Vision4Living

It is the nature of parenting that parents be involved in their children’s lives. Detached parents are ineffective parents. The more involved the parents, the healthier the parent-child relationship. We do not generally accuse parents of young children of being too involved in their children’s lives. A child’s life and development are the parents’ business.

But as children approach adulthood that relationship changes. And as Christian parents, it is not always easy to make the shift from total involvement to measured and wiser involvement. We have always known what is going on in our children’s lives, guided their steps, and corrected their mistakes. In particular, the father can struggle with laying aside his God-given protective instinct to watch his son or daughter grow as an adult. Who among us does not struggle with the desire to continue our involvement in our children’s lives to the point of minding their business instead of our own. After all, in the past , their business was our business.

The truth is, one day we will be gone. Would it not be nice to have something to say about or some influence over the direction the lives of our descendants will take? Is there something one generation can do to affect the lives of the generations to come?

Men, I am convinced we are a vital element in the direction the next generation takes. While their is no magic or even spiritual wand we can wave over our children to assure their salvation and godliness, more than we know men, we have an influence for godliness in the lives of our descendants. God is calling us to  live our lives and make our decisions with a view to the next generation. I offer some Biblical thoughts from Psalm 112 that I hope will help form your conscience on the subject.

I. The Happiness of a God-fearing Man

Be careful lest the world forms your conscience in this matter. Happiness is   not an end but the by-product of knowing God. And what makes us happy goes a long way toward setting a coarse for the next generation. The psalmist challenges us with two seemingly contradictory truths: fear and faith. Their seems to be an incongruity here. How do we reconcile happiness and fear? After all, the Scriptures often say “fear not”. Are fear and happiness compatible? The fear of God and faith in God are not contradictory. They are complimentary. They are absolutely compatible and indispensable to one another. The man who fears God most, trusts God most. The man who trusts God most,fears God most.Their is another element in the happiness of a God-fearing man. It is not specifically mentioned in Psalm 112, but it cannot go unmentioned. The psalmist says in another place: “If You, LORD, should mark iniquity, then who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You that You may be feared” (Ps.130:3,4). The carnal mind would presume upon grace; take advantage of forgiveness, but not the one who fears The Lord. The God-fearing man leaves a legacy of happiness. He is happy in his fear of God, his unwavering trust in Him, and the assurance of God’s forgiveness in Christ.

II. The Hope of a God-Fearing Man

The hope of a Christian is not a vague positive attitude but a sure expectation based on the truth of God’s Word. The God-fearing man has the hope of an enriched life. God sees fit to bless Him in various yet consistent ways. Under the Old Covenant those blessings were primarily outward and material. Under the New Covenant, they are primarily inward and spiritual. The life of the righteous abounds with blessings, often beyond what can be immediately seen.

To know Christ and His forgiveness, to have His Word and His promises is to have an enriched life.

Part of this enriched life includes an enduring righteousness. There is an enduring quality to the life of a God-fearing man. There is a persevering quality. The Psalmist mentions it here. “His righteousness endures forever.” The God-fearing man perseveres because he is preserved by his God. He is not merely religious in the human sense. His piety and commitment are not matters of convenience.

So what do these things have to do with minding your children’s business? We will look more closely at this in part two.

Charles Cavanaugh

Life is full of cliches, and the Christian life is no exception. It is not unusual for Christians to become comfortable with “christianeeze” words and phrases and to use them while giving little or no thought to their meaning. In the process, we fail to honor God with our words, shortchange ourselves by not thinking things through, and do not give a clear message of Christ and His Gospel.

One of the phrases often used when talking with someone about the Gospel and salvation is “a personal relationship with Christ”. People are often told that their greatest need is a personal relationship Christ. And they are also often told that if they will repeat a certain prayer, come forward in a meeting, or perhaps do some other outward religious act, they will have this relationship that is so necessary.

It is not uncommon for those who preach or otherwise promote the Gospel to get the order wrong. The question is not whether a right relationship with God is important. It most certainly is. In evangelism, the question is what is of first importance to the unconverted person.

In a day when people are starved for solid, genuine relationships, social media saturation not withstanding, I want to propose that the person who is not a Christian should not be encouraged to seek a personal relationship with Christ. And I challenge the reader to sight a clear instance of the call of a sinner to such in the New Testament. In the New Testament sinners are called upon to repent or turn from their sins, believe on The Lord Jesus Christ, or call upon The Lord. I am not able to find an instance when an unconverted person is challenged to consider the issue of a personal relationship. A drowning person does not need to get to know the lifeguard in a personal way. He needs to be rescued by him. I realize that human illustrations break down, but the point is still valid. The one who is lost in sin needs to be rescued. That is why the sinner needs Christ, because Christ is forgiveness, pardon, and rescue for the sinner who comes to Him in faith.

