A Greater Vision

 

Introduction

 

I had originally intended to give another sermon today, but as it sometimes happens, a more immediate need presented itself.  The next time I speak I will do the one I had intended to give today, but this week I want to speak about a topic I call “A Greater Vision.”

 

Basic ideas:

 

The Foundation

 

Several incidents of God’s blessings upon His people, but not the full extent of what the original promise indicated.

 

We read:

Exo 23:27-30

This was not, however fulfilled, because the people did not have a proper conception of a warless victory.  Instead, a lesser blessing was granted (note: this followed the idolatry with the golden calf):

Lev 26:6-9

 

Another incident, for earlier in the record; at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, we see this incident with Abraham’s nephew Lot, who had lived in the doomed cities:

Gen 19:15-23

But, there were problems as a result, since Zoar was also to have been destroyed:

19:30

This incident led to the generations of the Ammonites and the Moabites, who often caused trouble for Israel

 

Another event like that one occurs in Acts 1.  Peter speaks about the need to replace Judas so that there should be twelve apostles as Christ indicated, and to match the pattern of the tribes of Israel.  Beginning with verse 20:

Acts 1:20-26

 

Apostles should not be faulted for this exactly, for lots were used at times to accomplish Yahweh’s will, as in the Day of Atonement ceremony (Lev 16:8) and 1Sam 14.  At the same time, we found out later who the twelfth apostle should have been.  Paul wites:

1Cor 9:1-5

Col 1:1

 

Apostles’ mistake was in thinking they had a full view of the situation.  To be an apostle, one of the criteria was that they had to have been directly contacted by Yahshua and called to the work. According to what the 11 knew, all those who had seen Christ were with them.  Paul, however, met the Savior after His resurrection on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) and was called to do the work of an apostle at that point.

 

A common problem: A tendency to limit God’s power by our current level of knowledge.

 

Yahweh is willing to let His people choose for themselves, even if their choices are not for the best.  There is true freedom in the service of God, but at the same time we damage ourselves if we do not learn the lessons our own decisions may teach us.

 

A few times we see how this is intended to work:

2Ch 20:1, 3, 13-17, 21-24

 

Also, Exodus 14 at the crossing of the Red Sea

 

The Need

 

Why is there a need for perfect trust?  In the cases we saw above, an “adequate” job was done, even if not the best.  Isn’t that enough?

 

For survival, it is enough… but not for sanctification.  Here is the pattern:

2Ch 20:20

 

Most of what we “know” about God, apart from personal experience, is because of a prophet, including the authors of the Bible, all inspired men. (2Pet 1:21)  At any point the people of their day could have said, “We have enough light, what do we need another record/book for?”

 

For the early Church, the Old Testament Books were the “Scriptures,” but also:

2Pet 3:14-16

 

In the last days, responsible for more.  Written of the Old Testament saints:

Heb 11:37-40

Note, not “without Christ,” but “without us.”  A powerful statement, we share in Christ’s glory as we follow His example, and as He prayed we would in John 17.  We have the ability to reach an excellence of character, because of the example of the Savior before us, and a particular outpouring of grace; that those who lived before the Cross never received.

 

Exceptions, Enoch and Elijah; therefore no excuse for those in these days who say, “I’ve done enough, I don’t need anything more.”

 

Last day saints: Rev 14:1-5; understood in a spiritual sense; one cannot be “defiled” with women, as it is written: Heb 13:4

These are people of a pure faith, not “defiled” by the false brides, by the fallen systems, by the corrupt religions of earth.  John 10:25-28

 

There is a need for this experience, for this greater vision of who we are in God’s eyes.  We are worth the sacrifice of His Son; not because of our own merits, but the worth He places on us because of love.

 

We are called to a higher place than the world; to a higher place than the saints of old, and it is possible to attain it; it is possible to do all things, as the Scripture says. (Phil 4:13)

 

Some things once allowed: divorce for almost any reason, polygamy, use of alcoholic drinks (for non priests), an “eye for an eye” mentality in society.  These were never the ideal, of course, but they were not forbidden for those who claimed to be God’s children.  Now they are, because our understanding – and our responsibility – has grown.

 

There is no stopping point.  Today we are responsible for more light than the early Church.  There is less “gray” in the world than there once was.  Things are being sorted, spiritually speaking, into black and white, and the line between them is becoming more distinct every day.  Eventually… soon… there will be only two classes of human beings:

Rev 20:4

 

We are called to endure to the end, to go through a time of trial, and to receive the promise of Rev 3:21

 

The Obstacle

 

The only thing that prevents the perfection of faith is clinging to doubts and fears.

Peter walking on water: Mat 14:28-31 (doubt and distraction)

 

Receiving healing from Christ: Mark 6:1-6

 

Yahweh is not happy to see us fight, not trials or temptations, but allows them for our cleansing. 1Pet 4:12, 13; 1 Pet 1:3-7

 

We must learn to see the blessing in all things, even the difficult ones.  If we ourselves are not suffering misfortune (health, finance, relationship problems, etc.) we know someone who is.  We can encourage them that God is with them through the trials.

There is a tendency among some Christians to blame the victims of unfortunate circumstances… and we have to be careful to make a distinction here.

 

Yahweh does allow misfortunes to come, and we are expected to learn from them.  Often we learn vital and necessary lessons from these things, e.g., Job:

Job 3:25

 

At the same time, even though we all have defects of character to identify and purge away, not every misfortune comes to us because of a bad decision or a “sin” on our part.

 

Assumption the disciples made is the same as was made by Job’s friends: John 9:1-3

 

What we have to do is trust that Yahweh allowed it for a reason, and seek the blessing in it, for there is always a blessing in it.

 

In this we make our faith invincible.  We rejoice in pleasant circumstances, and we seek the blessings in the unpleasant ones.  Those who can do this diligently can never be shaken in their convictions, and will always stand firm in their integrity.  We catch hold of the vision of excellence, Rom 8:28

 

The Solution

 

The obstacle is clinging to doubts and fears.  The solution, as mentioned, is to have an invincible faith.  But this does not appear on its own.  As with Israel, God sends the power ahead of us to accomplish His will, but we must consent to it.

 

The Spirit is sent to do a work in our lives, in our hearts, as it is written:

Rom 8:26, 27

Phil 2:13

 

We must be able to do as Christ did:

Mat 26:39

There may be times when we will all feel like this.  There may be things we are going through now that may feel overwhelming, but even if we fall on our faces, it is not to be in despair, but in prayer.

 

The Spirit does a work in us, and the Father allows situations to arise to perfect us, even as Christ was perfected by the things He endured.  He came down from Heaven perfect in Character, but even He, it is written, had to start out as a child, to enter into our experience:

Luke 2:52

Heb 2:10

 

We must consent to it, and this is where the faith comes in; this is where our duty lies, our “works” that must correspond to that faith.  This is where a greater level of trust, and a brighter hope for the future, is needed.

1Peter 5:10 – entering into Christ’s experience as He did into ours

And this is the hope: Isa 64:4.  If this is our vision, if this is our expectation of the future, we are fortunate indeed, for God has never disappointed those who have placed their trust in Him without fear, without reserve, and without qualification.