About 350 years ago a shipload of travelers landed on the northeast coast of America. The first year they established a town site. The next year they elected a town government. The third year the town government planned to build a road five miles westward into the wilderness.
In the fourth year the people tried to impeach their town government because they thought it was a waste of public funds to build a road five miles westward into a wilderness. Who needed to go there anyway?
Here were people who had the vision to see three thousand miles across an ocean and overcome great hardships to get there. But in just a few years they were not able to see even five miles out of town. They had lost their pioneering vision. With a clear vision of what we can become in Christ, no ocean of difficulty is too great. Without it, we rarely move beyond our current boundaries.
Lynn Anderson.
For many years this proverb has been misinterpreted, probably because the KJV translates it “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Other translations say:
Proverbs 29:18 (NIV) New International Version
Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
but blessed is he who keeps the law.
Proverbs 29:18 (NASB) New American Standard Bible
Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained,
But happy is he who keeps the law.
Proverbs 29:18 (NRSV) New Revised Standard Bible
Where there is no prophecy, the people cast off restraint,
but happy are those who keep the law.
Proverbs 29:18 (Living)
Where there is ignorance of God, crime runs wild; but what a wonderful thing it is for a nation to know and keep his laws.
Proverbs 29:18 (Msg) The Message
If people can’t see what God is doing,
they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
they are most blessed.
Proverbs 29:18 (GW) God’s Word
Without prophetic vision people run wild,
but blessed are those who follow {God’s} teachings.
Proverbs 29:18 (YLT) Young’s Literal Translation
Without a Vision is a people made naked, And whoso is keeping the law, O his happiness!
Proverbs 29:18 (LBLA) La Biblia de las Americas
Donde no hay visión, el pueblo se desenfrena,
pero bienaventurado es el que guarda la ley.
One can infer from these translations that wise groups must have a five-, ten- or twenty-year plan for the future if they do not wish to become defunct as an organization. And many have taken just that meaning from this text.
With all of the plans we make for numeric, spiritual, physical, emotional, and financial plans. We cannot forget about God. As a matter of fact God should never at the end of plans for the church. In other words, we come with future plans for church and then that God will bless our plans for His church. No! We must seek God for the plans of His church.
I believe the reason many churches lack effectiveness and vision is because they have not sought out God’s plans for His church. I believe the reason why many people fight against the plans of God’s church is because they has members have not sought out God’s plans for His church or their lives. And I believe the reason why many people are living life without purpose is because they have not sought out God’s plan’s for His people.
And let me say that while I use the phrase “God’s plan” I’m really speaking of God’s will. A church with a God-sized vision is a church who will join God in fulfilling His plans for His church.
How do we join God’s plans for the future of our church and membership? This text offers for us Three (3) Important Principles to help regulate the future of our church as we develop a God-sized vision.
I. Vision Comes From God – v. 29a
As stated in my introduction, this passage of scripture has been misinterpreted because we take it at face value without searching the meaning of the text. In other words, for some us in past, present, and future times, we have viewed this text to think that in order to receive vision from God that we need to fall into a deep sleep, have the heavens open, and a still small voice come through the clouds to tell us what we need to hear.
However, to fully understand the meaning of the text we must look at it’s proper usage from it’s proper context and ask the question what does the text mean when it says; “Where there is no vision the people perish?
The word "vision" is appears in 34 times before First Samuel, and most of them are in the prophetic books. And the Hebrew language almost always signifies a means of divine revelation.
We see it first, as it refers to the means itself, to a prophetic "vision" by which divine messages are communicated: "The days are prolonged, and every vision fails" (Ezek. 12:22). (Ezekiel 12:21-25 (NKJV) And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, [22] "Son of man, what is this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ’The days are prolonged, and every vision fails’? [23] Tell them therefore, ’Thus says the Lord God: "I will lay this proverb to rest, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel." But say to them, "The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision. [24] For no more shall there be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. [25] For I am the Lord. I speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform it," says the Lord God.’ " )
Finally, hÖaôzoòn can represent the entirety of a prophetic or prophet’s message as it is written down: "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz …" (Isa. 1:1).
Thus the word inseparably related to the content of a divine communication focuses on the means by which that message is received: "And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; here was no open vision" (1 Sam. 3:1, the first occurrence of the word).
