Pastors claiming to have a vision for their church have often been maligned for sounding charismatic, stealing God’s glory, or flat-out selling snake oil using the phrase, “God told me…” For good reason, many pastors are guilty of elevating their dreams for the church above God’s. In his popular book Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer warns pastors not to get caught up in their personal beatific vision of the church and ignore the real people right in front of them.
Still, to say that a pastor should never cast a vision before God’s people might be equally harmful to the church. The Lord has given a clear vision to His undershepherds to cast before His Church. This clear vision should be cast at board meetings and church services. This vision should be shared in the context of the body of Christ and the community it desires to serve with the Gospel. Pastors are called to point people to the reality prophesied and created by Jesus’ words.
What is this vision?! Jesus says it many times. “The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations.” Jesus doesn’t qualify his prophecy with “If you do your job right.” He proclaims it as fact. At the end of Matthew, he commands His church to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching. We see its results in the revelation given to John as the church descends from heaven. Finally, we confess it in the creed, “I believe in the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting.”
If a vision implies seeing, Jesus makes us exemplary visionaries. Believing Jesus’ words, pastors are called to tell their congregation what they see. He sees saints despite being sinners. He sees sleep instead of death. He sees the body of Christ instead of a motley crew. He sees untold numbers of people praising God in heaven and on earth. He sees possibilities. He sees beyond the obstacles of the church and points to future enemies of God coming to the altar. Concerning the pastor’s local situation, the pastor believes in the power of the Gospel and sees how it will bless the hearts of his congregation, let alone add more to that number.
The pastor paints this God-given picture before His people. It may lead to taking risks by calling another church worker, starting a new ministry, building additions, or planting churches. If the pastor doesn’t do this. Who will?
Recently, a friend at my congregation told me that I see things that he didn’t think were possible, and sure enough, it happens. Well, it isn’t me. I’m just seeing what the Lord told His church to see! Not every specific venture works out, of course. So what! We are free to fail; more than that, we are empowered to get back up. We are working with House money and divine resources and playing out what God has prepared to happen.
God’s vision is clear. It will happen. Believe it, speak it, go forward. People need God’s vision of themselves and the future.
