WHEN DONKEYS HAVE BETTER VISION THAN PREACHERS?
VISION BEYOND SIGHT
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I do this in a two part sermon.
WHEN DONKEYS HAVE BETTER VISION THAN PREACHERS?
Numbers 22:21-34 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
22: And God’s anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his
ass, and his two servants were with him.
23: And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the
field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
24: But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
25: And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam’s foot againt the wall: and he smote her again.
26: And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27: And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
28: And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
29: And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
30: And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto
thee? And he said, Nay.
31: Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the
Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
32: And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because
thy way is perverse before me:
33: And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
34: And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me: now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
TEXT:
Acts 3:1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being t
he ninth hour.
2: and a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they
laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered
into the temple:
3: Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4: And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5: And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6: Then Peter said, silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: in the name
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7: And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle
bones received strength.
8: And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into
the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9: And all the people saw him walking and praising God.
10: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate
of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened
unto him.
11: And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together
unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.
12: And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, ye men of Israel, why marvel ye
at this? Or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had
made this man to walk?
I. YEARS AGO I WAS TRAVELING TO A CHURCH TO PLAY MUSIC AND I WAS LOST!
A. Years ago, I traveled to play music at a church in Cumberland, KY. We were lost and couldn’t
find the church. There were no stores or no gas stations opened and we couldn’t find anyone to
give us directions.
In the distance, we saw a man staggering down a street.
I pulled up and I asked the drunk man, "How do you get to the Church of God? "
After much thought, the drunk man said,
"Day God, I don’t think you can get to there from here!"
B. If I plan on getting there, I would not start here ... ???
God leads, guides, and directs His children in ways that do not always make sense to the
human mind.
II. THERE ARE SEVERAL TYPES OF VISION CASTING IN GOD’S WORD!
A. Noah’s dove is a type of vision casting.
The dove will fly away from the ark, but it returns to Noah’s hand. The dove was tired.
Another trip, the dove returns carrying an Olive branch, but yet the dove returns.
The last trip out, the dove stays gone and will not come back.
The vision was cast, there was food and nature had returned to a norm after the flood.
B. We need to test our situations and launch out in soul winning and ministry.
III. SOME SEEM TO MERIT DAYDREAMING AS VISION CASTING, BUT THIS IS NOT TRUE.
A. There is more to spiritual victory than standing looking toward a plan of God.
B. Acts 1:10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up,
behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. 11. Why stand you here gazing ...
IV. REAL VISION CASTING LAUNCHES INTO ACTION.
A. I often call having a vision as T&P. It is tried and proven. We must try, if this does not
work try again, then again. God honors effort.
B. Sometimes our vision comes after work and a heavy battle.
Acts 7:55 But He, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into
Heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.
V. IF THE WELL WATER IS DIRTY, PAINTING THE PUMP WILL DO LITTLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM!
A. Cornelius was a man that was faithful, even when he didn’t know the BIG PICTURE!
He was a man of vision.
B. Acts 10:4 And when He looked on him, he was afraid, and said, what is it,
Lord? And He said unto him, thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
VI. A MAN OF VISION IS MORE THAN JUST A MAN OF ACTION,
A MAN OF VISION WILL EVENTUALLY SEE RESULTS.
A. Acts 13:9 Then Saul, (Who also is called Paul), filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on Him.
B. Acts 14:9 The same heard Paul speak; who steadfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed.
VII. WE NEED TELESCOPIC VISION AS WELL AS MICROSCOPIC!
A.. We need faith like a TELESCOPE that can see beyond today.
We must see beyond here.
We need a faith that speaks, THIS TOO SHALL PASS!
B. We need faith like a MICROSCOPE.
Remember when the man of God sent his servant to the top of the mountain, they were searching for more?
After the 7th trip to the mountain, the servant said, I see a cloud the size of a man’s hand.
The Preacher started running and out ran the King’s horses, because that small sign was a signal, the rain is coming!
