Do You Have A Vision?

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 it’s 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 receiving 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!!