TUNNEL VISION, YOUR ASSIGNMENT?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
Matthew 9:37 Then saith He unto His disciples, the Harvest is truly plenteous, But the labourers are few: 33. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His Harvest.
Matthew 28:19 GO YE THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND THE SON, AND THE HOLY GHOST. 20. TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU: AND, LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD
MARK 16:15 AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD, AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE.
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish...
I am pondering Tunnel Vision.
Tunnel vision is usually a product of glaucoma, high pressure in the eye.
This high pressure pushes the optic nerve until it cups.
Often time glaucoma and tunnel vision happen so slowly that the person
afflicted does not notice the damage until there is major vision loss.
Then treatment and medicine can restore very little.
With tunnel vision one can only see what is right in front of them.
There is no peripheral vision, one can see only part not the whole.
Do I really believe in hell?
What am I doing to turn eternity’s around?
1. Our enemy is constantly attacking the vision of the church.
He would love to afflict the leaders and membership with tunnel vision.
I hear this song on Gospel radio, it says:
"Lord, all I am asking for is for me and my family to serve you."
I get so angry, I just turn the radio off.
Of course, we have to feed ourselves... but we owe a debt to others.
Over the exit door’s of the church should be a sign...
YOU ARE ENTERING THE MISSION FIELDS.
2. Every born again believer must accept their call.
The first words Jesus says to us his disciples is... "COME."
But, we cannot stay.
Can you spell G-O-D without spelling G-O?
Can you spell G-O-S-P-E-L without G-O?
If the church meets and stays behind four walls, holy ground, we fail God, the church, and our selves.
Every born again Christian has a duty ... A MISSION. We are sent ones...
Often with professional clergy there can come a feeling that I am exempt,
that is what we pay them to do.
God has commissioned every believer to touch others for the cross’ sake.
3. WHAT IS YOUR ASSIGNMENT?
What strategy have we developed to attack?
If we fail to plan, we are doomed to fail.
Remember, people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan.
Is the church equipping saints with a war plan?
Does not Romans 8:28 stipulate for all things to work good...
WE MUST BE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE?
What is your purpose?
If you don’t know, how will you ever do anything.
Are you sent?
4. Pastors and Christian workers are not cowboys ...
we don’t drive people.
We are shepherd’s, we lead, we set an example.
Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish...
We must teach the children, schools are a mission field.
Place tracts, sermon strings, some kind of a tool in their hands.
Why not get T-shirts with the 10 Commandments?
Factories and work places are serious mission fields.
You are the only Bible many will read.
5. Commanded to go.
Matthew 28:19 GO YE THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS,
BAPTIZING THEM IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND THE SON,
AND THE HOLY GHOST.
20. TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER
I HAVE COMMANDED YOU: AND, LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY,
EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD.
Note, this is in red letters, Jesus said this.
This is a command, it is not optional.
All born again believers are SENT, entrusted to go.
MARK 16:15 AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD, AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE.
When I was in the 7th grade I learned this verse, I was trying to get our dog Richie to accept Jesus as his Savior.
My Dad heard me through the window, and he explained to me, God only breathed the breath of life in man and woman.
I was so glad, I couldn’t get Richie to acknowledge Jesus.
6. BUT I CAN’T POSSIBLY GO INTO ALL THE WORLD!
This is very true, at best I can just touch one little area.
So this MISSIONARY CALL is not just GOING, but to be a helper,
a supporter, a team member.
THIS SUPPORT IS MORE THAN MONEY.
WE MUST TEACH GIVING, BUT WE FAIL WHEN WE STOP THERE.
God raise up more than money giving missions programs.
God raise up LOVE SUPPORTERS, raise up PRAYER WARRIORS,
not just prayer partners.
I may not be available to speak other languages, but I can join mission teams to stay abreast of prayer needs, and fast for those that are sent.
7. There are not many workers on the team.
Matthew 9:37 Then saith He unto His disciples, the Harvest is truly plenteous, But the labourers are few: 33. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His Harvest.
Many pray for workers to go, yet they never do anything. We must teach better. We must make self available, to pray, to give, to support.
8. HELL KNOWS THE NEED OF MISSIONS.
There is no tunnel vision in hell.
We know from Luke 16:27-31, that the man that went to Hell offered to become a missionary.
In Hell, a mission spirit was birthed, he was concerned for his brothers and family.
Can we afford for hell to be the heart of missions?
There is a personal work for you, God has given us many tools, but often they are idle.
Buried talents are GRAVE MISTAKES.
Let’s accept the mission spirit while we still have the opportunity.
9. WE HAVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A WITNESS TOOL!
Acts 1:8, says, we will receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come,
Power to witness in
1) Jerusalem, local community ... like culture,
2) Judea, Regional, step beyond limits,
3)Samaria, cross cultures, different, 4) Uttermost part ... the extremes, outer most.
10. PAUL AND BARNABAS WORKED TO RAISE MONEY.
Acts 21:12-14, while Paul and Barnabas were missionaries, they were part of a bigger team, they helped raise support and prayer for Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was in a hard time.
Once a foreign missionary visited our church.
He wrote back secretly to my board, and said, that pastor needs a raise,
don’t muzzle the ox.
Wow, what vision?
The money they raised in this situation would be invested in others work.
11. Receive other missions that touch different areas.
I have seen home missions projects that were jealous of foreign missions.
Jail missionaries that talked about rest home ministries.
Royal ranger leaders that skipped Sunday school?
Song leaders that miss prayer time?
As pastor, I never miss Sunday School.
This is a witness.
How can I preach come, if I don’t go?
12. Supporting missions is an answer...
Gal. 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens.
Identify problem areas and don’t talk, pray, and raise support for others.
I teach at Faith Assembly, pray for the Methodist, Church of God, Baptist, Church of Christ, every Bible teaching church and their leaders.
13. Pray for open doors to missionaries.
Col. 4:3. We need God to open the right doors and close the wrong.
We need to pray for the wisdom to see.
14. Be a helper and share the load.
There were leaders appointed in Acts, to help take the menial chores off leaders to free them for study, this is a type of missions.
I think in eternity there will be much regret for not helping share the work loads of our leaders.
Mission minded people birth or release blessings and wonderful spiritual rewards. Actively supporting mission will birth a spirit of compassion, demonstrate a spirit of thanksgiving, will cause a spirit to emerge with unity, results in a way of acknowledging God’s blessings.
We must reach out ... grow service and love.
Mark 9:35-37, says that Jesus sat down and taught that greatness is achieved as we develop a servants heart.
Lord, teach me... GROW A SERVANT’S HEART IN MY LIFE, MY FAMILY, AND THE CHURCH. My mission... I must develop and grow.
If you read this you have become my mission field,
if you accept the mission, you will have to do something.
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
My hands are so little, please be help my mission, pass this to others
