Re-Vision Your Vision

The author Lloyd Douglas told about an old man who gave violin lessons. On one occasion, Douglas asked him, “What’s the good news today?”

Rather than answer, the old man rose and struck his tuning fork a sharp blow and said, “There is the good news for today. That is not just an A. It was A all day yesterday. It will be A tomorrow and for a thousand years to come.”

Thankfully, some things never change. The good news for today: Jesus Christ is unchanging and His message still works. God’s purpose is unchanged. Yesterday, His purpose of the incarnation was to seek and save that which was lost! Today, His purpose is to seek and to save that which is lost! Tomorrow will be the same, to seek and save that which is lost! The lost are God’s mission, purpose, and vision! Should anything less be my vision, purpose and mission? The fields are still white and ready for harvest and we still need to pray for laborers to get in the field. We must understand that the call is for us to be the laborers. (Matthew 9:38)

We too often assume our way of seeing things is also God’s vantage point too. Peter, James and John and their peers learned that their take on life was not necessarily that of the Lord’s in John 4. In the story of the woman at the well Jesus articulated four important principles regarding His vision and purpose.

1.                  Jesus affirmed the important. What He was doing at the well – this matter of evangelism – was the Father’s will. There sounds the “eternal A.”

Some activities might be subject to debate, but evangelism was non-negotiable as far as Jesus was concerned. So what are we doing about what Jesus defined as “the will of the Father,” (verse 34) Something more important than a well delivered sermon, a song well sung, a ladies event done really good, an unscarred painted wall in a child’s classroom, or a perfect youth activity. Something greater than a perfect Sunday service or a Bible Study taught flawlessly.

Let me ask you to look at your evangelism, it more about maintenance that it is evangelism?

Yes, I believe we should to the best we can in the events and services we have. Yet, we must continually remember that we should be more about evangelism and changing lives than we are about simply maintaining what we have.

*A well maintained building turns into a structure that is on the list of historical places to visit.

*A growing organization will transform, it will change into something fresh to meet the needs and demands of growth, thus making a difference in its day continually.

One is more known for what it once was while the other is known for what it did and is still doing. How well are you doing with your God commanded evangelism?

2.                  Jesus revised the perspective of the “where” and the “when” of the harvest.

The disciples were “yet four months” Visionaries. They were caught in a “one of these days’ modes”. Four months from now we’ll be down the road a bit – we won’t be in Sychar and it will be a better place. Four months from now what we expected will have matured. One of these days I will be better prepared. One of these days I will become what I need to become. One of these days I will get my life together so I can touch another life. One of these days I will get involved.

The disciples where caught in a one-of-these-days mode. In essence, Jesus helped them see an opportunity that existed right before them: “Lift up your eyes, (Now) and look on the field; for they are white already to harvest.” (Verse 35) The word “lift” means figuratively and literally to raise up or poise up. In other words lift your chin, reposition your face so you can see father than you been looking. We get so caught up in our own life that we can’t see any farther than our meager surroundings. We only see what we have to do and what our life has going on. We need to lift our gaze so we can see beyond our self.  We will need to see beyond how we have always done something and how things have always been. The harvest is ready now; there are lives to make a difference in now. But you will have to live and look beyond yourself to see the ready field.

3.                  Jesus just didn’t simply “see it,” He named the opportunity.

Several commentators note that from a distance, those who walked from their homes in Sychar looked like fields covered with grain. Jesus wanted the disciples to understand that the place was ready now and there is an opportunity now. If Jesus visited our town what would He say was our best opportunity for getting more souls to Heaven? If Jesus spent the day with you what would He point out to be your best chance to make a difference in the lives of people? If Jesus road with you for a week what would He point at as being your best prospect for making a difference and getting people to heaven. What would He point at and say, there is a great opportunity, there’s a great door of effective evangelism open at hand.

Paul was able to see such an opportunity and said to the Corinthians; “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

1Corinthains 16:9 NKJV

What has God been dealing with you about? What have you been feeling needs to happen around you personally? What has God been pointing out to you? If He hasn’t and you don’t know of anything then you need to lift your chin and look father than you bee looking. There is more going on than just your world.

4.                  Finally, Jesus gave them the example of how to respond to the opportunity.

We have to get this.

The Samaritan trip may have started as a short cut. Jesus is going from the Jerusalem area to the Galilee area. Earlier times they had used the Jordan River route but this time Jesus cuts through Sychar. It was no doubt to be just a passing through area for a Jew. Yet, for Jesus it was a mission. When the woman took her testimony back to the city those who came out to Jesus wanted to know more of the Messiah. The short-cut became a journey that took an extra two days. In our journey to the usual, do we have time to be interrupted by an opportunity to do the, “Will of the Father?”

I am afraid we too often declare, “We don’t have time.”  We want to evangelize a life, minister to a person as long as it doesn’t mess up our routine. How much effort are you willing to spend on helping someone with life change? How often are you willing to ruin your plans or disrupt your schedule to help someone get to Jesus? How much time are you willing to spend on successful Christ-like, Jesus acting life style? We have to always respond to God given opportunity.

Notice what Jesus did and what He didn’t do at the well in John 4.

He did connect at the woman’s place in life. Jesus went to where she was. He did speak the truth to her that was outside the context of her usual religious experience. Jesus did validate the uniqueness of Samaria and the Samaritans. It was okay with Jesus for her to be a Samaritan!

What Jesus did not do was instruct the people of Sychar to move to Jerusalem and become good Jews. Apparently, they could live out this newly discovered truth in their setting; they could live for God in their culture. This gospel is for who-so-ever-will. The Holy Ghost will not cause a Spanish cultured person to act and be a southern white person. The Holy Ghost will not cause someone from the black community to become a white Caucasian in their worship and actions.

Jesus did speak the truth to the woman at the well. He brought conviction to her life because of her moral actions but he never told her she would have to stop being a Samaritan. On the contrary Jesus said the time will come and now is when worship is not about where but who. (Verse 21)

Do you need to Re-Vision your Vision?