18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.
The King James Version says that, "Where there is no vision, the people perish..."
You could describe vision as a concept of seeing where we are going. Or, in the spiritual sense, it's where God wants to take us. We have been placed on this earth with a purpose, and God desires for us to come to a saving knowledge of Christ, and then to follow Him in obedience. That obedience involves keeping God's Word and following the Holy Spirit - we can gain a sense of what God wants to do in us and through us, developing an ability to follow and fulfill the desires He has placed on our hearts.
From a passage in Habakkuk chapter 2, we can be inspired to develop a God-honoring vision, and to
trust Him to bring it to pass in His way, in His time.
2 Then the Lord answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
4 "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.
A Detroit public school received national attention recently because it was on the receiving end of the "biggest, most generous giveaway ever" from the Ellen DeGeneres show. According to a Detroit Free Press article, Spain Elementary-Middle School in Midtown Detroit received more than $500,000 in donations, facilitated by the talk show host, in partnership with Lowe's. She also set up a GoFundMe page with a $5 million goal. And, Justin Bieber is getting in on the act, pledging to donate a dollar from each ticket he sells to his suburban concert on April 25 to the school.
One of the teachers said that the financial assistance couldn't have come at a better time. Even though it's a performing arts school, Spain no longer has drama or band classes because of budget cuts. And city inspectors in January found 16 code and ordinance violations, including mold growing under busted wood flooring in the gym. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan ordered city inspections of every district school after teachers across the district staged several sick-outs to protest conditions inside the buildings.
The new church plant is a collaborative effort that is being helped by six big houses of worship: Kensington Church in Troy; Grace Community Church in Detroit; Oak Pointe Church in Novi; Ward Church in Northville; Evangel Ministries in Detroit; and 242 Community Church in Brighton.
Those mostly suburban churches have invested $250,000 in the new Detroit Church and are lending their time and expertise in getting the congregation started.
Those six churches were part of an initiative created five years ago to help Detroit by Baptist, nondenominational, and evangelical congregations called Everyone A Chance to Hear (EACH). For years, they've thought of ways to help plant churches in Detroit and hope the new church can be the spark to bring the message of Christianity to those who might be looking for a new worship experience. A staff member at Kensington told the website that the leaders of the six churches are encouraging their members to donate to Detroit Church and even join, which is a rare move that shows their commitment.
Opening sentence: “Detroit has become an icon of the failed American city.”
Closing sentence: “The world is now watching Detroit with interest – and waiting to see if it finds a way to rise from the ashes.”
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From a passage in Habakkuk chapter 2, we can be inspired to develop a God-honoring vision, and to
trust Him to bring it to pass in His way, in His time.
2 Then the Lord answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
4 "Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.
A Detroit public school received national attention recently because it was on the receiving end of the "biggest, most generous giveaway ever" from the Ellen DeGeneres show. According to a Detroit Free Press article, Spain Elementary-Middle School in Midtown Detroit received more than $500,000 in donations, facilitated by the talk show host, in partnership with Lowe's. She also set up a GoFundMe page with a $5 million goal. And, Justin Bieber is getting in on the act, pledging to donate a dollar from each ticket he sells to his suburban concert on April 25 to the school.
One of the teachers said that the financial assistance couldn't have come at a better time. Even though it's a performing arts school, Spain no longer has drama or band classes because of budget cuts. And city inspectors in January found 16 code and ordinance violations, including mold growing under busted wood flooring in the gym. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan ordered city inspections of every district school after teachers across the district staged several sick-outs to protest conditions inside the buildings.
The school may be experiencing some physical revitalization. And, Midtown is experiencing some spiritual revitalization. Just last Sunday, the Detroit Church began to meet at that very school, and the effort to bring the love of Christ and the Word of God to the city hub, which is experiencing some growth, but there is also poverty, a homeless population, and longtime residents who struggle, according to another Detroit Free Press article.
The new church plant is a collaborative effort that is being helped by six big houses of worship: Kensington Church in Troy; Grace Community Church in Detroit; Oak Pointe Church in Novi; Ward Church in Northville; Evangel Ministries in Detroit; and 242 Community Church in Brighton.
Those mostly suburban churches have invested $250,000 in the new Detroit Church and are lending their time and expertise in getting the congregation started.
