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Good evening and welcome to Vanity Baptist Church
Let's go ahead and find our seeds this evening
Find seeds and find a handful of pole sheets
Turn to page number 134
Song number 134
And we will open the service with
My anchor holds
Song number 134
That's why they sing it out
Nice and mighty
Alright, song number 134
On the first
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Song number 294 on the third.
Song number 294.
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Stepping into the light, Song number 294 with your hands, on the third.
Walking in footsteps of gentleoomerance
Footsteps in tried mercy and love
Looking to him
The grace really promised
Happy, how happy a journey above
How beautiful to walk in the steps of a savior
Stepping in the light, stepping in the light
How beautiful to walk in the steps of a savior
Letting paths of light
Noah, go ahead
188 on the last, the love of God
Stepping in the light, stepping in the light
188, sing it out, on the last
Good be we, big, the ocean fill
And the skies, apartments made
Where every star, the earth a quill
Every man, a scribe I trade
To ride the love of God above
God will take the ocean dry
For through the soul, contain the ocean
From sky to sky
Oh, love of God, how rich and old
How measure there, yes and shall
It shall forevermore endure
The saints and angels song
Lainy God
63, song number 63
For the day, that will be song number 63, sing it out on the first
There is coming a day
When no heartache shall come
No more clouds in the sky
No more tears should bring me high
All is peaceful evermore
Not a happy, golden soul
But a day for this day
I will be, sing it out
For the day, that will be
Where my dreams as I shall see
And I love the one who stays
The one who saved me by his ways
The man who takes me by the hand
And leads me through the promised land
But a day for this day
I will be, sing one more song, Josiah, go on
372, song number 372, this will be the last song for favorites
Song number 372, soul winning song, let the lower lights be burning
Song number 372, sing it out on the first
Brightly deem our Father's mercy
From his lighthouse evermore
But to us, he gives a keeping
Of the lies along the shore
Let the lower last be burning
Send the gleam across the way
Some profane, seem struggling seamen
You may rescue, you may save, amen
Amen, alright, well let's take our bulletins this evening and we'll go over some announcements
If you do not have a bulletin, we don't have any for you either
So, we just have to share with somebody
We had 300 people in church this morning
And praise the Lord for that, but that means that we have no bulletins
So we gave them all out this morning
The verse this week, Psalm 118-23
This is the Lord's doing, it is marvelous in our eyes
And that's a good verse there, we like that
If you open up your bulletins, you'll see our service times
Sunday morning service, 10.30am
Of course we had a wonderful service this morning
We're glad you're back out tonight
With the evening service
And of course today being the opening service
Opening Sunday of our new church building
And we do ask that you just be patient with us
We're still trying to figure everything out
Regarding, you know, obviously once you start putting bodies in the building
And start doing things
You start realizing issues
I think for tonight, we do have
The mother baby rooms working
So if you have a child
And you want to go to the mother baby rooms on this side
There's big comfortable rooms there
With big screens
And the monitors should be working
Tonight for that
Of course we invite you to be with us on Wednesday night for the Wednesday night Bible study
We look at our soul winning times
Our main soul winning times on Saturday mornings at 10am
Then we have additional soul winning times on Thursdays and Fridays
And Sundays at 2pm
Thursdays and Fridays are postponed for now still
But Sunday soul winning at 2
Saturday morning at 10
And then of course we are a family integrated church
What that means is that children and infants are always welcome in the service
We do not separate children from their parents for any reason
We do have mother baby rooms and daddy rooms available
So please use those
You might need to get a little acquainted with the church building
You'll notice in the back of the bulletin
There's a layout of the church building
And it'll show you where the mother baby rooms are
Where the daddy room is
It'll show you where the restrooms are
So kind of try to get acquainted with that
And start trying to know where things are at
Pretty much on this side of the building
All of these are going to be staff offices
We do have the play room
The big play room for the kids
And then on this side we've got two big mother baby rooms
The daddy room and of course the back rooms
With the mirrored windows
Our mother baby rooms as well
So just be aware of that
If you need to be baptized please let us know
We'd love to baptize you
And the baptistry is filled
The water is warm, we've got everything you need
And I think everybody is going to want to get re-baptized now
Which is good because then we can make sure you're saved
We'll get you saved this time
And then baptize you
And that'll be good
But obviously if you need to be baptized
Now is the time to do it
You can do it in a real fancy way
So make sure you do that
If you look at the announcements and upcoming events
Of course you have the thank you there
From my wife and I
For all of the hard work and everything
People keep asking me how do I feel
And honestly I just am exhausted
But I'm excited
But I think my wife and I need to just sleep
For a little while
And then we'll be relieved I'm sure
But I think everything went well today
And like I said
This was supposed to be the soft opening
So we had 300 in church this morning
We have 207 in church tonight
So that's our great number there
And then we're going to start
Dialing things in
For Easter
So start thinking about Easter
If you would have asked me how many people
I thought we would have had this morning
I would have said somewhere between 250, 260
300 completely threw me
For a loop
If people are asking how many do you think
We'll have for Easter I have no clue
I mean at this point I don't know
We could have 400 people
And that'd be great
So we'll see what happens
Next Sunday though is our vision offering
So we want you to be aware of that
And I don't know that there's anything else that can be said
About the vision offering
We just want you to be praying and thinking about
The vision offering
We of course have these little inserts there
And just be thinking about the vision offering
And make sure that you're ready for that next Sunday
And then on Wednesday
Not this Wednesday but next Wednesday
On March 6th
We're going to have Pastor Steven Anderson from Faith Forward Baptist Church
Preaching for us
So make sure that you are here for that
You're not going to want to miss that
And especially
If you're watching if you live within the Sacramento area
Make sure you drive
In for the Wednesday night service
And for you obviously I'm talking to the Sunday night crowd
But if you don't normally come on Wednesday night
I want to encourage you to be here on that Wednesday night
Pastor Anderson was the very first guest preacher
We ever had
Back in the house
We had our first big day
Was I want to say the number was 67
We had 67 in church
When Pastor Anderson preached
And he
Preached a sermon on soul winning
But we did it in the house
In the living room
So imagine trying to stick 67 people
In your living room
It was a little bit of a nightmare
Our house has an upstairs area
The upstairs area has like an opening
And we had kids sitting on the stairs
We had a little balcony
Set up and it was crazy
So anyway he was the first guest preacher back then
And it's fitting that he'll be the first guest preacher
At our new building
That's great. Next generation youth rallies coming up
April 9th and 10th
Make sure that you are not
Forgetting about that especially if you have a teen
13 to 19 years old
And they can sign up for the youth rally
It doesn't cost anything we just need to register them
So we can get their shirt sizes
And get them on teams
You can do that on your communication card
Or on our website so make sure you do that
Don't forget about that. Homeschool group they've got PE classes
Thursday, February 29th
There's other things there for you to look at
If you look at the back of the bulletin
Birthdays and anniversaries
For the month of February
We have today's brother Mike DePasquale
His birthday February 25th
Also Isabel Johnson's birthday February 25th
And then later this week we have Elijah
Usher's birthday February 27th
Miss Julissa Zuniga has a birthday
February 28th
Brother Mike and Miss Blanca Beale
Have an anniversary February 28th
And Valente and Miss Nicole Perez
Have an anniversary on February 28th
Praise report, money matters
All of those things are there for you to look at
Please don't forget to help us with the children
We want to make sure
Upstairs areas are just off limits
So just make sure no one's going up there
But especially kids
We do not want children going up these stairs
And we don't want them coming down the stairs either
We don't want them getting hurt
As they're coming down
So parents just help us with that
And we would appreciate your help with that
I think that's it for all of the announcements
So we're going to go ahead and take our song books
And we're going to go
To page number 334
Page number 334
And we're going to sing
Make me a blessing
As we prepare to receive
The offering this evening
334, sing it out
On the first
Out in the highways
And highways up high
Many are weary and sad
Carry the sunshine
Where darkness is mine
Make me a sorrowing blast
Make me a blessing
Out of my mind
You choose us
Why?
