Recasting the 10-Year Vision Part 1
Introduction
Thirty-three months ago, I began serving as your lead pastor. My initial focus was simple: to listen. To listen to the voice of God within Sonrise—to hear from our staff, volunteers, and members of this body. I wanted to understand God's past work and discern His leading for the future. As a staff, we embarked on a journey of discovery, seeking God’s direction for this new season.
After months of prayer and reflection, two core themes emerged: spiritual formation and leadership multiplication. We initially saw a simple cause-and-effect relationship: spiritual formation would naturally lead to leadership multiplication. This idea evolved, first into “Divine intimacy will lead to missional intensity,” then further refined to “encouraging faith and inspiring purpose.” This core focus led us to develop our 10-year vision.
10-Year Vision
“In ten years, we will have guided over 1000 people through a 10-Week Discipleship Journey that will launch them on the adventure of experiencing the presence of God in their everyday life. They will walk with God each day through intimate prayer, reflecting on Scripture, and freedom from strongholds. They will walk out the mission of God each day by serving, telling their story, and engaging with other followers of Jesus and those not yet following Jesus. Every aspect of their life will be genuinely transformed by their walk with God. Our gatherings will model how to flourish in the presence of God. These spaces will be centered on Scripture and will be marked by radical hospitality, honest worship, sacrificial generosity, eager participation, and humble learning. This maturing process will create an abundance of hungry followers. These followers will sense a unique calling on their lives to bring into reality the kingdom dream that God has placed deeply into their hearts. The dreams of these followers will take us places not yet on our ministry maps, stretching the horizon of possibility beyond our conventional thinking. Our pastors and staff will invest more time supporting the dreams of these followers than recruiting volunteers to run programs, allowing the gifts of our pastors and staff to blossom. Our team will be more focused on the sending capacity of our church than the seating capacity of our auditorium. We will plant five churches that will embody the core of this vision. These churches will then plant another church within seven years of their start. In summary, divine intimacy will lead to missional intensity!”
Over the next two weeks, we’ll unpack this vision. This morning, we focus on the first half: encouraging faith. We believe seven key spiritual practices are essential for spiritual growth, each reflected in our 10-year vision. These practices aren’t the source of transformation; they are the vehicles, the accelerants. The true spark isn't a human effort but a divine act of identity transformation. God changes who we are before He changes what we do.
Big Idea: Become what you already are. It's tempting to think faith is merely an intellectual choice. It is a choice, certainly, and our minds are involved, but that’s only part of the picture. God isn't just asking us to choose faith; He's resurrecting us, changing our very nature. Our new behaviors aren't creating a new identity; our new identity is shaping our new behaviors. Let’s turn to Colossians 3:1-17 for guidance on this idea.
Resurrection Leads to Righteousness v. 1-4
Colossians 3:1-4, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Paul begins with a powerful statement: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” “You have been raised” is a divine passive. God has done something to us; He has resurrected us. Resurrection is entirely passive; we contribute nothing. It is also the most significant transformation imaginable—the transition from death to life. God’s act has fundamentally changed us. Our faith is not just a decision; it’s a resurrection moment.
Paul speaks of our “life being hidden with Christ in God.” This hiddenness implies security and mystery. Our life in Christ is safe, secure, and otherworldly. The language of "appearance" in verse 4 underscores this mysterious nature. The world doesn't understand Christ's glory, and so, our lives as followers often seem alien and foreign. We, as Christians, should not be shy about living differently.
Paul not only uses a “divine passive” in verse 1, but he also follows it up with two imperatives or commands: “Seek the things” and “Set your minds.” This is evidence that our moral transformation is a collaborative effort. God initiates the process through resurrection, and then, we share responsibility, cooperating with the Holy Spirit. The language of resurrection also reveals that this transformation isn't self-improvement but a surrender of our entire nature.
Things to Stop v. 5-11
Colossians 3:5-11, “5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. 11 Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
Paul lists both internal and external evils: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk. This extensive list highlights the weight of our responsibility in spiritual formation. There are a lot of things we need to stop doing! But the divine passive re-emerges in verse 10: we are “being renewed,” which reminds us of God’s work in us. We are changing, and God is changing us. God is actively transforming us. The phrase “after the image of its creator” echoes Genesis 1:27, reminding us that we are moving back to what we were first created to be. Reflecting Christ’s image is not a cosmetic action; rather, it involves imitating His actions, like forgiveness, which Paul highlights in verse 13.
Sexual perversion and anger are central themes in both of these lists in verses 5 and 8, and they share a connection. Sexual desire is not inherently good. Just because a desire or passion is within us does not mean we should act on it. This is a clear confrontation with the sexual ethics of Paul’s day and ours, where almost every impulse had/has the permission to be indulged. This indulgence maximizes the individual over others. Our sexual perversions sacrifice the dignity and value of others on the altar of our appetites. We don’t see the dignity in others, which has its origin in the “image of God” in them, when we sexually mistreat and take advantage of them. Anger also blinds us to the “image of God” in others. When we fail to see God and ourselves in others, we mistreat them by verbally and physically abusing them. These two lists are aimed primarily at redemption, not punishment. Verse 7 reminds us that we once lived in these old practices. God’s wrath wasn’t immediately poured out on the Colossians; it was withheld, offering a path to redemption.
Things to Start v. 12-15
Colossians 3:12-15, “12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”
Paul instructs us: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” This clothing metaphor, illustrated by the verb “put on” in verse 12 and its companion verb “put away” in verse 8, signifies that these virtues are not self-generated but inherited from Christ. They are gifts we receive and wear, not that we weave together ourselves. This analogy illuminates the division of labor in our moral transformation. We play a part, but the Holy Spirit in us is the primary mover. This transformation isn't about perfecting the old self but progressively actualizing the new creation already within us. It's about being, not just doing.
Transformation is a Team Sport v. 16-17
Colossians 3:16-17, “16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Letting "the word of Christ dwell in you richly” has both individual and corporate implications. In this passage, the emphasis falls on the corporate—how we collectively engage with and share the word of Christ. This shapes our teaching, our singing, and our acceptance of others. We must preach, sing, and embody the word of Christ. Singing, as Ephesians 5:18-19 clarifies, is directed “to one another.” Paul does not view personal transformation as a private matter. We need each other!
Conclusion
Become what you already are. Doubt about our transformation is natural. But remember the power of resurrection—the power of a God who acts decisively to change our hearts and lives. Change is challenging, seemingly impossible, like raising the dead. But we serve a God whose resurrection power is at work within us, transforming us from the inside out.
Steps
I encourage you to join a Journey Group if you haven't already. Over 300 people have experienced profound life-change through these groups in the last 2 years. It's a challenging journey with significant spiritual elevation, but the rewards far outweigh the effort. Embrace the transformation God offers—become what you already are in Christ.
Life-Level Application
Head: Read 1 John 3:2-3 and Philippians 3:20-21. How does the promise of seeing Jesus “as he is” impact our hope and motivation for living a godly life? What specific aspects of Jesus' character or actions do you long to emulate more fully? How does this longing shape your prayers and actions?
Heart: Read Philippians 3:12-14. How does Paul’s relationship with Christ motivate and empower his striving? How should this truth influence your pursuit of godliness? How do these verses challenge the idea of spiritual complacency or arrogance?
Hand: Read Romans 5:18-19. What are the practical consequences of Adam's sin in our lives? Are these consequences solely spiritual, or do they also manifest physically, emotionally, and socially? Give specific examples. How does Christ's obedience affect us?
Habit: Describe the last time you had a conversation with a friend that helped you grow spiritually. How was your friend's vocabulary and posture encouraging?