Vision

A vision is a plan for ministry. Perhaps the most well known scripture related to vision is Proverbs 29:18, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." We often quote the first half but not the second; yet, proverbs always come in two parts: the premise and the conclusion (my terms). The premise sets up a condition for comparison or contrast with the conclusion. The conclusion finishes the thought. In the Biblical proverb, the conclusion is usually spiritual in focus. Hence, in this proverb, keeping the law (the Torah) provides vision for life; without it, you are bound to perish, physically, morally, and spiritually. Of course, from our perspective after the cross, Jesus came and fulfilled the law for us completely; however, its applicability for our lives is not diminished, we simply are no longer saved through keeping of the law (not that the Jews were ever saved through keeping something that was impossible for humans anyway; they were saved in that through their observance of the law, they acknowledged God's righteousness compared to their sinfulness and looked forward to God's salvation through the promised Messiah).

Therefore, vision is a plan not just for ministry, but for life. We must distinguish between true vision and what many churches pass for vision that is in fact merely a program of one kind or another. Based on our definition above, ministry vision must lead to life physically, psychologically, and/or spiritually. Feeding the hungry begins a relationship that meets a physical need first; however, if that's all that happens, the activity becomes no more than the bread lines of the Great Depression. It has social implications only; certainly it sustains the individuals physically, but if it does not go on from there to meet the areas of need in the soul and spirit, its effect is transitory and lasts only until the person gets hungry again. Starting and operating a private school ministers at the psychological level, working on the mind, the will, and the emotions. Yet, again, although the effect may last as long as a lifetime, that is still transitory; it will come to an end someday. Only a ministry that ultimately reaches the spirit will have results that last for eternity. Pointing the way to salvation and discipling will have eternal impact, but many times it is more effective to begin with a physical or psychological need as a means to gain the individual's attention and then refocus their attention on their spiritual need. An effective frame of reference can be found in this statement: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Forward!

Here we are in the home stretch. We're going to wrap up the last two ministers today, the Pastor and the Teacher. Then we will finish up this series by looking closely at exactly what a vision is, how it works, and where it comes from. Don't go away! There's lots more to come!

The Pastor (Gr: poimen) is often viewed as the head of the local body. However, the NT does not appear to ascribe such a pivotal position to this Minister. The word "Pastor" is merely the Latin form of the Greek word, both of which mean "Shepherd." Vine's goes on to expound on the term, "one who tends herds or flocks (not merely one who feeds them)...Pastors guide as well as feed the flock; cp. Acts 20:28, which, with ver. 17, indicates that this was the service committed to elders (overseers or bishops)...this involves tender care and vigilant superintendence." So, according to this perspective, the service of shepherding was given to someone who was already recognized as a leader in the local body. In modern perspective, however, the position has become a vocation. Licensing and ordination are now the path to Shepherdship with a focus on the church as a business enterprise. We even know the break-even point at which the size of a congregation can generate sufficient revenues to adequately support a full-time Pastor and his family. I do not believe this was the case in Paul's mind when he described this element of the fifth level of involvement. Interestingly enough, I recall a source which indicated that "Goat herders drive their flocks, while sheep herders lead theirs." Believers in Christ are always related to sheep in the NT. Therefore, the vision of the Pastor is for believers who are well fed and well cared for, growing into maturity, bearing lambs and producing wool (a protection against predators as well as a commodity).