Make me a blessing
Oh Savior, I pray
Make me a blessing
And learn to make good
Page number 334, sing it out
On the second
Tell the sweet story of Christ and his body
Tell all his power to forgive
Others will trust him if only you could
For every moment you made
Make me a blessing
Out of my mind
You choose us
Why?
Make me a blessing
Oh Savior, I pray
Make me a blessing
And learn to make good
334, sing it out
On the third
Give us what's given to you in your name
Love us, love us, we'll love you
Be to God
Bless our own great being
Unknew your wish, only truth
Make me a blessing
Out of my mind
You choose us
Why?
Make me a blessing
Oh Savior, I pray
Make me a blessing
Out of my mind
Amen, good singing.
We'll have the guys come up and help us with the offering at this time.
And it's nice to have the orchestra close during the singing.
I can hear them very well. They're doing a good job.
And they're up front so now they have to be on their best behavior.
And that's good.
Let's go ahead and bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, Lord, we do love you. We thank you for allowing us to gather together tonight.
Lord, we pray that you bless the offering, the gift, and the giver.
We ask that you meet with us over the next few moments as we open up your word and study the Bible together.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Amen.
Please open our mouths to Proverbs 29.
Proverbs 29, if you do not have a Bible, please raise your hand and I know she can bring you a Bible.
Proverbs 29, just keep your hand up and I'll show you what will come by.
Proverbs 29, we'll read the entire chapter as our custom.
Proverbs 29 begin in verse number 1.
He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy.
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.
But when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.
Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father, but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.
The king by judgment established it in the land, but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.
A man that flattereth with his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet.
In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare, but the righteous that doth sing and rejoice.
The righteous considerth the cause of the poor, but the wicked regardeth not to know it.
Scornful men bring a city into snare, but wise men turn away wrath.
If a wise man contenteth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.
The bloodthirsty hate the upright, but the just seek his soul.
A fool uttereth all his mind, but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.
If ruler harken to lies, all his servants are wicked.
The poor and the deceitful man meet together. The Lord lighteneth both their eyes.
The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established forever.
The rod and proof give wisdom, but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth, but the righteous shall see their fall.
Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest. Yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.
Where there is no vision, the people perish, but he that keepeth the law happy is he.
A servant will not be corrected by words, for though he understand, he will not answer.
Seest thou a man that is hasten his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him.
He that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length.
An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man abounded in transgression.
A man surprised shall bring him low, but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.
Whoso is partner with a thief, hateth his own soul. He heareth cursing, and bewareth it not.
The fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.
Many seek the ruler's favor, but every man's judgment cometh from the Lord.
An unjust man is an abomination to the just, and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.
Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, thank you for this evening.
God, I thank you for our Church, Lord, for everyone that's here.
And I pray that you bless this building, Lord.
And I thank you for our pastor. Please bless him tonight.
Feel with your spirit, Lord. We love you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Amen.
Alright, we're there in Proverbs chapter 29.
And of course, normally on Sunday nights we've been going through the book of Numbers.
But tonight, today being a special day, I wanted to preach a different sermon.
So we're going to take a break from the book of Numbers.
And we're here, of course, in Proverbs 29.
And I'd like to just bring your attention to verse number 18.
Proverbs 29 and verse 18.
The Bible says this very well-known verse.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
But he that keepeth the law happy is he.
Over the years I've preached a lot on the subject of vision.
This is not a theme that is new to our Church.
And in fact, we host every year an annual vision offering.
Of course, our vision offering is next week.
And though I've preached on the subject of vision a lot.
And I've preached a lot about having different types of vision.
A vision for your family, for your finances, things of that respect.
I want to really teach on the subject tonight of where there is no vision.
And kind of dissect this verse and help you to understand it.
And I think it's good.
Of course, we're having our vision offering.
And I think it's good for us to learn about vision and preach about vision.
Let me just tell you up front, this is not a giving sermon.
I'm not going to be dealing with the subject of giving.
We've done that enough over the last several weeks.
If you're not ready to give by now, then I don't know that there's anything I can do to help you with that.
But I would like to just speak on the subject of vision itself.
Where there is no vision, the people perish, the Bible says.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
But he that keepeth the law happy is he.
And if you're taking notes, and I do encourage you to take notes on the back of your course a week.
There's a place for you to write down some things.
Then maybe you can jot things down.
These are just things that I gathered from this passage, from this verse.
As I've thought about it and meditated upon it over the years.
The first thing I'd like you to notice is the principle of vision.
The principle of vision.
I want you to notice just simply what the verse says.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
I think often times people are confused as to what the Bible means by vision.
And what the Bible is speaking here regarding vision.
And I want to be real upfront for you to know that when the Bible uses the word vision.
It is often referring to revelation or revelation of the word of God.
And there is a connection with this idea of vision and the Bible or the word of God.
Sometimes simply the word vision is just referring to scripture and to the revelation of God.
I believe that this verse is talking about more than that.
It's talking about having a vision for how things could be.
But I want you to understand that when the Bible says here where there is no vision.
We need to begin with this understanding that biblical vision is derived from the word of God.
And I want to prove that to you.
But the first proof is just in the text itself, in the verse itself.
Notice what it says.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
And then there is a colon.
The verse does not end there.
There is a contrast or a comparison.
You notice in the book of Proverbs, this is something that is done a lot.
Where the writer will make a statement and then he'll make another statement to compare or another statement to contrast.
And here he says where there is no vision, the people perish.
And here is the contrast.
But he that keepeth the law happy is he.
I want you to notice how here even in this verse there is a connection between vision and the law.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
That is the statement.
