Do You
Have A Vision?
MF Blume
Feb. 8, 1998
We read some great things in
the New Testament letters to the Churches.
- Among which are references
to all wisdom and all power of God.
Ephe 1:3-12 Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before
the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus
Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise
of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according
to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom
and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according
to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation
of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ,
both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also
we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose
of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we
should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Ephe 1:15-23 Wherefore I also, after
I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease
not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the
spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of
your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of
his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ,
when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the
heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which
is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the
head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him
that filleth all in all.
In the text we read that God abounded toward us in all wisdom and
speaks about the greatness of his all power to us-ward who believe.
- "Towards us" and "to usward"
both mean "FOR OUR SAKES"
Rev 5 shows a lamb slain and
resurrected.
- This lamb is Jesus Christ.
- And the lamb goes to One
on the Throne and retrieves a book sealed seven times.
- The Lamb takes the book
and all the angels worship Him, and all the saints of God praise Him for redeeming
mankind by His blood.
- Here is the MYSTERY Paul
said we need to understand.
- And it says that God abounded
in all wisdom for us to understand this mystery.
- And the UNSEEN truths we
need to SEE also involve how that all power is there for us, and part
of the great will of God involves how Jesus has all power for our sakes.
- We read Jesus was raised
"Far above
all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that
is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And
hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church."
ALL WISDOM and ALL POWER - and
its for our sakes.
- We read in Revelation that
the LAMB HAS SEVEN EYES AND SEVEN HORNS.
- All wisdom and all power.
- Seven means perfect and
complete.
- Eyes refer to wisdom and
horns refer to power.
- "Eyes of understanding"
Eph 1:18.
Wisdom is what we describe a
person's characteristic when they understand a mystery.
- Wisdom is knowing about
a thing that is not easily known.
- Solomon was aware of what
to do with situations, and we read he had wisdom.
- Two women claimed a common
child as their own. Solomon commanded a servant to take a sword and divide
the child and give one half to each woman. Knowing the true mother would
do anything to see the child live, he gave the child to the woman who said
the other could keep the child alive to spare its life. He was aware of how
to handle the situation. WISDOM.
- JESUS HAS ALL WISDOM and
it is "towards us".
- He abounds in all wisdom
towards us.
- In other words, He is filled
with understanding all mysteries so that He can give the understanding to
us (He abounds with wisdom towards us)
ALL WISDOM AND ALL POWER
- And this is "us-ward".
- It is "toward us".
- FOR US!!!
- All For Us.
All of this power and wisdom
is for us!
- It does something for us!
- These two aspects of all
wisdom and all power are very special.
- NOTICE: - Paul said God
abounded toward us in all wisdom.
- ACCORDING TO OUR TEXT,
God desired to make known to us the MYSTERY of His will.
- And he prayed that the
eyes of our understanding would be enlightened to know the greatness of his
power to usward who believe.
- God purposed that everything
be gathered together in Christ, and we have obtained an inheritance in that.
- We have a part of it!
- Then Paul says that we
need to receive this mystery
- We need to have our eyes
enlightened.
- Eyes of our understanding
enlightened.
- So we can see the greatness
of his power us-ward.
Understand this:
- All wisdom toward us.
- All power us-ward.
- Wisdom is understanding.
- When a person acquired
wisdom they became aware of things that were not known to many people.
- They became aware of truths
not common to most.
- And the bible calls a truth
that is hidden "a mystery".
- That is why we read that
God abounded toward us in all wisdom, "Having made known unto us the mystery
of his will"..
- And Paul said that he prayed
our eyes of understanding would be enlightened to receive that.
- He prayed the spirit of
"wisdom and revelation" would be granted to us so we could understand.
- He begins speaking about
the ages to come.
- About fulness of times
when a great plan will be consummated.
- Why did Paul pray we understand
these things?
Colo 1:25-28 Whereof I am made a
minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you,
to fulfil the word of God; [Even] the mystery which hath been hid from
ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom
God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery among
the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning
every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every
man perfect in Christ Jesus:
- Paul preached this mystery,
ministered wisdom to us, so that we would be presented PERFECT in Christ Jesus.
- If you understand what
God has in mind, you will be strengthened.
- If you can receive the
revelation and wisdom.
- If we can SEE, or have
WISDOM concerning truth, something will so encourage us that when all man
is presented to God, we will be presented perfect in Christ.
- Pray when you hear God's
word preached that you SEE A REVELATION so that you will understand a great
truth.
- If you can understand God's
truths you will be established.
Roma 16:25 Now to him that is of
power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the
world began,
- Paul preached this mystery
of God's will, hidden from all previous ages, so that we would be established.
- How so?
- When we understand that
Jesus is raised above all power, every name named, all principalities, FOR
US -- the exceeding greatness of His power to USWARD -- what can stop us?
- When we realize that all
that is there for our sakes, what can discourage us?
- Paul said in Romans (as
we read it again)....
Roma 16:25 Now to him that is of
power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the
world began,
And this mystery is also explained
as this:
Why do some people seem so unstoppable in their walks with God?
- People have said things
to them that have made others backslide. But these keep on living for God.
- Circumstances that have
made others lose out with God have not made these lose out.
- Why?
- What is so different about
them?
- Paul said that GOD ESTABLISHES
PEOPLE with the WORD of God.
- These victorious saints
are victorious because the WORD OF GOD did something to them
- You might ask, "What did
it do to them that it did not to me?"