The Teacher (Gr: didaskalos), the last (and my favorite) of the fivefold ministry gifts, is what I've been doing in this series. Fortunately, I come to it with a natural gift for research. The NT further distinguishes two different types of teachers: kalodidaskalos, a teacher of what is good (Titus 2:3), and pseudodidaskalos, a false teacher (2 Peter 2:1). The function of a Teacher is to share the truth that they have gleaned from diligent study of God's Word. Unfortunately, it can, like any of the other ministry gifts, be perverted and become simply a source of income. I think Paul may have had this in mind when he warned Timothy about the kind of Teachers who have been wrongfully chosen by those who have "itching ears." (2 Tim. 4:3) Because of grammatical structure in the Greek and its English translation, some have combined the ministry gifts of Pastor and Teacher into one. I think it is commonly accepted that a Pastor should be able to teach, especially within the concept of preaching. However, preaching and teaching have some distinct differences, which we will not digress into here. Suffice it to say, not all Teachers are Shepherds. The Teacher's vision is for believers who are enlightened and well equipped for battle with the tools and weapons forged from the knowledge of the Truth in God's Word.

So this is the fifth level of involvement. We began our study with Spectator, Participator, Contributor, and Motivator, and now have culminated the levels of involvement with the level where vision resides, the Minister. We have also broken down this fifth level into the five-fold ministry of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. Next time, we'll look at vision itself. Y'all come back, now, y'hear?

Upward!

I'm going to try to advance the cause by combining the next two ministers. I'm also going to start posting more often than just once a week. I've been gathering some crops into the barn and I'm just about ready to load them up and take them to market. Maybe then those of you with attention spans just slightly longer than a goldfish will stay awake! Huh? Oh, squirrel!

The Prophet (Gr: prophetes) reeks of vision. The nouns prophet and prophecy, along with the verb prophesy, all have connotations in their original use of seeing circumstances from God's point of view and then speaking out of that divine perspective (pro, forth, phemi, to speak). The same Greek word is used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) for the Hebrew roeh, which is sometimes translated "Seer" in English, indicating that the prophet was one who had immediate communication with God. Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words defines prophet as "one who speaks forth or openly..., a proclaimer of a divine message, denoted among the Greeks an interpreter of the oracles of the gods." The function of the Prophet is to bring God's truth to the body as they see it. Their perspective includes the past, present, and future. They often see God's view of people's past actions and their present condition as well as what God intends to do in the future. The Prophet's function, then, is to go to local bodies and bring them God's truth. One caveat: "The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets," 1 Cor. 14:32. What this means is that it is possible for the Prophet to imbue their own personal vision with God's vision and add that to the speaking. There are three tests to the veracity of prophecy: (1) it must conform to and not contradict God's written Word; (2) the hearer must have a witness in their spirit from the Holy Spirit; and (3) any circumstances attached to the prophecy, whether past, present, or future, must be 100% accurate. God does not lie; people can fudge, however. So the Prophet's vision is for a body of believers that is operating with all the "intel" necessary to wage a successful war against the forces of darkness.

The Evangelist (Gr: euaggelistes) has roots in his or her local body but spends most of the time going to places where the Gospel has never been preached, spreading the word and eliciting new converts. They bring the good news to those who become the body in that locality. Literally, the Greek word means "a messenger of good (eu, well, angelos, a messenger). The initial stages of missions work involves heavy doses of evangelism, followed by the apostle and the other ministry gifts. So, the evangelist is usually the vanguard of the Kingdom of God and the one who most populates the list of martyrs (Greek for "witnesses"). They spend considerable time in cross-cultural environments, but they tend not to stay in one place for long. Their vision is to see as many people as possible hear the Gospel and have an opportunity to respond by accepting Jesus as their Savior.

Next time, we'll finish up the fifth level of involvement with Pastor and Teacher so that we can forge ahead into the mechanics of vision for ministry. Until then...

Onward!

Whoa! This is cool! I've been building this post and several others in a Word 2007 document and just found the "Publish" link under the Office button that allowed me to publish to this blog site. I love it when technology comes together and actually works! Well, let's mush onward toward an understanding of how to have vision for ministry.

The fifth and final level of involvement is Minister. However, more than an arrival state, it is the key that unlocks the door to a whole new world of experience. The hallmark of the Ministerial level is the reception of a vision for ministry along with communication of that vision to others in order to enlist their help in fulfilling the vision. There are five types of ministers, based upon their activity and function, as listed in Ephesians 4:11: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. Each is unique, and yet each begins with a vision.

