A Church That Pleases God: Vision to Engage and Equip

A church that pleases God has a vision. Proverbs 29:18 says that without vision people perish, and the Message Bible puts it plain: when people cannot see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves. Vision keeps a marriage, a family, a life, and a church from just ending up somewhere instead of ending up somewhere on purpose.

The bull’s-eye picture shows that everybody is aiming at something, but too many people are aiming at the wrong target. Matthew Emmons hit the target in the Olympics, but he hit the wrong target, and that is how many lives feel after chasing somebody else’s dream. God has a target just for each person, and comparison will keep people from submitting to what God wants for them right now.

The Great Commission gives Salt Life Church its target: to see people experience the life-changing power of God through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus commands His church to go, make disciples, baptize, teach, and trust His presence to remain until the end of the age. That vision moves through four simple words: engage people to know Jesus, establish people to find freedom, equip people to discover purpose, and empower people to make a difference.

Engagement means moving into position. God is calling the church to shift into the next gear, because people will know Jesus when God’s people step into the position He has given them. A welcoming atmosphere, prayer, kids and youth ministry, security, excellence, and a church that starts on time all remove distractions so people can encounter God and know Him better.

Discipleship takes people beyond being converts or fans. Jesus has plenty of people who like what He gives but do not want what He expects, yet a follower denies self, takes up the cross, and follows Him. Freedom from addiction, depression, oppression, and old patterns comes through following Christ and walking honestly with other believers. Life groups and Next Steps provide an on-ramp for that freedom because phones cannot pray, challenge, confess, or spur anyone on toward good deeds.

Christ gives gifts to the church to equip God’s people for ministry. Every believer carries a needed supply, and the body misses something when a person never discovers the value God has placed within them. The vision reaches beyond Sunday services into missions, clean water, practical care, restored homes and cars, schools, first responders, vulnerable women, and children.

Paul’s labor pains in Galatians 4 reveal the heart behind it all: Christ fully developed in people. God’s vision is not about numbers for numbers’ sake. God’s vision is people knowing Him, finding freedom, walking in purpose, and being empowered by the Holy Spirit to reach a community and a world.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Aim at God’s target, not another’s. The bull’s-eye is not somebody else’s calling, marriage, gift, or assignment. God gives each life a target, and comparison keeps people shooting at what was never meant for them. Submission to God’s purpose right now is what turns a busy life into a life that lands somewhere on purpose. [06:52]
• 2. Fans receive, followers surrender and obey. A fan enjoys what Jesus gives, but a follower accepts what Jesus requires. The cross means death to self, and that is why following Jesus cannot stay at the level of inspiration or attendance. Real freedom grows where people deny themselves and let Christ lead their actual choices. [24:47]
• 3. Freedom needs God and godly people. God’s presence changes lives, but isolation keeps many struggles in the dark. Honest relationships create room for confession, prayer, encouragement, and the kind of spur that moves someone toward righteous living. A phone can provide noise and scrolling, but it cannot stand beside a person in the fight for freedom. [28:54]
• 4. Every gift supplies Christ’s body. Christ gives leaders to equip believers, not to do every part of ministry alone. Every believer has a function, and the church loses strength when that gift stays undiscovered or unused. Purpose becomes clear as people know their value in God and begin serving where He has placed them. [38:55]
• 5. Christ formed in people is the goal. Salvation is the greatest miracle, but salvation is also the beginning of a life being formed by Christ. Paul’s labor pains picture a deep burden for people to know God more than just through a church role or Sunday routine. God keeps calling people into a real, daily, trusting relationship with Jesus.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:24] - A Church With Vision
• [02:02] - Succeeding at What Matters
• [02:33] - The Bull’s-Eye Illustration
• [04:15] - Hitting the Wrong Target
• [08:08] - Salt Life Church Vision
• [10:51] - The Great Commission
• [11:29] - Engage People to Know Jesus
• [22:05] - Establish People to Find Freedom
• [33:39] - Equip People to Discover Purpose
• [40:09] - Empower People to Make a Difference
• [42:06] - Making a Difference Locally and Globally
• [47:31] - A Mega Vision for the Future
• [50:33] - Christ Fully Developed in Lives
• [55:03] - Invitation to Know Jesus

Bible Reading

Proverbs 29:18 — “Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.” [00:49]

Matthew 28:19-20 — “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [10:51]

Ephesians 4:11-12 — “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,” [34:13]

Galatians 4:19 — “my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” [51:15]

Observation questions

1. According to Proverbs 29:18, what happens when people do not have prophetic vision, and what marks the person who is blessed? [00:55]
2. In Matthew 28:19-20, what five actions or promises can the group identify in Jesus’ commission: going, making disciples, baptizing, teaching, and His presence?
3. In Ephesians 4:11-12, who gives leadership gifts to the church, and what are those leaders meant to equip God’s people to do? [34:13]
4. What four movements describe the church’s mission: engaging people to know Jesus, establishing people to find freedom, equipping people to discover purpose, and empowering people to make a difference? [40:09]

Interpretation questions

1. Proverbs 29:18 connects vision with living under God’s direction. What is the difference between pursuing a personal goal and following the vision God reveals? How can comparison cause a believer to aim at the wrong target? [06:52]
2. Jesus commands His followers to make disciples, not merely converts. What does it mean for a believer to move from enjoying what Jesus gives to obeying what Jesus asks? [24:47]
3. Ephesians 4:11-12 says church leaders equip the saints for ministry. How does this change the idea that ministry is mainly done by pastors or a small group of gifted people? [35:12]
4. Paul’s goal in Galatians 4:19 was Christ being formed in believers. What signs might show that Christ is being formed in someone beyond simply attending church or serving in a role? [52:10]

Application questions

1. What target have you been tempted to aim at because of comparison—someone else’s job, family, gifts, influence, or calling? What might it look like to submit again to God’s purpose for your life right now? [06:52]
2. Is there an area where you have been more of a fan of Jesus than a follower—wanting His help but resisting His leadership? What would denying yourself and following Him look like in that specific area this week? [25:12]
3. Freedom often grows in honest relationships with God’s people. Is there a struggle, habit, hurt, or discouragement that has stayed hidden because of isolation? Who could be a safe, godly person to invite into that struggle for prayer and encouragement? [28:43]
4. What is one practical way you can help create an atmosphere where another person can know Jesus—through welcome, prayer, serving children or youth, excellence, generosity, or simply showing up for someone you invited? [19:45]
5. What gift, skill, life experience, or burden has God placed in you that could supply something needed in the body of Christ? What is one next step you could take to discover or use it? [38:55]
6. Where do you sense God empowering you to make a difference beyond Sunday gatherings—among neighbors, at work, in a school, through practical care, or through missions? What is one person or need you can respond to this week? [40:40]