The truth of a relationship with Christ is a blessed reality for the follower of Christ. Does the believing sinner come into a personal relationship with Christ? Certainly. But it is the glorious result of looking in faith to Christ and Him alone for salvation. I challenge you (with the help of God’s Spirit) to make sinners aware of their sin and the judgement to come. Point them to Christ as the only Savior. Then watch those who trust Him enter the blessedness of a glorious relationship with our great God.

Charles Cavanaugh

To do or not to do often weighs heavily on our minds and hearts, leaving us uncertain as to the right path. Decision-making can be a troublesome responsibility.

However, many decisions are made long before we are confronted with them. Our priorities are set either on purpose or by default early in life. If we are not intentional about setting priorities early in life, then unintentional priorities are set, and our decision-making map is drawn by this “unintentionality”.

This is the way many parents operate. Because they do not look beyond the immediate, they make parenting decisions based on comfort, convenience, or external pressures rather than on character, and more importantly, kingdom concerns. When a child cries or complains loudly enough, decisions are made in order to stop the crying rather than with the future in view. Friendships, activities, and any number of matters are addressed without the future of their children or their children’s children in mind. The course is thus set for the next generation; and the next; and the next; ….

Pastors and church leaders are often participants in the same kind of decision-making. Many, if not most, decisions are made without the next generation as a priority. Complaining church members do not need to be patronized but discipled in the priority of Gospel living, Gospel church life, and passing on a godly heritage to the next generation. Churches are weakened and their future Biblical effectiveness undermined when we compromise our message with a weak, man-centered Gospel and give the impression that the church can take its cues from the world instead of bearing witness to the uncompromising truth of the Word of God.

So what can we do to avoid the trap of “unintentionality” in our churches and in our homes. I do not pretend to have all the answers, but I will offer some important matters to embrace. Commit yourself to the glory of God and the purity of the Gospel in the church and in the home. The two are vitally connected, because the Gospel is “the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). Everything in the Christian life flows from the Gospel, and everything is done to the glory of God in Christ. Pastors must model the centrality of Christ in their lives and in their preaching. They must also mentor it with  God’s people. Fathers and husbands must model and mentor it as well with their wives and children. Christ-centered living, Gospel-motivated living leads us to make decisions not based on the comfort and convenience of the moment, but for the glory of God and the Biblical good of the next generation. Our descendants can live without many earthly things – but not without Christ and a pure Gospel.

Be ready to pay the price for Biblical priorities. As a young man entering my first pastorate, I set some priorities for ministry on the front end. I was committed to the consistent exposition of God’s Word; to challenging men to be spiritual leaders in the home; and to supporting the cause of the Gospel around the world. By God’s grace I saw some respond, and I have lived long enough to see fruit in the next generation in other families and my own. But their have also been times when kingdom priorities cost me and my family in some painful ways. With God’s help I am able to echo the words of the Apostle Paul: “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of The Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).

Charles Cavanaugh

A little over a month ago, I preached a message at the Westwood Church Men’s Retreat. It was such a joy to fellowship with these men of my own local church. The Lord blessed our time in the word and fellowship with one another. This year’s theme was ‘Transformation’ from Romans 12. I was given the choice on what to speak and for some reason I chose humility. Not sure why I did that, but the Lord worked in my own heart and and the hearts of those who heard. Below, you will find the recording of the message ‘A Life Transformed by Humility’. My hope and prayer is that the word would bless and transform your life as you listen.

Charles Cavanaugh

Charles Cavanaugh – A Life Transformed by Humility

Where there is no vision the people perish, but whoever keeps the Law, happy is he.

Many of us are convinced of the importance of a Biblical vision and understand its significance. But we have also experienced the weakening of our vision. Sometimes life wears us down.

What keeps one’s vision from weakening or even disappearing? What gives it strength and keeps it strong? Where does the strength of your vision lie?

The Preservation of Your Vision (Whoever keeps the Law…)

As long as I can remember, my Dad has loved to garden. After all the presents have been opened and Christmas dinner is over, my Dad reaches over for his seed catalog.  He’s thinking about his garden: breaking the ground, planting the seed, using the tiller. He can anticipated the fruit of his labor: new potatoes, green beans, bell peppers, and fried corn.

Vision or Gardening?

