Dr. Jim Schettler: Good Vision Leads to Great Victory

you could take your Bibles and turn to Nehemiah chapter number 2 Nehemiah chapter 2 I think that brother rule and I both had a desire today to prepare hearts to receive the vision for next week and this morning we learned that faith is the victory you cannot have a godly vision without a step of faith there's got to be that step of faith that shows that we are dependent upon God something beyond our comfort zone something beyond our our confidence cannot be in ourselves but rather in Christ as we heard this morning as well Nehemiah chapter number two now I am sure it is completely because of my ignorance but how about you does everyone know what 20/20 vision means I know that there would be several in here but there may be some of us that didn't know so I don't know about a week ago or so I thought like okay we're coming in this 20/20 thing everyone's gonna talk about 20/20 vision so what exactly is 20/20 vision so this is what it means it's pretty simple it means that 20 feet away that is that there's a line and I don't even know what line it is or whatever on the chart that normal people can read that line from 20 feet away so I thought that was kind of interesting because there's not really a standard it's just that normal people already I know I'm in danger with that but that normal people at 20 feet away can read a certain line or certain letters on that line 20:40 eyesight means that you see at 20 feet what others normal people see at 40 feet okay so that means you're pretty nearsighted and not too good on the farsighted thing you're not able to see that well 2060 means that you're seeing things at 20 feet that the majority people can see at 60 feet and beyond that they'll be driving okay don't be driving all right unless you get some prescription glasses I guess now there is a thing called 2010 that means you see things at 20 feet that normal people see at 10 feet so that means you get some really good eyesight there you know so that's what it means 20/20 vision in looking up vision I had to look up the old Eagle as well again some of you may know this but this when you stop and consider this this is amazing that an eagle can see objects two miles away and let me tell you what kind of objects okay so I could see the mountains two miles okay Eagles can see all right an eagle flying over the parking lot out there can see a rabbit at Walmart two miles away can see a rabbit that is absolutely amazing vision you know I really will I mean this honestly after being here for seven years pastor has a vision that I just have not seen in normal people I don't know what hit what you would call it on a spiritual on a spiritual caliber but pastor sees things and sees where we can go as a church like I'll just be honest like I don't know of anyone else and then he can cast that vision so brother rule and I this Sunday really wanted to prepare our hearts you can't have a vision without faith in first John chapter five verse four and five was laid out today about that but I want to talk to you about vision I've entitled my message good vision leads to great victory good vision leads to great victory look with me if you would at Nehemiah chapter number two and let's stand for the reading of God's Word if we could Nehemiah chapter 2 and verse 17 it says this then will remain standing for a word of Prayer then said I that would be Nehemiah we'll talk a little bit about the context of this book in just a moment then said I on to them you see the distress that we are in how Jerusalem lieth waste and the gates thereof are burned with fire come and let us build up the wall of jerusalem that wiii be no more a reproach there's the vision then I told them of the hand of my god which was good upon me as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me and they said let us rise up and build so they strengthened their hands for this good work why did they strengthen their hands for this good work they saw the vision that Nehemiah had for their city father we we do not know what will happen this week and I believe that every one of us as your children if we heard the trumpet this week that would be the greatest thing in the world that this would be the week that Christ would come back for his bride that this is the week that Christ would come back for the church father if Pastor never got to give his vision but we got to see the vision of your son and spending eternity in heaven that would be amazing nothing greater could ever happen so we preface this message by if the Lord will but father if you will and you Terry your son Terry's and we're in this auditorium next Sunday I pray that the way that we receive the vision and Lord we're not talking about anything spooky you know you know what we're all talking about father what we've heard for the last 33 years from this under shepherd father that direction that you want us to take as a church from the set of eyes that you've given all of us have parts in this body of Lancaster Baptist Church our eyes will be back here next week who's guided and directed us Lord I pray in Jesus name that we will receive the vision that the direction that we want to go for the cause of Christ in our Valley and in our world like we've never received it before but then I pray one other thing father I believe that whatever we're responsible for we should have a vision for it so father if we're responsible for our family and we're a parent if we're responsible for our marriage and we're a husband if we're responsible for a class that we teach or whatever we have in our responsibility in the occupation that you've called us I pray that we would also have a vision for whatever we're responsible for and may the things tonight help us may the truths that we hear about vision help us in our responsibilities and then Lord every one of us have a responsibility over our lives and Lord may we be good stewards of our walk with you this year by having a vision where you want us to go then Lord a couple other things I want to thank you for our pastor may his time whatever he's got left with his wife and family be sweet and may he come back fired up we take that for granted that we know that he will well we don't know that father he needs your power this week I pray you protect us health in in every area then Lord I want to take a moment thank you for the