And then the contrast is but he that keepeth the law.
Or where there is vision, where the law of God is, happy is he.
So I want to begin by helping you understand that when we're talking about vision.
And obviously today if you read business books, if you read books that have to do with leading organizations or leadership or things like that.
The secular world talks a lot about vision today.
And companies talk a lot about vision statements and having a vision for what you're trying to accomplish.
And I don't think there is necessarily anything wrong with that.
I think that often times the secular world and often times the business world has ripped things out of the Bible.
And has ripped things off of God's word in order to utilize it in the secular world.
And again I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that.
But I want you to understand when we look at this word vision in the Bible.
We're referring to a biblical vision that is derived from the word of God.
A biblical vision that is derived from the word of God.
When the Bible says where there is no vision.
It is referring to where there is no biblical vision.
Where there is no vision that has been derived from the word of God.
But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Now you're there in Proverbs 29.
We're going to be coming back to Proverbs throughout the sermon.
So you might want to keep your place there.
But go with me if you would not mind to 1 Samuel chapter number 3.
1 Samuel chapter number 3.
If you can find the 1 and 2 books, they're all clustered together.
1 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles.
We had an entirely brand new sound system installed, purchased and installed for this building.
And everything came in on time and got installed even late yesterday.
Everything except for the two monitor speakers that are supposed to go here.
And they're supposed to help me.
Because when you've got a system like this, you have to be able to hear yourself,
to be able to preach, to be able to speak in a way that makes sense.
So I hope that the sound sounds good to you.
I'll just tell you up front that it sounds terrible to me.
And it kind of makes you feel like you're in some sort of a warp or I don't know.
I'll do my best to preach in a way that's not distracting.
I tried to fake it this morning and I hope that it wasn't too much.
But I'll just be honest with you.
I'm looking forward to next week when we have those speakers, Lord willing, by then.
And I'll have a better idea.
I'm curious to maybe talk to the song leaders and see what they thought, how they felt.
Anyway, I'm not sure why I'm bringing that up.
1 Samuel chapter 3.
Look at verse 1.
1 Samuel chapter 3 verse 1.
I guess I'm bringing that up in case you kind of see me being a little bit of a spaz.
It's just the psalms messing with me.
1 Samuel 3 verse 1.
The Bible says this,
And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli.
Notice these words.
And the word of the Lord was precious in those days.
The word of the Lord was precious in those days.
What does that mean?
It was precious.
Things that are precious,
Things that are precious, they are precious because there's not a lot of it.
Diamonds are a precious stone because there's not a lot of them.
There's a lot more worthless rocks out there than there are diamonds and jewels or gold.
And here the Bible says that the word of the Lord was precious in those days.
Why was it precious?
Because the Bible says there was no, notice the words here, open vision.
There was no open vision.
What does that mean?
There was no preacher that was openly preaching the word of God, teaching the word of God.
There was no revelation from God regarding scripture.
There was no open vision.
Nobody was preaching the word of God.
And I want you to notice the connection there to the word of God.
And the word of the Lord was precious in those days.
And then God equates that to there was no open vision.
So when we're talking about vision, we're talking about vision that is derived from the word of God.
A biblical vision must always come from the word of God.
Go to John chapter 4.
Do me a favor, keep your place there in 1 Samuel.
We're going to come back to that area as well.
So if you would not mind, put a ribbon or a bookmark or something there
because we're going to leave it and we're going to come back to it.
1 Samuel chapter number 3.
I just, you know, when it comes, this is a little bit of therapy for me.
When it comes to new buildings and new situations like this,
not only do I need to get used to the speakers, I got to get used to all of it.
You know, I got to get used to the new platform.
I love the pulpit.
I designed the pulpit.
I have to get used to preaching behind this pulpit.
I have to get used to all of you and the other building.
You know, we had different sections and people were in different places
and all of it is kind of new to me.
So, you know, just bear with me as I get accustomed to these things.
Keep your place there in 1 Samuel chapter number 3.
We're going to come back to it and go to John chapter 4.
John chapter 4.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
John chapter 4.
We're talking about vision.
We're doing a little bit of a Bible study on regards to vision
because we want to learn the principle of vision.
What does it mean to have vision?
Or more importantly, what does it mean to have no vision?
And the first thing we want you to notice is that
biblical vision is derived from the Word of God.
If we're going to have a vision that comes from the Word of God
that we can apply to Proverbs 29 and 18
where there is no vision, the people perish,
then we must realize that it must come from the Word of God.
It must come from the Bible.
But it's not just that.
It's not just that vision is only referring to scripture
although the word is used that way in scripture, right?
And the word of the Lord was precious in those days.
There was no open vision.
But the Bible also uses this concept
of not just having a vision derived from the Word of God
but the word vision has to do with seeing things
the way that God sees them.
When the Bible talks about vision
where there is no vision, the people perish,
the idea is that nobody is seeing things
the way that God sees them.
Nobody is looking at things and thinking of things
in the way that God would look at them and think of them.
And in John chapter 4, I want to give you an example
of Jesus trying to explain this or trying to use this concept
with his disciples where he's trying to get them to get a vision.
He's trying to get them to see things in the way that he sees them.
Notice John chapter 4 in verse number 35.
John 4, 35 says this,
Say not ye there are yet four months and then cometh harvest.
Jesus is talking to his disciples
and he's talking to them about the harvest.
Presumably they're standing or looking over a field
because of the words that he's about to give us in the context seem to indicate
that they're looking over a field that would bring in some sort of a harvest.
And then Jesus, as they're there
and they're looking at this physical field that would produce some sort of a harvest
maybe a corn field or something like that.
He looks at his disciples and he says,
Say not ye there are four months and then cometh harvest.
Physically, the field they were looking at,
they would have said in about four months we can begin to harvest this field.
We can begin to take the crops from this field.
We can begin to take this yield.
Jesus says, Say not ye that there are four months and then cometh harvest.
Behold, I say unto you.
And I want you to notice the wording here.
He says, Lift up your eyes.
Notice the emphasis is on vision.
Now he's telling them to lift up their eyes
and he's telling them to physically look over onto the field.
But I want you to notice he's trying to get them to see something that they're not currently seeing.
In fact, he's trying to get them to see something that's not physically there.
He's not literally talking about the physical harvest.
He says, Say not ye there are yet four months and then cometh harvest.
Behold, I say unto you.
Lift up your eyes.
Notice again the emphasis on vision.
And look, the emphasis on vision.
He says, Look on the field for they are white already to harvest.
Jesus is literally talking about going out and harvesting corn,
going out and harvesting grain,
going out and harvesting a field.
He says, Look, we're looking at a physical field.
But what I want you to see is the harvest of souls that is out there
and Jesus is trying to get them to see something biblically that they don't yet see.
