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Godly Vision – A Vision of TRUTH! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the October 13, 2024 sermon, “A Vision of TRUTH!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Zechariah 7

“Jesus answered, ‘You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.’”  
John 18:37 (NIV)

As God revealed Himself in Old Testament times to His chosen people, He often did so in visions seen by His prophets.  Zechariah was one of those prophets who was given a series of godly visions to share with God’s people of his time and with God’s people of today.  Today we continued a sermon series from the book of Zechariah as we consider how his godly vision should teach us now.  As we gaze into God’s Word, we find this Godly Vision looked forward to the coming of Jesus and the work He would accomplish through His life, death, burial, and resurrection.  As we return to God from wherever we are, we find He fills us with a vision of . . .

  • Tradition:  Zechariah 7:1-3

    • A vision of truth will cause us to look at the traditions we hold on to.  Traditions can easily become either the holy grail which can’t be messed with or the scapegoat which ought to be removed at all cost.  While either of those extremes would be somewhat easy to identify and deal with, the truth of of traditions is generally a more complicated issue.  God’s desire is that we hold fast to the traditions of truth which are foundational in His Word while letting go of the traditions of our own which keep us from knowing real truth. 

  • Reality:  Zechariah 7:4-7

    • A vision of truth will lead us to look at the reality of our motives in responding to God’s Word.  When we continue to do something good when the motivation is all about pleasing our self, the result will be an unnatural and unexpected distance from God.  God always knows not just the reality of our actions, He knows the reality of why we do what we do and if it is to honor Him or self.  

  • Understanding:  Zechariah 7:8-10

    • A vision of truth will result in our seeking an understanding from God in regard to both the traditions we follow and the reality of why we observe them.  The truth of God’s Word always reveals the application of how we ought to treat others, especially those who are underserved, ignored, or abused.  God’s truth is for everyone and it is our responsibility as God’s children to have an understanding and practice which shares the good news of Jesus with all people.

  • Trouble:  Zechariah 7:11-12

    • A vision of truth will make known to us, and to those around us, that there will always be trouble present in this world.  When we are truthful with ourselves and with others, we communicate the trouble we have caused as well as the trouble we have experienced beyond our control.  While Jesus clearly teaches that trouble will be present in this world, there is  a greater trouble we must be aware of, and that is the trouble when we reject God and find ourselves on the receiving end of His wrath.  This trouble which will come upon all those who reject Jesus can be avoided as we surrender to Him and find ourselves welcomed into His kingdom on the day of judgment.

  • Hearing:  Zechariah 7:13-14

    • A vision of truth comes from a willingness and desire to hear the Word of God in a way that leads us to action.  The Bible makes it clear that “without faith it is impossible to please God.”  The good news is the Bible also states that “faith come by hearing and hearing comes through the Word of God.”  While the people of God refused to listen to Him and thus found themselves unheard when they cried out to God, we can learn from their error and choose to listen to God’s Word in a way which produces action in our life.

Today, how will you respond to TRUTH?