2020 Vision
Phileo Yeshua - I love Jesus
In this decidedly post-Christian culture, what should be the priorities - indeed the Vision - for modern Christians? Seven key focal points are suggested in the attached, which will become increasingly important in the years up to, and beyond, AD 2020.
2020 Vision
Where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18).If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for the battle? (1 Corinthians 14:8).
There is in prospect a time yet to come, but possibly now imminent, when the institutional church will be in outright, and bare faced, rebellion against the Holy Spirit. Some individual Christians will be in rebellion, to be sure, simply in their laziness and worldliness rather than in their pursuit of their Lord. It is not so much that they are going out and committing 'the seven deadly sins', as it were. They are simply so engrossed in this world and so comfortable with it, so friendly towards it, that they allow their first love to die, they grow cold and wither. Change is imperceptible at first, and then one day there comes a time when they acknowledge they are no longer believers.
We are reminded of householders who failed to see the thief coming (Matthew 24:43), and of wedding guests unprepared for their invitation (Matthew 22:8), and yet again of foolish maidens with insufficient oil in their lamps, and so missing the wedding feast (Matthew 25:12). How can Christians avoid this snare? Just what sort of believer are you? What sort of a believer am I? This is a question that each one of us needs to ask ourselves continually.
Individual churches and some church leaders seem to be thoroughly oriented towards the World and its agenda. Three key challenges have emerged since 2010:
- syncretism (melding with other religions)
- sexual purity (adoption of the world's standards)
- euthanasia (so-called 'mercy killings')
In these three areas the broad church issues no clear vision and no un-mistakable trumpet call. Remember, Where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for the battle? (1 Corinthians 14:8). If the broad (mainstream) institutional church becomes indistinguishable from the World, should individual believers seek greater communion with Jesus outside of an institutional context?
The individual believer may have some uncomfortable choices to make in the years running up to AD 2020 - and certainly beyond. One way to prepare for what lies ahead may be, as suggested elsewhere, to consciously 'detox' from Greek thinking and to try to emulate more closely the mindset of our Lord. The best phrase currently used to describe this is to adopt a more 'Hebraic mindset'.
2020 Vision is a helpful lifeline setting out a vision of what a true Christian needs to do to prepare themselves to survive either within, or if necessary outside of, an increasingly debased and rebellious institutional church - a broad "church†that seems now to be not so far away. Individual believers, then, need to challenge and to prepare themselves if they are to survive the storms ahead. 2020 Vision is a good place to start. It is suggested that this is adopted as a faithful believer's personal Christian motif in the years ahead.
Seven clear strands within this Vision' should, taken together, help to strengthen us as we approach the year 2020. But of course this Vision will go on beyond that year! This Vision statement is offered as a helpful "contract†that the believer can enter into with- - - - themselves! The Holy Spirit will help you in this if you ask Him (so please do!). Your local church sadly may not help you in this, so at the end of the day this must be your decision and your responsibility. And that is why the 2020 Vision can be called a contract with yourself. Of course no believer has to do this alone, and indeed it would be best if you are able to connect with other concerned believers so you can uphold each other in prayer and in fellowship.
Please turn now to the 2020 Vision document. By all means print it as a document - and you might want to keep it in the back of your Bible. Please do prayerfully and seriously consider those seven core visions. Pray through what they mean to you. They are summarised here:
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Vision # |
Vision Description |
Key Text |
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1
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disciples of Jesus listening intently to the Shepherd's voice
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John 10:27
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2
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disciples of Jesus attuned to the scandalous nature of the Gospel message - and sharing it joyously
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1 Corinthians 1:23
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3
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disciples of Jesus seeking to understand end-time realities whilst witnessing to a real-time world
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Acts 1:7-8
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4
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disciples of Jesus at ease with the reality of "one new man" - believing Jew and believing Gentile united in Christ
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Ephesians 2:15
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5
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disciples of Jesus rejoicing in the Hebraic root, understanding Jesus in His Hebraic hinterland and rejoicing in the precisely balanced relationship of the New Testament and the Old Testament
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Romans 11:11-12
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6
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disciples of Jesus praying and working tirelessly for our persecuted brothers and sisters
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John 15:18-21
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7
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disciples of Jesus committed to prayer and to the study of the Bible
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1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 |
There are some explanatory comments and further texts that should help you to pray through this, in the 2020 Vision document.
What is the bottom line in all this? What precisely is being suggested via the 2020 Vision? The vision statement is set out in terms of what a faithful believer will be doing as part of their worship of God in the year 2020 (and beyond).These then will become the hallmarks of a believer who loves their Lord and wants to draw ever closer to Him. This will certainly change ourselves as individuals for the better, and indirectly will change the remnant church for the better. But most important, it will refresh our wonder at the gospel message and equip us to share it more clearly and more courageously with this world in increasingly desperate need.
See also the printable version which has additional commentary, in table format.
