The Need for Vision
Personal Evangelism • Sermon • Submitted
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We all understand the need for good eyesight. Many people have prescription glasses and contacts to correct their vision. Others buy over-the-counter reading glasses for occasional use. Seeing better can be a matter of convenience for those who have minor eye problems, but for most people it is essential. (Some vocations require excellent eyesight, driver’s license renewal checks your eyesight, etc.) Not only can one’s eyes deteriorate, limiting what can be seen, but things like smoke, fog, snow and darkness can lower visibility for us. Perhaps you have used night vision goggles, which allow you to see better in the dark. The darkness obscures what is there, and the goggles maximize the effect of the light that is still present.
In addition to physical eyesight, there is a figurative form of it as well. We use the saying, “Hindsight is 20/20,” to communicate this. Often we try to use good judgment when making choices, and then after the fact we are able to see where our “sight” was lacking.
The word “vision” is often used to describe this kind of seeing. Someone may be described as “a visionary,” indicating they see opportunities—or potential—where others do not. This is a desirable quality.
The Bible speaks of this kind of vision as well. Today, we’re going to explore vision as it relates to things as they exist today, and to the potential of things in the future. We’ll make application to all of us here, and I pray that God will use it in our hearts.
I. Proverbs 29:18
I. Proverbs 29:18
You may have noticed that most of the proverbs that have the word “but” in the center of them are contrasting two opposite things. We may describe this as an inverse relationship. To the extent that option A is true, option B is true in the opposite direction. (Illustrations of this: 1—a simple scale; 2—dividing 100% into two amounts.) This verse in Proverbs is showing us an inverse relationship. Because the terminology and effects are different, the verse greatly expands the information it contains about these things!
A. No vision = death - Prov. 29:18a
This “vision” doesn’t mean physical eyesight. Plenty of people survive and even thrive despite physical blindness. This is a figurative, spiritual blindness.
Vision: word of revelation
Over and over again, “vision” in the OT is referring to God revealing truth to mankind.
And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
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.
People: citizenry; kin; relatives. This is the “common folk” like you and me!
This is a simple, sobering proverb. Where there is no revelation of divine truth, the people die. But it’s not an instantaneous, immediate death. This word “perish” communicates the idea of going astray, to dwindle away, be cut off, and to be destroyed.
B. Keeping the law = happiness - Prov. 29:18b
Notice the inverse relationships here!
No vision vs. keeping the law
“Perish” (is unhappy) vs. “happy” (includes life!)
“People” (general populace) vs. “he” (individual choices)
Which would you rather experience? The unhappy progression of destruction, or a happy, blessed life? I think the answer is obvious. Then how may we have the latter? It’s a matter of vision. It requires keeping (guarding, watching over via obeying) the law.
II. The Lost Sinner’s Response to the Law
II. The Lost Sinner’s Response to the Law
How can we equate spiritual vision with God’s law? Because God’s law is divine truth, showing us God’s righteousness, and what He expects from us. God’s law has supernatural power!
Psalm 19:7-11 “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: And in keeping of them there is great reward.”
What is the law? A very simple form of it is the Ten Commandments.
1 - Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2 - Thou shalt not make any graven images.
3 - Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain.
4 - Remember the sabbath day (not reiterated by Christ, but we may observe the spirit of this command by dedicating Sunday as the Lord’s day, not a day to of service for ourselves.
5 - Honor your parents.
6 - Thou shalt not kill.
7 - Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8 - Thou shalt not steal.
9 - Thou shalt not bear false witness (to lie).
10 - Thou shalt not covet.
Do you have this view—vision—of God? He cannot violate His own law, so it is both the measure of His righteousness, and also the revelation of His expectations for us. You likely know about these ten commandments, but do you keep them? If you’ve tried for any length of time, then you have realized that you CANNOT obey them very well!
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
How does our failed obedience bring happiness then?
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Acts 13:38–39 (KJV 1900)
Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man [Christ] is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
How is your spiritual vision, friend? Proverbs 29:18 says that where there is no vision, the people perish. Do you have a reverence for God and respect for the law that He has given, or do you deny it and seek to purge it from your life? Beware this response to God’s law.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
This is a graphic description of what it means to perish!
So how does one respond properly to God’s law? By loving it, by obeying it, by seeking the God who gave it. By guarding it in one’s heart, so that we do not begin to live without it. If this is your attitude toward God’s law, then you cannot help but regard the person of Jesus Christ, and listen when He speaks.
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Christ is the fulfillment of God’s law, and He is the only way for us to escape the condemnation of the law!
Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, I implore you to come to Him today. He is your only hope for escaping God’s eternal judgment, and for entering into a personal relationship with Him!
