Where there is no vision, the people perish. (kjv)
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint. (niv)
Blind Bartemaeus was sitting by the roadside. That was his place. Every day, he would come there to beg for a few coins. Who knows what he was thinking on this day? Can you imagine what you would be thinking on a typical day, if you were blind? Maybe you would be thinking about whether you would receive enough money in gifts today to buy you at least one good meal. Or perhaps you would be wondering what life would be like if only things were different — if only you could be fortunate enough to see like other people. But you don’t see. You’re stuck in this world of constant darkness. What would it be like to see, you think? It’s hard to imagine, but why trouble yourself with those thoughts? That will probably never happen. It’s just another day.
If you were blind, perhaps you might think those thoughts. Perhaps Bartemaeus did, as well. But this day was not just another day in his life. For this day, Jesus would pass by where blind Bartemaeus sat, and that would make all the difference in the world.
As Bartemaeus sat by the roadside begging, Jesus and His disciples were coming down the road. With them was a crowd, as was almost always the case. There were His followers, and, of course, the curiosity seekers. And on occasion there were even His opponents. Bartemaeus heard the noise and inquired who was coming. He was told that it was Jesus, the Nazarene. At once, Bartemaeus knew his chance had arrived. He’d heard of this Jesus. Some claimed He was the Messiah. He’d heard of His miracles. Oh, how he wanted to see! Should he call out to Jesus? It was now or never. "Jesus, Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" But some of the crowd said, "Oh, shut up, you fool! Leave the Master alone." But he would not be shut up. And the Bible says that he cried all the more. "Jesus, Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!" As a result of his persistence, Jesus healed him.
How great must be the desire to see. I cannot imagine how much I would want to see again if something happened to take my sight. Can you? If we were blind and had a million dollars, we would gladly exchange that million for a pair of eyes that could see. We would let no obstacle stand in our way, but would pay the price gladly in personal wealth and personal sacrifice, if the prize of sight could be won. How we value the physical sight we have.
But there is another kind of sight about which the Scripture speaks. It is a sight in many ways more important than even our physical sight. The Bible calls it "vision." Our text in Proverbs 29:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." The vision spoken of here is spiritual vision, a sight which goes beyond our physical capacity to see. And it is this kind of vision which we so desperately need in the Church of Jesus Christ today.
We are all familiar with the famous speech of Martin Luther King, as he stood before the crowd and declared, "I have a dream!" He proceeded to share his dream, his vision, of the kind of country America could be. His dream, his vision, gave people hope. It gave people direction. It gave people inspiration and purpose for living.
You see, life can either be a random journey without real direction, or a purposeful adventure, reaching for a lofty goal. It is vision that makes the difference. If you were to stop ten people on the street and ask them to tell you their goals in life, what you would probably get in return would be blank stares from most of them. Few people know where they are going. Few people know even where they want to go. Few people understand where they should be going and why. Few people have real vision.
How about you? Do you have a vision? Most people who accomplish significant achievements are visionaries. Alexander the Great had a vision to conquer the world. Thomas Edison had a vision for the light bulb and many other inventions. Walt Disney had a vision for a massive entertainment park. Martin Luther King had a vision for a land where all people could be free. John F. Kennedy had a vision for a space program. Paul Cho had a vision for a church of over a half-million people. All these visions have been realized. Visionaries succeed because they see a vision which drives them forward. Without such a vision, they would never reach the heights of accomplishment they attain. Do you have a vision? Is it God’s vision? What about our church? Do we have a vision?
As I look at most churches, I am always amazed at how few of them know where they are going. If you would ask the average member, "Where is your church going?" most would reply, "Going? Why, we’ve been at this location for fifty years. We’re not going anywhere." Well, some are going nowhere because they don’t think they should go anywhere. Some mistakenly think they have arrived. But many are going nowhere because they don’t know where they should go. They have no vision.