So we see that biblical vision is seeing things the way that God sees them
is derived from the Word of God.
It's something that we take from the Word of God
and as a result of the Word of God,
maybe we could all look at the same thing
but as a result of what we see from the Bible,
we would say this is what God sees.
This is how God sees it.
This is the vision that God has given us.
So when it comes to the principle of vision,
I just want you to understand.
When the Bible says here, where there is no vision,
we understand that what is being said,
what is meant by that phrase,
where there is no vision, is this.
He's saying in the instance when there is not someone
who gets a biblical view of what God would want done
or what God would want accomplished,
in the instance when there is not someone who can see things
the way that God would see them,
derived from a biblical worldview,
He says where there is no vision.
Then I want you to notice the second part of the principle.
The first part is where there is no vision
and I want you to understand what that means.
It means where there is no one
in the instance that there is no one
who sees things the way that God sees things
and that is found through the Word of God.
By the way, let me just say this.
The way that you and I get the mind of God
and get the mind of Christ
and begin to see things the way that God sees them
is to get our minds in the Word of God.
As we read the Word of God,
as we study the Word of God,
as we understand how it is that God thinks
and what God sees and how God feels about things,
then you and I can begin to have our minds renewed.
It is interesting to me how often I talk to Christians
who, and I think to myself,
you have no clue the way you talk,
the way you respond, the things that you say,
the way that you're talking about this situation right now,
it's so clear that you do not see things
the way that God sees them.
You're not thinking the way that God thinks.
Because when you and I begin to see things
the way that God sees them,
we will see them very differently.
This is why the Bible says that
His ways are higher than our ways
and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
So we see where there is no vision.
Now I want you to notice the second part of the phrase.
The second part is this.
The people perish.
Now you're there in the New Testament.
You're in John chapter 4.
I'd like you to flip back to John chapter 3
if you wouldn't mind.
John chapter 3.
Oftentimes when we think of the word perish
we often associate it with people going to hell.
Now there's a reason for that.
The most famous verse in the Bible
uses this word in the context of someone going to hell.
In John chapter 3,
in fact before we read verse 16,
which is the most famous verse in the Bible,
let's read verse 15, John 3.15.
That whosoever believeth in him
should not, notice the word, perish,
but have eternal life.
For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.
And as a result of John 3.16
using the word perish,
I associate the word perish with somebody going to hell.
Now don't misunderstand me.
Perish is the correct word.
It's the right word to be used here.
And it's in the right context and all that.
But I want you to understand the word perish
means more than just that.
And I'll prove it to you from the Bible.
There's more to this idea of perish.
You're there in John chapter 3.
Go backwards into the book of Luke.
Luke chapter number 5.
You're there in John.
Just flip back to Luke chapter 5.
And while you turn there,
let me just give you a definition for the word perish.
The word perish is defined as to pass away,
to disappear,
to be lost,
to suffer complete ruin or destruction,
to decay and disappear,
to waste away, to nothing.
Now when the Bible uses the word perish in John 3.16,
the way that it's actually being used is as the word lost.
And if you remember from Luke chapter 15,
the word lost is often associated with unsaved people.
We understand that unsaved people are lost.
They do perish.
And when they die without price,
they are lost in such a way that they can never be redeemed.
They go to hell for all of eternity
and they are lost forever.
But I want you to not just think of the word perish
as meaning someone going to hell,
although that can definitely be used in that context
because that is the worst eternal loss of all
when someone dies and goes to hell.
But the word perish doesn't just mean going to hell.
It means to be lost.
It means to pass away.
It means to decay.
It means to lose, to waste away,
to suffer complete ruin.
Let me just show you how else it's used in the word of God.
Luke chapter 5 verse 37.
Luke 5 37 says this,
And no man put his new wine into old bottles,
else the new wine will burst the bottles and be spilled,
notice the words,
and the bottles shall perish.
The bottles shall perish.
Now is the Bible telling us here
that these bottles are going to die and go to hell?
It's not saying that
because obviously we're talking about just bottles
that are filled with wine.
He says look,
no man put his new wine into old bottles,
else the new wine will burst the bottles and be spilled.
And Jesus is talking here about leather,
these bottles of wine that are made out of leather,
and of course we know in the ancient world
they would put wine into these bottles
and when the leather was fresh,
and the bottles were new,
and the wine was new,
the wine would expand,
and the leather would expand with it,
and it would be fine.
But if you would take new wine
and pour it into old bottles,
the old bottles had leather that had hardened,
and when that wine would expand,
it would burst the bottles
because the bottles were no longer tender,
the leather no longer expanded.
This is what Jesus is talking about.
He says no man put his new wine into old bottles,
else the new wine will burst the bottles
and be spilled,
and the bottles shall perish.
And I'm not necessarily preaching on that,
I just want you to notice,
here when Jesus says the bottles shall perish,
He's saying the bottles are going to go to waste.
They're going to be wasted.
Look at Luke 13 and verse 33.
Luke 13 verse 33,
notice how Jesus uses the word in this context.
Luke 13, 33.
Nevertheless I must walk today,
and tomorrow and the day following,
notice what He says,
He says for it cannot be
that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
Here Jesus says,
I have to keep going,
I must walk today and tomorrow
and the day following for it cannot be.
He said I cannot stop,
I cannot quit
because I don't want it to be
that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
Is He saying that a prophet,
referring to himself,
is going to be lost for all of eternity?
He's just saying
it cannot be that a prophet would be lost
out of Jerusalem.
He says,
I'm the only prophet right now
preaching in Jerusalem,
and if I don't keep going,
then Jerusalem is going to lose a prophet.
That's the way He's using the word perish.
So I want you to notice
that the word perish is not just
referring to being lost to hell,
but it's just a word that means
to be lost in general,
to be wasted in general,
to lose the ability
to suffer complete ruin and destruction in general.
Let me give you another verse.
Go to 2nd Corinthians chapter 4.
2nd Corinthians chapter 4.
And I'm really kind of hammering this out
because I want you to understand
what the Bible means here
when it says,
where there is no vision.
The people perish.
2nd Corinthians chapter 4.
Now, you kept your place,
I think, in 1st Samuel.
I'd like you to continue to keep your place there.
But also keep your place here
in 2nd Corinthians chapter 4.
2nd Corinthians chapter 4, look at verse 16.
2nd Corinthians 4, 16.
The Bible says this,
For which cause we faint not.
Notice what he says.
He says,
But though our outward man perish,
yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
But yet the outward man perish,
yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
He's talking about someone that's saved.
And he says, look,
though your outward man,
talking about your flesh,
though your outward man is perishing,
yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
What does the word perish mean here?
He's saying,
though your outward man wastes away.
Because the truth is this,
your outward man and my outward man
is going to waste away.
We took pictures today,
of course, many pictures
for the big day
and for the opening of our building.
