The 20/20 Vision

          I notice that we are already seeing a lot of catch phrases involving the next year, 2020. We probably have all noticed the eye charts in the doctor's office and how when you have “perfect” vision you are said to have 20/20 vision. We assume that our vision can't can't get much better than that. In some of my studies in the Book of Acts, I came across the verse for today and called it the 20/20 vision for the church. Acts 20:20 says, “ And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publickly, and from house to house,”

        Most churches have a visitation program that limps along as people know they should be telling others but it gets put on the back burner of most other church activities so either Tuesday or Thursday evening was given as the day for visitation. If that didn't work, then we would say, “Well, plan to visit this person some time during the coming week and so it was done by assignment instead of a group activity. Then there was the great “Evangelism Explosion” that was developed by Dr. Kennedy from Florida on how to reach the lost with the Gospel message. Teams would go out with one just being an observer while the other one presented the Gospel message. We would all gather back at the church and give our reports of what took place. The point is that people want to hear the message. This was brought home to me by an event on one evening while another gentleman and myself were going door to door with a handful of tracts and our outline on how to present the Gospel message. The man that we were talking to really showed no interest but we still chatted on his front steps for awhile. In the meantime, another gentleman was raking his leaves towards the road and was getting closer and closer. After we left home number one, we walked to the edge of the street and introduced ourselves to the gentleman and we explained what we were doing. The man then replied, “I had hoped you would be coming over to see me.” The lesson for us was that not everyone wants to hear the message on the same day or evening or hour for that matter. There is someone however that does want to hear it and the only way we are going to get to that one is the going from house to house. Realizing that the early church was not confined to a building, they would often go to house meetings and the Apostle Paul did that much of the time in the city of Ephesus as here explains that he went from house to house that they might be taught the full counsel of the Word of God. Oh, we can use many gimmicks to try to get the man off the street to stop in but that is not going to be very productive. One church I knew had the following sign on their front lawn, “What's Missing.....CH__ __ CH? Even I could figure it out before I was even saved. If you haven't figured it out, the answer is U R which stand for “you are.” God chose to use people like you and me to share what He has done in our lives with others. It is our testimony and no one can argue with what took place in your life. You know how God worked and how a marvelous thing transpired when you came to have that personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. It would be my desire that we all spend more time just sharing what God has done in our lives and therefore teach others about the wonderful Gospel message that is available to all, from house to house. May that be our vision, our 20/20 vision as it were, for the year to come and how many more years that the Lord gives us to do His work. Praise God today for His mission for each and everyone of us.