Now you perhaps you are thinking; “What’s this guy’s Father’s gardening practices have to do with a vision for life?” It is interesting that the word used in Genesis 2:15 for Adam’s God-given responsibility to “keep” the Garden of Eden is the same word in our text; “whoever keeps the Law”. To preserve a God-given vision, to put a strong foundation under it, you must in a sense do what Adam was responsible to do in the Garden. We must do what my Father does as a gardener. What are those elements of “keeping” the Law in its best sense, certainly not in a pharisaic sense?

ANTICIPATION

One element is anticipation. My Dad naturally anticipates gardening. Winter is a natural and necessary interruption from this blessed pursuit. But in the back of his mind is this latent anticipation of spring and gardening.That is why he almost unconsciously picks up that catalog. Anticipation is not necessarily an outward giddiness. It is a matter of the heart.

JOYFULNESS

This leads us to a the second element of law keeping: joyfulness. My Dad finds joy in his gardening. And don’t you imagine Adam did, in his unfallen state? His God-given responsibility was also his delight, even as my Father’s garden is his delight.

PREPARATION

Another element is preparation. Dad thinks through the process, orders the seed, and prepares the ground. He does not jump into the garden with no preparation.

WORK

If you are  going to have a garden and its fruit, you must work. That includes weeding, cultivating, and fertilizing.

HARVEST

Everything leads to the time of reaping what you sow. The process of gardening is joyful in itself. But the whole thing would be anticlimactic without the fried corn. And don’t you imagine Adam enjoyed the fruit of his labor?

These are the elements of law keeping that preserve and strengthen a Biblical vision. It is not enough to say (at 14, 18, 30, or 50) I have a vision. You have to tend the “garden” of your vision throughout your life. You live with this latent anticipation of Christ’s work, and a joyful expectation. You cultivate a mind and life to be receptive to what God has for you. Then you have those times of getting in the Word and working the “garden”. Jesus said; “He who has My commandments, and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21).

The Satisfaction of Your Vision ( …happy is he.)

Why is it that the people around us are never satisfied? Whatever new thing the world offers, they must have. They are trying to satisfy their soul with stuff, when the soul is made to be satisfied with God. But you can be confident  that the pursuit of your God-given vision brings genuine satisfaction, for ultimately it is the pursuit of God Himself.

The Psalmist said; “The meek shall eat and be satisfied…” (Psalm 22:26). “My soul shall be satisfied …” (Psalm 63:5) “…He satisfies the longing soul.”(Psalm 107:9) “I shall be satisfied when I awake with Your likeness.” (Psalm 17:15) “You will show me the path of life: in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand there are pleasures forever more.” (Psalm 16:11)

CONCLUSION

Many years ago a young man grew up in a conservative, Midwestern community in Indiana. He completed his education, then began to pursue a career. Early on he was offered the opportunity to take a position in Minnesota or one in Los Angeles, California. He was very interested in the opportunity in Minnesota, but the people there seemed to drag their feet, and after seeking wise council, he accepted the offer in L.A. He worked there in anonymity for several years, investing himself in others while applying the simple lessons he learned as a young man.

It was not until the early 1960′s that he began to make some waves in his profession, and by the mid- 60s, he was a force to be reckoned with. So it was that from the mid-60s to the mid-70s the name John Wooden became synonymous with NCAA Championship. But he only got there by pursuing excellence and investing in the next generation day by day, week by week, year by year: “the vision comes through much work”.

Each of us is grinding it out. Our choices are pegs on which we climb toward the future. We would do well to ask ourselves before God how our choices will affect the next generation. While we depend totally upon The Lord, we live with a Biblical sense of responsibility for the direction of our lives.

CHOICES AND PREPARATION

John Maxwell relates the story of a time when he and his leadership team were landing in Atlanta after a seven day, twenty city book tour. There was a celebratory mood among them until the plane hit a wind shear and dropped straight down towards the runway. In seconds the mood changed from celebration to fear as they each realized “this could be it”. They quietly waited as the plane circled then landed safely.

As they left the plane, they congratulated the pilot who had quickly pushed the throttle and projected the plane back into the air. As he left the plane John asked the pilot; “When did you make the decision to put the plane back into the air?” Surprisingly the pilot responded: “Fifteen years ago”. As a young pilot in training, he had decided in advance what decision he would make for every possible air problem. “The choice was made long before the crisis,” he said. (John Maxwell; Leadership Gold, chapter 20).

Choices affect direction, and our vision affects our choices. And our choices should be made with a view to the next generation. Sometimes course corrections are necessary, but we keep moving forward, always with the next generation in view. Our goal, at least in part, is to leave a legacy of Godliness, an inheritance of eternal worth that will not fade away: “That the generation to come might know [Christ]… That they might set their hope in God…” (Psalm 78:6, 7)

Charles Cavanaugh

“Where there is no Vision, the People Perish” (Prov.29:18)

The world has been shaped, humanly speaking, by men of vision. Christopher Columbus had a vision of a round earth and led Europe to the New
World. The founders of the United States had a vision of a free nation and gave us a democratic republic. More recently, Nelson Mandela had a vision of a people not ostracized because of their color and saw the end of apartheid in South Africa.

