Biblical Essays
“THE REGIONS BEYOND”
“The regions beyond” (2 Cor. 10:16); “Let us go again” (Acts 15:36); “The regions beyond” (2 Cor. 10:16); “To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you.”
While they set forth the large-heartedness of the self-denying and devoted apostle, these words also furnish a fine model for the evangelist in every age. The Gospel is a traveler; and the preacher of the Gospel must likewise be a traveler. The divinely-qualified and divinely-sent evangelist will fix his eye on “the World.” In his benevolent design, he will embrace the human family – from house to house; street to street; city to city; province to province; kingdom to kingdom; continent to continent; pole to pole. Such is the range of “the good news,” and the publisher thereof “The regions beyond” must always be the grand Gospel motto. No sooner has the Gospel lamp cast its cheering beams over a district, than the bearer of that lamp must think of the regions beyond. Thus the work goes on. Thus, in enlightening and saving power the mighty tide of grace rolls over a dark world that lies in “the region of the shadow of death.”
Waft, waft, ye winds, the story,
And you, ye waters, roll,
Till, like a sea of glory,
It spreads from pole to pole.
Are we thinking of “the regions beyond”? In our case, this expression may mean the next house, next street, next village, next city, next kingdom, or next continent. The application is for our own heart to ponder; but are we thinking of “the regions beyond”? We do not want anyone to abandon their present post; at least not until fully persuaded that their work at that post is done. But, remember, the Gospel plough should never stand still. “Onward” is the motto of every true evangelist. Let the shepherds abide with the flocks; but let the evangelists go here and there to gather the sheep. Let them sound the Gospel trump far and wide over the dark mountains of this world, to gather together the elect of God (note: the conversion of the world is not the object of the divinely instructed evangelist, but the gathering out of a people to the Lord’s name; a people for the heavens; the body of Christ – Acts 15:14). This is the design of the Gospel. This should be the object of the evangelist, as he sighs after “the regions beyond.”
When, from the coast of Gaul, Caesar beheld the white cliffs of Britain he earnestly longed to carry his arms there. Casting his eye over the map of the world, the evangelist whose heart beats in unison with the heart of Jesus longs to carry the Gospel of peace into regions that are wrapped in midnight gloom, covered with the dark mantle of superstition, or blasted beneath the withering influences of “a form of godliness without the power.”
For many of us it would no doubt be a profitable question to ask how far we are discharging our holy responsibilities to “the regions beyond.” We believe the Christian, who is not cultivating and manifesting an evangelistic spirit, is in a deplorable condition. We also believe that the assembly which is not cultivating and manifesting an evangelistic spirit is in a dead state. One of the truest marks of spiritual growth and prosperity, whether in an individual or assembly, is earnest anxiety after the conversion of souls. This anxiety will swell the bosom with generous emotions; in copious streams of benevolent exertion, it will break forth always flowing toward “the regions beyond.” It is hard to believe that “the word of Christ” is “dwelling richly” in anyone who is not making some effort to impart that Word to his fellow sinners. It matters not what may be the amount of the effort; it may be to drop a few words in the ear of a friend, pen a note, or breathe a prayer. But one thing is certain: a healthy vigorous Christian will be an evangelistic Christian – a teller of good news – one whose sympathies, desires, and energies, are always going forth toward “the regions beyond.” “I must preach the gospel to other cities also, for therefore am I sent.” Such was the language of the divine Evangelist.
In this age, many servants of Christ have erred in allowing themselves, through one influence or another, to become too much localized; tied too much to one place. They have fallen into routine work; into a round of stated preaching in the same place, and, in many cases, have paralyzed themselves and their hearers also. We do not now speak of the labors of the elder or teacher, which of course must be carried on in the midst of those who are the proper subjects of such labors. We refer more particularly to the evangelist. Such a one should never allow himself to become localized. The world is his sphere; “the regions beyond”, his motto; to gather out God’s elect, his object; the current of the Spirit, his line of direction. If there should be one whom God has called and fitted to be an evangelist, if he would prove a fruitful laborer in the Gospel field, let him remember and adopt these four things – the sphere, motto, object, and line of direction.
