Breaking Out - Vision, by Lon Alderman

Acts 10:9-16
About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

Peter receives a vision reversing previously held rules regarding what Jews could eat. God made it clear that what was once seen as unclean is now to be regarded as clean. Next, the Lord provides Peter the opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus with a bunch of Gentiles (i.e., non-Jews). Peter's vision encourages him to step out into this new territory, that is, to go to the home of a Gentile (which was illegal for Jews).

I was told this morning that the pastor of a church in my state spent years preaching about the vision of the church once every month. The result was that everyone even loosely affiliated with that church knew the purpose and hoped for future of it. I'm confident that it is not a coincidence that that church today is the fastest growing church in its denomination in our region!

Who are we? What do we do? Where are we going? How do we get there? The answers to these questions must be answered regularly and communicated clearly. If the church doesn't answer these questions, then there is confusion of purpose! Without a clear purpose, churches default to trying to keep the church exactly as it is, which leads to siege!

A clear and shared vision is required to break out of a siege.

Seek the Lord!
Lon