teenagers from Lancaster Baptists that just saying I pray Lord that's part of our vision here I just to see those young people up here I envision them going on to serve you and so Lord just for what we just heard that was a blessing I pray the book of Nehemiah would help us now in 2020 we pray these things in Jesus name and God's church said you may be seated so just a little historical background this by the way is really one of the very last books written in the Old Testament probably around 4 or 4 BC and really Malachi is probably the only book that would follow Nehemiah Israel was in captivity for 70 years when Israel finally got out of captivity they came back from their captivity in waves the first wave was under king zerubabbel I love that name so let's all say it together King I just love that name King zerubabbel brought the first group of people back from captivity when they got back to Jerusalem they began to rebuild the temple by the way this is a good point for all of us coming into vision Sunday is the old people really put a wet blanket on the whole deal the old people go like ah that temple isn't anything like Solomon's Temple oh you guys should have seen Solomon's Temple and the young people were like well you know what do we do you know and they actually stopped working on rebuilding the temple because the old people put such a wet blanket on the whole thing and this was like oh that's no good - guys are spring up that God uses one is Hagee i Hagee I says no man we got to get back to do when God's work seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things she'll be added on to you hey we got to get back you guys aren't doing so good by putting up your own houses and everything come on we got to get back to work consider is the key word there in Haggai and then Zachariah I can't like Zechariah so hey guys the real practical guy like come on man we got to get back to working on the temple Zechariah is the real spiritual guy he says you know what folks this temples gonna actually be better than Solomon's Temple how could this temple be better than Solomon's Temple because the Messiah is gonna come into this temple and that really gets the people excited like whoo we got to get this temple built because the Messiah is gonna come in by the way the Messiah did come into that temple that Zechariah preached that that was rebuilt so Saru Bible brings the first group then the second group comes by a really godly Bible teacher named Ezra Ezra is one of the most godly men in the Old Testament as you study there is a there is such a depth to Ezra's ministry his message the way he prepared his heart and so he comes back and preaches the word but then a third group comes back and that's the group we center on right now and that's Nehemiah 4 even though the temple did finally get rebuilt and even though Ezra preached great messages the people were still spiritually dead because the boundaries and the fences were not built up properly moms and dads that's a great truth for us to learn that until the fences are built up and the boundaries of protection are built up for those that are within you're not going to really ever experience revival praise God for the fences of protection we put around our children praise God for the fences of protection we put around those here in the church we all need that so Nehemiah comes back and he comes back and in 52 days they rebuild the walls all around Jerusalem and there's a great revival at a place called Watergate in Nehemiah chapter 8 but what I want to shoot is see tonight we're gonna be kind of jumping around in the first four chapters of Nehemiah what I want you to see tonight is good vision leads to great victory well I thought the first thing we needed was a definition of vision and I don't think again this is anything mystical or spooky or like pastor chapel has something we don't have or anything like that I don't think that's what we're talking about many people could probably give a better definition but in the realm that we're dealing with of looking forward to the direction this is what I put down vision a direction revealed by the Lord to take a step of faith a direction revealed by the Lord to take a step of faith I cannot stress enough that anything that is a godly vision will have a step of faith attached to it it's the only way we could please God so if God is leading in an area there would have to be faith that would have to be a part of that a direction revealed by the Lord to take a step of faith now let me go back to the prayer I prayed tonight if you're a dad you ought to ask the Lord to give you your next step of faith in your family and home that in 2020 you may go into direction and by the way sometimes we look at this thing and we think like okay we're going this direction now we're gonna go this turret now you know what sometimes it's just a little direction change dance don't feel this huge pressure to completely change the direction of your marriage and your kids and your family in 2020 know just maybe make a little change you know we're going to start doing this as a family it's not gonna be much different than what we're doing already hey we're just going to start having three meals a week together where we sit down and talk and we're just gonna clear the table and we're gonna talk we're not going to talk about major things that are gonna happen in 2020 and if I old boy or things gonna change in our marriage Oh just little things and that can have a huge profound impact in your life and your ministry if you're a teacher in your class I'm not talking about drastic changes but just changing things a little bit to help Authority fee if you're an authority figure you ought to have a vision what I prayed in my prayer is for me as well as for everyone here whatever you're responsible for you ought to have a vision for that that's the only but wise thing of being a good steward so let's look at these things and we'll be out of here number one godly vision always comes from deity well if it's godly vision it comes from God take your Bibles and look back at Nehemiah chapter one for just a moment we'll brothers Shetler how do you know that the vision is from God well I think you could give more than the four points I'm about to give you you might have some other things but I do think that the four things I'm about to give you how you can determine