(Proverbs 29:18, Ephesians 1:15-19a)
Proverbs 29:18 in the KJV: Where there is no vision, the people perish. When we speak about the necessity of vision, the reasoning from that scripture - written by the wise man named Solomon - is crystal clear. We need to speak of the importance of vision because this day and age in which we live, pastors and churches seem to be confused or have forgotten the necessity of vision.
Proverbs 29:18 in the KJV: Where there is no vision, the people perish. When we speak about the necessity of vision, the reasoning from that scripture - written by the wise man named Solomon - is crystal clear. We need to speak of the importance of vision because this day and age in which we live, pastors and churches seem to be confused or have forgotten the necessity of vision.
What is vision?
Obviously, in the physical or human context, vision is the ability to perceive through the sense of sight. In the Bible, the ability to see was so important that blindness was considered a curse. When we speak about vision in the life of the church, we speak of something similar: very simply, vision is the ability to discern and understand in which direction God is leading. We need to know God's vision and His heart, and to be led by that, lest we go forth in our own strength and understanding, which is always a recipe for disaster.
Where there is no vision, the people perish, they cast off restraint. We understand that vision is something that holds us together - it is that which both captivates us and binds us together; that which keeps us moving in the same direction, guided by God and communicated by church leadership. Vision is that which keeps us on point and on task - it is that which keeps us focused and encourages us to submit all of our personal agendas to the fulfillment of what God is calling us as a Body to fulfill. The vision is what encourages us to commit our time, talent and treasure to the cause of the Kingdom, which is bigger than we are.
What does the lack of vision look like? We find a good example in the book of Judges. Judges is the story of the children of Israel in a cycle of disobedience and repentance after crossing into the Promised Land. Joshua had died and the people fell under the influence of various nations, and God, in His grace, raised up men and women called judges. Through their disobedience towards God, the Israelites broke their covenant with God. Each time they disobeyed and repented, God would raise up a judge to deliver them, but this was a stopgap measure at best. Judges is the story of a nation between the Promised Land and the monarchy of Saul. The last verse of the last chapter of Judges gives us a stunning picture concerning the necessity of vision and how people perish when there is none: "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit (what was right in their own eyes)." (Judges 21:25).
Sadly, that is the position of many in the church today - doing what seems right in ‘my’ own eyes. Even sadder is the reality that many leaders have abdicated their responsibility to communicate and teach the vision that God has for the church. We need to understand that the church is not a democracy when it comes to the vision of the church. We don't hand out ballots and vote on what kind of church we are going to have; if we are going to talk about the Kingdom of God, that means there is a king and in any kingdom the word of the king is law. When we don't seek the vision of the King, we cast off restraint. We do what is right in our own eyes and estimation and ultimately, we will perish.
Rev. Darrell A. Hazard.
