Mission Impossible

“For this is what the Lord has commanded us, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Acts 13:47

Mission Impossible 4 was recently playing at a theatre near you. The movie title is a near misnomer, for had the protagonist been unsuccessful in his first three endeavors, people would surely not pay to see him fail in a fourth. But against all odds—believable and unbelievable—with extensive collateral damage rampant around him, the main character, once again, manages to escape unscathed and accomplish his mission. And the audience leaves happy. Why? Because we all like a good action-packed, suspenseful success story.

Perhaps Hollywood should consider the apostle Paul for its next big project. From the Damascus road until his death, Paul’s life sequenced with adventure and action, confrontation and calamity, troubles, triumphs, danger, pain, excitement, friends, sorcerers, and stoning. And that’s just the first mission trip!

After being set apart by God’s Spirit, Paul and Barnabas set sail to Cyprus to spread the good news of Jesus. Things began with a bang when Paul called blindness upon a Jewish sorcerer who “opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul [his boss] from the faith”(Acts 13:8). At the next town, they were welcomed to share “a message of encouragement for the people”(Acts 13:15), but when “on the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord”(Acts 13:44), jealous Jews “incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution again Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from the region”(Acts 13:51).

Thrown out but not taken down, “the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit”(Acts 13:52) and moved on to share the news that split the next town in two. The people at Iconium were divided; some sided with the close-minded Jews, others with the apostles. Paul and Barnabas hung there for a while, “speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders”(Acts 14:3), but when they discovered “there was a plot afoot…to mistreat them and stone them”(Acts 14:5), they fled for their lives.

In the city of Lystra, Paul healed a man crippled from birth, and immediately the crowd began to hail them as heroes. “The gods have come to us in human form!” they shouted. “Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker”(Acts 14:11-12). The priest from the pagan temple hurried to the city gate with bulls and wreaths for their honor and sacrifice. Though Paul and Barnabas tore their clothes in anguish and tried to shout God’s truth, “they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them”(Acts 14:19)—until some Jews from the last town they visited showed up and turned the once-adoring crowd against them. “They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead”(Acts 14:20). But he wasn’t, and he left for Derbe the next day.

In that city, “they preached the good news and won a large number of disciples”(Acts 14:21). Then they retraced their steps, bravely heading back to the places where they had been persecuted, “strengthening the disciples who were there and encouraging them to remain true to the faith”(Acts 14:22). After that, they headed home to Antioch. They reported to the church “all that God had done and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles”(Acts 14:27), and they rested.

Had their mission been successful? If your definition of success is masses gladly receiving the message of Jesus, then no. If your definition is warm welcomes, open arms, and happy trails, then no. If your definition is honor, exaltation, and good reputations, then no. But if your definition of success is doing what God has said to do, then yes. Their mission was successful. Against all odds—believable and unbelievable, against all enemies—of this world and not of this world, with extensive collateral damage rampant around him and upon him, the main character, once again, manages to escape somewhat unscathed and accomplish his mission. And the audience leaves happy (actually, we leave joyful.) Why? Because Mission Impossible becomes Mission Accomplished when we obey.

Obedience makes our endeavors a complete success—regardless of the external outcome. We can trust the results to God when we do the task as we are told, and we can wait in expectation for our next assignment.

Mission Impossible 5, anyone??