if it's from God or not is very legitimate way okay we're talking about his vision stuff I mean how do you know that this is a vision that God wants you to take or the our direction that the Lord wants you to take well let me give you four things number one especially in the realm of a church or an institution or whatever the discernment from godly leadership the discernment from godly - in other words I think leadership determines the need hey you know what we got a need right now in our family we got a need right now in our in our connection group we got a need right now in this area that I'm over there's a need and I think that discernment comes from godly leadership look at chapter one and verse number four so some relatives come back to the captivity where Nehemiah is is the Bearer and Nehemiah wants to know immediately what's going on in Jerusalem and it's not good verses one through three is a terrible description about what's happened things are in disarray they're spiritually dead things are not good look at verse four and it came to pass when I heard these words I want to stop here apparently from what I've gathered our leadership of our church pastor chapel and others have done a lot of research about this valley apparently from what I gathered pastor has really let it open to say hey what do we need to do how do we reach this community in 2020 as far as I understand our pastor and his leadership team of this church has looked into more than they ever have before of what the needs are the discernment from godly leadership look at verse number 11 of the same chapter Oh Lord I beseech thee let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant see now this is interesting and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to fear thy name and prosper I pray thee thy servant the state we're gonna come back to that word desire in a moment and grant him mercy in the sight of this man for I was the King's copper they say well brother seller it seems to me like Nehemiah is coming up with his own vision well this is very interesting the discernment of godly leadership sees the need takes the lead that sees you know what there is something going on in Jerusalem that we need to repair I really believe that if we can reach the children of Av and the children in the culture that we live in today how children dictate so much of what parents do and where they go and the time that they have if we can do this and direct this way how we could possibly still be a huge impact for the gospel of Christ so the discernment from godly leadership by the way really said so how do you get this discernment of this godly leadership Hebrews chapter 5 verse 14 says they that exercise the use of the word develop discernment for good and evil huge verse if you've never read it before Hebrews 5:14 if you're exercising that which you know you're supposed to be doing and using the Word of God God will give you discernment about that so number one godly vision always comes from deity do you know the visions from God I think the discernment from godly leadership number two the desire of other believers confirming the direction look with me in chapter two our text tonight then said I on to hit them you see the distress that we are in how Jerusalem lieth waste and the gates thereof are burned with fire come let us build up the wall of Jerusalem that we be no more reproach then I told them of the hand of my god which was good upon me you wait you'll see pastor do that next Sunday I truly believe as also the King's words that he had spoken unto me and they said let us rise up and build they confirmed it the desire of other believers confirming the direction I think that's important number three now this one I thought about for a long time but I've thought about in my life about vision that God has given the delay of events and resources I don't think I'm ready to say dogmatically but the majority of time that God gives a vision of direction there will usually be a death or a delay of that vision I feel there's many sense no it doesn't make any sense but let me tell you what happens turned the delay by the way I think that his prayer in Chapter one is in the in the month chisel ooh the time that he finally gets to talk to the key is Nissan there's about a six-month delay from when God put on his heart what he wanted to do in Jerusalem to the point that he can finally even express that vision it's like six months why is there delay brother Shetler I think the delay is very important and I in my life when God has given me a direction that I really believe I need to go and gods you know like God I know this is what you want there's usually a period of death or delay what happens during that period is you know what god I'm not gonna be able to do this I can't make this happen I know that's why I've been delaying everything because I want you to see that this is not your doing this is going to be my doings and I think after the Lord gives us a real impactful direction to go usually things fall apart right after that because God is showing us this is not going to be a work of yours this is going to be a work that I do well I'll tell you I don't know for sure every where we're going next Sunday but I think a lot of the things that pastor is going to bring out has been delayed for a couple years but I don't think that day yeah are we sure we're going in there I don't think there will ever be a vision that God well I don't know if I'd say dogmatically but from what I can sense and I can see in the scriptures there's usually a delay boy that was really true with David about building the temple to begin with there's usually sometimes a depth of a vision or a delay this signifies it will be God who does the work then the fourth thing that I wanted you to see the details then at some point begin to come together details resources people favor begin to come together look at chapter 2 verses 6 through 9 the conversation between Nehemiah and the king verse 6 and the King said unto me the Queen also sitting by him I thought that was interesting I think she's gonna with her compassionate heart she's good I don't know what but I think it was good that the Queen was there for how long shall thy journey be it 1 wilt thou return so it please the King to send me things started to come together took six months and I set him a time moreover I said unto