for your life. 22:31 That's why God said to Habakkuk, 22:33 write the vision, make it plain. 22:37 God said to him, I want you to write what you see, 22:41 listen to me, my brothers and my sisters. 22:44 God has a visible display of your life 22:47 that he's flashing on your brain. 22:53 But come closer now because I'm gonna lay it in. 22:57 Vision is not your property, 23:03 but God's property. 23:08 Let me say it again, you see, 23:09 you've got to understand that vision 23:12 is God's property not our property, 23:16 praise the Lord. 23:19 Because it's God's property, 23:21 then anything that belongs to God is eternal 23:25 and cannot be stopped. 23:29 So since God's vision is put in us, 23:33 it makes us, like the vision, 23:36 invincible, indestructible, unstoppable. 23:41 Proverbs 29:18, the Bible says, 23:45 "Where there is no vision, the people perish." 23:55 Now I want to flip the script on that. 23:57 The Bible says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." 24:01 But I've come to understand if I flip that, 24:03 where there is a vision, where there is a vision... 24:08 the people become unstoppable. 24:12 In other words, give me a vision and you can't stop me. 24:17 You see, our confusion comes with understanding 24:21 the difference between visions and dreams. 24:28 See, this confusion over vision and dreams 24:31 keeps people depressed and unproductive. 24:36 That's why in many of our communities, 24:38 people don't have a lot of energy 24:41 and don't have a lot of excitement 24:42 and the reason why is they have mistaken dreams and goals 24:47 with vision, 24:50 and it keeps them un-energized and unproductive. 24:54 And I've come to understand, when vision comes, 24:57 it changes the way you live and act. 25:00 You see, dreams and goals are simply human aspirations. 25:08 You need to get this. 25:10 Dreams and goals are simply human aspirations. 25:16 They are human calculations of future desires. 25:20 I'll say that again. 25:21 They are simply human calculations of future desires. 25:25 That's why, when we get into trouble 25:28 and that's why, when trouble comes, 25:30 we become discouraged because they're only things 25:33 that we know we can do ourselves. 25:37 Vision on the other hand, 25:42 is God's property. 25:45 And vision is God's prophetic plan for our lives. 25:51 Vision is God's prophetic plan for our lives. 25:58 You see, vision is destiny driven by divinity. 26:06 Oh, I'll say that again. 26:08 Vision is destiny driven by divinity. 26:14 It's God's plan propelled by God's power. 26:20 Oh, that's exciting. 26:22 You see, when I'm trying to do it in my own power, 26:24 I run out of power. 26:27 But vision allows you to work and operate in God's power 26:30 and God's power is inexhaustible. 26:33 My brothers and my sisters, get it, know it, 26:36 that when you have the vision of God, 26:38 you never run out of energy. 26:41 See, Proverbs 29:18, 26:46 the word for vision in the Hebrew is "hazon", 26:50 which means prophetic revelation. 26:55 So the vision, since it is God's revelation, 27:00 don't miss this, since it is God's revelation, 27:04 then it's God's reputation that's on the line. 27:07 Oh, I need to say that again. 27:09 Let me walk back on that one. 27:11 See, since it's God's revelation, 27:14 then it's God's reputation that's on the line, 27:16 and I've come to understand 27:18 that God is never gonna allow His reputation 27:23 to come back bad. 27:26 So when we talk about vision, that's why, get this, 27:29 that's why vision is always bigger than our desires. 27:35 That's why vision is always bigger than our hopes. 27:38 That's why vision is always bigger than our wishes. 27:42 Listen now, 27:43 and that's why vision is always bigger than our abilities. 27:50 You see, true vision is fuelled and propelled 27:55 by an unstoppable God. 27:59 Man, that's the kind of preaching 28:00 that should get you up and running. 28:04 When you have true vision nothing can stop you. 28:08 But now the test of true vision is the reaction, 28:15 listen now, is the reaction you receive 28:23 when you start talking about your vision. 28:26 See what I've discovered is that 28:28 the reason why most people never live out their vision 28:32 is because they like to be liked. 28:36 See, most of us like to have friends and colleagues and, 28:40 and vision brings a reaction among friends. 