Jesus’s Vision (Heb. 11:1-2)
Today’s scripture is Hebrews 11:1-2. The title of today’s message is “Jesus’s Vision.”
Introduction – Dream
This vision is different from a dream. If you listen to unbelievers, they say, “You need to have big dreams,” but the Lord didn’t give us a dream; He gave us a vision. People who have dreams can fulfill them, and some people who have their own ambitions fulfill them as well. But because both of these are not part of God’s plan, that’s why that individual will crumble down. But the vision God gives will surely be fulfilled.
Vision – Fulfilled
What is a walk of faith? You can say it is defined by faith, but in terms of faith, it’s also important to believe in what will come. If you don’t know what will come, when you face problems or circumstances, you will go up and down and waver.
Faith – Certain, Evidence
That’s why, according to the Bible, what is faith? It is confidence in what we hope for, it is being certain of what we hope for. It is that the things that will come is a reality. Because we can’t see it, we need this evidence, because God will surely give His people the vision that will be fulfilled. Living your walk of faith means you live with this vision. This vision isn’t something you can know in your dreams as you sleep; that’s just a dream, but God reveals this through His Word.
Why? Because Satan can also show you things, too. In Matthew 4, Satan appears before Jesus and shows Him the splendors of the world. As he shows Jesus the entire world, Satan says, “Kneel before me,” and of course, that could be fulfilled, but in our walk of faith, it is the faith of believing in this vision and realistically following after it.
So, depending on what kind of vision you have, that determines the person’s walk of faith because the One Who gives the vision is the Triune God. If you don’t have this vision, it means you either don’t believe, you haven’t received salvation, or you’re still shaking, having your ups and downs. But when you meet other people, you plant this vision within them. Especially for our youth, if we don’t plant this vision within them, something else will be planted in them because God gave Joseph his vision when he was young. Even though they were under the same parents, his brothers could not see God’s vision. Even though they believed in the same way, they were still different.
The faith of David, his brothers, and King Saul were different because through Samuel, David was able to see the Word that would come, and David did not shake. Jesus came to His disciples and revealed what it means to make disciples through the Word, and that’s why these people did not shake. For each and every one of us, do we have a God-given vision? In other words, you know what will come, so even though you face different circumstances, you won’t shake. But if you don’t have this vision, if you face something bad, you will fall down, then if you face something good, you’re elated? You can’t really say that’s a walk of faith.
Moses 80
Moses was called by God when he was 80 years old. God shows Him through the Word how he will liberate the Israelites. So, we need to see it through the Word. You might say you saw something, but that’s just something you saw; it’s not something God gave you. God shows you these things through His Word.
Matthew 24:14
In Mt. 24:14, it says that when this gospel is preached to the whole world, then the end will come, because the proclamation of the gospel is God’s center, and the primary focus of His ministry, so you just need to be within this. If you’re not within this, you will just live your walk of faith in the same state you’re in right now.
If you’re a saved child of God, God will surely give you His sure dream and vision. You need to know the end correctly in order to correctly live a walk of faith and receive answers in the correct way. Once you know the end, no matter what happens, it doesn’t matter. Even if something sad may happen to you, it doesn’t matter because this Word will be fulfilled. Even if you succeed just a little bit, it doesn’t matter; God will still fulfill this. What does that mean? It means God will move all things in order to fulfill His Word. So that’s why even if you’re persecuted, it doesn’t matter.
Heretic – Jesus Christ, Exile
The Early Church was regarded as heretics, so you were not allowed to share about Jesus Christ. That was the law. Otherwise you could be exiled or killed, so you had to stake your life to share about Jesus Christ. Who could do this? If you don’t know the vision God gave you, of course you’ll shake, isn’t that right? Because your life is very important to you. So, I noticed on the news that there are thieves who wait for people who are withdrawing money from the ATM at the bank. After the person leaves the bank, they’ll wait in the parking lot and follow them.
Someone is trying to steal their money, so they try to run away, but they trip over something, and the thief has a gun pointed at their head, so they have to give up their money. No matter how much money that person has, it doesn’t equal to your life, because even if you have the largest sum in the world, if you’re not alive, that money is of no use. But if you testify of Christ, you would die, then who would do that? If you don’t know what is to come, there’s no reason to stake your life. Because they received this vision and they knew what would come, they were able to stake their life.
Because they knew what would come, that this would be fulfilled whether or not they lived or died. If this is planted in the youth, they will be used greatly. But just because they study well or not doesn’t mean this vision will be fulfilled or not. There’s no condition like that because God says He will fulfill it. That’s why even though it seems dangerous, you’re able to stake your life because this vision will still be fulfilled.