the king if it please the King let letters be given me to the governor's beyond the river that they may convey me over till I come into Judah then look at verse 8 in a letter on to ACF the keeper of the Kings forest that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which a pertain to the house and for the wall of the city and for the house that I shall enter into and the King granted me according to the good hand of my god upon me hey the details now are coming together and these confirm you know what Lord you're in this I had the delay I kind of thought God is this ever going to happen and now you've brought it back again and God now you've provided the details that delay the desire and the discernment number two God godly vision always comes from deity number two godly vision always brings clarity it's said often but it adds gonna be said again tonight I don't know of anyone that brings in cast a vision with more clarity than pastor Paul Chapel I think he's gifted in this area but it is important that whenever you cast a vision godly vision always brings clarity a vision must answer three questions and I think this is it for all of us that are in any kind of responsibility over people you might want to write these down because after you give a direction three things should be answered number one now I know what we are doing number two now I know why we are doing it and number three now I know how we are going to do it if the Lord tarries and pastor Chapel speaks next Sunday from behind this pulpit I guarantee you all three of those questions will be answered Sunday morning and Sunday night now I know what we are doing now I know why we are doing it now I know how we are going to get it done I think chapter I think that chapter 2 17 and 18 it deals with this but chapter three is very unique there is no chapter in the Bible that has the word next an ext more in it than chapter three 15 times next unto Him also the word build and repaired is not found in any other chapter in the scripture more often than in chapter 3 so what he is saying brother Shepherd schüttler so we got next onto him we got the word build and the word repair what is he doing he is explaining what everyone's gonna do where everyone's gonna be and he's already given the why under in Nehemiah chapter 2 verse 17 and 18 he has given absolute clarity everyone knows where they're supposed to be everyone knows their responsibilities of what they're supposed to do and the vision is given with incredible clarity so when we got accredited as a college there was a team that came and that team after they were done assessing us for accreditation gave us two commendations very unusual pastors mentioned this some others have mentioned this as well very unusual to have one we got to the one really impressed the team there was a lady on the team named dr. Raylan Cochran dr. Raylan Cochran used to be one of my teenagers in my youth group raylene shimmon is how I remember her and raylene said to me after they were here on site she said pastor settler we have done many site visits but I've never seen a place that its students that it's faculty that it's administration and that it's alumnus the alumni are so clear on the direction of what why West Coast exists I said raylene I gotta tell you something that's one of the things that have always impressed me I have never doubted what I'm supposed to be doing at West Coast Baptist College we are training Labor's for the harvest it was so clear that is a great place to work and minister in a place that has clarity of its vision and its goal again I want to tell you something you don't go to this church and not know why we're going to this church and that clarity is so important godly vision always brings clarity godly vision always comes from deity number three godly vision always creates activities godly vision always creates activity now if I was in the ministry here pick out what that probably his personality his gifts and abilities are the antithesis of me it would probably be been Hobbes where it's brother hops okay brother hops now brother I love that man because one other reason why I love him is because he does everything I don't ever want to do and he might say the same thing about me but brother Hobbes and I are so vastly different in so many ways the way that we look at things however we sat in a workshop one time together it was amazing to people that were so vastly different at the end of the workshop we both walked out in if I'm not mistaken we said it simultaneously or he asked the question and I said it and he agreed but I almost think that we said it simultaneous ed that's exactly right and what it lacked was task items this guy gets up there for 45 minutes 50 minutes he gave philosophy and all but he didn't give any task item okay so what are we supposed to do with what we just heard I want to tell you something this is really important vision will always create activity there should be task items that you leave with next Sunday there should be things that after you hear the vision for 2020 for Lancaster Baptist Church you know what I need to do this in my family you know what I need to do this in my personal life you know what I need to start doing this as a member of Lancaster you should go away and I'm telling you our pastor is gonna give you task items okay vision godly vision will always create activity we see it in verse 18 then I told them of the hand of my god which was good upon me as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me and they said let us rise up and boom we got activity hey we have stuff to do now everyone can have their own favorite verse in Nehemiah but - Nehemiah chapter 4 and verse 6 this is my favorite verse in the book you can have your own favorite Nehemiah chapter 4 and verse 6 so built we the wall and all the wall was joined together under the half there up 52 days folks for the people had a mind to everyone together work man don't you just love that verse godly vision always creates activity and there's three things someone should explain our opportunities I think you'll find that happen next week and then I think our our connection leaders will expand on those someone should explain our opportunities number two everyone should be moved to action and number three anyone should believe they can be a part so godly vision will create activity someone should