The Apostle (Gr: apostolos), in the NT, appears to have executive responsibility and authority. Extending from the original twelve, minus one who was replaced, Paul also claims this right of Apostleship through his personal calling from Christ on the road to Damascus. However, such an intimate, revelatory encounter with the living Christ does not appear to be a criterion for Apostleship, as Paul, in his letters to Timothy, instructs his young protégé in the discharge of the office. Apostles are primarily responsible for setting up and organizing local bodies of believers. The word apostolos literally means "he that is sent," or "one sent forth" (apo, from, stello, to send). The Apostle's function is to go to places where new converts have appeared and organize them into a body in that locale. Once the body has been established and set up, the Apostle moves on to the next place, allowing the body to grow and mature on its own. They do not usually exert remote authority unless a problem has arisen or a question has been posed. However, they do maintain a long-term relationship with the body, as evidenced by Paul's occasional return to and communications with bodies he established. The Apostle's vision is for an organized body of believers in which the members are functioning at all five levels of involvement and replicating themselves in the community around them as they exert a positive influence on that community through the reception and execution of a variety of visions.

Next time, we'll look at the Prophet and the Evangelist. Cheerio!

Rounding the far turn!

Yes, I think we've had enough preamble. Let's get down to brass tacks (anyone know where that phrase came from?) and talk about vision. We're finally to level five in the levels of involvement: Minister. It's an interesting term, one that has become laden with a considerable amount of baggage. Maybe we can use Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (1940) to ferret them out.

The first one listed is diakonos, "a servant, attendant, minister, deacon." Interesting, how we have come to attribute so much power and authority to such a humble word. Second is leitourgos, "denoted among the Greeks, firstly, one who discharged a public office at his own expense [what a concept!], then, in general, a public servant, minister." The last is huperetes, " properly an under rower (hupo, under, eretes, a rower) as distinguished from nautes, a seaman..., hence came to denote any subordinate acting under another's direction." It appears that where we commonly perceive honor and authority, the New Testament indicates humility and service.

For our purposes, in our hierarchical scheme of levels of involvement, this is the pinnacle level, the crowning achievement, the level to be most desired and sought after, and yet the one so seldom attained. Because of the responsibility and authority traditionally attached to this level, the common misconception is "There can be only one." Although that is true, in a sense, it applies only to the Son of God Himself, Jesus. He is the head; we are His body. It is as parts of His body that we minister.

However, more than an arrival state, it is the key that unlocks the door to a whole new world of experience. The hallmark of the Ministerial level is the reception of a vision for ministry along with the communication of that vision to others in order to enlist their help in fulfilling the vision. There are five types of Ministers, based upon their activity and function, as listed in Ephesians 4:11--Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher. Each is unique, and yet each begins with a vision.

The Apostle (Gr: apostolos), in the NT, appears to have executive responsibility and authority. Extending from the original twelve, minus one who was replaced, Paul also claims this right of Apostleship through his personal calling from Christ on the road to Damascus. However, such an intimate, revelatory encounter with the living Christ does not appear to be a criterion for Apostleship, as Paul, in his letters to Timothy, instructs his young protégé in the discharge of the office.

Apostles are primarily responsible for setting up and organizing local bodies of believers. The word apostolos literally means "he that is sent," or "one sent forth" (apo, from, stello, to send). The Apostle's function is to go to places where new converts have appeared and organize them into a body in that locale. Once the body has been established and set up, the Apostle moves on to the next place, allowing the body to grow and mature on its own.

They do not usually exert remote authority unless a problem has arisen or a question has been posed. However, they do maintain a long-term relationship with the body, as evidenced by Paul's occasional return to an communications with bodies he established.

The Apostle's vision is for an organized body of believers in which the members are functioning at all five levels of involvement and replicating themselves in the community around them as they exert a positive influence on that community through the reception and execution of a variety of visions.