Those six churches were part of an initiative created five years ago to help Detroit by Baptist, nondenominational, and evangelical congregations called Everyone A Chance to Hear (EACH). For years, they've thought of ways to help plant churches in Detroit and hope the new church can be the spark to bring the message of Christianity to those who might be looking for a new worship experience. A staff member at Kensington told the website that the leaders of the six churches are encouraging their members to donate to Detroit Church and even join, which is a rare move that shows their commitment.
Pastor Sonny Smith, who is African-American, says that "What I'm attracted to is a church that mirrors a representation of the church we see in the Book of Revelation," adding, "The Bible says, 'Before God's throne you have every tribe, you have every tongue, every kindred together as one worshipping.' "
Smith says, "I feel like this city is on the precipice of being an example to the entire world of different ethnicities, diversities, class, education coming together. Who better to lead that than the church? ... Detroit needs to see a church like that."
Smith says, "I feel like this city is on the precipice of being an example to the entire world of different ethnicities, diversities, class, education coming together. Who better to lead that than the church? ... Detroit needs to see a church like that."
I mentioned the Everyone A Chance to Hear, or EACH initiative. The mission statement is impressive:
Mission Statement: Working together as a body of believers, we will give everyone in the Metropolitan Detroit area a chance to take the next step in their journey toward Jesus.
Lord willing, this will be the widest and most effective ongoing evangelistic campaign in the history of Michigan. The goal is not simply to give every person multiple chances to connect with the message of Christ; but also . . .
It quotes from a 2010 Time Magazine Annual Edition:
- To see tens of thousands come to faith in Christ . . .
- To see churches and church leaders working together as one body . . .
- To see substantial growth in our existing churches . . .
- To see momentum in the planting of many new churches in our region . . .
- To permanently alter the spiritual landscape of Southeastern Michigan . . .
- To make a statement to a watching world: Detroit IS rebuilding, and JESUS is the foundation of our comeback!
Opening sentence: “Detroit has become an icon of the failed American city.”
Closing sentence: “The world is now watching Detroit with interest – and waiting to see if it finds a way to rise from the ashes.”
EACH says that, "That ‘way’ has something to do with the Lordship of Jesus in this region."
From my observations, there are several elements that are inspiring here:
One is that there is a vision. Those that are part of this effort have a desire to see spiritual transformation in the inner city of Detroit - they have allowed God to create in their hearts a desire to reach people with God's love and the message of the gospel.
You can see that there is a strategy. Churches have come together and have done more than just talk, they have been engaged, looking outside of their local congregations and focusing squarely on what God wants to do through this new church plant.
Just a note: yesterday, Franklin Graham encouraged those in attendance at Decision America to make a pledge. The pledge has two main elements: a pledge to God and a pledge to our country. From the Decision America website, you can read:
In our pledge to God, there is:
I pledge to honor God at home—by living biblical principles, striving for purity in or out of marriage, and pursuing godliness in all my relationships.There is also...
I pledge to honor God in public—by standing for biblical principles and serving those in need.And...
I pledge to honor God with my vote—supporting, where possible, candidates who will uphold biblical principles, including the sanctity of life and the sacredness of marriage.And, in the pledge to our country, the components are:
- I pledge to pray fervently and faithfully for America.
- I pledge to be registered and to vote in every election—local, state, and federal—supporting, where possible, candidates who uphold biblical principles.
- I pledge to engage in my community with God’s truth and prayerfully consider running for office.
So, Frankin Graham has introduced a vision and strategy for prayer and action. And, there are two other areas that we find in the founding of that church in Detroit, that is also a component of what Franklin Graham related to the crowd in Montgomery yesterday. There is spiritual sensitivity. The Detroit Church is part of a movement to lift up Jesus in the Midtown area of the city - and they see that the presence of Jesus is the way for the city to rise from the ashes. Franklin Graham says America is in trouble and the only answer is Jesus Christ. He is calling for collaboration...the body of Christ coming together in unity; he is calling thousands of believers together, in city after city. The churches in Detroit are collaborating, working together to see spiritual transformation in the city of Detroit.
So, let's think together about vision, strategy, spiritual sensitivity, and collaboration. These are elements of God's game plan that can make an impact on people who need to know Him.
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