That Vision

“Not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.”

There is a pattern that must not be missed in following the path of Paul’s obedience “unto the heavenly vision” as given in (Acts 26:19-20). A pattern established by “the heavenly vision.” A pattern that must likewise be followed by all who would be so filled with this “Vision” and be so moved by the great gift of his Spirit fully. As it is written,

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

“If you continue in my word…”

Have we? Have we continued in his word or, as in that children’s game called Gossip, have we instead trimmed and modified and compromised and assimilated until what we have is something else? Something (horribly) other than what God himself, the Son of God in his love and wisdom laid out for our lives to be? Have.. we.. continued.. in.. his… word?

To be sure that we find out “the truth”, look away for a moment (if you can) beyond what our Lord derided as the “traditions of men.” Yes, even the traditions of your own society, of your own world. Look away from the world (secular and religious). Look. Look to Jesus.

Here is the pattern. Given first by our Lord’s life. Given secondly by the pronouncement of our Lord’s final and most fully developed commission. Given lastly by his most prominent example (in the bulk of the New Testament) of what it is really like to actually follow Jesus and do what he says. The pattern goes like this.

1. After conversion, a new convert (missionary) reaches out locally; and then
2. After this preliminary experience, he reaches out to a large city nearby; and then
3. After this greater real life training, he then reaches deeper into the lowest parts of such a city; and then
4. With this Christ-directed real world training, goes on to give his life fully towards reaching the entire world.

Make no mistake then, dear friend; and let us be clear that the more exactly we comply and “continue in [his] word”, the more we will be his “disciples indeed”,  and the more truly “the truth shall make you free.” 

Be free. We here dare not do anything that goes beyond or behind the way displayed and the way dictated by our Lord. To step away from  what God has demonstrated and told us to do is – dangerous. You have survived, you say. But what about them. What about the Jerusalems of your nation, the Samarias of your inner cities, the neighborhoods of your hometown and the hometown of others. 

O’ missionary of the United States, what about the United States of America? What about the people who Jesus, if he were here (and are you not his ambassador) – What about the people our Lord would have primarily reached. As it is written, “And the common people heard him gladly.” (Mark 12:37) What.. about.. them?

The mistakes, the minimizing of our Savior’s message, the eclipsing of his example, the pruning of the pattern that he so wondrously has woven together to direct us to proceed in – the mistakes in our mission must end. They have gone on far too long; and as our world as we have known it comes to an end, so too must the mishandling of this matter be made to never be again. 

And so… 

Missionary, missionary before you go and leave your country in shambles, remember that 

• Jesus reached out and preached to his own hometown at the beginning of his ministry (Nazareth);
• Jesus reached out and preached to the inner city people of his nation’s largest city (Jerusalem);
• Jesus reached out and preached to the greatest inner city outcasts of his society (Samaria); 
• And then gave his life for the whole world.

Others have done likewise and enjoyed a full following of our Savior.

• Paul the Apostle, as clarified above in Acts. 26:19-20;
• Peter the Apostle, according to Galatians chapter 2 and tradition;
• And every other Apostle, who first fished men at home, then in Jerusalem, then in Samaria, then in all of Judea, and then, according to the indications of both Scripture and tradition, went out to be martyred throughout the ends of the earth.

They followed their Lord’s pattern. They completed his full commission to them. They were “not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.”

Neither them, nor Francis of Assisi, nor Luther, nor Whitefield, nor Wesley, nor Booth, nor Tozer; and now…

What about you?

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16)