Gospel Ambition
Notes
Transcript
Gospel Ambition
BI: We are to be sold out for the Gospel by prayerfully proclaiming Christ everywhere
1. Introduction
I wonder if you know this bloke. His name is Vito Iacopelli. sorry for the pronunciation to the all the Italians out there. This bloke is a youtube sensation. He teaches people how to make pizzas. not just any old pizza but next level Neapolitan style pizza. he states that his ambition in life is to teach the world how to make ‘the best soft and crunchy’ pizza at home. He has spent his life making pizzas. No secrets, he says. He has made 638 videos, a high quality video a week. he has 1.23 million subscribers. He has gotten me into making pizza, even though I kinda keep failing, I’m in the learning pit, my dough becomes a blubbering sticky mess, not a good thing when you are trying to feed 4 little kids. But i’m still keen. why? Vito is the most passionate bloke. He has this infectious personality, persuasive, winsome. he’s a bit cheesy but he just loves it. he just loves it. And I could watch his videos all day. I've learnt about the pizza peels, different types of flours, pizza ovens, poolish, biga, hydration, fermentation all this stuff that goes into making an awesome pizza. In fact, I’ve invested 12.5kg 00 flour, semolina flour, 25 kg at Costco bread flour. i’m swimming in that stuff. I’m into making pizza because of this bloke. He’s sold out on teaching others to make pizza.
Now as we come to the end of Paul’s letter to the Romans, last 2 chapters, the Apostle Paul tells us about his ambition. His goal in life. And it’s the purpose of the book. Paul takes a step back from all the theology and arguments, and speaks about his ambition, his heart. and unlike pizza that’s really just food, this is about eternal life. It’s about the Gospel. Paul is sold out for the Gospel. Is this you? that is life is not about me and my small ambitions, money, career, family, but Jesus and the glorious Gospel? look at verse 20 look here
Romans 15:20 (ESV)
and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation,
Friends, that’s Pauls’ ambition. Preach the Gospel to the world. See the Gospel go into all the world. We know from the book of Acts Paul does not just talk the talk, he walks the walk. He co pastors the first church in Antioch, he started churches in Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and Macedonia. And here in our chapter, he shares travel plans. He wants to go to Spain. He’s not going for Tapas, enjoy the sites. No, Paul’s sold out for the Gospel. he wants to prayerfully proclaim Christ to the world. And he wants us to get on board. and it starts with the heart.
1. Be sold out for the Gospel
See Paul’s heart for the Gospel? Did you notice he is full of passion. This is personal for Paul. He is sold out for the Gospel. Look how the whole passage is full of personal pronouns – I
Have a look in your bibles at verse 14 ‘I myself am satisfied about you’
Verse 15 – the grace God gave me to be a minister
Verse 16 – he gave ‘me’ the priestly duty
Verse 17 – In Christ Jesus then I have reason to be proud of my work for God.
Verse 20 – it has always been ‘my ambition’
Verse 24 – I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and have you assist me.
It’s right throughout the passage. He’s all about the Gospel. It’s personal for him. He’s sold out for the Gospel.
Now, Paul is not self-obsessed. Look at me. He doesn’t have a big ego. Look at how many people I have brought to Christ. No, He was a man on God’s mission. he says verse 18
Romans 15:18 (ESV)
For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed,
And in fact, he is God’s servant. Right at the beginning of Romans we saw in Chapter 1:1
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
It’s God’s gospel. And what is it about? We read in verses 3 and 4
Romans 1:3–4 (ESV)
concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
The Gospel is about God’s Son, declared to be the Son of God by his resurrection. Jesus is the Lord and Saviour.
And Paul is a servant of this Gospel. Servant. Means slave. He has been appointed by Jesus. he has been set apart for the Gospel. He was under orders to preach the Gospel. Look at chapter 1 verse 14
I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
Why is he under obligation? he says in Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
It’s always been God’s purpose to save people from every nation. Right at the beginning of Romans we read about it. and now, Paul closes the letter on the same theme. Verse 20 again
Romans 15:20 (ESV)
and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation,
That’s his burning ambition. He is sold out for the Gospel.
Even despite suffering. Shipwreck, no food, no friends, persecution. All the suffering things he went through. He was passionate about serving Christ. He was sold out to serve his Saviour, Jesus. Fully committed to this cause. Is that your ambition in life?
My wife and I often think about friends gone overseas for mission work. Guy from college and his wife. Their 4 children. Lovely couple lived opposite us at Bible college. The guy was smart. Could’ve been a lecturer. He used to work at the weather bureau, wife can’t remember what she did. Lovely couple at college. 4 little kids not much older than ours. After going out to Greenacre in Sydney to reach the Muslims, now they have gone to the middle east to be missionaries. Sometimes I think, that’s a big call. Full on. They don’t speak Arabic. Little kids. Giving up comfort of Australia. But they get it. They are sold out for the Gospel. They go, send me Lord. That’s their ambition in life. Is that your ambition in life? Maybe not to be a missionary. but a life sold out for Jesus?
