The Hero & Theme of Revelation: Revelation 1:4-8

Happy Father’s Day!  Last week we began by trying to set our bearings properly before entering the waters of the book of Revelation.  We said that this was important so that we could make sense of where we are at any given point and so that we can end up where we need to be.  Today we are going to see two more crucial bearings that we need to establish, and they are the Hero of Revelation and the theme of Revelation.

In Revelation 1:4-8, John wrote to point believers to both the Hero of the book of Revelation and the theme of the book of Revelation.  Fathers, as well as any other person present here today, need to be pointed to this Hero and this theme as well because the Hero and theme of Revelation is really the Hero and theme of all of Scripture.  My prayer today is that God would make the Hero and theme of this book the Hero and theme of your life.  

[4] John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, [5] and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood [6] and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

[7] Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. [8] “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:4-8 ESV) So who is the great Hero of Revelation and what is its epic theme? 

I.              Know the Great Hero of Revelation (4-6)

We are first to know His identity.  The great Hero of the book of Revelation is the Trinitarian God of the Bible in general, but Jesus Christ in particular.  In verses 4-5a, we see a Trinitarian greeting given. The doctrine of the Trinity is the teaching that there is only one true God, but that He eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each being fully and equally God, but separate persons at the same time.  As we make our way through these descriptions, I’m confident that you will see all three members of the Trinity present. 

First, we see the Father, or “Him who is and who was and who is to come.”  This title is an allusion to Exodus 3:14-15 much like Revelation 1:1 was an allusion to Daniel 2:28-29.  Commentators call this statement a paraphrase of the divine name, “Yahweh,” because in some very similar wording in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament), God identifies Himself in this way: [14] God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” [15] God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. (Exodus 3:14-15 ESV) This title highlights the truth that God is eternal, and reminds us that all time exists within God’s eternal presence.  God created time and is Lord over all time. 

John also sends grace and peace from the Holy Spirit to these believers.  Now while we cannot be absolutely certain that “the seven spirits who are before his throne” is a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit, that is most likely the case.  These “seven spirits” are called “seven torches of fire,” the “seven eyes” of the Lamb, and the “seven spirits of God” in Revelation 3:1, 4:5, and 5:6.  This description in Revelation 1:4 seems to be an allusion to either Zechariah 4 or Isaiah 11:2, or both.  Zechariah 4 speaks of seven lamps, which are the “seven eyes of the LORD,” and seems to identify them as God’s one Spirit.  Isaiah 11:2 identifies God’s seven-fold Spirit as the one who will equip the Messiah to establish His end-time reign.  So think of this phrase as an ICON for the “perfect” Holy Spirit in Revelation.

Finally, John sends grace and peace from the Son, “Jesus Christ.”  Jesus is given a three-fold description that (1) forms the basis of our grace and peace, (2) serves as an example and a comfort to these suffering believers, and (3) is most likely an allusion to Psalm 89:27,37.  He is first called “the faithful witness.”  The Greek word here is “martys,” which is where we get the word “martyr.”  Jesus is the model witness of standing firm in the midst of being persecuted, being faithful even to death.  His faithfulness to the death earned righteousness for us and also satisfied God’s wrath towards our sin, establishing the basis for the grace and peace with God that we enjoy as Christians.  This description also reminded these believers of the example they are to follow in suffering for the faith.  But not only is Jesus’ obedience to the point of death on a cross highlighted, so is His resurrection.  He is “the firstborn of the dead.”  Notice that the ideal martyr is also the firstborn from the dead!  His sure victory over death would remind these believers that even in losing their lives, they are only sealing their victory because death is an enemy that Jesus has already conquered (Rev. 12:11).  Jesus is also described as “the ruler of kings on earth.”  Jesus is seen as the sovereign King of kings in the book of Revelation (Rev. 17:14,19:16).  His reign over the kings of the earth would remind believers that He rules over Caesar and any other pagan enemy even when it doesn’t seem like it.

Notice that in these descriptions, John’s aim is not so much that we know this great Hero’s identity, as it is that we know His grace and peace.  John offers “grace” and “peace” to his readers from these members of the Trinity.  His perfect life, His victory over death, and His rule form the basis of the grace and peace that we experience with God.  Do you know His grace (unmerited favor) and peace (the state of spiritual well being that follows) today?  As we are going to see, Christ’ work is not only the basis for our grace and peace with God, it is also the basis for why He deserves glory. 