When this happens, these people cannot run their business because outside of the Jewish community, they formed their own groups of business people but these people would not be able to partake in that community. The nation, the Roman empire, is blocking this gospel.
Rome
In the Roman empire, they regarded Caesar as Lord, but if they regarded Jesus as Lord, they would be persecuted. Even in this situation, why were they okay? Why did it not matter to them? Did they have great faith? What kind of faith is so great? “God is alive!” Who doesn’t know that? Anyone who believes in Jesus knows this, but what does this have to do with your everyday problems? In your everyday problems, you face an incident where you have to stake your life, but what are you going to do in the face of that? That’s why, how you see things is important.
1. Visible Things
If you can’t see it, it doesn’t matter.
2. What
What must we see? We must see something, but what? We need to see God’s vision but what must we see after that? What is the first thing we must see?
1) Exodus 3:8
Moses saw how the Israelites were being killed. He was able to see the far things that would be fulfilled, but he was also able to see what was happening in his field.
2) Luke 15:11-16 Law
Jesus gives the parable about the man who had two sons. The older son gets upset when the father greets the younger son even though the younger son hasn’t followed the law. This was the field of the church at that time. Rather than being happy about a fallen person who comes back to receive salvation, he was more concerned about who follows the law or not.
3) Matthew 9:36 Harvest
It says the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Right now, in the field, there are a lot of regions that need to hear this gospel but there are no workers to do this. There are a lot of people who go to church but there are not many people who go into the field to save lives. There are a lot of people who come to give worship but there are not a lot of people who fulfill God’s vision. As He looks at this field, He says, “Ask the Lord to send the workers.”
4) Acts 3: Crippled
There was a man who was lame from birth for 38 years. He sat by the temple and although many people went to give worship, they had no concern for him except in a physical sense, so they only gave him money for 38 years. I’m not exactly sure if it was 38 years, but he was lame from birth and sat at the temple gate for the longest time, so there needs to be someone who helps bring him to the temple courts every day. There were a lot of people who help like that, there are a lot of people who give him money, but there is no one who is able to see the correct state of the lame man. Behind the state of the crippled man, they saw someone bound by their state of sin, separation, and Satan. Because he did not have Christ, he was under the authority of sin and death, and he lived as a beggar.
Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” The problem isn’t about whether he walks because of Jesus Christ, but his gaze and perspective. He looked at these people in hopes he may get money because it seemed like they would give him a lot more money, but Peter says, “Silver and gold I do not have.” Does it really mean he has no money? Did they really have no coins? It’s not that. This man’s problem cannot be solved by just giving money. This man is spiritually seized and that is why he is spiritually lame, so that is why they relayed Christ. That’s why later on, he didn’t need to be a beggar. Of course the church needs to help people in a physical way, but there are few people who are able to see the field spiritually and do this spiritual volunteer-work.
5) Acts 10:38 See
They were able to heal all those who were under the power of the devil. There are a lot of people in the field who have these diseases, but they were able to see that these diseases were caused by the devil. They saw God’s vision but you must see it within your closest field. The unbelievers seem to be well-off and successful in the outer sense, but you need to see their inner spiritual state is actually seized and oppressed by Satan.
If you don’t see this, then you can’t give the answer. Instead, you see the physical things and you’re oppressed. Of course for future generations, there may be a certain number of successful people, but 70-80% of people live an average life. But as a Christian as you live in this world, if you don’t see the spiritual things, you will be oppressed, you become oppressed looking at physical strength and power. You think, “I believe in God but why am I just like this?” That’s why you become oppressed. Why? You live your walk of faith looking only at physical things instead of spiritual things, so this is the result.
6) Eph. 2:1 Dead, 2:2 Physical
It says you were dead in your transgressions and sins. You need to see that unbelievers are dead. But if you don’t see this, you only see their outer shell. In Eph. 2:2, it says, they follow the ways of the world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, that is, Satan. You need to see they are being dragged by Satan. How? He makes them think, “You yourselves are God,” and the person thinks their experiences are everything and their knowledge is the standard. They think they money they see is everything. They think success is everything. This is how Satan leads them and they’re slaves to this.
(Me, Physical, Success)
That’s why their mentality cannot be complete. Satan drags and oppresses them so their mentality is incomplete.
In Eph. 2:3 Wrath
It says we are by nature objects of wrath.
7) John 8:44 Devil
It says, “Your father, the devil.” What does this mean? It means ever since you were born, you belonged to the devil. By nature, who is your father? It is not God; it is the devil and that is why serving the devil is idolatry
Idolatry, Religion, Transcendental Meditation
Setting up shrines is to serve the devil. It’s the same for religion, everything other than Christ is a method to serve the devil. It’s the same for transcendental meditation. You need to see that unbelievers are in this state. Once you see this, you give what is within you. Then, why do church members who have gone to church for a long time and done Bible study for a long time, why are they unable to give the answer in the field?
