Sermon Tone Analysis

Keep the Vision

May we be a people who keep the vision of what God has given us, what God expects from us, and the results from doing having and using what He has given us.

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Vision: The ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom

Discernment: In absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual guidance and understanding.

Different then the gift of discerning spirits.

(1Cor12:10)

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When you think of vision, what do you think about?

What comes to mind?

Maybe I should give us a couple of words and define them so they can help us as we journey at “vision for successful living” tonight.

vision (noun) 1.the faculty or state of being able to see.

Synonyms: eyesight, sight, power of sight, faculty of sight, ability to see, power of seeing, powers of observation, observation, perception, visual perception; 2.the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.

Discernment (noun)1.the

ability to judge well.

2.(in Christian contexts) perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual guidance and understanding.

1.the faculty or state of being able to see."she had defective vision"synonyms:eyesight, sight, power of sight, faculty of sight, ability to see, power of seeing, powers of observation, observation, perception, visual perception; More2.the

ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.

So there you go, a couple of definitions that may help us tonight as we look at what scripture says about vision and we will interweave some discernment too (1Cor2:14-15; 2Pt1:20)

I want us to think about spiritual things, and, if we are honest, we can only understand spiritual things with spiritual eyes and having spiritual discernment .

God has given us His Word so we can spiritually understand Him.

There is no special revelation that is needed to help us to understand God and what God means in His word.

I believe we have discussed before that there are times when people take things out of context so that it is fit a persons desire, vs. God’s intention.

I know personally, I was one who did it, and it was because of lack of knowledge and spiritual discernment.

I think that is why I try to be so careful to let the scripture speak for itself I know I have taken biblical truths in partial and in turn make a misinterpretation of Gods Word, it would have been with good intentions, but still wrong results.

J. Vernon McGee said this

“Spiritual discernment is one of the gifts that God has given to the church, that is, an understanding of God’s Word.”

Do you agree with that statement?

(stop, let them ponder on this a minute) - God has in interpretation or us, God gives us understanding through spiritual discernment.

I think we need to be very careful when it comes to discernment since there has been such a wide abuse.

So let’s go back to the Word.

Unrestrained!

This now brings us to our focus verse for tonight (Pro29:18) but there is much we can learn from this one verse.

When you think of the word unrestrained what do you think of?

Unrestrained (Adj) - not restrained or restricted (uncontrolled, rampant, unchecked, unbridled, uninhibited. . . )

Now look at our verse

Now, I want to give a few other versions that will add to our understanding

So what we have here is The needed thing vs. the unrestrained thing from Pro29:18

Vision vs. unrestrained (NASB)

Revelation vs. Cast off restraint (NIV)

Divine Guidance vs. Run wild (NLT)

Prophetic vision vs cast off restraint (ESV)

Pop quiz: What is the major focus, purpose for book of Proverbs?

IT IS FOR WISDOM

In the O.T. it was from vision, prophesy, divine guidance and prophetic vision that wisdom was given to the man of God for the people of God.

So we can get much from that for the N.T. church then and today (Jam1:17; Jam3:17; Jam1:5-6; Act20:27)

/dəˈsərnmənt/noun1.the

ability to judge well."an

astonishing lack of discernment"synonyms:judgment, taste, discrimination, refinement, cultivation, sophistication, enlightenment, sensitivity, subtlety; More2.(in

Christian contexts) perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual guidance and understanding.

/ˈviZHən/noun1.the

faculty or state of being able to see."she had defective vision"synonyms:eyesight, sight, power of sight, faculty of sight, ability to see, power of seeing, powers of observation, observation, perception, visual perception; More2.the

ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom.

/dəˈsərnmənt/noun1.the

ability to judge well."an

astonishing lack of discernment"synonyms:judgment, taste, discrimination, refinement, cultivation, sophistication, enlightenment, sensitivity, subtlety; More2.(in

Christian contexts) perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual guidance and understanding.

The Father has given us everything, every good thing, every perfect thing, and it is not open for variation, for there is no variation or shifting shadow meaning that God and His interpretation is not open for interpretation but is open to understanding (discerning what God means).

Look at what we get when we have the good and perfect things given.

Now look at what we have here, it is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits and it is unwavering and without hypocrisy, which means it is true and not an act.

If anyone lacks this kind of discernment, this kind of wisdom were are told what to do and how to do it

jam1:5

Now we do have to take into account that we have the full revelation of scripture that has been declared.

ACt20:27

Our passage tonight was written that when people wanted wisdom they wanted vision they would go see the seer (aka: Prophet) to inquire (1Sam9:9; 1Sam3:1; Jud17:6)

But as man, Israel, we turning more and more away from God it was infrequent that people would even inquire of God

So without vision, without the word from God to them the people perish

they cast off restraint; they become corruptible

One commentator in short said they are lost and go to hell

Now, again, this was written mainly for people of the time, to the people of Israel who were forsaking God, forsaking wisdom and doing what they wanted.

Jud17:6

Now, let’s make this applicable for us, personal.

If someone does not know the wisdom of God, does not have vision, discernment (knowledge) of God’s will, he casts off restraint and it leads them to the same thing, lost and going to hell.

People who cast off restraint and do what they want, what they want will not get them into the kingdom of heaven.

for there is only One way (Jn14:6; Act4:12)

and if that the only way, that eleminates any other way, right?

So what are we to do?

Store up wisdom (Pro2:7)

Share God’s wisdom by sharing the Word of God that can save all.

I know I listed Pro2:7 but that would not be fair to use just that verse.

and the reason i had to go on is this next ver

Know, share, pay close attention (1Tim4:16)

Paying close attention, discerning!

1im4:16

Wow, can you believe it we actually got through 1/2 of 1 verse , so we are part way there.

Happy is He

So we have already looked at where the Word is not proclaimed the people are unrestrained.

Things are a mess and people are lost and condemned to hell.

So, now we need to look at the one who have vision (discernment).

I need us to look at a couple of the versions again to see the difference.

Pro29:18

When there is vision, revelation, divine guidance, able to see what God is doing then people are:

Happy (NASB)

Blessed (NIV)

Joyful (NLT)

Joyfu

And in the Message, most blessed!

When we have vision, discernment, we are blessed, because we seek and obey God (Psm119:2)

We are blessed because we seek with all our heart!

We are commanded to (Mt22:37)

Our obedience will prove we are seeking and loving Him (Jn14:15)

Keep what?