PROVERBS 29:18  

HELEN KELLER WAS ASKED,”WHAT WOULD BE  
WORSE THAN BEING BORN BLIND?”  SHE SAID,” TO 
HAVE SIGHT WITHOUT VISION.”
                                                                    
GOD’S WORD SAID,” THAT WERE THERE IS NO 
VISION, THE PEOPLE PERISH:”

THE WORD VISION = SIGHT,DREAM,REVELATION
ENLIGHTMENT;

PERISH = TO LOOSEN, TO EXPOSE, TO BARE, TO 
UNCOVER, TO CAST OFF RESTRAINT.

WHAT THE WRITER OF PROVERBS IS SAYING TO US, 
IS WHEN PEOPLE LOOSE SIGHT OF GOD AND HIS 
PURPOSE FOR THEIR LIFE AND THEIR CHURCH, 
THEY CAST OFF ALL RESTRAINT OF HOLY AND 
RIGHTEOUS LIVING.  THEY BEGAN TO LIVE 
UNDISIPLINED LIVES. 

WHEN A CHURCH LOOSES IT’S VISION IT BECOMES 
TOLERANT OF SIN AND MAKES EXCUSES FOR THE 
SIN THAT IS PRESANT IN IT’S MIDST.

IF WE ARE TO AVOID SUCH ACTIVITIES IN OUR 
LIVES AND CHURCHES THEN WE NEED TO RELIZE 
AND RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF VISION.

VISION IS A SPECIFIC CALL TO AN INDIVUAL OR A 
CHURCH, IMPARTED BY THE LORD, WHICH GIVES 
THEM A MENTAL PICTURE OF A PREFERABLE 
FUTURE.


WHEN WE UNDERSTAND THE VISION THAT GOD 
HAS GIVEN US AS CHRISTIANS, WE WILL REALIZE 
OUR UNIQUENESS AND THEN WE CAN MOVE TO 
BECOME ALL THAT GOD WANTS US TO BE.

1 COR. 9:24-26   KNOW YE NOT THAT THEY WHICH 
RUN IN A RACE RUN ALL, BUT ONE RECEIVETH THE 
PRIZE? SO RUN THAT YOU MAY OBTAIN (WIN). AND 
EVERY MAN THAT STRIVETH FOR THE MASTERY IS 
TEMPERATE IN ALL THINGS. NOW THEY DO IT TO 
OBTAIN A CORRUPTIBLE CROWN;  BUT WE AN 
INCORRUPTIBLE.  I THEREFORE SO RUN, NOT AS 
UNCERTAINLY; SO FIGHT I, NOT AS ON THAT 
BEATETH THE AIR.

I.  THER ARE FOUR WORDS IN THIS PASSAGE OF           
SCRIPTURE THAT GIVES US  FOUR  
CHARACTERISTICS OF A CHURCH OR PERSON WITH 
A VISION.

1.  RUN,  A CHURCH WITH A VISION IS UP AND 
RUNNING. IT IS STRIVING, EXERTING STREANGTH 
AND ENERGY TO ACCOMPLISH IT’S GOALS.

GAL. 2:2 AND I WENT UP BY REVELATION, AND 
COMMUNICATED UNTO THEM THAT GOSPLE 
WHICH I PREACH AMONG THE GENTILES, BUT 
PRIVATELY TO THEM WHICH WERE OF 
REPUTATION, LEST BY ANY MEANS I SHOULD 
RUN, OR HAD RUN, IN VAIN. 

MANY CHURCHES HAVE WHAT I CALL THE 
TREDMILL VISION OR MENTALITY, THEY ARE 
RUNNING, BUT GETTING NOWHERE, AND GETTING 
SLIMMER ALL THE TIME. 

TO ME THATS RUNNING IN VAIN !!

B: GAL.5:7   YE DID RUN WELL; WHO DID HINDER 
YOU THAT YE SHOULD NOT OBEY THE TRUTH?
 (8) THIS PERSUASION COMETH NOT OF HIM THAT 
CALLETH YOU.

C.  HEBREWS 12:1  WHEREFORE SEEING WE ALSO 
ARE COMPASSED ABOUT WITH SO GREAT A CLOUD 
OF WITNESS, LET US LAY ASIDE “ EVERY WEIGHT , 
AND THE SIN WHICH DOTH SO EASILY BESET US, 
LET US RUN WITH PATIENCE THE RACE THAT IS 
SET BEFORE US,(2) LOOKING TO 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.

II. A CHURCH WITH A VISION  RECOGNIZES THE 
PRIZE.

1 COR. 9:24  KNOW YE NOT THAT THEY WHICH RUN 
IN A RACE RUN ALL, BUT ONE RECEIVETH THE 
PRIZE, SO RUN, THAT YOU MAY OBTAIN OR WIN. 