28:47 And I'm saddened because I see so many people 28:50 that have aborted the vision 28:52 because they'd rather have friends 28:55 than carry out the vision of God. 28:59 Watch me now. 29:01 True vision evokes negative responses. 29:09 True vision evokes negative responses. 29:14 And again, that's why, folks don't live out their vision 29:19 because they don't like people to dislike them. 29:22 We like our friends to always be wanting to caress us 29:26 and tell us all the good things. 29:29 But when you have a vision it evokes negative responses. 29:33 Oh, watch me. 29:34 Go back to the word, Genesis Chapter. 29:39 Genesis Chapter 37 and verse 5, 29:46 powerful passage. 29:49 And I hope you, my viewers to get this text down 29:52 because this is powerful. 29:54 You're gonna see something here. 29:57 Genesis 37:5, I hope you're following along 30:01 'cause you're gonna need to read this one. 30:03 "Now Joshua had a dream..." 30:05 and it's really a vision, 30:06 because it was given to him by God. 30:09 Joseph, rather, thank you, I just wanted to test you. 30:15 "Now Joseph had a dream, 30:16 and he told it to his brothers and they loved him the more." 30:22 "They hated him the more." 30:24 You see, when Joseph told his vision, 30:30 it wasn't the coat of many colors, 30:33 it wasn't because he was the favorite son, 30:36 it wasn't because of his good looks and his intelligence 30:39 and his winning personality. 30:41 Oh, yes, these may have had some bearing on it 30:43 but ultimately it was the vision, 30:47 please don't miss this. 30:52 Haters are the result of your vision. 30:56 Listen to me. 30:59 You see, haters out there 31:01 who are drinking gallons of haterade, haterade, 31:07 they dislike you not because of your looks 31:10 but because of the vision. 31:12 You see, the vision evokes negative responses. 31:19 Because... 31:24 they're wondering who gives you the audacity 31:29 to believe you can escape Mrs. Tweedy's farm. 31:35 Who gives you the right to think 31:36 that you can escape your community. 31:40 Who gives you the right to think 31:42 that you don't have to be like everybody in your community, 31:45 at the same level, 31:46 chickens on the chicken are-- 31:48 Who gives you the right to think that you can fly 31:51 and bean eagle. 31:54 So let me shoot straight. 31:56 The devil hates visions and visionaries, 32:00 that's why visionaries catch hell. 32:06 See, unlike us, 32:08 the devil knows the power of people powered by a vision. 32:13 He knows that when people have a vision, a "hazon", 32:19 a revelation of God for their life, 32:22 they become invincible, indestructible and unstoppable. 32:28 That's why the enemy is working to destroy 32:32 the vision in the minds of our brothers and sisters, 32:35 in our communities, 32:36 because he knows that if you ever got a vision, 32:39 you cannot be stopped. 32:41 Your community will be changed. 32:44 See, he understands, the devil, that is, 32:48 that your personal vision for your life, 32:50 your personal vision for your life 32:53 is simply a part of the salvific jigsaw puzzle. 32:59 That God is using to finish the work of saving man 33:05 and he knows that the vision 33:06 that God has given you for your life 33:08 is part of saving man. 33:12 Or what God will use to save man. 33:14 And so he works very hard to try to stop the vision. 33:21 But he knows he can't stop the vision. 33:25 And since he knows he can't stop the vision, 33:29 he figures that, I will delay the vision. 33:33 Our message tonight 33:34 is vision delayed but not destroyed. 33:39 See, the devil has a delay strategy. 33:43 And it goes like this, the devil can't stop it, 33:48 but he can stall it. 33:50 The devil can, he can hinder but he can't halt it. 33:55 He can delay it but he can't destroy it. 33:59 And the devil says like Mr. Tweedy, in our movie, 34:04 "No one will escape Tweedy's chicken farm." 34:12 Maybe there are those of you who feel like 34:13 you can't escape your community and your situation. 34:18 And he's using strategic plans to delay it. 34:22 And there are three things that he uses, 34:24 number one, he uses discouragement. 34:29 And that's effective. 34:30 And what he does, he discourages by things like, 34:34 look how long it's taking. 34:37 He discourages you by saying, you're not good enough. 34:40 He discourages you by saying, 34:43 no one in your family has ever done anything, 34:46 everybody in your neighborhood is on the bottom 34:49 and he discourages you. 34:51 And in fact, 34:52 that discouragement leads to depression. 