III. The Saint’s Response to Prov. 29:18
III. The Saint’s Response to Prov. 29:18
I mentioned earlier that sight or vision can pertain to seeing what is present before you—like using night vision goggles—or it can pertain to seeing potential/opportunities in the future. Spiritually, we sinners need help seeing what is presently true (that we are sinners, that the law is God’s standard, and that Christ is our only hope), and we also need help seeing potential in the future. Without proper sight—“vision”—people will perish. God has the divine truth that we need in order to see!
So what is this vision that the saints need in order to recognize potential opportunities? I’m talking about seeing the lost. In recent days I’ve had several people ask me about getting help with how to reach people, specifically how to contact the lost and conduct Bible studies with them. Over the next few weeks, we’re going to deal more with this topic, but if we’re going to reach people, we need to see them first. We need God’s vision.
We find His vision stated in John 4:35, which says, “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”
There is a lot of seeing in this chapter! Christ saw a needy lost woman in verse 7. The woman eventually saw her wickedness and Christ’s holiness in verse 29. Many Samaritans also saw these things in verse 41. Yet the apostles, the hand-picked men that Christ trained and later sent out (minus Judas), failed to see properly. It was this failure that Christ was addressing in verse 35. I want us to see several principles in His words that will help us have a vision for preaching to the lost.
A. Physical vision does not help
“Say not ye?...” We may see a wicked world, hostile to Christ. We may see no hope for souls to accept Him. Our vision distracts us! Christ sees the truth.
B. We must listen to what God says
“I say unto you...” Instead of trusting in our own wisdom, let us listen to the words of the Saviour! (Prov. 3:5)
C. We don’t see because we are not looking
“Lift up your eyes...” The problem isn’t that the eyes cannot see; God can open them! The problem isn’t that the fields don’t exist. The problem is that we aren’t looking at the fields. We look at ourselves, our pursuits, our possessions, our leisure, our friends. We should be looking at the fields.
D. We may see, if we will see
“Look on the fields...” It is a choice! This spiritual vision comes from God, but if we will have a heart to lift our eyes and look, He will show us the fields!
E. The harvest is NOW
“They are white already...” There are people that are ready to be saved now! Christ found one. He wants us to find them. And the Holy Spirit is ready to guide us. Will we look, will we see, and will we go? It begins with a vision. and without one, the people will perish.
IV. An Example
IV. An Example
This may seem hard to you to consider doing. Perhaps you are very uncomfortable speaking to people about Christ. Perhaps you don’t feel qualified to do it. Perhaps you have become accustomed to serving in “non-evangelistic” ways, such as cleaning floors or serving meals. Perhaps you have been persecuted in some way in the past, or you feel you don’t know anyone who is interested in the Gospel. I want to encourage you with John 4:28-29.
The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
This woman with 5 past husbands, living with her boyfriend, frequenting the city well at noon in the heat of the day to probably avoid the women of the town, boldly returned to Samaria, proclaiming for all that would listen that she met a man who had changed her life. She invited them to come see Him themselves! What kind of excuses could she have used? (“They won’t listen to me after my sin.” “They’ll think I’m crazy.” “They’ll laugh at me.” “They won’t be interested in ‘religion.’”) Instead, she put her life on hold—she left her waterpot—and invited anyone who would listen, “Come and see!”
Many people were saved, not because she was an expert witness, but because she first had a vision for them, and then simply told them what had happened to her. And Christ did the rest. He always does.
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be studying the four-part Bible study, “Salvation Bible Basics,” that we have been using to introduce folks to the matters of sin and salvation. We’ll be discussing some ideas along the way about how to interact with people, how to help them and pray for them, and more. We’ll also be focusing on how to proceed through the studies themselves.
These next few weeks will be spent to hopefully get you comfortable with the material, and excited about using it to reach the lost. But it must start with a vision. Will you lift up your eyes and look on the fields? They are ready to harvest. Christ is not finished. The Gospel is not powerless. Will you ask for God’s vision to see those who are seeking truth?
As we saw earlier, if you’re lost today, you also must have a vision. You must have a vision of your sin, God’s law, and your impending judgment. Don’t reject the truth of God’s Word; believe it and seek Christ and His salvation!
All of us here need a vision, because sinners are dying without Christ every day. Paul says it well in Ephesians 4, which says,
This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
What’s the solution? The only hope for sinners is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ preached, “Repent, and believe the gospel.” Lost sinner, will you give yourself and your sin to Christ, trusting Him alone for salvation? Child of God, will you “preach the gospel to every creature”? Without God’s divine truth and His vision for reaching souls, many will die in their sins.
Where there is no vision, the people perish:
But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.