Without A Vision the People Perish 

Lesson 1 

Proverbs 29: 18a 

Where there is no vision, the people perish

When you do not have a vision, you perish, lost souls perish and churches perish

But we must keep in mind, there is no hopeless situation, just people that think hopelessly or are without a vision. 

Vision is to see beyond what is and see what can be.

Without a vision man moves into a below standard position and can feel inferior.

The word perish means to be destroyed, destructed, discouraged.

People have nervous breakdowns or end in poverty or even commit suicide. 

We were created by God to dream and imagine to make things a reality, to create. But we have not grasped this. Most feel you have to go wherever life leads you and just float around aimlessly in life accomplishing nothing. 

Peter stepped out onto the water because he had a vision. Then he lost his vision and sank. If we lose vision, we can sink. We need to keep the vision of what we want to accomplish in front of us and we will see the fulfillment of that vision. 

Proverbs 13:12

Hope deferred (delayed in fulfillment) makes the heart sick. (resentment, fault finding, discontented) Vision brings life.

Proverbs 19:15

Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger. 

What is an idol soul? Someone without direction. Someone standing still.

Someone that is not motivated, that has no place to go and just sits and watches life go by will shrivel up.

We must have some kind of vision. Even short term vision is better then none. Take one step at a time. Build your faith to achieve greater things. Start small if you have to, but start!

And we definitely need a vision of what God has for our lives. We need to ask God what He wants for us. What we are called to do and then keep that vision in front of us.

A Church needs a vision of what God wants it to be or it will perish. The vision must be kept before the people to keep it alive

 Habakkuk 2:2-3

And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

Visions Inspire and Excite! 

Prayer, Faith and hard work will avail nothing without a vision to see them through.

You will not develop beyond what you are now if you do not exercise the vision. Your vision is your future. And you cannot out think God

 Ephesians 3:20

 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

 If we make our vision bigger then anything we can do, God will come on the scene. 

We need to use what we have in our hand and God will make it come to pass.

The widow in the Old Testament was ready to make one last meal and then she and her son would die. Then the prophet came along and gave her a choice and he gave her vision. He took what she had and made it so big that she not only fed him, herself and her son, but lived through a terrible drought.

She could have stayed in her misery and both her and her son would have died. But she chose to take the vision and run with it.

When Jesus fed the 5000 he just needed to give them vision and a miracle happened. He took what they had in their hand and they were all fed.

The solution was right in front of them.

1) You must have a vision

2) It must be Big!

3) Encourage yourself in the Lord

4) Pursue it with the word 

What is your vision? Is it bigger then anything you can do on your own? If not, then you need to think bigger. You need to write it down and keep it before your eyes. You need to push it to the limit and beyond and watch what God will do. 

Jesus came demonstrating God’s will as it is in Heaven. The word of God is the will of God written down for us to see. It is the foundation to build every vision on.

With a vision, you can accomplish great things. 

God has no pleasure in those that draw back.

Let God be God!

Don’t limit Him. It takes determination to succeed. 

Have a vision with God!