Vision

ACTS 13:1-5

To carry the Gospel to our community, we must embrace a God-Given Vision.

Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2, As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. 3, And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away. 4, So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. 5, And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister. (Acts 13:1-5)

In Acts 13, Doctor Luke introduces us to the first missionary journey from the church at Antioch. It was a cosmopolitan church comprised of both Jewish and Gentile believers including members from all parts of that ancient society. Today we would refer to them as a multicultural church; Paul and Barnabas launched their first mission trip from the heart and vision this church had for the world of lost humanity. The relatively homogeneous church in Jerusalem was bond by traditions and prejudices that hindered the spread of the Gospel, but this primarily Gentile congregation in Antioch more readily embraced Christ’s vision for all His churches.

The Apostle Paul on a later occasion articulated Christ’s purpose for him as an evangelist and missionary saying in Acts 26:18,

To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Certainly, these are reasonable elements of any evangelistic or missionary endeavor. To help the blind see reality, to point to the way of light, to free the slave from satanic bondage into the freedom of God, to be graciously forgiven by God for sins—released by a holy God from guilt, shame, and failures, to become a joint-heir with Christ through faith in Jesus Christ, the Savior. This is Christ’s description of ministry shaping and purpose orienting vision for the Apostle Paul. We all need some passages or guidance from Christ to serve as our north star.

Truthfully, our communities grope in a prison of spiritual darkness and moral blindness and the only hope is the light of Jesus Christ shinning forth through gospel heralds. The Gospel must even penetrate into the darkest recesses of our communities with the glorious message of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ—He is the Light of the World. Goals consistent with this would involve enlisting more evangelists and missionaries and involving every possible member of Christ’s churches to carry the gospel to each community and the world beyond.   

The question today is how should we prepare ourselves? How can we embrace a God-given Vision for Christ’s mission? The church of Antioch affords a legitimate model. It was a church of clear vision and real passion. The next few articles will explore these characteristics.