The title was quoted from Peter Wagner in David Beer’s very practical little book Releasing your Church to Grow. So far it is the first statement in the book that I have really ‘clicked with’. I can see how it can be true.

We can write vision statements, we can order our services, meetings, outreaches in line with our road map for our fellowship, but until the congregation grasps the vision with their hearts there will be no passion to see the vision fulfilled. Herein lies the problem, we lack passion, passion for God, passion for His Kingdom, passion for His creation. We lack the heart to win the lost and disciple the saved. We lack the love of God that passes understanding in part at least because we don’t see it in others. When the Church grows cold we have no-one from whom to borrow heat.

Robert Murray McCheyne one wrote: “My people’s greatest need is my personal holiness.” As a pastor or leader of Christians this still holds true. We cannot lead without holiness, personal holiness, a walk with God that is close, honest & life changing. Vision is bound up in holiness: our close walk with God brings us into an understanding of His plans and purposes and into a personal identification with them.

When we are personally living out God’s plan for us then others will see and desire the same. It is the sight of the godly man living out God’s plan that will bring others to join the cause.

If we pray for nothing else, let us pray for godly men who will live out the vision from their personal walk with God and in so doing draw many more along the same path for His Kingdom.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 2nd, 2004 at 11:00 pm and is filed under Devotional. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.