34:54 And one of the greatest causes of problems in our community 34:57 is depression 34:58 and depression becomes because 34:59 there are delays and discouragement. 35:06 But I got news, it may be discouraged, your vision 35:10 but it is not destroyed, hallelujah. 35:14 And then he uses detour. 35:16 The devil brings things to knock us off course. 35:23 Sickness, detour. 35:26 Financial reversal, detour. 35:29 Listen to this one, unplanned pregnancy, 35:36 detour. 35:38 And you think you will never accomplish your vision. 35:42 But I got news for you. 35:44 It maybe detoured but it is not destroyed. 35:49 And then finally he uses derailment. 35:52 You know, I don't know about you, 35:55 but I've done some stupid things in my life, 35:57 hallelujah. 36:01 And the devil has us do stupid things 36:04 and knocks us off of the rail of life. 36:07 Stupid stuff like an extra-marital affair, 36:11 derailment. 36:13 Pornography, derailment. 36:17 Giving up on God and church, derailment. 36:22 And the stupid stuff that we do in life, 36:24 gets us off the track 36:26 and we're burning up on the side 36:28 and people think we will never, ever get back on the track 36:31 and we'll never accomplish the vision. 36:34 But I got news for you! 36:36 That God keeps our vision in His black box. 36:42 And even in the crashes of life, 36:44 the vision he has for us is still preserved. 36:48 So I got news for you. 36:50 If right now, you've been discouraged, 36:54 detoured or derailed, it's just the delay, say delay. 37:01 Just a delay. 37:03 See, the problem with vision, it's a slow process. 37:08 It's a what, church? 37:09 It's a slow process. 37:11 See, we like stuff happening quickly. 37:13 Okay? 37:14 Habakkuk 2:2, "The Lord answered me and said, 37:20 'Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, 37:22 that he may run who reads it.'" 37:24 Then he says, 37:25 "'For the vision is yet for an appointed time, 37:27 but at the end it will speak and it will not lie. 37:32 Though it tarries'" 37:34 In other words, though it's delayed, 37:36 he said, wait for it. 37:40 Let me be straight with you. 37:42 Delay is discouraging but it is necessary. 37:48 There are things God would never be able to teach us, 37:51 if it were not for delay. 37:53 Only in delay, we learn the lesson's important 37:57 so that we can live out our destiny. 37:59 It's in the crucible of delay that patience is perfected. 38:03 In the crucible of delay, 38:04 dependence on God is demonstrated. 38:07 In the crucible of delay, total trust in God is tried. 38:11 In the crucible of delay, 38:13 the sovereignty of God surfaces. 38:17 You know for yourself, if God hadn't delayed you, 38:21 and he blessed you with something 38:22 you wouldn't have known how to act. 38:23 Can I get a shout out? 38:26 Get this, vision is like salvation. 38:33 You see, salvation goes like this, 38:39 we are saved instantaneously called justification. 38:46 The moment we accept Jesus as our personal savior, 38:49 we are saved then justified. 38:54 And then for the rest of our lives we are being saved, 38:58 called sanctification. 39:01 Oh, I can, we can shout on that. 39:04 Let me give you some hope again tonight. 39:07 Your salvation when you accept Christ as your personal savior, 39:11 your salvation begins right then, 39:13 that's justification. 39:15 But for the rest of your life, God is changing you, 39:18 He's growing you. 39:19 And vision is like that. 39:21 Vision is given to you at the moment of your birth. 39:25 John 1:9, 39:27 it said the light that lighteth every man in the world, 39:30 God makes it clear that He brought you in the world 39:33 and he gave you a vision. 39:34 He gave you a vision, believe it. 39:38 And that vision was given to you 39:41 to work out over a lifetime. 39:45 See, one of the struggles in our society, 39:48 people are content with goals. 39:50 But can I tell you about goals and dreams? 39:53 Goals and dreams carry you to retirement. 40:01 But visions carry you to eternity. 40:05 See, vision is ageless. 40:07 It doesn't matter how young or how old. 40:10 When I have the vision of God in me, 40:12 I am driven by it, I am pulled by it. 40:20 At the end of the movie, 40:22 "Chicken Run" y'all remember my movie, right? 40:27 The chickens, 40:29 because they become depressed on Mrs. Tweedy's chicken farm, 40:33 they're fighting each other. 40:36 There's no vision on the barnyard. 