Next time, we'll continue with the Prophet. See ya!

Enough, already!

Enough time, that is, which has elapsed since my last post. I really do enjoy this; I just get distracted with so many other things. But I'm not going to cut bait, so it's time to fish. Focus! (Squirrel!)

We left off talking about the third level of involvement, Contributor, and going on to the fourth level, Motivator. Now, some people are naturally born as encouragers--it's the way God wired them from the get-go. But this is another viewpoint related to vision for ministry that everyone can fit into. While it centers around encouragement, it is an altruistic experience, one that is not based on encouraging others because of what they can do for you; it is not encouragement for personal gain. Let me explain: any ministry leader ought to be encouraging the people who labor with them. (Aside: I struggled with this statement because I didn't want to say "the people under them"--I believe strongly that the ground is level at the foot of the Cross--or "the people who work for them"--we don't work for each other; we work for the Kingdom and for Jesus. We are co-laborers.) Instead, this level is applied without any thought for personal gain or reward.

Take a look at the comments on my first post. You'll find one there by Aaron Jayne, my stepson. I won't go into the details of our history (we've both changed since then), but, suffice it to say, we weren't always on the same page. Yet he has encouraged me many times to explore my potential as a person, as a Christian, and as a minister to "stretch out the boundaries" of my experience in Christ. It was his encouraging invitation to us in 1996 to come visit him at the Dream Center on our planned trip to Los Angeles that launched us on one of the most exciting times of our lives. He is one of the most positive people I know; when life hands him lemons, he starts building lemonade stands! And yet, this is not his natural gift. It is something he has developed, a level of involvement to which he has risen. He does it in support of other people's visions.

This is the hallmark of the Motivator level. You can't do this and have a glass that's half-empty, or even half-full, for that matter--it has to be overflowing! Only then can you share with others out of your abundance and still have some left over for yourself. By encouraging others, you advance the cause of Christ, and through their successes, you receive encouragement for your own visions. By depositing in other people's accounts in the Kingdom Bank, you earn interest on your own account. And God's interest rate is certainly better than any human financial institution's!

Next time (soon!), we will start to wrap this up by forging on into the fifth and last level of involvement, one to which every Christian should strive to attain: Minister. Till then...squirrel!

Wait! Wait! I'm here!

Wow! That was the month that was (for those of you that remember Laugh In). First, I procrastinated. Then, life happened! Finally, I flew to Houston. It seemed like the thing to do, since my wonderful wife was there, and I missed her terribly. But my aim is getting better. Joke!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we were talking about levels of involvement as a prelude to a discussion of vision for ministry. Most of you have heard Proverbs 29:18 quoted, "Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Well, what does that mean? You see, English is not the most precise language; many of our words are used synonymously with little negative impact, because they are not specific enough in the first place. Other languages, like Hebrew, the language the Old Testament was originally written in, and Greek, the language of the New Testament, use words with very specific meaning for a very specific purpose. God's gift to me is a prodigious vocabulary and the ability to use it effectively. It's just the way he wired me, and I'm learning daily how to use it better. However, anyone can discover what I'm going to share here with time and the right reference tools. In fact, I agree with some other Biblical teachers who feel we should all be able to dig into the original versions (with help) rather than be spoon fed by everyone who occupies a pulpit or has a TV ministry (not that those are bad). (Squirrel!)

Anyway, according to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, the Hebrew word for "vision" in this passage is chazon. I'm not going to try to use Hebrew or Greek characters here, so if you are a scholar of Hebrew and/or Greek, please forgive my simplicity. It means "a sight (mentally), that is, a dream, revelation, or oracle." The word here for "perish" is para', meaning "to loosen; by implication to expose, dismiss; figuratively absolve, begin: - avenge, avoid, bare, go back, let, (make) naked, set at nought, perish, refuse, uncover." Finally, the word "law" is the Hebrew word "torah" which is the written law found in the books of Moses.

