Visions And Revelations

VISIONS AND REVELATIONS

Proverbs 29:18a 2 Cor 12:1

INTRO:

In the Bible every great man was a man of vision:

Abraham - Looking for a city whose builder and maker was God.

Moses - Delivered God's people

Isaiah - Saw the Lord high and lifted up

John the Baptist - Forerunner of Christ - Saw Jesus the crucified Lamb.

John the Revelator - Saw Last Things

Paul - saw Christ on Damascus road.

All were men of visions.

One of the things we hear much about today is visions and revelations;

Also much is spoken of dreams and the interpretations of such...

What are visions and revelations?

Visions are presentations perceived in a state neither sleeping or awake, but which are regarded as objective.

In its widest sense, denotes the revelation of God's will through agents, which directed the course of events and was intended to be co-ordinate with the supreme secular authority.

Revelations are truth apprehended as a result of visions.

One of our passages of scripture says without a vision the people perish.

This shows the fatal effect of the absence of such revelation of God's will - confusion, disorder and rebellion.

The people, uncontrolled, fall into grievous excesses, which nothing but high principles can restrain.

In this day of a complete Bible, and the Age of Grace, these things are not as paramount as then, yet there are visions and revelations we need to have even today.

Notice with me some of these:

I. A VISION OF THE CORRUPTION: SHOULD GIVE A REVELATION OF THE NEED.

Isa. 1:6

From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: They have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

A. Over 14 Million people have problems with Alcohol in the USA

B. Over 1.7 Trillion Dollar Crime Bill

C. Bible cut out of public school.

D. In 2009, 15,241 murders, 1 murder every 34 minutes.

1. More than this in abortions every year today.

E. Obscentity in movies and plays, art.

F. Morality going down the drain.

II. A VISION OF THE CROSS: SHOULD GIVE A REVELATION OF THE LOVE

Luke 23:33

And when they were come to the place, which is Calvary, there they crucified Him and the malefactors one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

A. Now when one gets a vision of the cross how can one help but get a revelation of the love of Christ at Calvary.

I see:

1. Sin at its Blackest - to crucify Jesus

2. Love at its highest - To prove He loves us He died for us.

3. Suffering at its greatest - Agony, terrible way to die

Suffocation

4. Ransom at its richest - Paid our sin debt.

Ezekiel 18:20

The soul that sinneth it shall die.

5. Salvation at its greatest - By faith not law.

III. A VISION OF THE CHURCH: SHOULD GIVE A REVELATION OF THE DESIRE

Hebrews 12:22-23

But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the Living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angles, to the general assembly and church of the first born which are written in Heaven...

A. Now this should tell that the Lord Jesus put us an Holy Thing here on this earth, called the church; and it is in the church we hear:

1. Praising – of the Lord and His goodness

2. Preaching – of the Word that shows the way of salvation

The way to live each day.

3. Praying – to the Lord who hears us and answers our prayers

4. Promising – Of the blessings of obedience

5. Proclaiming – the goodness, greatness of Almighty God

6. Providing

My God shall provide all your need according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.

7. Purifying – The Word of God purifies us keeps us close to the Lord.

IV. A VISION OF THE CHANGE: SHOULD GIVE A REVELATION OF THE POWER

2 Cor. 5:17

Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, old things are passed away, and behold all things are become new.

A. Brother, when I get a vision of how such folks were changed:

1. Peter

2. Paul

3. Phillipian Jailer

4. Billy Sunday – Baseball player

5. Etc.

I suddenly get a revelation of the power.

V. A VISION OF THE CITY: SHOULD GIVE A REVELATION OF THE JOY.

Rev. 21:10-11

And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shew me that great city the Holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God. Having the glory of God, and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a Jasper stone clear as a crystal.