40:39 And maybe that's what's happening in our communities. 40:41 In fact, that is what's happening in our communities. 40:44 That's why there's so much strife 40:45 and that's why there's so much trauma in our communities, 40:48 because there is no vision. 40:53 So they're fighting and if you remember the movie, 40:55 the chickens are biting each other's legs, 40:58 they're knocking each other in the eye 41:00 and giving each other black eyes. 41:04 In fact, there's only one rooster on the yard. 41:07 And he's trying to stop them from fighting 41:09 and they punch him out. 41:14 And finally Max, the smart chicken, 41:18 in an epiphany, says, "Ginger, Ginger, I found out." 41:26 And she goes to Ginger with her pen and she says, 41:29 "Ginger, I've done some calculations 41:32 and our problem is thrust." 41:38 And our problem, my brothers and sisters, 41:40 is that we don't have thrust 41:42 and the reason why we don't have thrust 41:44 is that we don't have vision. 41:49 Vision becomes the thrust. 41:51 See the problem is not money, 41:54 the problem is not political rights, 41:58 the problem is not connections, 42:00 the problem is vision. 42:05 And the thrust in your life, 42:07 and the thrust in your community is visions. 42:11 You see, visions will lift you beyond the fences of your life. 42:17 And maybe you're caught right now 42:18 behind some fences in your life. 42:21 Maybe you're caught behind some fences of color, 42:23 maybe you're caught behind the fence of culture, 42:26 maybe you're caught behind the fence of crime, 42:30 maybe you're caught behind the fence of cronies, 42:34 maybe you're caught behind the fence of corruption, 42:37 I got news for you, 42:40 that the fences are in your mind. 42:47 You see, the enemy knows that vision gives you power. 42:53 Gives you power. 42:55 See, vision provides three things, 42:59 number one, vision provides fuel, say fuel. 43:05 And it's not the low octane fuel. 43:09 See, it's not 87 octane, it's not even 91 octane, 43:15 it's not even jet fuel. 43:18 Vision gives you Holy Ghost fuel, hallelujah. 43:24 Which means you are powered by a divine force. 43:30 And then freedom provides focus, say focus. 43:35 You see the reason why many people 43:37 don't make it in life is because they get off focus. 43:42 And I tell you, you understand how powerful focus is. 43:45 Because when you decide 43:47 that you want something for Christmas, 43:49 even though you may not have the money now, you decide 43:53 and all of a sudden everything you do now 43:55 is focused toward your Christmas. 43:59 Nothing stops you. 44:01 And when vision gets in your mind, 44:03 all of a sudden you begin to focus 44:04 and you start cutting off people 44:06 that are deterring you from your vision. 44:09 You start focusing on things that you need to do. 44:11 You start focusing your money and your energy 44:14 toward accomplishing the vision 44:16 that God has placed in your life. 44:19 And then finally, vision, here it is, 44:25 provides the freedom. 44:28 As I said, the fences are in our minds. 44:35 Ginger sitting up on the top of the little house with Rocky 44:40 and she's dreaming about freedom 44:43 and she reaches over to Rocky and she says, 44:47 "The fences are just in our minds." 44:52 Now I say to my brothers and my sisters, 44:54 the fences that you are locked behind, 45:00 yes, they are real, 45:02 but they're really mental fences, 45:06 that God, now through vision, 45:08 can propel you over and beyond. 45:13 See, I'm a visionary 45:17 and I've had these great visions for many years. 45:22 And I used to tell people about my visions. 45:26 And then finally, 45:28 I guess I should have read the story of Joseph more, 45:32 'cause the Joseph story tells us 45:34 you can't tell everybody your vision. 45:36 Can I get a shout amen? 45:40 I used to try to explain my vision to people 45:43 and I finally got it. 45:46 It hit me square between the eyes. 45:49 Haters don't want an explanation. 45:52 All they want is an execution. 45:57 They don't want me to accomplish my vision, 46:00 they don't want me to do anything. 46:03 So I stopped explaining. 46:05 Let me tell you something, my brothers and my sisters, 46:07 stop trying to explain what God has told you to do, 46:14 for your life and for the cause of Christ. 46:17 Stop. 46:18 Your haters don't want to hear it. 46:21 They want you to fail, they want you to be executed, 46:24 they don't want an explanation. 