Where there is no Vision, People Perish
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Where there is no Vision, People Perish
Text: Proverbs 29:18 (KJV 1900)
18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Introduction:
* The word "vision" used here in our text verse this morning, has to do with the Word of God. Where there is no Word of God, where there is no message of life, and as a result, the people perish. This is the primary interpretation our this passage this morning.
* This passage is speaking of the “vision” or “the message” of the prophets.
* This is a great truth this morning. Where there is no Bible, the Word of God, people perish!
* Blue Springs Baptist Church is here this morning for the sole purpose of declaring the Bible, the Word of God, to a people who are perishing.
* Those perishing people may be found within 5 miles of this building, in the city of Niota, in Sweetwater, in Athens, or even on the mission field where the name of Jesus has never been heard.
* The word “vision” is also associated with what we see with the mind’s eye this morning.
* God has created the human mind to thing in pictures, or “visions.”
* For this reason, God has filled the Bible with stories, and proverbs, and parables to create in our minds eye, pictures of God’s truth.
* There are some truths from God’s Word that God wants to paint of the canvas of our minds this morning.
* I have chosen, what I believe to be, the four most important “visions “ that God would have us to keep before our mind’s eye this morning:
I. We need a vision of people going to Hell.
II. We need a vision of the judgment seat of Christ.
III. We need a vision of what can do through us.
IV. We need a vision of our final rewards.
I. We need a vision of people going to Hell.
* Jesus desired that His Disciples had a vision of Hell.
* Look with me at
John 4:34–38 (KJV 1900)
34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest?
1). behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields;
2). for they are white already to harvest.
3). 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal:
that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.
* What is this harvest that Jesus was speaking of?
Matthew 13:24–30 (KJV 1900)
24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? 28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him,
Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? 29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Matthew 13:36–43 (KJV 1900)
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. 37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil;
the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
* Listen to the words of Jonathan Edwards from the sermon “sinners in the Hands of a angry God” concerning the those who are about to enter hell:
There are black clouds of God's wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder; and were it not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you.
The wrath of God burns against them, their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow. The glittering sword is whet, and held over them, and the pit hath opened its mouth under them.
That world of misery, that lake of burning brimstone, is extended abroad under you. There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell's wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor any thing to take hold of; there is nothing between you and hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up.
* The Bible speaks of people as if they are walking a slippery slope with the hell beneath them in Deuteronomy chapter 32:
Deuteronomy 32:35 (AV)
35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.
* Jonathan Edwards described the false security that men have concerning Hell as a men walking over the pit of Hell on tarp full of rotten holes that we cannot see.
* These rotten places cannot be seen, and if we should step on one, it would not be able to bear the weight of our sin.
* We would fall head first into the fiery furnace of Hell, falling into the hands of very Devils that Hell was prepared for!
Jonathan Edwards- “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”
Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a fallen rock.
* God holds you over the pit of Hell like someone holding a ugly spider, hanging on a slender spider web over a fire.
* If you have turned away the grace of God, God abhors you. God is dreadfully provoked by your sin and your pride.
* His wrath toward you burns like a fire!
* You are fore despised in his sight than the most dreadful poisonous snake would be to you!
* By turning away the Grace of God you have offended God more that a rebellious, unthankful, hateful child would offend a loving parent!
* There a thousand ways that God could use to send to your eternal punishment this very day!
* But there is nothing but the mere whim of the God that you have so offended to keep you from falling into the eternal fires of Hell right this very moment!
* You did not drop off into Hell as you slept last night because God’s hand held you up!
*You hang by a slender thread, over the very pit of a fiery Hell, while you hear the screams of dammed souls. Those who have refused the Grace of a loving God!
* The flames of Hell are flashing all around that thread, threatening to singe the thread at any moment!
* The Bible gives us the picture that the unsaved man is the property of the Devil.
John 8:43–44 (AV)
43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.
* My friend, the devils watch you! They are always by your side waiting, like greedy, hungry lions, waiting to devour there pray! The devils are waiting for the moment God releases your soul to them! They are waiting to drag your soul to Hell!
* If God would restrain his hand, the demons of Hell would fly upon you and drag you screaming to hell this very instant!
* That old Serpent the Devil is gnawing on you waiting to devour you!
* Hell is opening its mouth wide to swallow you!
* The only thing keeping you from the pit of Hell right now is the mere whim of God!
Illustration: My grandfather wall called to the bedside of a dying man.
* Jesus wanted you and I to have a vision before our mind of a burning hell when he told the story of the rich man who woke up in hell being in torments and begged for one drop of water to be placed on his tongue.
* The rich man had the vision of hell that Jesus wanted all of his disciples to have- he called out for someone to warn his five brothers about hell!
* The rich man had a real vision of hell but it was too late!
* Don’t wait until it’s too late for our children and loved ones to have a vision of hell this morning!
II. We need a vision of the judgment seat of Christ.
* We will all face Jesus and give an account of what we have done with our life.
* We need to have a vision before our mind’s eye of standing before Jesus and giving an account of every part of our lives and what we have done with the Word of God.
* This will be a very detailed and accurate judgment. Noting will be looked over.
Matthew 12:36 (KJV 1900)
36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
2 Corinthians 5:10–11 (KJV 1900)
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ;
that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
* In speaking of this judgment, the apostle Paul uses the term “terror of the Lord” concerning those who are not able to give their Lord a good report of their lives.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men
* Even our very motives as we live the Christian life will be judged by God.