explain our opportunities everyone should be moved to action and anyone should believe that they could be a part just two more and we're done so godly vision comes from deity godly vision brings clarity godly vision creates activity and number four godly vision always needs humility always needs humility now this is the most important element of vision is humility because the humility that a church the person a family and individual displays will determine the grace that they receive to accomplish the vision if we don't stay humble if we leave if we left out of here next Sunday night like we are the best church in America whoa we ought to leave humbly like I'm excited and I'm thrilled but Oh Lord God I am humbled that you would call our church to go in this direction and by the way it's also humility and you know what who cares who gets the credit as long as God gets the glory this is what gives God the Loree is the humility we all do our part this is where we get the grace to accomplish the vision this is how we come together as a team the vision should be glorious enough not to be accomplished by human efforts alone the vision should be glorious enough that Hume that human endeavours cannot accomplish it I truly believe that what we hear next Sunday we excuse the English ain't gonna be able to do it but isn't that we're God steps in isn't that God's part we humble ourselves and do the part that God has for us and God takes over let me encourage you godly Vision always needs humility and then number five godly vision always produces unity godly vision comes from deity it brings clarity it creates activity it needs humility but godly vision always produces unity now I hope I'm not stealing any of his thunder but almost every time pastors ever given vision we always end up in Philippians don't we Philippians chapter 1 right and verse 27 only let your conversation be as it become at the gospel of Christ that whether I come and you see see you or else be absent I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel godly vision always produces unity hey sure we've got this going on sometimes if we have this and we definitely struggle in different things in our church hey pastor - churches I see things here but I'm gonna tell you this is a very unified body let me tell you what I see after being here for seven years not to deep pockets but one huge heart together we don't have rich people in this church but I do sense a unified body of believers wanting to go forward for the cause of Christ vision godly vision will produce unity now the unity comes out of the diversity the unity isn't that we're okay we all got to be the same okay just the thing I just said about brother Hobbes enough we're so different but that brings great unity unity comes out of diversity not out of sameness we're all different we all have different gifts and different abilities when we use our diversity all for the same purpose Wow now this morning I was trying to figure out an illustration for this and I got it from Gary today did you guys like that greatest high faithfulness thing why Gary was on it today with on these on these these kettledrums now I don't know I won't be able to play like him but he was in his zone over here and I thought this while Gary was playing that great as thy faithfulness and he was going to added if you would have eliminated the choir and you would have eliminated the rest of the orchestra and all you would have heard was the kettledrums you had gone like wow what in the world is that noise but the diversity of the kettledrums unified with the rest of the orchestra in the choir did that sound cool or what that was so great this morning but if it would have been just the kettledrums were doing like wow man what what are we here what is that but it was in unit it was very diverse than any other instrument that we had going on but it was unified and orchestrated together our unity comes out of our diversity it's not bad that you have a different spiritual gift than other people by the way all pastor chapel is are the ice he ain't the hands he's not the feet he is very limited in what he can achieve if we're not all unified together that unity comes out of our diversity unity produces the pleasure of partnership and I want to close with this take your Bibles and turn to Psalm 133 Psalm 133 a familiar verse but just one that should ring out in 2020 and the stronger we get together the more impact we have in our community unity and victory are going to be synonymous with each other but unity produces the pleasure of partnership someone 33 verse 1 and 3 behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in everyone together unity it is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aaron's beard then went down to the skirts of his garments hey godly vision will produce a unity pastor says his pastors been saying this would you be willing to take a moment this week and pray for next week's vision and here's what I want you to pray for I know he's gonna be really upset don't pray for pastor chap I'm serious pray for you I think the sower will be fine I think the seed will be magnificent my biggest burden is the soil it falls on can I encourage your church would you Center your prayers on you this week that you will receive that which God places in your heart not a man but God play is in your heart in the direction and you know what he may the Holy Spirit may put something on your heart that had nothing to do with what Paul Chapel said but had everything to do with you as the husband of your home you as the father you as the head of that Sunday School class you as the one that's over authority over people here in the community your own business whatever it might be that God will take that and work that in your heart as your direction by your step of faith that has been revealed I really mean this I think given all things pastors going to be ready to go I think the greatest concern will we be ready to receive

Channel: Lancaster Baptist Church

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Rating: 4.826087 out of 5

Keywords: preaching, sermon, Christian, God, Jesus, Lancaster Baptist Church, Lancaster Baptist, Pastor Paul Chappell, Paul Chappell, Nehemiah 2, Dr. Jim Schettler, vision, victory, 2020

Id: OJnlKtING_w

Length: 41min 57sec (2517 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 06 2020