- It gave them VISION.
- Others did not see what
these saw.
Prov 29:18 Where [there is] no vision,
the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy [is] he.
- We are said to SEE when
we UNDERSTAND
Ephe 1:18-19 The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of
his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what [is] the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power,
- You must pray for a special
UNDERSTANDING to be given to you when you are ready to hear the Word preached,
or to read the Bible.
- Only by a REVELATION will
you see.
- Do not sit in church and
waste your time by not receiveing a vision
- Revelation is getting a
vision.
- I am not talking about
a panoramic, colourful display of actual pictures or scenery of some sort,
although that is definitely real, also.
- I am talking about a VISION
in the sense that EYES OF UNDERSTANDING regards.
- Suddenly you say, "I SEE
WHAT THAT TRUTH MEANS!"
- It will strengthen you!
After saying....
Ephe 3:9 And to make all [men]
see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the
world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Paul says a few verses later
what effects that receiving a revelation of "the mystery" will have on you....
Ephe 3:16-21 That he would grant you,
according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by
his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to
comprehend with all saints what [is] the breadth, and length, and depth, and
height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye
might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to
do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power
that worketh in us, Unto him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout
all ages, world without end. Amen.
- Paul said this visions STRENGTHENS
YOU
- It roots and grounds you
- A mystery is truth not
readily understood.
- When the MYSTERY is made
known to you, you SEE it.
- And you are strengthened
any time you see a revelation of a mystery, when it comes to God's Word.
Jesus told Nicodemus that one
had to be born again to SEE the Kingdom of God. And then he said one had
to be born of water and Spirit to ENTER the Kingdom of God.
- You must SEE it before you
can enjoy it
- You must have a revelation
of God's power before you can enjoy God's power.
- Joshua and Caleb did not
doubt they could enter Canaan because they saw something the doubters did
not see.
- They saw the giants as
the doubters saw them, but Joshua and Caleb saw something else, too.
- They HAD VISION
- They saw something due
to their faith in the WORD OF GOD
- THEY SAW THEY COULD ENTER
THE LAND, since the Word said the land was their land.
- God promised it to them,
so they realized in revelation that any barrier against possession of the
land would be knocked away by God, because God KEEPS HIS WORD!!!
Hose 4:6 My people are destroyed
for lack of knowledge:
You get UNDERSTANDING from God's
Word
- You get VISION with your
EYES of understanding.
- And when you get that special
something by way of revelation, nothing can stop you!
- That is why you need to
pray for daily bread. FOR WORD FROM GOD every day so nothing can stop you
every day.
- It gives you strength for
that day.
- Even Jesus endured the
cross because HE SAW A VISION of the joy set before Him
Hebr 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the
author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand
of the throne of God.
Colo 1:25-28 Whereof I am made a minister,
according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil
the word of God; [Even] the mystery which hath been hid from ages
and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To
whom God would make known what [is] the riches of the glory of this mystery
among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach,
warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that
we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
- Paul, IN ALL WISDOM, taught
the mystery to the saints for the purpose of seeing them PRESENTED PERFECT
IN CHRIST
- This means, the awareness
of the truths of God would COMPLETE or PERFECT the saints
- STRENGTHEN THEM
- You can confront daily
living and all its trials, with a vision
Roma 8:18 For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the
glory which shall be revealed in us.
- Paul saw
the glory that shall be revealed
- He had
a revelation of that which is to come
- And all
trials of this life, and he had bad ones (!), were not even worthy to be compared
to that glory
- So he could
go through what he did and still stay strong
- A VISION
STRENGTHENED HIM
We can walk around
in this world and think to ourselves, "World, if you had what I have! If
you only knew what I know!!!"
We need a vision
of John's vision!!
- We need
to see that JESUS has ALL POWER (seven horns) and all wisdom (seven eyes)
TOWARDS US!
- FOR OUR
SAKES, He has these!
- And when
we see that, what can stop us?
- When we
keep in mind the truth that God is almighty and cares for us, what can discourage
us?
- If you
do not know the glory that shall be revealed, then sufferings of this present
time will get to you.
- But if
you can catch a vision of the glory by getting a revelation from God's word,
the sufferings seem like nothing!!!
- WHEN WE
APPRECIATE THE ALMIGHTY POWER TOWARDS US, THEN WE WILL BE ESTABLISHED.
But we need wisdom and revelation
to be made aware of this.
Ephe 1:17 That the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Jame 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom,
let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not;
and it shall be given him
James spoke about trials of life
and hardships, and how we must let trials work patience and then let patience
have her way and work us out!
- And then he said, "If any of you lack wisdom,
let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not;
and it shall be given him"
- Why did
he say that after talking about trials?
- It was
because WISDOM strengthens you and establishes you so that you UNDERSTAND
that trials are doing a great work in you.
- Forget
that, and you see no purpose in trials and you quit!
- But when
you know trials are working something grand in you, then you will let patience
have her perfect work.
Jame 1:3-5 Knowing [this], that
the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have [her] perfect
work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack
wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth
not; and it shall be given him.
- In other
words, if you cannot understand the need for trials, then ask for understanding
-- revelation and wisdom
- Whenever
you go to church to hear a sermon or open your Bible to read the Word, PRAY
THAT GOD OPEN YOUR EYES OF UNDERSTANDING SO THAT YOU GET A VISION -- every
time!!
- AND BE
THE VICTORIOUS SAINT OF GOD YOU CAN BE!!