1 Corinthians 3:10–15 (KJV 1900)
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. 14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
* If we saved folks lived our lives with the vision of the judgment seat of Christ continually before our eyes, I’m telling you there would be a lot of things different in our lives!
*There would be some things change for sure!
* We would not be out on the lake, or laying in bed, on Sunday morning!- instead we would be sitting in right there on the front row God’s house!
* We would life a little differently in front of our children if we realized that God will one day hold us accountable for their souls at the judgment seat of Christ!
* There would be some places that we would not go anymore!
* There would be some things that we would not say anymore!
* If we kept the vision of the Judgment seat of Christ before our eyes, there would be no more gossip and talking about people behind their back!
* If we kept the vision of the Judgment seat of Christ before our eyes, the preacher would not be wishing he had some men in the church that would go with him to people’s homes and bring them into the kingdom of Heaven!
III. We need a vision of what can do through us.
* God has a vision for you.
* As an 11 year old boy, as I listened to one of the greatest preachers this country has ever known, the Lord revealed to me that He had a vision for my life.
* That Sunday night as Dr. Tom Malone preach on “God needs someone to stand in the Gap” my heart burned within me and like the prophet I said “Here am I lord sent me!”
* That night I saw in my mind’s eye hundreds of people that I could potentially bring into the kingdom of God. God had allowed an 11 year old boy to see His vision, God’s vision, for his life.
* I have spent my life following that vision, and I stand before you today fulfilling the vision of what God can do through me!
* I am here to tell you this morning that God has a vision for you too!
* Turn with me to the Book of Judges and chapter 6. Look at verses 11 and 12:
* God found a man called Gideon hiding from the enemy trying to prepare some food one day:
Judges 6:11–12 (KJV 1900)
11 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abi-ezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.
12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.
* Now friend there is a great truth here.
* If it had been me, I would have said Gideon, what are you doing hiding from the enemy like a coward?
* My friend instead, God called him a mighty man of valor!
* Why did God pay this man such a great compliment that was hiding in fear from the enemy?
* Listen up now, don’t miss the great truth- God did not see what Gideon was, but had a vision of WHAT Gideon COULD BE!
* God has a vision in His mind of what you can be for Him, and God wants you to see that vision in your mind’s eye as well!
* God had a vision for Gideon and God wanted to reveal this vision to Gideon.
* My friend I am so thankful that God didn’t give up on me when He saw what I was! God called me to preach because He saw in me what I could be!
* I am here to tell you tonight that God sees you not as you are, but what you can be!
* God had a great vision for Gideon! God was separating Gideon out to a great work for Himself.
* Like Gideon, god wants to reveal his vision for your life to you! Do you know what it is God wants you to do with your life?
* It would be good you to follow the advice of Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, this morning:
Ecclesiastes 9:10 (KJV 1900)
10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.
* Seek the lord and find out what it is that He wants you to do with your life and do it with all your might!
* Now I want you to understand that even though God had a great vision for the man Gideon, it was necessary for god to bring Gideon down a notch or two in order to accomplish his great mission for God.
* I was talking with my brother last night about this very subject. I don’t know why, but I have seen it is true, everyone the Lord uses in a great way, it seems that God wants you to be willing to let God hurt you in some way.
* The Lord wants you to trust Him that much!
* If you desire to follow God’s vision for your life this morning, He will bring you to the place that you will say like Job, “Though He slay me, yet will I serve Him!”
* Look with me in Judges Chapter 7 at what God does with Gideon after He reveals to Him that He will use Him to lead a might army to deliver His people from the Philistines:
* Gideon was expecting to lead a great army of thousands of fighting soldiers. Gideon thought He knew how the Lord would use him, but God had other plans.
* God had to bring Gideon and Israel down a notch or two before He could use them!
* Sometimes the way to knowing the vision that God has for your life is more like being dragged through and knot-hole backwards!
Judges 7 (KJV 1900)
7 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying,
Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand. 4 And the Lord said unto Gideon,
The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. 5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. 7 And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.
* You’ve got to Love God! He has such a wonderful sense of Humor!
* Oh how God loves a challenge! God whittled Gideon’s great army down to only 300 men! Men not armed with swords and bows and shields, but holding wimpy little pitchers with lights in them!
* Then God has 300 men blow on a trumpet with one hand and break a pitcher revealing a light with the other!
* Now I don’t know about you, but if I woke up out of a dead sleep to 300 men playing 300 different notes on a trumpet in the middle of the night I would have been a little confused too!
* That great army of Midianites jumped up in the middle of the night, blinded by the lights when those pitchers broke, and grabbed their swords. They were so startled that all killed each other!
* I’m convinced that God has a wonderful since of humor tonight!
* I believe God looked over that the angles right before Gideon gave the order to blow the trumpet and said “Watch this, this is going to be good!”
* Reminds me of the time I sneaked up on a cat in a dumpster in the dark!
* Like the man Gideon, God has a vision for your life this morning!
IV. We need a vision of our final rewards.
Hebrews 12:1–2 (KJV 1900)
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Matthew 25:21 (KJV 1900)
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV 1900)
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
Conclusion:
* What vision do you have before your eyes this morning?
* Is it a vision of a fine home, a fancy car, a place of position and prestige in this world?
* Or is it the vision given to us by the Bible, God’s Word?
I. A vision of people going to Hell.
II. A vision of the judgment seat of Christ.
III. A vision of what can do through us.
IV. A vision of our final rewards.