46:27 So now, I don't even try to accomplish my vision. 46:35 Yeah, you heard me right. 46:36 I'm not trying to accomplish my vision anymore. 46:40 And here's why, 46:42 39 years ago I took a trip from Nashville, Tennessee 46:48 to San Diego, California 46:50 to marry the woman of my dreams. 46:54 And on our way back, after the wedding, 46:57 we were driving a Plymouth Duster. 47:02 Some of y'all may know 47:03 that Plymouth Duster wasn't the fanciest car in the world, 47:06 but it was transportation. 47:08 And as we're driving on Interstate 10, 47:11 and if y'all know anything about Interstate 10, 47:13 Interstate 10 is a straight, flat highway. 47:16 You can test the limits of your car on highway 10 47:21 and as we were driving down highway 10, 47:23 caravans of trucks were passing us by, zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom. 47:31 I said to my wife, we're going too slow. 47:35 So I put the pedal to the metal, 47:38 and the old Duster shook and got up to 80 miles an hour. 47:42 And I got behind the truck caravan 47:44 but I noticed that as I got behind, 47:47 as I got behind the truck, 47:51 I didn't have to push the pedal as much. 47:54 Why, because, I was caught in the draft. 48:01 So now, I'm not trying to accomplish the vision, 48:04 I'm being pulled by the vision. 48:07 I'm being pulled by the vision. 48:10 So when I get tired, 48:12 I don't have to worry about whether I'm gonna falter 48:14 because the vision is pulling me. 48:18 When I get tempted, 48:19 I don't fall for the temptation, 48:20 why, because the vision is pulling me. 48:23 When I begin to teeter, 48:25 and it looks like I'm gonna fall, 48:27 I don't fall, why, because the vision is pulling me. 48:34 You got it. 48:36 Your vision, it's what's crucial. 48:40 Let me make it plain. 48:42 The vision is 48:44 God's high-definition display for your life. 48:51 And God writes it into you. 48:53 He writes it into you, 48:54 He shows you 'cause you know we think in pictures. 48:58 You see, when I say the word "watermelon" you don't see, 49:03 you don't see the word watermelon, 49:07 what you see is that big, long, striped alligator watermelon. 49:13 That when you slice it open 49:15 you see the red meat with the black seeds in it. 49:19 And that's what God says about vision. 49:22 He says, I'm writing it in your mind. 49:26 I'm putting it in your DNA. 49:28 And I got news for you, you become unstoppable. 49:35 There's no one that has a vision 49:39 that ultimately will be defeated. 49:43 Because vision is God's property. 49:51 I encourage you tonight, 49:53 because some of you 49:57 don't feel like you have a vision. 50:01 My brothers and my sisters, 50:03 systems around you tell you, 50:06 because of where you live, 50:09 and your background tells you that you couldn't have a vision 50:13 because nobody in your community 50:15 has ever done anything. 50:16 But I got news for you, 50:18 your vision is not determined by where you live, 50:21 it's determined by who you know, 50:23 and since you know God, 50:24 he's given you that vision and, remember, 50:27 he gave it to you at birth. 50:32 So the encouragement for you tonight is, 50:34 pray and ask God. 50:35 God, I know you have a vision for me 50:40 and I don't see it right now, 50:42 and so, God, will you please reveal it to me? 50:45 And I promise you, that when you ask God, 50:50 when you ask God, 50:52 He will give you a prophetic revelation for your life. 50:59 I know I'm a visionary. 51:04 I've stepped out to do some impossible things. 51:07 And it's interesting, when you have a vision, 51:09 as I said, you can't tell it to everybody 51:11 because people don't want to see you succeed. 51:16 As one man said, 51:18 people will forgive you of everything but success. 51:23 And as I stepped out in life, 51:26 I've had people laugh at me, 51:27 I've had people say, you're crazy. 51:30 In fact, visionaries have often been called crazy. 51:35 But what they are, 51:36 they're living out the vision that they see 51:39 and they can't rest because they're looking at it, 51:42 they're seeing, it's not just words, 51:44 it's the picture that they see, 51:46 for them, it is a reality. 51:47 As I said in the last message, when it's a word from God, 51:50 the word of God is a reality 51:53 and the vision is a reality in their mind. 51:55 They don't know how they're gonna get to it, 51:57 they just know, and I see it and I will get there. 