I think we would all recognize God's Law as the epitome of order in creation. It gives sight to our spiritual blindness caused by original sin. It is an external revelation of what God wants to grow in us internally through his Spirit. It is like a mirror that shows us our true condition reflected in God's just nature. Without this picture, we would perish in our ignorance, even as millions of people do every day.

Vision for ministry is not given to spectators or even participants. They are essentially two different levels of observers, one passive, the other active, but both observers nonetheless. Nor is vision for ministry given to the next level, the contributor; yet, without the contributor, nothing would happen to bring the vision to fruition.

The contributor is one who fulfills a responsibility that leads to others participating; he is one who adds to the activity for the benefit of others. Contributors are like the Levites in the Temple, who assisted the priests in conducting the worship and assisted the people in participating in the worship. Contributors are a necessary element, a catalyst, in fulfilling the vision as they take care of many "mundane" efforts, like ushering, greeting, visitation, music, sound, and cleaning. Many of these efforts go on behind the scene, but without them the whole effort would suffer. However, as much as the contributor facilitates the fulfillment of the vision, it is the next level, the Motivator, that is the linchpin in connecting the spiritual and the natural aspects that make up the vision. That will be our topic for the next posting. Hopefully, it won't be as long in coming as this one was! See ya!

And now, the continuing saga...

So, spectators like to watch, sometimes from a safe distance and usually without comment. But at least they're watching and gathering information and knowledge on which to make a decision about whether or not to step up to the next level, participator.

Participators join in with others while they observe; sometimes they even respond or make comments on what they see or hear. They are engaging in practical application of what they have observed while they were spectators. Unfortunately, many people often feel this is sufficient and go no further; they feel at least they are doing more than just watching! They frequently feel this is all that is necessary or required of them for involvement.

Unfortunately, this is far short of what God has in store for them. (Remember, we're looking at this from a Biblical perspective.) They are still loitering on the periphery of their potential in Christ (remember, I can do all things, through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). So why fall short of the calling? Remember, many are called; one of the reasons they aren't chosen is because they fail to step up and become a contributor, the next step in the progression of levels of involvement.

Whoa, Nellie!

Wow! The Information Highway is more like a Los Angeles Interstate Parking Lot tonight! This thing is slower than molasses in January in Alaska! (Just a little West Texas humor before I get started--very little!)

What I want to begin is a short series (hah!) that will eventually focus on Vision for Ministry. But in order to get there, I need to talk about how people are involved in the Body of Christ by looking at "Levels of Involvement."

A number of years ago, one of my former Pastors (I'm not sure which) gave what he called the "Tator" sermon. I'm sure many of you have heard variations on this theme which deals with the difference between being a "spectator" and a "participatator." Yes, I know it's spelled funny, but so was the sermon. A couple of years ago, God began to elaborate on the concept for me. I began to see that there were actually five separate and different levels of involvement. Now, the Pastor was trying to encourage people not to be spectators but instead to be participators, and understandably so. And yet, we have all been spectators at some point in life with one experience or another. Before we can participate, we have to know what is going on. This is especially true in church meetings. I, for one, don't go into another church and begin participating until I know a little more about their culture, traditions, protocols, and whether or not I really want to be there. Any time I've experienced a "visitor" come to a service and try to engage themselves without any introduction, I've been somewhat nervous--it just doesn't seem right. Now, maybe some of you are thinking "Well, that seems somewhat selfish and narrow-minded," and to some degree you may be right. I'm not pronouncing my own perfection. And when we stand before the King, I'm sure there will be lots of other people there we didn't expect to see, and some who may be surprised to see us. Uh-oh, I'm digressing (or as Hardly Normal says, "Squirrel!")

Anyway, so being a spectator isn't such a bad thing because at least you're watching and, hopefully, learning. But if you stay at the spectator level, that can be a bad thing. There's a time for watching and waiting. But then there's also a time for action...and that's called participation.

So the second level is participator. Which we will discuss more next time.

Love ya!