What is this vision we need? Our text says that without this vision, the people perish. What does it mean by "vision?" Well, the word used for vision here refers to a revelation from God. It’s talking about God’s vision, God’s direction, and God’s guidance in our lives. But I do not believe that it’s talking about some general type of knowledge that God is somehow leading all of us. I believe that it is talking about specific leadership, given to us by God for our lives. In other words, it is God’s word to us, a living word for today. This vision is a picture of a desired future. It is a picture that can be seen by faith of what is not yet, but of what can be. But more than that — what God wants to be.
Our text says that without that, we perish. What does that mean? The King James Version uses the word "perish." In some translations, such as the New American Standard, that word is rendered "unrestrained." Other translations have it as "undisciplined," "lawless," and "made barren." As this word is used in Proverbs, it has the connotation of letting something slip through your fingers by ignoring an opportunity. In other words, without a clear vision to direct us, we fail in the most miserable of ways — by missing what God has for us. We are reduced to lost opportunity, undisciplined lives going nowhere important.
Where there is no vision, the people perish. The kind of vision we need is a vision which will give us a purpose for our lives. It is the kind of direction which will enable us to find our self worth in helping to build the Kingdom. It is the kind of word which gives stability and guidance, joy and excitement. It is the kind of divine motivation which turns lukewarm, lazy, sleeping saints into red-hot, living workers in the grand cause of turning the world around.
We need that kind of vision, both as individuals and as a church. We need to understand that there is a supreme, over-riding cause to which we must give ourselves. It is the cause of Jesus Christ in reaching the world. It is the cause of seeking and saving the lost. It is the cause of reaching people with the Good News of Christ in such a way that they are changed forever by it. It is the cause of seeing people won to Christ and brought into the fellowship of the local church, where they can grow in grace. It is the cause of seeing people discipled and conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. It is the cause of bringing glory to God and fitting into His eternal purpose. We must settle for nothing less.
This is the kind of vision which can keep the fire in our bones, which can make our churches dynamic and alive. It is the very breath of God which can keep it from being said of us, as Vance Havner said of so many churches, that "Too many services start at eleven o’clock sharp and end at twelve o’clock dull." We need a vision. Seeing a vision guides us.
In the New Testament, two words in Greek are used for "word." When we talk about the word of God, we can either be talking about the logos of God, or the rhema of God. Those two terms in Greek are both translated "word." Logos refers to the revealed word of God. Simply put, we understand logos to be the word of God as revealed in the completed canon of Scripture called the Bible. It is the inerrant, infallible, unchanging revelation of God to us. Rhema, however, refers more to the spoken word of God, rather than the complete collection of the word of God we have embodied in our Bible. It is not a different word, but rather a personal word. It is the word for the moment. It is the word revealed to us by the Spirit as we read the Bible. In a very real sense, it is the stuff that true vision is made of. As we read the logos of God, the Holy Spirit speaks to us the rhema of God. It is that glorious quickening of the word of God to our minds and hearts. It is the leadership of the Spirit, speaking out of the unchangeable word, a living word to us, to give us leadership and guidance and direction.
It should be said that in order to receive that word, you must also be willing to do what God tells you to do. Have you ever been asked by someone to do them a favor? What did you reply? You might have said, "Well, maybe. Tell me what it is." Often this is how we deal with God. God says, "I want you to do something for Me." And we say, "Well, I don’t know. Tell me what it is." We want to know what’s involved before we buy in. But God doesn’t work that way. He will not reveal His truth to those who are not willing to do it. It says in John 7:17 that, "If any man is willing to do His will, then he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself." A willing heart is essential to revelation, to vision.
God has a work for you. Do you want to see it? Are you open to new opportunities He may show you? Are you willing to venture where you may never have gone before for Him? I pray you are, because the consequences for you personally and for this church are great. Your spiritual life and the spiritual life of this church depend on it. Without a vision, the people perish. Without a vision, the church perishes. Without a vision, the lost perish. Without a vision, you perish.
But we must not only be willing to act on it. We must do so. Remember our text, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." And remember what it means to perish. Our text could be translated, "Where there is no vision, the people let the opportunities slip through their fingers because they fail to see them. In order to experience the power of vision, we must see the vision and order our lives by it. The result of living a vision is changed life. Seeing the vision and acting on it can change your life, the life of this church, and the lives of others. Seeing a vision empowers us.