We are also admonished here to know His glory.  John breaks into doxology in verses 5b-6, giving another three-fold description of why Jesus Christ is worthy of “glory and dominion forever and ever.”  The first reason is because He “loves us.”  What an incredible thought!  How was this love expressed?  [6] For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—[8] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8 ESV) [9] In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. [10] In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10 ESV) 

This expression of Christ’s love is exactly what John highlights, that Jesus “has freed us from our sins by his blood.”  In dying in our place and shedding His blood for our sins, Jesus bore the wrath of God that was aimed at our sin so that we could be set free from it.  Colossians 2:14 says something similar in saying that on the basis of Christ’s work, God canceled “the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands.  This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”  But it gets better! 

Not only does Jesus love us and has He free us from our sins by His blood, He has also “made us a kingdom” corporately and “priests to His God and Father” individually.  This is an allusion to Exodus 19:6, where God expresses His desire for Israel to become a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”  The implication is that Jesus has made the church what Israel failed to become, and that His disciples are now the true people of God (Rom. 2:28-29, Gal. 6:16, 1 Pet. 2:9-10).  That is clearly John’s meaning here.  This is what the work of Christ has accomplished and this is why He is worthy of all glory and dominion forever!  We never move away from the victory of Christ in His finished work in Revelation or in our lives, because it is the ground for our eternal victory. 

This is the gospel: that your sins have been paid in full by the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ.  By turning to Christ in faith and repentance, you can experience the outpouring of God’s love, grace, & peace as His royal child.  Hallelujah, what a Savior! Do you know His grace and peace?  Do you know His glory?  Only through a sufficient knowledge of the gospel and a proper response to the gospel can a person come to know the God who is the great Hero of this book. 

II.            Treasure the Great Theme of Revelation (7-8)

The great theme of the book of Revelation found in verses 7-8 is two-fold.  First, Jesus is coming to rewards His servants and to judge His enemies.  After his introductory greeting, John makes this announcement: “Behold, He is coming with the clouds” (7).  This is at the heart of Revelation and the Bible’s message: HE’S COMING!  John says that when He comes, it will be “with the clouds” and that “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.”  This Old Testament allusion combines Daniel 7:13 and Zechariah 12:10.  The allusion to Daniel 7:13 refers to the coming of the “Son of man” with the clouds to receive everlasting dominion over all nations from the Ancient of Days (the Father) and how His kingdom will never be destroyed or ever pass away.  This is the same thing we saw last week in Daniel 2. 

The allusion to Zechariah 12:10 speaks of a day when God will pour out upon the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a “spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”  This wailing, or mourning, is either mourning due to their repentance or due to their judgment, or both.  In Zechariah 12:10, this seems to be a or mourning of repentance on the part of the Jewish people, which John expands this to include “all tribes of the earth.”  Some see the wailing in Revelation 1:7 as a wailing over their own judgment because the judgment of the nations is a common theme in Revelation.  It’s most likely that both will take place at the coming of Christ.  Jesus is coming to judge His enemies and to reward His servants, even those who repent at the very last moment.  I see Jesus’ coming as rewarding to His servants in John’s words here: “Even so. Amen.”  John longs with excitement for Christ’s coming.  May God give us more fathers who speak like this!  But make no mistake, it will the worst possible day for anyone who has not repented of their sins and put faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.  The reason the nations are the objects of God’s mission is because they are the objects of God’s judgment without the gospel. 

A second part of Revelation’s great theme is that along with the truth that Jesus is coming, we also see the truth that God is sovereign.  This is the main point of the description of God in verse 8.  God speaks here reminding us that He is great “I AM” of Exodus 3:14, “who is and who was and who is to come.”  He also brings attention to the fact that He is “the Alpha and the Omega.” These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and they bring attention to the fact that God is “the first and the last” and “the beginning and the end” (Rev. 21:6, 22:13).  This description reminds us that the God who spoke the first word in creation will also have the last word in the universe.  This is what it means to be SOVEREIGN.  God’s sovereignty is also seen in the title, “the Almighty.”  This means just what it says, that God is all mighty, or omnipotent.  That this is a great theme in Revelation is clear from the fact that of the 12 times this word appears in the New Testament, nine of those appearances are in the book of Revelation.  What an encouragement this description of God would have been to these believers who received this letter and what an encouragement they are to us today as well!  What an encouragement to know that when the future seems uncertain, when your spouse says, “it’s over,” when your doctor says, “cancer,” when your parents say, “you’re worthless,” when the executioner says, “death,” that it is GOD and not them who WILL have the last word! 

History is His-story, and it is the story of His glory.  He created the universe, sustains the universe, and will judge every being in the universe one day.  No matter what life or history may ever look like, one truth you can take to your grave is that the future is never uncertain; it only appears to be at times.  God is only every moving history forward according to His plan for the good of His people and the glory of His name.  May we come to treasure this Hero of Revelation, who is, who was, and who is to come, who has come, who has won, who is coming, and who is ruling over every second of history as He writes the story of His glory.  Even so, Amen!!!