VIII. SEEING BEYOND THE LIMITS OF A MAN’S LIMITS.
By faith Moses looked out the screen door and knew THERE WAS MORE THAN THIS.
40 long years in the back side of the desert, 40 long teaching years.
One day, Moses put his shoes on, and in a little while Moses will take his shoes off?
Why? Because Moses’ vision would expand to accomplish God’s Heart Plan.
IX. WHERE THERE IS NO VISION THERE IS DIVISION.
A. Where there is No vision, there is Division.... THAT IS JUST THE TRUTH.
We also must learn how to communicate a good vision.
B. Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision the people perish ...
Notice the words here, many miss quote this verse, they say:
WHERE THERE IS NOT A VISION....
That is a distortion... WHERE THERE IS NOT VISION...
Where people can’t see? Where people are nearsighted? Farsighted?
X. QUIT BEATING THE DONKEY? CATCH THE VISION!
A. Many times donkeys can have better vision than the Preacher?
B. Balaam - angered God
C. Numbers 22 - 3 x’s he beats his donkey, get out the whip? Find the whipping post?
D. We can grow a habit of Smote it, beat it, - beat your donkey Balaam.
Beat the donkey. That donkey can see more than the Preacher sees.
E. The poor little donkey crushed Balaam’s foot... Balaam still has no vision.
F. The little donkey FELL on the Preacher’s foot, and still no vision of reality.
XI. GOD TEACH US THE LEVEL BEYOND DONKEY BEATING!
GOD OPEN OUR EYES TO SEE!
A. Can you see beyond beating donkeys?
B. Beat the Donkey to death and still no vision.
C. The donkey could see the angel WITH SWORD IN HAND.
D. THE DONKEY SENSED THE DANGER OF HIS MASTER, AND THE DONKEY WARNED
THE MAN OF GOD WITH NO VISION!
Don’t Just Curse the Dark, Beam the Light!
The world searches for Value without values....
GOD HAS A PLAN, DON’T LET THE JACKASS SEE BEFORE YOU DO!
XII. WHAT DO YOU SEE? FOCUS ON GOD!
A. One preacher told me, "I preach to 29, 2 are soundly asleep, 4 are playing with babies,
5 are looking at their watches; and one man is shaking his watch, he thinks it is broken.
I can’t preach!
B. Some plan to quit giving money? They never help, seems they are supporting the problem.
C. Alka-Seltzer Christians seem to want to plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is?
XIII. THERE ARE MORE THAN PROBLEMS, THERE ARE DIVINE PROVISIONS!
GOD HAS MADE A WAY! GOD WILL PULL YOU THROUGH, CAN YOU STAND THE PULL?
A. There are Divine Provisions. There are Miracles beyond your means.
Give what you have.... Bless the gift and watch God!
B. TOUCH BEYOND YOUR REACH! REACH BEYOND YOUR TOUCH!
Peter took the man’s right hand and lifted him up, AND THE MAN STARTED LEAPING!
C. LOOK FOR SOMETHING BEYOND SELF
WE WANT TO DRAW A LINE, THEN GET YOU TO CROSS THE LINE BEFORE YOUR
OPPONENT CAN CROSS THE LINE.
We soon find out I CAN’T ALWAYS WIN.
A good Jesus attitude... I WILL CROSS THE LINE FOR YOU, IF YOU GET THERE BEFORE
ME, WILL YOU REMEMBER ME? HERE, LET’S CROSS TOGETHER.
Seems two guys were fishing out in the middle of the lake.
The two guys were sitting in a little row boat, they were trying to catch fish, but they had no
success. They never even caught a bite?
While they were sitting there, the one guy notices a big battery powered drill laying in the boat.
So the one guy gets out the drill, and starts drilling a hole in the bottom of the boat?
The other guy says: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
THE OTHER GUY REPLIES, " NOT TO WORRY, I am drilling the hole in my side of the boat,
not your side!"
Honey, where there is no vision, we have holes in the bottom of our boats!
One hole might sink the boat? God grow YOUR VISION HERE!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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