Where? There!
18 Where there is no vision, the people perishf: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.[1]
I. Place
A. Confusion
B. Conclusion
II. Protection
A. Containment
B. Contentment
Introduction: Today may begin a new chapter in the life of Merry Oaks Baptist Church. We began our relationship many months ago and some of the things that we have already been through together have had eternal consequences.
You might say that your direction as a church has been changed in some ways that will altar the church’s course for some in ways that even they didn’t see before. For some, your personal vision of who you are, what your church is, and who Christ is has changed. What you see for and in yourself is different than the picture that you looked at before in the looking glass.
Some folks here have literally experienced partial blindness. Some here have been with others who had their vision once but somehow were losing their sense of sight. It is a scary thing to not be able to look down and see where your next step is taking you. To have someone else to be able to see what you are about to do and you yourself can’t know must be horrible.
Rachael remembered the day that the obnoxious eye doctor told me not to let her drive anymore until she got her eyes fixed. Rachael was standing right there and that lady was talking about her as if she wasn’t. Rachael has new eye doctors now.
Truth is still truth even though it often hurts and the one you heard it from becomes one you now count as one of the bad guys. That lady told the truth but it hurt Rachael’s feelings. She didn’t drive anymore until she got her eyes fixed. Thank God she got her eyes fixed.
Not having vision is a clear vision of losing your way. Others who you might not respect could become those who lead you where you don’t want to go. It is so much better if you find that one that God sent to lead you in the direction that God wants for you. That is church by the way. Members leading leaders to where God would have them to lead.
Where? There!
That is the title of today’s message. Where? There!
Scripture: The scripture is Proverbs 29:18. When you have found it please rise to your feet for the reading of God’s written word.
Prayer: Please be seated
Message: Since this as all days is a special and unique day, the outline does not have three main points. It only has two main points but four sub-points.
The first point is place. Probably King Solomon wrote this particular proverb. How could a man with 300 wives and 700 concubines be the smartest man that ever lived? Yet that is what is said of Solomon. Much of his wisdom came from experience. In other words, he learned by messing up.
In the first two words of this proverb Solomon asked and answered the question where, there. Where is no vision? There is no vision! Even when you have no vision you are still looking for it. When a person can’t see they go everywhere trying to find their vision.
There is a place near Moore County Hospital Called Carolina Eye Center. They do everything there for vision even such as having eyelids raised so that people’s eyes are not obstructed. Tommy and others here have had such operations to open their eyes. People come from all over to get their vision and it’s like that at most big vision centers. Folks want their vision improved and the ones there know more about the patients than the patients know about themselves so they go there to see.
It is a confusing thing not to be able to see well. Years ago I wore glasses to see things up close. Reading was a pain because I couldn’t make out what I was reading. The words would be confused. The dangerous thing was looking at aviation charts at night in the cockpit. That is one place you do not want to confuse directions. It is bad enough to not clearly see notes in the pulpit here but it might be deadly not to see charts up there in the cockpit.
And the awful thing about not being able to see is that others notice your problem before you do. You can’t hide it! They see it! The word there in the verse in KJV says people perish. The Hebrew there is more closely translated; to make naked.
I think of it as the viewing during a funeral or the wake as some call it. There you are, or there your dead body is, lying there for all to see and there is nothing you can do about it. Thankfully the funeral directors put clothes on the body now but in the past that has not always been true. They cast lots for Jesus’ garments, remember? Naked and unable to stop anyone from seeing you for whom you were.
So that’s the conclusion to a life of confusion? Where there is no vision the people perish? Yes! If you don’t know where you are going, one day when you get there everybody else will say of you, I knew that’s where he/she was headed. Too bad they couldn’t see it for themselves. So now, where are we headed Merry Oaks Baptist Church? Where!
Notice here that the author shifts from plural people to singular he. “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he!” A relationship with Jesus is a personal thing. Your momma can’t have you sprinkled so that you are saved. Making a decision to follow your friends or family is not going to save you. Your direction must be Jesus’ direction or you have no direction.
He that keeps the law? Keeps, protects, contains; holds onto and never lets go. It was His law but now it is part of me and contains my direction for my life. His law makes me who I am now.
“Happy is he!” The Bible often mentions the joy of being a Christian but that word happy is not the same as joy. We receive joy but we decide to be happy; contentment actually. Do you mean to tell me that Peter was happy, content when he was thrown into prison? How could anybody be happy in chains?
Let’s hear from the apostle Paul from his letter to the church in Philippi, Philippians chapter four verse “10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 12 † I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.[2]”
We love to repeat that Philippians 4:13 don’t we? When we remember the vision that Paul stayed true to, to get that kind of contentment, some of us shrink away. You see it is impossible to follow God’s will for your life if you don’t have God in your life. Are you happy? Are you content? What is your vision? What’s your heading pilot?
Prayer: Let us pray.
Invitation: We face an opportunity this morning and it is not about who is going to pastor this church. It is about who you are going to be led by. If we as a church decide to let His law lead us, we will have the vision that God has for us and our direction will be the one that all will recognize.
The neigh-sayers will still be because Satan is still allowed to attack so that God will be seen in how this church prevails even through the onslaught of attack by them that would laugh at our downfall.
It is a personal question though. Who and what is in your vision? Where are you going? What is your purpose? How will we serve Him? It’s all here. It’s all there.
Respond as we sing…
f perish: or, is made naked
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (1995). (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version., Pr 29:18). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
† A Greek word occurs that is not directly translated in the King James Version.
Greek Strongs: 1161
- [2] The Holy Bible: King James Version. (1995). (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version., Php 4:10–13). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