Seeing a vision not only guides us and empowers us, it also unites us. This is the power of shared vision. As we catch the vision God has for our church and share that vision by working together to see it happen, we are united in a way that produces the God-kind of dynamic life that characterized the church in the New Testament.
So, what is the vision for New Horizons? We have certainly expressed what we believe is our mission. That is the same for every New Testament church. It is found in the Great Commission of Jesus commanding us to preach the good news to everyone and make disciples of those who respond. We have expressed it in our church goal slogan, "More People — More Like Jesus."
And we have also defined the purposes we have as a church: outreach, fellowship, worship, discipleship, and service. We are here to communicate Christ’s message, incorporate Christ’s family, celebrate Christ’s presence, educate Christ’s followers, and demonstrate Christ’s love. These are our purposes. Again, they are the Biblical purposes all true churches should hold.
But vision is somewhat different. Our vision is a more specific, detailed statement of our direction and uniqueness. It is more strategic in nature. While our mission and purposes could be used by all churches, our vision should point up our unique direction. I should tell people where we are going. It is the future we believe God desires for us. People ought to be able to decide that they want to be a part of our church because of our vision. So, let me share with you some of my vision for New Horizons.
I see a church that is a dynamic and exciting church. It is a church where people are excited about their faith and about the ministry of their church. It is a church where people are positive and forward looking, where people are open to innovative ideas which could make their ministry more dynamic and their outreach more effective. It is a church alive with the creative power of the Spirit, where the rallying cry is "We can do all things through Christ!" not "We never did it that way before." It is a church where people expect to experience God’s presence when they get together, and expect to see God’s activity in their midst.
I see a church that is a sharing and caring church. It is a church where people genuinely care about one another and do something about it. It is a church where the spiritual welfare of people is a real priority. It is a church where people are committed to meet the needs of other people and where the members are actively involved in ministry. It is a church where people share their lives with one another and are committed to and involved in the life of the church not simply because of what they need, but because of what others may need. To that end, it is a church which has as a basic structure not only large group celebrations on Sunday but also small groups where people can be cared for and also challenged to grow in their Christian walk. It is a church that provides the accountability and care that is missing in many churches today.
I see a church which is a grace-filled and spiritual church. It is not super-spiritual, but it is genuinely spiritual. It is not simply a social gathering where people meet their friends. It is a church where people seek to be filled with the Spirit and be led by the Spirit. It is a church where people are in love with Jesus and show that love by worshipping God with their whole heart and by serving Him in like manner. It is a church where Pharisees are not allowed and where the love of God is evident everywhere. It is a church where each member is encouraged to seek the gifts of the Spirit which God has for them, and where no gift is disparaged or demeaned, nor where any is artificially elevated or demanded, but where we zealously desire to see a genuine move of God in our midst. It is a church where prayer is not only encouraged but engaged in, and where the people experience the life of the Spirit in response to regular, diligent, and sometimes extraordinary prayer.
I see a church which is a teaching and discipling church. It is a church where the ministry of the Word of God is vital, where people read and study the Word, desiring to come into a deep knowledge of the Bible and live in obedience to its teachings. It is a church where preaching and teaching are given a high priority, where people are not looking for "sermonettes" for "Christianettes," but where the ministry of the Word equips people to live their lives from a Biblical perspective.
I see a church which is an evangelistic church. It is a church which gives more than lip service to the Great Commission. It is a church where people seek to develop relationships and friendships with unbelievers in order to lead them to Jesus. It is a church where people care about the destiny of those who do not know Christ and are willing to use any appropriate means available to share the Gospel with others. It is a church where people regularly come to know Christ and share testimonies of how God set them free. It is a church where tears of burden flow for those who do not respond and tears of joy flow for those who do. It is a church willing to be innovative and creative in sharing the Gospel as well as committed financially to doing so.
I could continue. But I shall stop here. I believe that God has great things in store for us as we unite together to be what He is calling us to be. I hope you share this vision and will make a new commitment to see it happen here!
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