Physical, Offering
It’s because they don’t see the problem as a spiritual problem, but they see it as a physical problem so they do physical volunteer work. That’s why when people come to church, they give to the poor a lot. They go to homeless people and give things, there’s a church called, “The Father’s Table” and it’s a church catered to the elderly. It’s nothing wrong, they serve the elders, but they aren’t able to see spiritual things. Because it is the father’s table, they cater to the physical needs of people but they don’t know the spiritual things and aren’t able to help them. There are people around you, even in your apartment, who are on the brink of committing suicide, but you aren’t able to see this. Instead you see them as passersby you meet every morning, but one day, they commit suicide.
Spiritual
You must see this invisible spiritual state, how? Through the Word. IF you pray a lot and your eyes are opened to something, what if that’s actually the devil? Without the Word, in that age, God did appear to people through dreams. Some people say, “Pastor, I have a dream,” but what am I supposed to do about your dream? Am I supposed to counsel you? If such people are caught up by psychologists, they can’t say a word. Whatever you’re worried about comes out in dreams. Whatever you’re afraid of will come out in dreams. That’s something you dream of, that’s just something you came up with in your dream. Sometimes God does reveal things through your dreams, but besides that, we need to see the field through the Word.
Eph. 2:1 says all the unbelievers are dead in their transgressions and sins. See this through the Word. They are following Satan, the ruler of the kingdom of the air; they’re enslaved by Satan, so you must see this through the Word. These people are by nature deserving of wrath; see this through the Word. IF you don’t see this through the Word, you have to wait until something physically appears. You’re crumbling down from the inside but when they reveal it, they reveal it through suicide.
These people are seized by the devil and can’t do anything about it. But it seems like a lot of church members don’t like to hear about the devil. Why don’t they like to hear about it? Because that shouldn’t be. The enemy of believers is the devil. The enemy isn’t your family member or neighbor, but it’s the devil. Then why do people not want to hear this? It’s one of two things. Either their father is the devil, or in other words, they’re not saved, or they are someone who doesn’t know anything about the spiritual things and try to live their walk of faith. Those people are also doing the works of the devil. How? They run the errands of the devil, they cause division by tattling on someone else, and if someone says something bad about someone else, this is the work of the devil. If something good happens to someone else, they’re jealous. Why? Because they’re possessed by the devil. They don’t want to hear about this, so when they’re possessed, they’re the most happy.
8) Hebrews 9:27 Afterlife, Death
Death has been determined for us. Everyone is destined to die once, whether it’s by cancer or something else. Everyone will die. You need to see whether they will die and go to hell or not. There are some people who don’t like to talk about hell. They can’t understand it, they say, “Don’t talk about that,” then what do I say? “God wouldn’t make something like hell,” but the god you believe in and the God the Bible talks about is different. They ask me saying, “How can God make something like hell?” Then it becomes very troublesome for them. These people live a hellish life on earth and then they go to hell. Before we go to heaven, we taste heaven on earth and then go to heaven.
These people live in fear of death because they will be in eternal suffering afterward and they don’t want to die. They know spiritually, because once they die, that is when the devil takes them away, and they don’t want to go there, so they struggle. But people going to heaven will praise God as they die. There are some who are afraid of death, the desperation of not wanting to leave this earth, why? Because they know they will go to hell once they die, and they don’t want to go, but we have overcome death because we just die once. But we have this eternal life. That’s why through faith in Jesus Christ Who has overcome death, we are also able to overcome death.
9) Rev. 14 Judgment
After death, there is judgment. Whatever you did or didn’t do on this earth, if you haven’t believed in Jesus Christ, you will surely be judged. We don’t go to heaven because we didn’t sin, but our sin has been forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ, so we can go to heaven.
10) Matthew 12:43-45 7 More Demons
Once you drive out demons, they actually come back with 7 more demons. This is what religions are like when they try to do good works. They go to religion to try to clean themselves but the more they do that, of course, evil spirits can go away, but this evil spirit goes around through arid places, seeking rest, and doesn’t find it because there is nothing there. But it says the evil spirit will return to the house it left, and finds it unoccupied and swept clean. That’s when it takes seven more evil spirits more wicked than itself and lives in that house.