52:00 And there have been many times in my ministry, 52:04 that I saw it, nobody else did. 52:06 I saw it, stepped out on the promises of God. 52:11 And as I told you in the last message, 52:13 when you step out on God's word, 52:14 it becomes a solid platform. 52:18 And God will always give you, 52:20 when He gives you this vision, 52:21 He will give you enough evidence, listen now, 52:24 He will give you enough evidence 52:26 to build your confidence 52:28 so that you can step out on faith in the vision 52:32 for your life. 52:35 I speak this life into you tonight. 52:39 Because many of you have been living dreams and goals, 52:42 well, I want to be a millionaire, 52:43 that's not a vision, that's a goal. 52:46 Well, I want to be a pop star. 52:48 That's not a vision, that's a goal. 52:52 And you got to understand dreams and goals, 52:54 ah. they'll get you only so far. 52:57 But when the storms of life begin to blow, 53:00 when the trials begin to come, 53:02 it's only a vision that can keep you going. 53:06 And I can tell you from experience, 53:07 many, many times I've fought through some dark days, 53:10 some hard nights, 53:11 why, because, the enemy hates a vision and hates visionaries. 53:17 So he brings along, I'll go back through it, 53:20 he brings along discouragement. 53:24 He says, it's taking so long, 53:28 look at you, you're a senior citizen 53:30 and the vision hasn't occurred. 53:32 Let me tell you something, 53:33 it may be delayed, but it is not destroyed. 53:39 Yeah, yeah, there are detours in life 53:45 and you've faced some detours. 53:48 Yeah, some unplanned pregnancies... 53:54 but let me tell you something, 53:55 I could tell you of many great people 53:58 who surfaced and made great contributions 54:01 in spite of a detour called an unplanned pregnancies. 54:05 I've seen people come back from financial reverses, why? 54:10 Because the vision told them. 54:12 It maybe delayed but it is not destroyed. 54:15 And I've seen people come back from total derailment, 54:19 making stupid mistakes. 54:21 In fact, to be honest, 54:23 you've come back from some stupid stuff, 54:27 can I get a shout, glory. 54:29 Think about it, if it had not been for the vision, 54:32 you'd still be on the side of the road, 54:33 burning up in the heat of your passion. 54:36 But God in His great mercy, 54:39 kept your vision in His black box 54:42 and he would not allow it to burn up. 54:48 So right now if you're on the side of the rail, 54:50 burning and people are looking at you, 54:51 don't get discouraged. 54:54 Look at your haters and say, 54:56 right now it's in the black box. 54:59 God's gonna put out the fire 55:01 and he's gonna put me back on the rail. 55:04 I believe it, folks. I believe it, church. 55:09 And I believe 55:11 that the greatest visionary ever was, 55:13 was Jesus Christ. 55:18 The writer of Hebrews said in Hebrews 12:1, 55:22 He endureth the cross, why? 55:24 Because He had a vision of the victory of salvation 55:28 for men and women. 55:30 And He was a human being, Jesus was. 55:33 He didn't have divine powers at that moment, 55:35 He had 'em but He had them veiled 55:37 and He said, I see something. 55:39 And that vision has pulled me to the cross 55:42 and keeps me hanging on the cross. 55:47 And it was vision, 55:49 the vision of the salvation of souls 55:52 that kept Him on the cross for our salvation. 55:58 Father God, thank You for speaking to us tonight. 56:07 To be honest, God, 56:11 we've based our lives on dreams and goals. 56:15 Things that everybody else in the world 56:17 wants to do or want to have, 56:19 and that's what we've based our life on. 56:21 But tonight, as we listen to Your word 56:23 we discover what true vision is. 56:26 Vision is the prophetic revelation for our life, 56:30 it is your high-definition display 56:33 of the plan for our life. 56:35 Tonight, God, there are those who don't see it, 56:37 and I pray, God, that You will open up their eyes, 56:40 that they might see it for themselves. 56:43 That they might leave this message excited, 56:48 as You reveal and open to them the vision. 56:52 May it fuel them, may it give them power, 56:55 so that they will climb the fences of their lives. 56:59 That they might experience the freedom 57:00 that You called them to, 57:02 both now and for eternity. 57:06 This is our prayer, in the precious 57:10 and wonderful name of Jesus, 57:13 the one who lived out the vision for our salvation, 57:17 amen, amen and amen. |
Revised 2015-04-27