Paul is sold out for the Gospel. All he wants to do is proclaim Christ, everywhere. That was his obligation. That was his greatest desire.
2. So proclaim Christ everywhere
That’s Paul’s strategy. To proclaim Christ everywhere. That’s his ambition. But it’s not as if the Roman Church did not understand the Gospel. They did.
See Paul doesn’t write this letter because the Romans are in sin, or there’s a big, big problem. In the letter to the Galatians Paul is astonished that they are turning to another Gospel. In the letter to Corinth they were living in sin. Those were big issues. Actually, here Paul is encouraging them see verse 14
Romans 15:14 (ESV)
I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
There’s no glaring error or problem in the Roman Church to teach or correct them. You are children of God. you are saved by the Gospel. You get it. You are even able to teach one another.
But on some points, as his role as the Apostle, verse 15 he writes boldly to remind them of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. But understand this, far from addressing a problem, he is proud of what Christ has done in them. it’s easy to notice problems, shortcomings of others. But here Paul is talking about progress. He’s encouraged. We all have short comings of course. But I reckon, God has grown us in the Gospel. I’m encouraged by that. I’ve seen progress here among you. It’s great. May God continue to grow us in Christ.
Yet Paul still needs to remind them of his mission to proclaim Christ to the Gentiles. Reminders are good because we are forgetful. I want to always been on mission, on task on focus, but so often I can lose focus. Reminders are good. Paul reminds them of his mission, his task his focus, He’s very very clear about that. look at verse 15
But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
It's so interesting Paul talks about his service like he is an Old Testament priest. It’s the only place he does this in the New Testament.
Friends, don’t forget how big the Gospel is for us Gentiles. don’t forget where we have come from. Gentiles were at one point not God’s people. We were outsiders looking in. And in the Old Testament, Gentiles could not enter the inner parts of the holy temple. A huge wall said stay out! No entry. You cannot worship God. Barred. Worse, Gentiles were described as dogs, unclean, impure, excluded, without God without hope in the world.
But Paul has been given the priestly job of offering the Gentiles to God. he fulfils what we see in verses 21 there from Isaiah 52:15
but as it is written,
“Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.”
God has appointed Paul as a priest to us. through his service we can be set apart. He is the one who God sets apart to help Gentiles to see, help Gentiles to understand.
What does Paul do as a priest? What do they see? What do they understand? He preaches the Gospel. He proclaims Christ to the Gentiles and they come to obedience. They come to faith in Jesus. And they are set apart by the Holy Spirit. They become holy and acceptable to God.
See the priestly ministry now is not about Old Testament rituals. Robes and sacrifices of animals. There are no special prayers, mutterings, Hail Mary’s or taking confession.
It’s now the preaching of the Gospel. That’s how Paul talks about worshiping God here. it’s not coming to worship by first offering an animal sacrifice. No sins are paid for by Jesus. it’s preaching the Gospel. Paul preaches the Gospel. He talks about Jesus, the one who has dealt with sins. The one who died once for all. and by faith our sins are completely forgiven. We are made holy through Jesus. We are right with God by faith in Jesus. That’s Paul’s mission. to the proclaim Christ to the Gentiles.
And it’s to proclaim Christ, everywhere.
Paul’s gone far and wide to preach the Gospel. Come to verse 18
For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;
Paul is sold out for the Gospel. He proclaims the Gospel to the Gentiles. he wants preach Christ everywhere. Look at two locations named. Verse 19 from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum. That’s almost 3000km. Jerusalem, capital of Israel all the way to Modern Albania today in Europe. He has fulfilled his ministry in these places. It doesn’t mean everyone has been reached. But he has set up churches and appointed elders so they will go on to preach the Gospel and grow the Church.
And now, Paul is now ready for his next step in his missionary work. He wants to take the Gospel further. He is going to go via Rome to the ends of the earth, ultimately to get to Spain. Spain was the ends of the earth in those days. He wants to go there (MAP). So he wants the Romans to get on board as partners with him on this mission. He wants to enlist their support on his journey. You see, his purpose for stopping in Rome is not just finally to meet the church, yes he wants to enjoy their company, but actually he wants their support. He wants them to get on board as partners in his mission to Spain. Here’s the role he wants them to play. See it in verse 24
I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.
The word helped is a technical word. to be sent forth. He’s asking them to assist him. to help him as a missionary on his way. he wants them to support him to preach the Gospel to gentiles. He doesn’t want pocket change, but real financial support for the Gospel. Whatever is needed to help him on his mission to proclaim the Gospel everywhere!
Of course, God doesn’t expect all of us to rush off overseas. This is talking about Paul and his mission. Not specifically to us. But of course, we are involved in the spread of the Gospel into other areas of the world. how can we not be? There are no passengers, it’s a work ship like in Star Trek. When you watch star trek, don’t know if you do. but on the ship, everyone has a role. we’re not a luxury cruise liner there to enjoy the food, the theatre, the views. We’re all working together for the Gospel. Here Paul is asking them to give. He wants their support. He wants them to partner with him financially.