These and other events serve to illustrate the indispensable nature of vision. For the Christian and the church, vision is more than the hope that something will come to pass. The source of a believer’s vision is the Word of God. The Word of God, ignited by the Spirit of God leads the believer to see the world and life differently. And vision affects life when it becomes so personally real and powerful that it grips us and drives us. When the writer of Proverbs says; “Where there is no vision, the people perish…” He is talking about a Scripture-saturated, even a Gospel-saturated view of life. The word “vision” in this passage is “prophetic revelation”. For the Christian, vision is all about the revealed will of God. This passage is one of the most quoted in the Bible, but it is much more than a quotable quote. It is an exhortation from The Lord of glory to search the Scriptures and immerse yourself in them until the vision of Scripture is your vision, the passion of Scripture is your passion, the hope of Scripture is your hope.

The significance of vision is this: “Where there is no vision the people perish,”. While it is stated negatively, the positive implications are inescapable. A vision with its source in the Word of God is indispensable to a fruitful life in the present and in touching and changing the next generation for Christ. The significance of such a vision is in both its short-term and long-term affects. Other translations of this phrase are “the people go naked” and “the people are unrestrained”. People without a Biblical vision are apt to go and land just about anywhere.

Biblical standards and theological convictions must be part of and rooted in a broader Biblical vision. The spiritual leader of the home must be genuinely committed to a Biblical view of the Godhead, salvation, eternity, and life. These things must be so woven into life that you communicate them as naturally as you would golf or fishing. If we are to avoid the short-term affects of not having vision, this is what we must strive for.

The problems is that without a Biblical vision our churches and our children will tend to wash out or fizzle out. If you want church members or children who become disinterested, frustrated, or rebellious, toward Biblical Christianity and Christian living, leave them without vision.

But ultimately it is Biblical vision that leads one to faith in Christ. Those without Christ live with an exalted view of themselves, an unrealistic view of the world, and a hopeless view of the future(in particular, eternity). So it is a change in the heart’s vision that leads to repentance and faith. Without that change “the people perish”.

And so pastors, it is not enough to do ministry as usual. You must look beyond the present, and even your lifetime, to the future of the church and Gospel witness in future generations. And this vision is not about quick fixes. Nor is it about what’s trending. It is rooted in the eternal truth of God.

And men, it is not enough to beget children, nor is it enough women to bear them. They must be seen as arrows in the hand of a mighty warrior. Otherwise they may become twofold more the child of hell. You must cast your eyes to the coming generations with the vision and prayer ,”That they might set their hope in God”.

Charles Cavanaugh

(Watch for my next blog – ‘The Strength of Vision’)

“For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice…”
(Zechariah 4:10 ESV)

As followers of Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ, we are far more influenced by our culture than we realize or care to admit. This is nowhere more apparent than it is in the life of the church and its ministry. Success is often measured in terms of size and numbers and immediate results rather than how decisions will impact the next generations. Budgets and baptisms are a measure of the the work of the church, but they are not the only or final measure.

The church and its leaders often fail to embrace the aspects of ministry that will touch and change the next generation for Christ. Biblical discipleship and investing in fathers and fathers to be requires time and patience. It requires a willingness and even a conscious decision to look beyond the immediate and stay committed to and focused on the priorities that will make a lasting impact on this and the next generation.

Pastors must make the time to spend with men and invest what God has done and is doing in their lives in those men. We must learn to ask appropriate questions, offer wise counsel, and pray fervently with and for men as they face the difficult and practical issues of personal growth and family leadership. There are no easy answers and seldom immediate results, and we must walk with young men, husbands, young fathers, older fathers, and grandfathers. We must experience with them their successes, their failures, their frustrations and joys. We must build trust and constantly communicate our passion for Christ, His Gospel, and Gospel-centered living. Passion for Christ is the key element. A vision for men and their descendants must be our pursuit in ministry. We must embrace what the LORD told the prophet Habakuk; “For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry” (Habakuk 2:4). Most of ministry requires a long-term perspective, and this is certainly true of touching the next generation. Embrace the day of small things, and invest in the vision of the generations to come: for the future of the Gospel and the glory of our great God.

Charles Cavanaugh

It’s one thing to talk about vision and touching the next generation for Christ. It is quite another to see it happen. If we are convinced that men are important to lasting ministry, then how will that look in the life of the church. What’s a Pastor, or for that matter, a godly layman, to do to begin to make it happen?