And I was home with my wife
and Brother Oliver sent me over some of the pictures
and I was looking at the pictures
and I said to her,
I look like I've had a hard life.
I mean, I just,
I'm not talking about drugs or alcohol,
I just look like,
it looks like it's been a difficult life for this guy.
And this is what this verse is talking about,
though the outward man perish,
yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
So the word perish means to waste away,
to begin to fall apart,
to disappear.
So let's go back to our verse,
Proverbs 29, 18.
When the Bible says,
where there is no vision,
what does vision mean?
It means a biblical view,
to see things the way that God would see them.
Jesus looked at his eyeballs and said,
say not,
yet four months and then the harvest.
He says, but lift up your eyes,
He said, and look,
He said, I want you to see things the way I see them
and I want you to realize
that the harvest is here,
that it's time to harvest.
The phrase where there is no vision means this,
in the instance when there is not someone
who gets a biblical view
for what God would want done or accomplished,
the people perish.
And that phrase, the people perish means this,
that the people waste away,
that the people waste their potential,
that the future of the people disappears,
it decays, it's destroyed and yes,
even could be applied to being lost to hell for all of eternity,
but it's not just that
because even saved people can perish
and it doesn't mean they go to hell,
it means that they've lost
and they've wasted their life.
The principle of vision is this,
if someone doesn't get a biblical view
of how God sees things,
then people will waste away,
lives will be destroyed,
people will waste their lives
and what they could have done
and what could have been accomplished
will never come to pass.
Go to Nehemiah if you would,
Nehemiah chapter number 2,
if you kept your place in 1 Samuel,
from 1 Samuel you can go past 2 Samuel,
past 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles,
Ezra into the book of Nehemiah,
1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings,
1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah.
So we saw, first of all tonight,
the principle of vision,
where there is no vision,
biblical views,
seeing things the way God sees them,
the people perish.
What does that mean?
It means yes, people die and go to hell,
but it's more than that,
it means that if you don't get a biblical view
for the things of God
and begin to see things the way God sees them,
people in your life are going to waste away,
they're going to be ruined,
they're going to come to knock,
they're going to be lost,
they're going to lose their opportunities in their life,
that's the principle of vision.
And I want you to notice secondly,
what I see from this verse is not only the principle of vision,
but I see the purpose of vision,
the purpose of vision.
And here's what I want you to understand,
the principle of vision highlights for us
the purpose or the need for a vision.
Because if it's true,
if it's true,
that when and where people do not get a biblical view,
the ability to see things the way that God sees them,
in those instances when people do not get a vision,
a biblical vision for what could be lives are wasted,
futures are wasted, opportunities are wasted,
potential is wasted,
people even die and go to hell as a result.
If that's true, which it is,
then that should motivate us to have a vision.
That should motivate us to get a vision.
You should be motivated,
look, we're having the vision offering,
and our church has a vision,
and praise God for it,
I hope that you will get on board with the vision
that God has given us here at Trinity Baptist Church.
But I say to you that you need to have a vision,
that you need to get a biblical view of your life
and the areas of your life
that you need to begin to see your family
and your marriage and your children
and your career and your job
and your opportunities and your potential
and your life, you need to get a vision
for how God would have you
to see what He's given you.
Because if you don't, you're wasted.
You'll waste opportunities,
you'll waste potential, you'll waste life.
The principle of vision highlights the purpose of vision,
which is this, you need a vision.
I need a vision.
In Nehemiah chapter 2,
I want you to notice that this is a passage
and when Nehemiah comes back,
we've talked a lot about Ezra and the second temple
and of course,
Nehemiah is along with that group,
coming back from the captivity.
Jerusalem has been destroyed,
the temple has been destroyed,
the wall has been destroyed,
Nehemiah is coming back
and Nehemiah is coming back with a vision.
He has something that he wants to accomplish.
He is seeing things the way that God sees them.
Now I want you to notice,
I think that this is one of the greatest passages in the Bible
when we often refer to casting a vision.
I have a vision for Trinity Baptist Church.
Oftentimes my job as a preacher
is to stand up behind the pulpit
and to cast that vision,
to try to help you to see
what the Lord has shown me
in regards to the future of our church.
And you should have a vision for yourself,
for your life, for your potential.
I want you to notice how Nehemiah begins.
He begins with this idea of what is,
how it is that things are.
I think one of the reasons that people struggle
with this concept of vision
and the reason that people don't have a vision
is because oftentimes people are like ostriches
and they want to just put their head in the sand
and ignore reality.
And before you and I can begin to see things
the way that God sees them
and begin to see what it is that God would want,
we first need to see things as they truly are.
Look at Nehemiah chapter 2 and verse 11.
Notice what Nehemiah says here.
In Nehemiah 2 and verse 11 he says,
So I, this is Nehemiah speaking,
came to Jerusalem and was there three days.
Notice verse 12.
And I rose in the night,
I and some few men with me.
Neither told I any man,
notice what he says,
neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart.
Here's a man with a vision.
Here's a man with a broken heart.
He's broken hearted for the things
he sees them as they are,
he not only sees them as they are,
he sees them as they could be.
And he talks about the fact that God
had laid something in his heart.
And I just got to ask you the question,
is there anything that God has led,
has placed in your heart?
Anything in your life that you would say,
I believe this is a vision that God has given me.
I'm not talking about some charismatic Pentecostal
you saw of some hippie and you called him Jesus.
I'm talking about a Biblical view
where you got something from the Word of God
and you said,
yes, I see things the way God wants me to see them.
He says,
neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart
to do at Jerusalem,
neither was there any beast with me
save the beast that I wrote upon, verse 13,
and I went out by night by the gate of the valley
even before the dragon well to the dung port
and notice the emphasis on vision.
He says,
and viewed the walls of Jerusalem
which were,
notice he doesn't sugar coat it.
He's just looking at reality.
He says,
I viewed the walls of Jerusalem
which were broken down
and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
Look at verse 15.
Then went I in the night by the brook,
notice the emphasis on vision,
and viewed the wall
and turned back and entered by the gate of the valley
and so returned.
Look at verse 17.
Then said I unto them,
ye see,
notice the emphasis on vision,
ye see the distress that we are in,
how Jerusalem lieth waste
and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
I want you to notice that here we see a man
who has a vision,
but he begins by seeing things as they truly are.
And in your life and in my life,
we're just going to have to start looking
at ourselves in reality
and look at ourselves and say,
where are we in life?
How is your marriage actually doing?
How is your child rearing actually coming along?
How is your personal walk with God?
How is your personal development?
How is your soul winning going?
How is your Bible time going?
How is your prayer time going?
I'm here to tell you,
before you can begin to see things
the way that God sees them,
you need to start seeing them in reality.
Nehemiah looks at the situation
and he says,
I've just got to be honest.