If you live a religious life without Christ, you will be possessed by demons more and more. Without Christ, if you continue to do transcendental meditation, these evil spirits who are more wicked will go within you. It doesn’t just end there with demon possession, because it will lead to physical problems you cannot see. It can lead to drug addiction, it can also lead to gun shootings. Where? In your surrounding regions. It can happen within your family and family line. They went to church just religiously, and that’s why their mentality completely crumbles down.
3. Solution
There needs to be a solution. We need to see the vision God gave. This vision will surely be fulfilled. We need to see starting from this in our walk of faith. Especially our remnants, you must see the future that will be fulfilled. Because they can’t see this, they fall. They fall into despair because of their studies, their looks or because they have no friends, but it’s because they can’t see this future. Once they make a lot of friends, they think that’s everything but it’s actually nothing. Then they try to elevate themselves but they’re actually weak. If you see the vision God fulfilled, you don’t need any of that and you won’t shake.
For example, let’s say you signed a contract to buy a house, then there’s a time period of when you’ll move into the house. Even though you may have uncomfortable things in the house you live in right now, it doesn’t matter because you’ll go into a new house, soon. But if you don’t have this, then if it’s uncomfortable for you, you have no choice but to be influenced by that. Why is the suicide rate among young people increasing? It’s because they don’t see this vision.
If they came all the way to America and cannot see this vision, isn’t that a great problem? America is a great nation but the people living in America must see this great vision. If they don’t see this vision, they will crumble down in different ways. Among them, they may hold onto a dream like unbelievers, and they do fulfill it, but you need to hold onto what will be fulfilled by God. Because they don’t hold onto the things God will fulfill, they crumble down even though they succeed. This is the state of the future generations right now.
You must see far things, but you must also see the things right next to you, such as your family. If you don’t see these things in your family, you’re just remaining in that state. You need to see how your family has lived without the gospel until now, and that’s how you come out of this. Without seeing this, you hold onto the physical things and live your life. Because you don’t see physical things, you think if the physical things are okay, then you’re okay. That’s why parents do everything for physical things because they think that’s everything.
But that’s not the case, because the spiritual problems of the parents will surely be relayed to the next generation, but they don’t want to acknowledge this, because they don’t see this. “They’re my child! I might be like this but my child won’t be like this,” but no, they will be the same way. Even though you may be physically well off, the spiritual things don’t change. You must see this, then you realize why Jesus Christ is the only solution and why you need to imprint this message into them at a young age. That was Joseph, David, and Daniel. Starting from a young age, they held onto this vision and lived.
1) Exodus 3:10-12 With
In Exodus 3:8, Moses saw the Israelites were in despair and failing, then God gives the answer of being with them. When is God with you? Just because it says so? If they were not with God, when did they suffer? In the Old Testament, the way for them to be with God was through the blood sacrifice. They weren’t with God just because they lived a diligent life. Another animal must die for my sins and curses. As evidence of that, you need to paint and spread the blood, and that’s when God is with you.
Ex. 3:14-15
That’s written here, the Almighty God is with you.
2) Harvest
The answer to there not being a lot of workers in the field means you have to ask for the workers. Pray to God, asking for the other ministers who are able to do this ministry with you in the field.
3) Jesus Christ
What is the answer to this man who is spiritually lame? It is Jesus Christ.
4) 1 John 3:8
The answer to Acts 10:38 of being under and oppressed by the devil is 1 John 3:8, the reason the son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. All people are oppressed. They are oppressed by inferiority complexes, they are oppressed by their scars, they are constantly competing with one another, trying to tear each other apart, they’re oppressed. Why? We don’t need to compete. If you know the vision God gave you, you don’t need to compete. If you know this vision, there’s no need for you to feel so strong or emphasize these things.
God has sent these three remnants to us, but there’s no reason for you to force them to do anything. God will work, and they did not come on their own accord; God sent them, so as they continue to be within the Word, God will make it happen. If you force them into a mold you made for yourself, that is when they will die, they just need to play how they appear, and they just need to sit in the seat of worship and the Word because God will eventually move them.
If you can play an instrument, play an instrument, do what you want to do, because if it’s something you want to do, it has relation with God’s Word, and it’s connected to that, so just do that. We don’t know their culture; the cultural gap is big. Even if they’re part of the same ethnicity, an older person and younger person have a cultural gap, so this cultural gap is even bigger for multiethnic people, so just play as you are, freely. Just sit in the place where the Word is proclaimed. Freedom doesn’t mean you do whatever you want but sit in the seat where God gives His Word.
They haven’t lived a long life. Sitting in this seat is a miracle in itself. Right now, it’s a state where it’s difficult to sit. They have never had this experience of having to stay at church the entire day, just sitting, so they’re already at this extent. It’s not like they can stay seated for the longest time or stand up, so they go back and forth, and it’s okay because you’ve never done this in the past. From now on, God will give you the grace and lead you, so just do things freely.