There are practical things to get the ball rolling. While we cannot help but long for a church full of passionate men with a heart to be a spiritual leader, the reality is that in most churches it is not so. The place to begin is with the few ( or maybe one) you have. Jesus Himself had many followers, but He apparently spent the bulk of His time investing Himself in the twelve. In fact, He often said things that thinned out the crowds while using the same words to challenge His closest followers to a stronger commitment.

So whether you are in a very large church or a smaller congregation, there must be time for the few. One must never purposefully ignore any of  the people of God. But to affect the next generation, the spiritual leader must invest himself in the few, (or even the one) who show any hint of passion for the gospel and gospel living. This may begin with setting aside a time to get together for prayer, but it certainly does not have to end there. It is, however, a good starting point for enlarging the vision of the spiritually minded and for sharing a burden for our children, our children’s children, and beyond.

Let us not be so short-sighted as to think such activity should only include fathers of young children with their lives out in front of them. This could, and even should, include married fathers to be, single men with a heart for God who may or may not have spiritual leadership at home, grandfathers and grandfathers to be. It may even be an older single man with no prospects for marriage but a genuine passion for Christ and His church. Hunger for God and   Commitment to His truth, no matter how faint, are signs of spiritual  maturity and the potential for a broad, gospel-centered kingdom vision. And no Pastor or spiritual leader can go wrong investing there (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Charles Cavanaugh

When churches are looking and interviewing prospects to serve as Pastor, they often want to know something about their ministerial priorities: and rightly so. If a man cannot articulate his vision and how he hopes to accomplish it, what business does he have leading the people of God? Pastoral ministry requires direction and focus.

But what should be the priorities of church ministry? Or, more specifically, where does a vision for the next generation fit among the priorities of church ministry? Most of us are familiar with what have traditionally been the “the big three”: baptisms, budgets, and buildings. Success in ministry is often gauged by these things.

But while we have measured the success of the church in more immediate terms, we have often forgotten or ignored the future of the church or been guilty of poor investing. It has been mistakenly assumed that a successful youth group will lead to a new generation of church leaders and faithful Christian fathers and mothers. But the evidence tells us otherwise. The twentieth century witnessed the rise of youth ministry. But  it did not witness the end of youth washout or nominal church membership.

We cannot guarantee that all of our children will faithfully follow Christ. But we can make a wise Biblical investment that will affect the next generation for Christ. That investment is in the the fathers of the next generation. Pastors cannot afford to assume that the men under their care are doing alright. They need to be discipled in the essential Biblical elements of being a godly husband and father. This assumes that the Pastor is also mentoring men in personal discipleship and is a model as a churchman, husband, and father. Ideally the church will be served by more than one pastor, so that one man does not have to shoulder this burden alone. Investment in men, in particular fathers and husbands, may seem slow and futile, but the investment pays long-term dividends for the Gospel and the future of the church. It is absolutely necessary if we are to change the next generation for Christ.

For God’s kingdom and glory,
Charles Cavanaugh

Who moved the landmarks?  What has happened to our culture?  Will things ever be the same?  I’m not a follower of prime-time television, but such titles as “Modern Family” and “The New Normal” are a telling commentary on where we are and where we are going – and woe to the person or persons who do anything other than go along.

What does this say about and to the church?  Where do we fit?  How do we respond?  Can we have a positive impact on and leave a lasting legacy to the next generation?  Can we touch and change the next generation for Christ?

It is always good to determine the first step.  Where do we begin?  Assuming that we are already attached to and are being changed by the Gospel, we must start in the home and, more specifically, with the fathers.  The front line of passing on a passion for Christ, His Gospel, and Gospel living is fathers.  Men without vision and passion leave children in a spiritual vacuum; waiting for something or someone to fill the void – and they always do.

So where does that leave the people of God amidst a generation in which fathers are being, indolent, or missing?  Is there hope for the next generation?  Are we forced to substitute a worldly surrogate, or can we rebuild the foundations and raise up godly generations?

We must start with the fathers.  We must start with the father we have.  We must continue with fathers to be – many of whom are from divorced homes, dysfunctional homes, and do not know a father at all.  This challenge is daunting but not insurmountable with the help of the Holy Spirit.  It only magnifies the need to embrace, proclaim, and mentor the Biblical model.

If we are to touch and change the next generation for Christ, we must begin at the beginning armed with a Biblical Gospel.  We must embrace the challenge of leading men and equipping them with a vision that will stand the test of time.

That the generations to come might know Christ,

Charles Cavanaugh