Day 4: Vision, Values, and Virtue

Stan Gleason speaking about the ministry of Jesus coined these ever true words, “[Jesus] would leave a legacy, but more than that, it would be necessary for Him to establish His vision, values, and virtues on this earth in a tangible manner.”

Reaching The People on the Hill

• The church has limitless possibilities for reaching people today: books, social media, YouTube, TV, billboards, fliers, and so much more. We have never before had the capability we do today to reach millions and to reach them in a targeted way. Never before have we had such an opportunity to preach to the hillside.
• Jesus preached to the multitude of the hill. He even performed miracles there… but did he select his disciples from the hill? In fact, what do you remember the Gospel saying about the response from the people on the hill? They simply demanded more miracles, not more Jesus.

The Seashore and the Marketplace

• While the rabbis are selecting their disciples from the synagogues, Jesus was finding them on the seashore and in the marketplace.
• Jesus knew to go to the seashore and marketplace to find his disciples because that’s who he needed to help in his ministry and establish his vision, values and virtues. Not the hill, not the synagogue.
• We should desire to have the greatest thinkers in our congregation because they will become the greatest thinkers of Godly things. We should also try and reach those that are hungry on the hill because they will be hungry for God.
• We shouldn’t let the spotlight of the hill, or the workings of the synagogue, cause us to sacrifice finding and making disciples.
• We have our own symbolic seashore and marketplace, there are those that God knows we will need in order to help expand his Kingdom.

Final Thoughts

4 Steps to Finding a Disciple

1. Pray God gives our pastor a clear vision for our city.
2. Pray we get a hold of that vision, that our hearts will be soft and ears open to receive and hear the word when he preaches about it.
3. Ask God to lead us to people who will help us move that vision forward, and choose them to be our disciples.
4. Pray that he presents to us people who will grab a hold of our values and virtues as they experience the freedom of Christ.

When reading the devotional for today, consider the interaction Jesus has with the crowd, their response to him, and his call to them.

Biblical Devotion

John 6:1-40  After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias.  (2)  And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.  (3)  Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.  (4)  Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand.  (5)  Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” (6)  He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.  (7)  Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.”  (8)  One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him,  (9)  “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”  (10)  Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number.  (11)  Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted.  (12)  And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” (13)  So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten.  (14)  When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”  (15)  Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.  (16)  When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,  (17)  got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.  (18)  The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.  (19)  When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were frightened.  (20)  But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” (21)  Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.  (22)  On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.  (23)  Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks.  (24)  So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.  (25)  When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”  (26)  Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. (27)  Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” (28)  Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?”  (29)  Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (30)  So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?  (31)  Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'”  (32)  Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. (33)  For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (34)  They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”  (35)  Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. (36)  But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. (37)  All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. (38)  For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. (39)  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. (40)  For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

The scriptural devotion today isn’t long, so really meditate on it as it relates to our mandate to fish:

Isaiah 6:8  And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Proverbs 28:1  The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Philippians 1:14  And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.