14 I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them.15 Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace, 16 I am a special messenger from Christ Jesus to you Gentiles. I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit. 17 So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. 18 Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me, bringing the Gentiles to God by my message and by the way I worked among them. 19 They were convinced by the power of miraculous signs and wonders and by the power of God’s Spirit. In this way, I have fully presented the Good News of Christ from Jerusalem all the way to Illyricum.20 My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else. 21 I have been following the plan spoken of in the Scriptures, where it says, “Those who have never been told about him will see, and those who have never heard of him will understand.”
22 In fact, my visit to you has been delayed so long because I have been preaching in these places.
Preach Christ
Oswald J. Smith founded The People’s Church in Toronto, Canada in 1928. He was a passionate preacher who was also a strong believer is missions. In fact, People’s Church has been one of the greatest supporters of missionaries around the world. I have met their current pastor and his heart continues the tradition of Oswald J. Smith.
There is a famous “missionary quote” that Oswald J. Smith once made. “No one has the right to hear the gospel twice, while there remains someone who has not heard it once.” I wonder if Smith was thinking of Paul’s words in this passage when he said that.
You see, Paul reveals his passion. He wants to bring the gospel to those who have not heard. It’s what drove him throughout his life. It’s why we have so many books of the Bible written by Paul. He would establish new churches in areas where the message of Jesus had never been heard.
I find it interesting today that so many people plant new churches and then go after other Christians to fill their new church. Rather than just focus on reaching those who don’t know what’s amazing about God’s grace, they chase after people who will jump from another church to their “better one.” What a shame.
When we started Bikers’ Church, our passion was to reach people who were not part of any church. That was (and is) our passion. The fact is, there are so many people who need to hear the message of God’s love for the first time, that we don’t have to chase after the ones who already know about that love.
When Smith made his famous statement, most of North America was Christian. That isn’t true today. I am amazed when I meet someone and discover that they truly have no idea about any aspect of the gospel. We now have a generation of people who are biblically illiterate. Jesus is foreign to them.
We need the passion and purpose that Paul had.
My prayer: Lord, send me. Send me to those who have not heard the message of God’s amazing grace. Help me to touch their lives with a message of hope and forgiveness. Reveal to me, even in the midst of my everyday life those who need you. Amen.
Until tomorrow.