The city lieth waste.
You see the distress that we're in.
The walls of Jerusalem are broken down,
the gates thereof are consumed with fire.
He sees what is.
But Nehemiah was not just a negative individual,
a critical individual,
someone who was there,
who just came to Jerusalem
just to kick them while they're down.
He begins by telling them what is
and then he tells them what can be.
By the way,
for those of you that want to preach or preach
or you lead in some sort of capacity
when it comes to casting a vision,
you first have to tell people
what the problem is
and then tell them how to fix it.
Tell them what the problem is
and then tell them the solution.
Oftentimes all anyone wants to do
is tell you what the problem is.
All day long people are telling me
what the problem is,
what the problem is.
I'm oftentimes not looking for people
to tell me what the problem is.
I know what the problem is.
Help me fix it.
And here Nehemiah says,
look, you see, you know,
you understand where we are.
You can look around and see
that we've been destroyed,
that there are no gates,
there are no walls,
that Jerusalem lieth in ruin.
But then he casts a vision.
Look at the last part of verse 17.
Come and let us build up the wall.
By the way, the difference between
a manager and a leader is this.
The manager says go.
The leader says we'll go.
Let us build up the wall of Jerusalem.
That we, notice the words,
be no more a reproach.
This man had a vision,
not just for what is.
He clearly saw what is,
but he also saw what could be.
Look at verse 18.
Then I told them of the hand of my God
which was upon me,
as also the king's words
that he had spoken unto me,
and they said,
let us rise up and build
so they strengthen their hands
for this good work.
Notice the response from the people.
Here you had a people
that were living in Jerusalem.
They saw the walls broken down every day.
They saw the city lying in ruin every day.
They saw these problems every day.
They didn't think to do anything about it.
They had no desire to do anything about it.
They had no motivation to do anything about it.
But then a man showed up with some vision.
And he said I see what you see,
but I also see what could be.
I see what you see,
but I also see that we could be no more a reproach.
And he told them of the hand of my God
which was upon them.
And then the Bible says they said,
they began to see what Nehemiah saw,
and they said,
let us rise up and build
so they strengthen their hands
for this good work.
Vision is an exercise in faith.
It's seeing not only what is,
but what could be.
And again, I just ask you tonight,
how's your spiritual life?
Let's begin with reality.
How are you doing spiritually, really?
And then ask yourself,
how does God see it?
How would God want to see me?
What would God's will for my life be?
You ought to assess your spiritual life.
You ought to assess your personal development.
You ought to assess your marriage.
You ought to assess your relationship with your spouse.
You ought to assess your relationship with your children.
You ought to assess your children's development
and how your kids are developing physically
and intellectually and spiritually.
You ought to assess your own career
and business and your finances.
You ought to assess your relationship
with other people's friendships
and church members and things of that nature.
You need to get a vision for your life.
Someone said this,
a man without vision is a man without a future.
And you need to see what God sees.
Because here's what I know about you.
God sees something in you.
God sees a great potential in you.
God sees great potential in your children.
God sees great potential in your marriage.
God sees great things in you.
And you need to begin to see what God sees.
You're there in Nehemiah.
It goes maybe what to the New Testament book of Philippians.
Philippians chapter number 3.
If you kept your place in 2 Corinthians,
I ask you to keep your place there.
You can go past Galatians, Ephesians, into the book of Philippians.
2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians.
We talked number 1 about the principle of vision.
What is it?
Vision is a biblical view,
seeing things the way God sees them.
Perish is this, wasted, lost.
And where there is no vision,
please listen to me.
Where there is a dad that does not have a vision for his children.
Where there is a mother that does not have a vision for her children.
The children perish.
I'm not saying they die and go to hell,
although maybe they do.
I'm saying their lives are wasted.
Their potential is wasted.
Their opportunities are wasted.
Where there is no vision,
things are lost.
Things decay.
Things are wasted away.
That's the principle of vision.
That leads us to the purpose of vision.
The idea is this.
If it's true that where there is no vision,
the people perish,
then you and I need to make sure we have a biblical vision.
So that things are not wasted.
So that things are not wasted away.
So that opportunities are not lost.
So that everyone in our lives,
and everyone that's influenced and impacted by us,
can fulfill their redemptive potential.
Then I want you to notice thirdly tonight,
the pursuit of vision.
The pursuit of vision.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
But he that keepeth the law happy is he.
In Philippians chapter 3,
and I've preached a lot out of Philippians chapter 3.
I think it's one of my favorite chapters in the Bible.
I want you to notice that here we see a man with vision.
The apostle Paul.
I know you're familiar with this passage,
but I just want you to see it.
Philippians chapter 3 and verse 12.
The Bible says this.
This is the apostle Paul speaking.
He says,
Not as though I had already attained.
I want you to notice that Paul begins with,
the same way that Nehemiah began,
with a clear view of what is.
Not as though I had already attained.
Meaning, Paul is saying,
I know that I've not arrived.
And by the way, let me just say this.
If the apostle Paul has not arrived,
neither have you and neither have I.
If the apostle Paul says there's more for me to do,
there's more for me to grow,
there's more for me to learn,
there's more for me to accomplish,
then you and I need to have the same attitude
and say tonight,
I have not already attained.
Look, we moved into a beautiful building today,
but let us never think as very Baptist church.
Well now we've attained.
Paul says,
I've not arrived.
He says,
Not as though I had already attained.
Either we're already perfect,
the word perfect means complete or whole.
He says,
But I follow after.
I love that little phrase,
I follow after.
The idea says,
he says,
I'm still chasing that thing.
I'm still chasing,
trying to fulfill the will of God.
He's not chasing drugs,
he's not chasing alcohol,
he's not chasing fame,
he's not chasing money.
He says,
But I follow after,
that I may apprehend,
that for which also I am apprehended
of Christ Jesus.
I don't know if you understand those words
or if you've thought about those words,
those are some amazing words there.
You say,
You want to know what I'm chasing after?
You want to know what I'm following after?
Let me ask you,
please don't answer me,
because I don't want to know.
What are you following?
How do I know what I'm following?
Well, for some of you it would be real easy,
just what are you following on Facebook?
Who are you following on Instagram?
What are you pursuing after and following?
Because Paul says,
I follow that I may apprehend.
He says,
I have something I want to accomplish.
I want to apprehend.
But then when you ask Paul,
what are you trying to apprehend, Paul?
What is it you're trying to get?
What is it you're trying to grab?
What is it you're chasing after
and trying to catch up to?
He says,
I may apprehend that for which,
he says,
also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Do you understand what that means?
Paul says,
I'm trying to apprehend Christ,
because I've been apprehended by Christ.
I realize that
the vast majority of Christians
are not going to understand this
and are never going to understand this.
But there are some Christians,
there are some people,
and sometimes it's only for a short amount
of their lives.