The “A” clause of this text means, vision for the church and people comes from God. Only God can provide direction for the church and we find this provision in His word.
Listen church, the one and sure way of making certain that we have lined up with a God-sized vision is to make sure that we have high view of God’s word. We wonder many of countries are suffering, fighting, struggling, ineffective, and closing one by one. I believe, it’s not that they are not called to the place where they should be but because they gotten out touch with the one who can provide clear direction for the church.
Hosea 4:6 (KJV)
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.
Amos 8:11-12 (KJV)
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: [12] And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.
Romans 10:13-15 (KJV)
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. [14] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? [15] And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
Point: Out of all the things we did talk about last in our church planning meeting, we cannot neglect the fact the real vision comes from God and as we seek His will from His word through the preaching and teaching of His Word we will develop a God-sized vision. When we allow the Word of God to guide the future of our church, we develop:
- A God-sized vision that is not limited by circumstances
- A God-sized vision that is filled with unlimited promises
- A God-sized vision that moves you from the now to future
II. Vision Requires Change – v. 18b
This text has a positive and negative message to all of us as pastor, leaders, and members.
First, the negative, the second word misunderstood in this verse is the word perish. This does not refer to the perishing of churches with inactive planning committees (a fact which may be true on grounds other than those presented here in this text). Nor does it mean the perishing of the un-evangelized heathen who will die in their sin if someone does not reach them quickly (a fact which is also true on other grounds).
The word translated in the KJV as “perish” has a very impressive background to it. It means “to cast off all restraint.” It clearly warns that where the word of God is silenced so that it no longer comments on the local situation, the results are terrifying. The general population becomes ungovernable as they cast aside all that is decent and civil for whatever their own appetites wish to indulge in.
The best picture of how this takes place can be found in Exodus 32:25. While Moses was absent for a mere forty days on Mount Sinai receiving the law of God, the people began to fear that he would never return. Without the input of the prophetic word, the people began to get out of control. They casted off all restraint and began to dance about a newly made golden calf. They ate and drank and indulged in open immorality, apparently recalling what they had seen in Egypt.
Without the announcement of the word of God, teaches this text, the people will become unrestrained, disorderly and grossly obscene in their manner of life. The verb means to “let loose,” that is, “to let one’s hair down,” whether literally or figuratively (see also Leviticus 13:45 and Numbers 5:18).
While I believe that when the word is absent from the church that the people will let loose and cause trouble. I also believe that when the Word of God goes forth that people don’t like they will stop coming, rebel, and/or call secret business meetings to try an oust the pastor.
We need to understand the while God gives clear vision, He may not give all the details like the time vision will come to pass, how it will come to pass, how much money you will need to accomplish the vision. And because He doesn’t give the details that does not mean that the vision is not valid.
I believe God gives definite vision but scattered details is because He wants is church to operate by faith. It’s hard to operate by faith when all of the details have been given upfront.
The text not only presents for us a negative situation but it also presents for us a positive side of vision. If the Word of God governs the life and vision of our church then it presents a people in line with God’s will. So that where there would be restraint with the clear voice of God there’s liberty/freedom.
Point: Vision requires change. Vision is not satisfied with mediocrity.
- It requires change in our methods.
- It requires change in our motives.
- It requires change in our mobility.
III. Vision Gives Clear Direction – v. 18c
The story is told of a man who was looking at an exhibit of paintings. He gazed at the beautiful sunset views and sea views, and at last he said: “These are all fanciful, the product of the artist’s imagination. I never could see anything in the sunset like that; I never could see anything in the sea like that.”
The artist was there, and he turned to the man and answered, “No, you could not see anything like that, but don’t you wish you could?” What the artist had put upon the canvas was not fancy, but fact. His was the trained eye, and it had the larger power and vision.
Vision is always concentration on the future. Vision is never bound to the now. Vision sees beyond the now and moves to the not yet.
When we allow the Word of God to govern our plans we see things that no one else can see.
- Our current finance may say no but our vision says we’re rich
- Our members may say I don’t get but vision says keep the vision before the people
- Our current attendance may seem discouraging but vision sees the building full
- Our choir is empty but vision hears the voices of many singing the songs of Zion.
In other words, what seems impossible to you with a God-sized vision nothing is impossible.
