The First Sermon at West Loop UBF, Jan 6, 2008

Where is Your Vision? (This is the unedited sermon I preached at our first Sun service at West Loop UBF on Jan 6, 2008. I happened to come across this as I was searching through my email.)

"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint…" (Prov 29:18, NKJV).

The theme of this message is vision. Our key verse, Proverbs 29:18a says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish…" (Prov 29:18, KJV). Why is this? It's because if a man has no vision, he will live as he feels, and he will perish in obscurity. But with a vision, he can face hardships, overcome any difficulties and struggles and even conquer the world. In history, all great men were men of vision who overcame impossible odds. Here are a few stories.

In 1975, at the age of 20, Bill Gates dropped out of college. In 1986 at age 31, he became the richest man in the U.S. How did he do it? He had a vision that every household would have a PC. In those days a computer was slow, huge, costly and impractical. But when he had a vision, he realized his vision. Even a lunatic like Hitler, when he had a vision of a superior German race, was able to shake the world for a brief time in history. Martin Luther King's speech "I have a dream," is mesmerizing. King's vision was that his 4 children will "live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." His vision forever distinguishes King as a great 20th century American hero.

Singing & Rejoicing (Prov. 29:6)

A righteous man sings and rejoices (Prov. 29:6).

Vent or hold back. Prov. 29:11 says, "A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back."

The king who wins loyalty. Prov. 29:14 say, "If a king judges the poor with fairness, his throne will be established forever." Usually, the poor are disregarded or marginalized or treated arbitrarily, because they are inconsequential to those who are more powerful. Jesus is the greatest King because he highly regards and values the lowest, weakest one, even each of us.

Rod & Reproof; Discipline to Delight. (Prov. 29:15,17). Discipline is good and wise, and should not be avoided. See Prov. 13:24: http://westloop-church.blogspot.com/2010/10/wisdom-is-found-in-those-who-take.html

No vision. Prov. 29:18 say, "Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law--blessed is he" (Amplified Bible). The Message translation says, "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." If we don't "see" God, we wander and meander aimlessly and pointlessly. If we humble ourselves to divine revelation in Scripture, we experience the blessing of God.

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