Finally, whether one is an evangelist or not, we earnestly entreat him to examine how far he is seeking to further the Gospel of Christ. We must not stand idle. Time is too short. Eternity is rapidly coming on. The Master is most worthy. Souls are most precious. The season for work will soon close. Let us, then, in the name of the Lord, be up and doing. And when we have done what we can, in the regions around, let us carry the precious Gospel into “the regions beyond.”
Go, labor on, while it is day
The world’s dark night is hastening on –
Speed, speed thy work, cast sloth away;
It is not thus that souls are won.
Men die in darkness at thy side
Without a hope to cheer the tomb
Take up the torch and wave it wide,
The torch that lights time’s thickest gloom.
Go on, faint not, keep watch, and pray
Be wise the erring soul to win
Go forth into the world’s highway
Compel the wanderer to come in.
“Let us go again” Acts 15:36.
“Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.” No matter his gift or sphere of action, the grand object of the evangelist is “To preach the gospel in the regions beyond.”
But, the elder/pastor has his work as well as the evangelist; and we desire to likewise furnish a motto for him. Such a motto we have in the words, “Let us go again.” We are not merely to regard this expression as the narrative of what was done, but a model of what ought to be done. If the evangelist is responsible to preach the Gospel in the regions beyond, as long as there are regions to be evangelized, the elder/pastor is responsible to “go again and visit his brethren,” as long as there are brethren to be visited. The evangelist forms the interesting connection; the elder/pastor maintains and strengthens that connection. One is the instrument of creating that beautiful link, the other of perpetuating it. It is possible that the two gifts may exist in the same person, as in Paul’s case; but whether this is so or not, each gift has its own specific sphere and object. The business of the evangelist is to call out the brethren; the business of the elder/pastor is to look after them. The evangelist first goes and preaches the Word of the Lord; the elder/pastor goes again and visits those on whom that Word has taken effect. The former calls out the sheep, the latter feeds and takes care of them.
The order of these things is divinely beautiful. The Lord would not gather out His sheep and leave them to wander uncared for and unfed. This would be unlike His gracious, tender, thoughtful way. Hence, He not only imparts the gift whereby His sheep are to be called into existence, but also that whereby they are to be fed and maintained. He has His own interest in them, and in every stage of their history. With intense solicitude, from the moment in which they hear the first quickening accents, He watches over them until they are safely folded in the mansions above. His desire to gather the sheep is revealed in the large-heartedness of the expression, “the regions beyond”; and His desire for their well-being breathes in the words, “let us go again.” The two things are intimately connected. Wherever the Word of the Lord has been preached and received, there we have the formation of mysterious, but real and precious links between Heaven and earth. The eye of faith can discern the beauteous link of divine sympathy between the heart of Christ in Heaven, and “every city” where “the Word of the Lord” has been preached and received. This is as true now, as it was in the first century. There may be many things to hinder our spiritual perception of this link; but it is there for all that. God and faith sees it. Christ has His eye – an eye beaming with intense interest and radiant with tender love – on every city, every town, every village, every street, and every house in which His Word has been received.
The assurance of this is comforting to everyone who feels he has received the Word of the Lord. Were we called on to prove the truth of our assertion from Scripture; we should do so by the following quotation: “And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for behold he prayeth” (Acts 9:10-11).
Can anything be more touching than to hear the Lord of glory minutely giving the address of His newly-found sheep? He gives the street and the number, so to speak, and the occupation at the moment. His gracious eye takes in everything connected with each one of those for whom He gave His precious life. There is not a circumstance, however trivial, in the path of the feeblest of His members, in which the blessed Lord Jesus is not interested. His name be praised for such a comforting assurance. May we be enabled to more fully enter into the reality and power of such truth.
Our gracious Shepherd would fill the heart of those acting under Him with His own tender care for the sheep. He animated the heart of Paul to express and carry out the design embodied in the words, “let us go again.” It was the grace of Christ flowing down into the heart of Paul, giving character and direction to the zealous service of that most devoted and laborious apostle. “I have taught you publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20). What an example. Think of the apostle, with all his gigantic labors, finding time to visit from house to house – for three years in one town.