But every once in a while,
something happens in the life of a believer
where they are apprehended by Christ.
Where Christ becomes their life
and nothing else matters.
Money and fame and wealth
and music and all these,
none of it matters and only Christ matters.
He says, I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
I pray that we'd have people in this church
and I pray for myself
that we would be individuals
that have been not only trying to apprehend Christ,
but have been apprehended by Christ.
And then in that context,
and by the way, let me just say this,
I feel like God's been saying this to us
over and over.
I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
It's just the Apostle Paul way
of saying what Moses said,
that God had taken the children of Israel
and He had borne them on eagle's wings
that He might bring them unto Himself.
I am apprehended of Christ.
It's just the Apostle Paul's way of saying
the goal is God.
God is the goal.
Happiness and joy comes in fulfillment,
in living for Christ.
He says, there's only one thing I want,
it's Jesus.
And when you and I get there,
it makes a world of difference.
In that context,
He says this, verse 13,
brethren, I count not myself
that I'm apprehended.
He said, I'm not arrived.
But there's one thing I do
for getting those things which are behind,
all of that has to do with what is.
You say, but pastor, you don't understand.
If you understood the way that things are,
you know what the Bible says,
and I'm not trying to minimize
whatever you're going through
or have gone through in life,
I'm not minimizing that at all,
but I am telling you this,
that the Bible says,
forgetting those things which are behind.
And then He focuses on what can be,
He says, and reaching forth
unto those things which are before.
See, He says, I have a vision.
I understand how things are,
but I also see how they can be.
I understand how things are,
but I'm also seeing things
the way that God sees them.
And He says, for that reason,
I'm reaching forth unto those things
which are before.
That reaching forth
unto those things which are before
is a vision.
It's a biblical vision.
The apostle Paul, he says,
I have a direction I am going,
I am apprehended of Christ.
But then I want you to notice,
verse 14, and this is really the key,
or the secret.
He says, I press toward the mark.
And the word mark is a reference to a goal,
that's the vision.
He says, there is a mark,
there is a vision,
there is a direction,
there is a way that I'm going,
I see things the way God sees them,
and I'm moving in that direction,
I am apprehended.
He says that I may apprehend for that
which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
He says, I press toward the mark.
But I want to highlight for you this evening
this word press.
The word press is defined as
to move into a position
by exerting continuous force.
The idea is to try to push into something,
to lean into something,
to force into something,
to work toward something.
And that press, that word press,
tells us about the pursuit of vision.
Because here's the truth,
you can have a biblical vision all day long,
and you can even have a clear view
of how things are,
and how things should be,
and how God sees them,
and what God wants,
and you can have a biblical vision,
but unless you and I
begin to pursue that vision,
it means nothing.
He says, I press toward the mark.
Someone said it this way,
nothing ever came by wishing,
it comes by working.
This beautiful building
and the remodel that happened here,
it didn't happen because we wished it.
Now we prayed about it.
But we also put feet to our prayers
and got to work.
At least some of us did.
We also scheduled workdays
and actually got in here.
Well, we prayed, we had a vision.
We had a vision of what it could be,
how it could be.
We had a vision of what could be,
but we also had to press towards it.
We had to work towards it.
And I'm just here to tell you
when it comes to vision,
this is how it works.
This is how it works.
Because so often people look at
other Christians that are further down the road,
and they say,
wow, look at that great biblical marriage.
Wow, look at how they've raised those children.
Wow, look at the financial situation that individual's in.
Wow, look at the health that that person has.
Wow, look at the success that that person has.
Wow, look at what they've accomplished.
And they have this thought and they think,
oh, they must just be lucky.
It's not luck, it's work.
It takes work to have a good marriage.
It takes work to raise children for God.
It takes work to do anything, accomplish anything,
do anything great for God.
It's work.
You got to work at it.
You got to press.
You got to pursue.
The principle of vision is this.
In situations when people do not have a vision,
when people do not get a biblical view
of what is and what could be,
and they see it in the way that God sees it,
then people perish.
People are lost.
Sometimes they're lost for all of eternity in hell.
But even when they're not lost in hell,
praise God,
they can still waste away their opportunities
and their potential in their life.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
That's the principle.
That principle teaches us that then
you and I better get a vision.
We need to have a purpose for life.
We need to have a vision.
And look, I have a vision for Verity Baptist Church.
I don't need you to have a vision
for Verity Baptist Church.
You're not the pastor of Verity Baptist Church.
But if and when you pastor a church,
you should have a vision for that church.
But let me say this.
You got to have a vision for whatever area
you find yourself in in your life.
In your situation, with your family,
in your context.
You got to have a vision
of what is and what could be.
And then, and then,
once you have that vision,
you begin to work towards that vision.
You press towards it.
You pursue it.
Because nothing ever came by wishing.
It comes by working.
Go back to Proverbs 29 and verse 18.
Where there is no vision, the people perish.
We've said it several times
over the last several weeks
because it's been on my mind
and we've been, obviously,
transitioning into this new property.
But my wife and I started Verity Baptist Church
13 years ago in our living room.
This church is the result of the vision
that my wife and I had 13 years ago.
My wife and I saw this church.
Now we didn't see you specifically.
In fact, it would be nice to not see some of you.
But we would have never imagined
the characters that make up Verity Baptist Church.
But we saw this church.
We saw that there was an opportunity,
that there was a place in Sacramento
that needed a church.
We didn't see you.
But you know what we saw?
We saw the preaching of the Word of God.
You know what we saw?
We saw a soul winning army.
You know what we saw?
We saw that souls could be saved
and we could knock on doors
and get people saved
and then follow up on those souls
and bring them to church
and they'd be baptized
and they'd begin to grow.
We saw a discipleship chorus.
Look, we saw this orchestra.
This church, I'm not talking about this building.
This building, I'm just saying,
this church is the vision we saw.
We saw a church with a homeschool group
with a hundred kids in it.
We saw a church that had
a red hot preaching conference.
A church that had a next generation youth rally.
We saw a church that had a hundred soul winners.
A hundred and twenty soul winners
going out every week.
We saw what God saw.
Thirteen years ago, my wife and I,
we saw this church.
We did not see you,
but we saw what could be.
Eight years ago,
I saw this building.
Eight years ago in 2016,
we were walking around
wondering where in the world
we were going to go,
what we were going to do.
And I saw this building.
Now, let me just be clear.
I didn't see this building,
although I did see this building.
But I'm not talking about this building.
I just knew that God had a place for us.
That's why eight years ago,
a church with a hundred people in it
began to actively raise money.
And I began to stand up before all of you
eight years ago and began to say,
in our vision offering,
we're going to begin to set aside money
for a future building.
And some of you laughed out loud.
And yes, it hurt my feelings.
And you thought, a future building?
