Heavenly Vision
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Text:Acts 26:19
Intro: I would like to preach today on “vision”. Throughout our lives whenever we hear or think about the word vision Prov. 29:18 often comes to mind.
Where there is no vision, the people perish:
But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Maybe we have heard preaching on this before, or have heard pastors talk about their vision for the church and it’s ministries, maybe you have been part of vision Sundays. In my life, I have often heard Proverbs 29:18 associated with this understanding, that when the pastor doesn’t have a vision for the church, or the church doesn’t know the pastor’s vision, then the people will perish....
I love the word the God! I love that God reproves us, corrects us, instructs us and that we are taught by it and through it! This has been one of those studies for me. If I passed out a survey this morning on what you thought vision was, I’m sure we would all define as what we see, or in looking ahead, what is coming and in talking about it today, we may compare our vision, some may have 20/20, while others do not. However, I want us to just dive into the word of God today. Take a Biblical look at the word vision, and then apply it to our lives. Now, for me this meant dismantling some things, before I could allow God to rebuild!
As far as dictionaries go, the word of God has become my go to dictionary to define words that I don’t understand or words that I thought I understood. I also appreciate other resources but always keep in mind that they are resources and not the word of God. The Webster’s 1828 is my second dictionary that I turn too, and honestly I don’t know that I ever use anything but the Bible and the 1828. The 1828 definition of “vision” as “The act of seeing external objects; actual sight. But here is what I love about the 1828, is that it also gives a Scriptural definition. It says, “In Scripture, a revelation from God;”
Visions were sometimes seen: Meaning simply that visions were not always in seeing, but at times they were seen.
On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
He hath said, which heard the words of God,
Which saw the vision of the Almighty,
Falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
2. Visions were always heard: Meaning the manifestation revelation was given and confirmed in word.
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
The heavenly vision in which Paul speaks of is a voice...
And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
Then thou spakest in vision to thy holy one,
And saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
Turn to Genesis 15:1-6 Did Abraham believe in what he saw? No, in what God had said...
Luke 24:23 (above)The significance of the vision was not in what was seen, but what was said!
John in Revelation 1:12 He turned to see the voice… Adam and Eve heard the voice of God walking in the garden.
Why is it important that we grasp this? Because there are issues if it is only in sight… Our experiences will always fail us, but God’s word will never fail.
Acts 10 Peter receives a vision and Jesus commands him to rise and eat and in this commandment included things that Peter by law was not allowed to eat. Jesus tells him, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common” What happens is Peter has doubts about the meaning of what he had seen, so God sends the Holy Spirit and He brings to remembrance those things that Jesus said. The Spirit of God didn’t bring another vision or confirmation in sight but in word. The Bible says; “He said unto him”, and ends the conversation by sending Peter away doubting nothing.
And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
Did John see that? Did John still doubt what he saw? The confirmation of what God had said, should have been in what John had seen.
And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
3. Visions are revelation from God concerning Himself and man, which result in man seeing what God sees.
And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.
At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
So he came near where I stood: and when he came, I was afraid, and fell upon my face: but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man: for at the time of the end shall be the vision.
4. Visions from God resulted in action by the hearer/seer-er that believed:
And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
And I Daniel fainted, and was sick certain days; afterward I rose up, and did the king’s business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.
And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him to prosper.
Paul’s heavenly vision was not in what he saw, but what he heard… Acts 26:15-18
How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Paul’s obedience to his heavenly vision is simple. He was obedient to the word of God.
I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower,
And will watch to see what he will say unto me,
And what I shall answer when I am reproved.
And the Lord answered me, and said,
Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables,
That he may run that readeth it.
The believer, should adjust his movement, when he sees the vision, which for us is the word of the Lord.
I will run the way of thy commandments,
When thou shalt enlarge my heart.
I thought on my ways,
And turned my feet unto thy testimonies.
Can a vision be wrong?
Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The Lord saith it; albeit I have not spoken?
Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
If you asked me if the Lord speaks to us today through vision, my answer would be yes. God speaks to us through His word and in those moments that I see as God sees, meaning I see myself as me, and I see God in majesty, I fall on my face in shame, and I adjust my walk to honor and glorify Him. I have in that sense seen a vision from the Lord. It is not however outside of word.
Where there is no vision, the people perish:
But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
The vision is not my vision, or what I think the direction should be. The people perish because there is no vision of God’s word. When there is no reading, no desire, no study, no meditation, then there is no vision. When there is no vision, there is no work, and faith without works is dead.
“But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
Oh that we would have vision for the things of God!
Read: 1 Samuel 3:1-21
A surrendered and listening person is always willing to hear and learn from God’s word. Like Habakkuk who watched from his tower for what the Lord would say unto him.
Samuel is roughly 12 years old. The Israelites are on the brink of battle, the priest of Israel have defiled Shiloh which resulted:
And she named the child I-chabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel: because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father in law and her husband.
but the word of the Lord!
And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the Lord, and brought it into the house of Abinadab in the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the Lord.
And it came to pass, while the ark abode in Kirjath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the Lord only. And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the Lord. And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh.
And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel. And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Beth-car.
Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us.
Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive A. Be Faithful in the Small Things
The rule that governs my life is this: Anything that dims my vision of Christ, or takes away my taste for Bible study, or cramps my prayer life, or makes Christian work difficult is wrong for me, and I must, as a Christian, turn away from it.”