Observe the force of the words “go again.” It does not matter how often we have been there before. It may be once, twice, or thrice. This is not the question. “Let us go again,” is the motto for the pastoral heart, for there is always a demand for the pastoral gift. Matters are always springing up in the various places in which “the Word of the Lord” has been preached and received, demanding the labors of the divinely-qualified elder/pastor. No human language could adequately set forth the value and importance of real pastoral work. How we need more of it among us. It often nips in the bud evils that might grow to terrible proportions. In a special manner, this is true in this day of spiritual poverty. There is immense demand; a demand on the evangelist, to think of “the regions beyond”; a demand on the elder/pastor to “go again and visit his brethren, in every city” where “the Word of the Lord” has been preached, “and see how they do.”
Do any of us possess the pastoral gift? If so, think of those comprehensive words, “let us go again.” Have we been acting on them? Have we been thinking of our “brethren”; of those “who have obtained like precious faith”; those who, by receiving “the Word of the Lord,” have become spiritual brethren? Are our interests and sympathies engaged on behalf of “every city” in which a spiritual link has been formed with the Head above? Oh, how the heart longs for a greater exhibition of holy zeal and energy, of individual and independent devotedness – independent, not of the sacred fellowship of the truly spiritual, but of every influence that would tend to clog and hinder that elevated service to which each one is distinctly called, in responsibility to the Master alone. Let us beware of the trammels of cumbrous machinery, of religious routine, of false order. Let us also beware of indolence, of love of personal ease, of a false economy that would lead us to attach an undue importance to the matter of expense. The silver and gold are the Lord’s, and His sheep are far more precious to Him than silver and gold. His Words are, “Lovest thou Me? feed My sheep.” And if only there is the heart to do this, the means will never be wanting. How often may we detect ourselves spending sums of money unnecessarily on the table, the wardrobe, the building and the library, that would be amply sufficient to carry us to “the regions beyond,” to preach the Gospel, or to “every city,” in order to “visit our brethren.”
May the Lord grant unto us an earnest self-denying spirit, a devoted heart to Him and to His most holy service, a true desire for the spread of His Gospel, and the prosperity of His people. May the time passed on this earth not be one of living and laboring for self and its interests – may the time be given to Christ and His interests. Let us not allow our treacherous hearts to be deceived by plausible reasoning about domestic, commercial, or other claims. All such should, no doubt, be strictly attended to. A well-regulated mind will never offer to God a sacrifice arising out of the neglect of any just claim. If we are at the head of a family, the claims of that family must be duly responded to. If we are at the head of a business, the claims of that business must be duly met. If we are a hired employee, we must attend to our work. To fail in any of these, would be to dishonor the Lord, instead of serving Him.
But, allowing the widest possible margin for all righteous claims, we ask, “Are we doing all we can for ‘the regions beyond,’ and for ‘our brethren, in every city where we have preached the Word of the Lord’”? Has there been a culpable abandonment of both evangelistic and pastoral work? Have we not allowed domestic and commercial ties to act unduly on us? And what has been the result? What have we gained? Have our children turned out well, and our commercial interests prospered? Has it not often happened that, where the Lord's work has been neglected, the children have grown up in carelessness and worldliness? And regarding business, have we not often toiled all night, and gazed on an empty net in the morning? On the other hand, where the family and the circumstances have with confidence been left in the hand of Jehovah-jireh, have they not been far better cared for? Let these things be deeply pondered with an honest heart and a single eye, and we shall be sure to arrive at just conclusions.
We cannot end without calling attention to the fullness of the expression, “see how they do.” Much is involved in these words – “How they do,” publicly, socially, privately; “How they do,” in doctrine, in association, in walk; “How they do,” spiritually, morally, relatively – in other words, “how they do” in every way. And, be it well remembered, that this seeing how our brethren do must never resolve itself into a curious, prying, gossiping, busybody spirit – a spirit that wounds and heals not, that meddles and mends not. To all who would visit us in such a spirit as this, we should say, “be far from hence.” But, to all who would carry out Acts 15:36, we desire to say “our hands, our hearts, our houses, are wide open; come in, ye blessed of the Lord. ‘If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide.’”
O Lord, be pleased to raise up evangelists to visit “the regions beyond,” and elders/pastors to visit, again and again, “the brethren in every city.”
“Lovest thou Me?...Feed My lambs...Lovest thou Me?...Shepherd My sheep” (John 21:15-16).
“And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1 Pet. 5:4).