We're going to purchase a building?
We can't even rent a building.
We're going to purchase a building?
But I saw this building.
And again, I didn't see this building.
But it's interesting because eight years ago,
and for many years after that,
I remember speaking to people,
and I talked to my wife about it,
but I talked to other people about it
here in our church.
And you know, I kept telling people this.
I just assumed that we would purchase
some sort of a commercial,
like a warehouse-type building,
some sort of flex building,
like half warehouse, half offices,
that we would turn into a church building.
And this is what I kept telling people.
I kept telling people.
Here's what I see.
I see that we purchased a...
And I kept telling people,
it needs to be a building.
I want it to be a building.
I'm praying that it would be a building
within these borders.
No more south than West El Camino Avenue.
No more north than I...
Not I-80, but just the border of Natomas.
And this is obviously back when we were in Natomas.
And I kept telling people,
the furthest we will go is Norwood on one side.
And the furthest we'll go on another side
was West El Camino off the freeway on that side.
And I kept thinking,
I want to find a building in that area.
And this is what I kept thinking
because there's a lot of warehouse-types
building in that area,
what I just described,
what we call the big five zip codes,
9583334353815, a lot of warehouse.
And this is what I kept telling people.
Somewhere there's a building
that we're going to purchase
and it's going to have an empty lot next to it.
And I kept telling people,
I don't know that we'll be able to purchase
both the building and the empty lot,
but I'm praying that God
allows us to purchase a building
with an empty lot,
we'll purchase the building,
we'll remodel it
and turn it into a church building,
and then eventually we'll purchase the empty lot
and we'll turn it into a field
for the children to play in.
And here's what I'm telling you.
I was seeing this building.
Not this building,
but this is the layout
that I pretty much said,
this is what I'd like.
And this is what we were working towards.
Eight years ago I saw this building.
I didn't see this exact building,
but I saw that God had a place for us.
What I'm saying to you is this,
where there is no vision,
lives are wasted.
Potential is wasted.
Opportunities are wasted.
Where there is no vision,
the people perish.
Where there is no vision,
in the instances
when there is not someone
who gets a biblical view
of what God would want done or accomplished,
in the instances where someone
does not see things
the way that God sees them,
in those instances,
and as a result of that,
people waste away,
waste their potential,
disappear, decay, or destroy.
And yes, even sometimes,
die and go to hell.
Where there is no vision,
the people perish.
So where's your vision?
What vision do you have?
Say, I don't have a vision.
Then get a vision.
Begin to look at the areas of your life
and ask yourself,
where am I?
How are things?
And how could they be?
How would God see them?
How does God see them?
You know the Bible says
in the book of Psalms
about children, it says,
whom we make make princes.
You can make your child a prince,
the Bible says.
And the idea is this,
begin to look at your children
the way God sees them.
Begin to look at your spouse
the way God sees them.
Begin to look at your fellow church members
the way that God sees them.
Begin to look at these people
out on the street
and we knock on their doors
and begin to see them
the way God sees them.
Because where there is no vision,
the people perish.
I hope you'll get a vision.
Because I wonder, I wonder,
how many lives could be changed?
How many people could be saved?
How much eternity could be impacted
if someone would just get a vision?
Spire heads and have a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father,
Lord we do love you.
And Lord we thank you for this church.
And I don't in any way, shape or form
want to take credit for the things
that have been done here.
This has been a group effort
and we have been co-laboring
together with God.
But Lord I understand that
everything rises and falls on leadership.
And as the pastor of this church
I need to have a vision.
Help us not to get here
and to think,
okay, we're done now.
We've accomplished.
There's nothing else for us to do.
There remain as yet very much land
to be possessed.
Help us have a vision for that.
And Lord I pray for everybody here
that they would get a vision
for their lives,
for their children,
their marriages,
their jobs and career,
their health,
their spiritual walk with you.
Help us to get a vision.
To pursue that vision.
To press into it.
And that eternity might be impacted
in an amazing way
because of the things we do
in pursuing what could be.
In the matchless name of Christ
we pray.
Amen.
Well I want to thank you
for being with us tonight
this morning.
This was a wonderful day
of course here
as we had our opening
at Verity Baptist Church.
We appreciate you sharing
this day with us.
And I'm looking forward to
just getting back into
some sort of a normal routine.
Obviously this building
there's still lots to do
and things for us to get used to.
But I just want to again
say thank you, thank you,
thank you to all of you
who helped in every way
to get us here.
There's still lots for us to do.
I've got a vision
for things that God
would want us to accomplish
and I hope that you'll see
things the way that God
sees them as well.
I want to just say
that if you could help us
to kind of pick up your area
if your kids made a mess
or took the hymn books out
maybe you can put those back.
We would appreciate
your help with that.
And of course my wife and I
love all of you.
We're praying for you
and if there's ever anything
you need please know
that we are here for you.
We're now Brother RJ
lead us in a final song
at this time.
Amen.
Let's hear our song
we'll just turn to page
number 304.
Song number 304
and we will end the service
with nothing between
song number 304.
The Bible says blessed
by the pure in heart
for they shall see God.
So song number 304
sing it out on the first.
Nothing between
my soul and the Savior
not of this world's
elusive dream
I have renowned
with sinful pleasure
Jesus is mine
there's nothing between
nothing between
my soul and the Savior
so that his blessed
ways may be seen
nothing preventing
the least of his favor
keep the way clear
let nothing between
song number 304
on the second.
Nothing between
like worldly pleasure
habits of life
though warmness they seem
must not my heart
from him ever sever
he is my own
there's nothing between
nothing between
my soul and the Savior
so that his blessed
things may be seen
nothing preventing
the least of his favor
keep the way clear
let nothing between
nothing between
like bridle like station
self and friend
shall not intervene
though it may cost me
much tribulation
I am resolved
there's nothing between
nothing between
my soul and the Savior
so that his blessed
things may be seen
nothing preventing
the least of his favor
feel that nothing
this feels finish strong
on the last
nothing between
in many hard trials
though the world
against me coming
watching with prayer
and self denying
I'll try my last
but nothing between
nothing between
my soul and my Savior
so that his blessed
things may be seen
nothing preventing
the least of his favor
keep the way clear
let nothing between
amen great see I'm gonna have
brother Matt closing in a word of prayer
but before we dismiss
if anyone here has questions about
salvation, baptism, or church membership
pastor will be at the door
he would love to talk to you directly
someone is trained to do that as well
brother Matt would you dismiss us with a word of prayer
I want to honor and want you to
rest in peace as well
thank you for doing this
Lord, and thank you for giving us
the capacity to bring
further this heart
to have a vision to release this
community of yours
I pray Lord that you will help us get behind
that so you can get a part of it
keep us all stay here
it's part of the work of our Heavenly Father
and Jesus says Amen
You
you