Why? To help him get to Spain to proclaim the Gospel.
But before he goes there he has one more thing to do. He wants the whole church - Jew and Gentile united for this Gospel work. look at verse 25.
At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.
See what he has to do? he has to go to Jerusalem before he goes to Spain. Why? He wants to take a gift, money from the Gentiles to the Jew Christians struggling financially. But the problem is, the Jews in Jerusalem hated Paul, so he says I need your prayers. He wants prayerful partners in the Gospel.
3. But be a prayerful partner in the Gospel
Come to verse 30
I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Paul is concerned about his safety. There are stacks of unblievers who hate him in Jerusalem. The Jews. But he prays, not because he is scared to die. the guys already been been imprisoned, flogged, suffering heaps, he’s not afraid to die. No, He wants to preach the Gospel in Spain! He’s sold out for the gospel. So he asks for the Romans to strive, labor, together in prayer for him.
And not only that, he asks them to pray verse 31 his service may be acceptable to the saints. Of course in the bible, saints are believers who have trusted in Jesus, but here he is talking about the Jews who have become Christians in Jersualem. Paul wants the Romans – those mixed with Jews and Gentiles to pray that this gift from the Gentile churches will be acceptable to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. Why? If the Gospel is to go out to the nations – to Spain – it needs to come from a church united by the Gospel. It was important for Jewish Christians to see that the Gentile Christians love them, support them, see them as brothers and sisters in Christ. He needed to continue the work to unite Jew and Gentile under one church, one Gospel. He prays for unity of Jew and Gentile. That the Jews would understand the Gospel and live it out. He is committed to working as a team for the Gospel.
Friends, we have seen today God has a clear purpose in his church in every place. Paul is sold out for the Gospel. He proclaims Christ everywhere. That’s his goal. That’s his ambition. And he wants prayer that God will work it out, for the Gospel to go out as a united church.
Now you might be thinking, that’s Paul. He’s an Apostle. Sure. Yes his ministry is unique. But we are still on about making disciples. Growing disciples of Jesus through the word of God and prayer. So I want to speak to your heart for a moment
4. Implications
4.1. Are our hearts set on Gospel ambition?
I’ve been reading this book called ‘things that matter” by Joshua Becker. Not a Christian book. There it is. That wasn’t my coffee. I was at the library out in Watsonia, flicking through books. Couldn’t do much for the week on sick leave, wasn’t up for much talking either. This book caught my attention. Why? Right up front, he talks about the top 5 regrets of people at the end of their life. It's funny how being sick brings a focus to your life. He quotes this nurse, Bronnie Ware. she surveyed her patients by asking very direct question: what do you regret about your life? Do you know what they were? Top 5 regrets
1. I wish I’d have the courage to live a life true to myself
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier
These are the top 5 regrets of people about to die. Being true to myself, me working so hard, me expressing my feelings, me staying in touch with my friends, my happiness.
Now, of course, we are not in that situation of those patients. It’s not end of life care right here and now. but it’s a good question isn’t it?
What at the end of your life will make you look back and go yes I’m satisfied with how I lived. Or to re-frame the question, what matters in your life? What’s your ambition in life?
No where was it most clear than during the pandemic. Many were on about safety. It’s fear of sickness. Of death. Fear of not having enough. Gotta go get the toilet paper. But we’ve past that time, today, maybe for you it’s about family. peace in a time of war abroad. Or money or work, comfort. What is your ambition in life?
Friends, we know Christ. he has died for our sins. He loves us. he has wiped the slate of sin clean. we have eternal life. Why is it that we don’t make it our life ambition to see people come to know Jesus? we talk about making plans for buying a house, schooling for me, but what about planning to reach my mates for Christ? How will I intentionally create opportunities to proclaim Christ? Is that your ambition? Be sold out fo the gospel. Proclaim christ to everyone.
For those deciding which church to go to, here’s what we are on about. We might not be a big church with a huge kids church. but here’s the church we are. We are on about making disciples of Jesus. we want to proclaim christ. we want to reach the lost and see people come to faith. Come and join us in this mission.
4.2. Are our prayers a vital part in gospel partnership?
Paul asks them to strive together with him in prayer for him. what’s he striving for? It’s gospel striving isn’t it? to bring the Gospel to every nation. United by the Gospel? Are we striving in prayer for our mates? Pryaer is as much as part of Gospel partnership as money is. Let me ask you, what do you pray for? Do you pray for your own small ambitions? Or do you pray that we will be a church united by the Gospel and on mission together? Do you pray that when circumstances are hard, things will get easier? Or do you pray for courage and faithfulness? Do you pray for sicknesses to be healed. Good prayers. But despite sickness, you are outward focussed, praying for your unbelieving friend to know Christ? Do we pray for our Gospel partners Al and Jess Green? CMS? Get on board and pray.
For my prayer is that we will all be sold out for the Gospel, wanting each and every one of us to prayerfully proclaim Christ to a world that needs him