*  A CHURCH WITH A VISION IS UP AND RUNING,            
BUT THEY ALSO RECOGNIZE THE PRIZE.

A. PAUL SAYS THEY DO IT TO RECEIVE A 
CORRUPTIBLE CROWN, BUT WE AN INCORRUPTIBLE 
CROWN.

*  1 PETER 1:4 TALKS ABOUT AN INHERITANCE 
THAT IS INCORRUPTIABL, AND UNDEFILED, AND 
FADETH NOT AWAY, RESERVED IN HEAVEN FOR 
YOU.

THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE PUTS IT THIS WAY “ IT’S AN 
INHERITANCE WHICH IS BEYOND THE REACH OF 
CHANGE AND DECAY ( IMPERISHABLE ), 
UNSULLIED AND UNFADING, RESERVED IN 
HEAVEN FOR YOU.

1. PRIZE = TO BE ACCEPTED BY JESUS 

2 COR. 5:9 WHEREFORE WE LABOUR, THAT, 
WETHER PRESENT OR ABSENT, WE MAY BE 
ACCEPTED OF HIM. 

2. PRIZE = TO OBTAIN  CHRIST PURPOSE. 

* PHIL. 3:12-14  NOT AS THOUGH I HAD ALREADY 
ATTAINED, EITHER WERE ALREADY PERFECT:
BUT I FOLLOW AFTER, IF THAT I MAY “ 
APPREHEND “ THAT FOR WHICH ALSO I AM 
APPREHENDED OF CHRISTJESUS. BRETHREN, I 
COUNT NOT MYSELF TO HAVE APPREHENDED: BUT 
THIS ONE THING I DO, FORGETTING THOSE
THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND, AND REACHING 
FORTH UNTO THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEFORE, 
I PRESS TOWARD THE MARK FOR THE PRIZE OF 
THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN CHRIST JESUS.

III. A CHURCH WITH A VISION UNDESTANDS THE 
SPIRITUAL CONFLICT THAT IS INVOLVED IN 
FULFILLING IT’S VISION.

1COR.9:25 AND EVERY MAN THAT “ STRIVETH “ 
FOR THE MASTERY IS TEMPERATE IN ALL 
THINGS. 
 
1. THE WORD STRIVETH = GREEK AGONIZOMAI
FROM WHICH WE GET OUR WORD AGONIZE MEANS 
TO STRUGGLE, TO CONTEND WITH AN 
ADVERSARY, TO COMPETE FOR A PRIZE, AND AN 
ENDEAVOR TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING.
“ STRONG’S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE 
BIBLE “
 
 1 TIMOTHY 6:12
* FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT OF FAITH, LAY HOLD ON 
ETERNAL LIFE, WHEREUNTO THOU ART ALSO 
CALLED, AND HAST PROFESSED A GOOD 
PROFESSION BEFORE MANY WITNESSES.

2: A CHURCH WITH A VISION UNDERSTANDS THAT 
THERE WILL BE OPPOSITION AND DOES NOT 
SHRINK BACK FROM THE FIGHT.

IV.  A CHURCH WTIH A VISION FOCUSES ON 
HITTING THE TARGET.

* 1 COR. 9:26   I THEREFORE SO RUN, NOT AS 
UNCERTAINLY ; SO FIGHT I, NOT AS ONE THAT 
BEATETH THE AIR: 


* PAUL IS NOT RUNNING ON A TREDMILL NOR IS HE 
SHADOW BOXING. 

1: A CHURCH WITH A VISION HAS A DEFINITE 
TARGET. THEY’ER NOT JUST BOXING WITH 
SHADOWS.

2: THERE’ER UP AND RUNNING FOR A REASON. 
 THEY’ER NOT JUST RUNNING TO BE RUNNING, 
THEY’ER RUNNING TO GET SOMEWHERE.

CONCLUSION:  THE QUESTION THAT EACH OF US 
NEEDS TO ANSWER NOW IS “ ARE WE A PEOPLE OF A 
GOD GIVEN VISION ?”  YOU AND I WILL BE DRIVEN BY 
THE DREAMS AND VISION THAT WE HAVE FOR THE 
FUTURE. THE VISION THAT GOD GIVES US IS THE 
REASON FOR OUR EXISTENCE.
A GOD GIVEN VISION WILL GLORIFY GOD AND NOT 
THE INDIVIDUAL OR THE CHURCH.

IF YOU ARE TO BE A CHURCH WITH A VISION, THEN 
YOU MUST BE UP AND RUNNING IN THE RIGHT 
DIRECTION . YOU MUST RECOGNIZE THE VALUE OF 
THE PRIZE. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE CONFLICT 
INVOLVED WITH YOUR VISION. YOU MUST HAVE AN 
AIM OR TARGET.


















  

THE IMPORTANCE OF A VISION