PRIORITISED AMBITIONS

 

Romans 15:19b-22  So from Jerusalem all the way round to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. Rather, as it is written: "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand." This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you. (NIV)
 

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The Apostle Paul had wanted to go to Rome for a long time. It was the centre of the Roman Empire and the international hub of communications. Apart from Paul's personal links with those he already knew, he wanted to help them to fully appreciate the doctrine of grace and how Jesus Christ was the fulfilment of every Jewish dream and Gentile longing. Nevertheless he had not made the journey, because of his higher priority of proclaiming the gospel where Christ was not known. The church in Rome was well established but in many other places a local church had yet to be planted.

Paul therefore prioritised gospel proclamation over fellowship and pastoral encouragement. That did not mean that he considered pastoral teaching, discipleship and fellowship to be unimportant; but rather that the task of evangelism, to which he had been called, was critical to the future growth of the church world-wide.

Today, many churches put most of their resources into the people who are already in the church. And, of course, it is not wrong to care for fellow believers - it is very important. But how will those with no knowledge of Christ come into His kingdom? It will require a new priority of spiritual ambitions. At a personal level, we can also invest most of our personal time with Christian friends and family, dismissing any sense of responsibility for those who are outside of our circle and outside Christ. Evangelistic priorities are always sacrificial: they always take us out of our comfort zone and always generate plenty of reasons why it would be better to look after the people who are already in the church. That is why evangelism needs to be made a priority where we live and work.

Prayer:  Almighty God. Thank You for wanting everybody to come to the knowledge of the truth in Christ Jesus and for providing opportunities to speak of Him. However, I am sorry when I have not considered that it is important to witness about my faith and have prioritised what I am comfortable with, rather than the opportunities You lead me into. Please help me to see the need to prioritise according to Your agenda. In Jesus' Name. Amen.