4. Called
God has called me. In what state? In your current state. God knows your weaknesses and still called you. You try to muster up your strength to do something but God says He will give you strength. But they think of God’s work as the world’s work so they try to muster up their strength. When God called you in the state you’re in right now, it means God has called you regardless of your power. When God called you regardless of your weakness and power, it means God will do it.
1) Disciples
Let’s look at the disciples. They were fishermen. How would these people be able to overcome Rome? How could they even approach or talk to priests? It doesn’t make sense but it has nothing to do with that. When God calls you, He says He will take responsibility. So it doesn’t matter what level or weaknesses you have, God will do it.
2) 70 Regions
That’s why God will raise disciples in 70 regions, and you stand in the field as the disciples of 70 regions. “I can’t do this, I can’t do that,” then how long must we wait? What kind of shape or mold are you trying to fit yourself into? Do you think you need to equip yourself with a house, so you’ll wait until you can buy a house? When God called you in the state you’re in right now, it means God will do the work. These disciples had no background or power.
3) 120
Let’s look at the 120 members of the Early Church. None were rich or educated. When God called them, He said He would do it. When God called me as a layleader and remnant, He said He would do that work in that field and region.
4) Paul
Just like Paul, God also calls prepared people. He had Roman citizenship, he was a scholar and philosopher from the tribe of Benjamin with a great background. God calls such people as well, and in the church, there are such people because God calls them in different ways.
5. Disciple
There’s no other method except raising and nurturing these disciples. What must we plant within them? We need to plant God’s vision within them. You came to America and held onto a dream, but that dream has nothing to do with God. There are only about 10% of people who are able to fulfill their dream. That vision might not even be God’s vision. That’s why when they came to the land of America, they ended up just being spoiled. If they didn’t come to the land of America, would it work out for them? No, it’s the same, but they held onto the vision God gave.
Then, you must be able to see the spiritual state of the people closest to you, your family members. You need to see the spiritual problems of your family in order to relay this to your children. But because you don’t see it, you think if you’re physically well off, it’ll be okay, so you just cater to their physical needs. That’s why you must be able to see the state of your family. The Israelites were in a state of slavery, and that is how you’re able to relay the answer, and that’s how you’re able to see the field correctly. You need to see with God’s perspective, because what God sees are spiritual things. What we see are physical things. That’s why we’re not able to save.
When you consciously are aware of what state you were in previously and what state you’ve been liberated to after believing in Jesus Christ, you see the spiritual state of your family and that’s what you do consciously and what you must see, but if you don’t have this, you just teach your children the physical things. One time, my daughter said, “I don’t want to go to school tomorrow.” So I asked, “Why not?” She said, “My friends made fun of me.” I said, “It doesn’t matter, just go to school.” But she said, “My closest friends did this to me.” That’s why she was not able to understand this at all. Because of that, she continued to waver.
So I called her. “Go to school tomorrow.” I said it with no other words. “Go to school.” I said, “Go to school and say that you don’t care,” but she said, “I can’t.” I said, “Go as you pray.” Regardless, she listens, so she went to school, and when I picked her up from school, she came in smiling so brightly. I asked her, “Did it get resolved?” She said, “My friend wasn’t trying to make fun of me,” but when she said, “I didn’t want to go to school,” it seemed if she’d be okay if she didn’t go to school for a couple of days.
Why am I talking about my family? This is the spiritual state of my family because that person didn’t make fun of her or say anything bad about her, but instead, because of our spiritual state, we think they’re making fun of us. If this is confirmed, then if they’re very hasty, they will start cussing the other person out, but on that day, I prayed so the forces of darkness would be broken and her eyes would be open, and she was able to experience that.
What happens if we just leave it like that and don’t show the spiritual mystery? She would live like this her entire life, she would live in a state where she constantly thinks people are making fun of her or saying bad things about her. You must experience this, but if the parent doesn’t experience this, they won’t be able to say things like this, then the child will continue to follow after the same spiritual problems. The child can keep going to church but this isn’t solved just by going to church, we need the person who is able to correctly see this and relay the answer. That’s what we’re trying to say.
You need to see how this world is dying spiritually and how God will fulfill this Word, see this starting within the closest field.
Prayer
God we thank You. Help us to see the deepest things of God. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
I hope the word of Acts 2:46-47 will open your eyes to this important field. The Early Church was in a very unfortunate situation according to the eyes of people. But with these eyes, you cannot do the work the people of the world talk about. If you want to do works in the world, you have to gather strong people.