The Revelation of Jesus Christ: Revelation 1:1-4a

Today we embark upon a remarkable journey through the book of Revelation!  Perhaps no other book of the Bible sparks more intrigue and curiosity among people than this one.  Part of the reason for that is because people have always been obsessed with the end of the world.  Revelation is a book that answers a lot of those questions.  But Revelation is also a book that can spark a lot of controversy and confusion.  Many believers, though they’re curious, are intimidated by its contents.  This is a tragedy because the book of Revelation was meant to be understood by the church.  I’m going to argue that its original audience understood this book and that it is still meant to be understood by the church today. 

Now I find that when approaching material that can leave you feeling lost in the woods, it’s important to set your bearings so that you will not only make sense of where you are but also end up where you need to be.  This is precisely what happens in this book’s introduction.  In Revelation 1:1-8, John wrote to introduce the book of Revelation to seven churches in Asia Minor.  In writing this introduction, John helps believers to set their bearings before making their way through the book itself.  We are going to take our time through this book’s introduction and make sure that we set our bearings properly before we begin navigating through its contents.  My prayer is that God would give us grace throughout this series to hear and heed the heart of Revelation’s message.

[1:1] The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, [2] who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. [3] Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. (Revelation 1:1-3 ESV) What are some of the bearings that we must set in order to clearly hear the message of Revelation? 

I.              The Book of Revelation is Written to Reveal, not Conceal or Confuse (1a)

The first phrase of the book yields both the book’s title and part of its purpose: “The revelation of Jesus Christ” (1a).  The Greek word for “revelation” here is “apokalypsis,” which means “a revelation, a disclosure, or an unveiling.”  The idea is that of curtains being pulled back to reveal something.  So what is being revealed? 

II.            The Book of Revelation is Written to Reveal Jesus Christ (1b)

What’s being revealed is “Jesus Christ” and “the things that must soon take place.”  We’ll get to the second item in a minute, but notice up front that this book is primarily about Jesus.  That means that an important question to ask when studying this book is “What do we learn about Jesus or from Jesus in this text?”

III.         The Book of Revelation is Considered a “Mixed Genre” (1,3,4)

Since we have just mentioned the Greek word, “apokalypsis,” this is a good time to also mention that the book of Revelation is considered a “mixed genre.”  It is first a piece of apocalyptic literature.  Apocalyptic literature is a genre of literature that communicates its message through grand visions and images that are symbolic in nature.  It normally gives a symbolic glimpse of the future given in order to call people to persevere through their present situation.  Revelation is also a piece of prophetic literature (3), much like the work of Old Testament prophets like Daniel and Ezekiel.  Finally, Revelation is an epistle, or letter, written to seven real churches in Asia Minor (4).     

IV.          The Book of Revelation is Written to Reveal the Things that Must Soon Take Place (1c)

What does that mean?  There are basically five approaches to understanding when the things written in Revelation will take place.  First, there is the preterist approach, which basically states that the events and visions of Revelation depict events that occurred in the first century.  The strength of this approach is that it seeks to interpret the book in terms of what it meant for its original audience.  A weakness with this approach is that Revelation takes us all the way into the new heavens and earth, which did not happen in the first century! 

Next is the historicist approach, which states that the events and visions of Revelation depict events that span all of church history.  This one is sometimes called the “newspaper approach,” because essentially what happens is that people read what is happening in the newspaper (or has happened in history) into the book of Revelation.   The strength of this approach is that it rightly seeks to live as though the return of Christ is imminent. 

Another approach is the futurist approach, which states that the events and visions of Revelation depict events that will occur at the end of history.  The strength of this approach and the previous one is that they rightly takes into account that Revelation is about the end of history.  A weakness of this approach and the historicist approach is that they often overlook the fact that Revelation had an original, first-century audience that understood its contents.  For example, no first century believer would have thought of nuclear bombs, helicopters, bar codes, or computer chips when hearing this letter read to the congregation! 

Then there is the idealist approach, which states that the events and visions of Revelation only give us principles and ideas that are true at any time in church history.  They would say that Revelation’s content merely symbolizes the great conflict between God and Satan and encourages believers of God’s sure victory.  A strength to this approach is that is rightly seeks to distill the main message of many difficult portions of the book without getting lost in the details.  Some things are not clear in the book of Revelation, so it is important to remember to major on the major and not the minor.  A weakness of this approach is that Revelation, though largely symbolic in its descriptions, does describe real events.   

A final approach to Revelation’s content is the eclectic approach, which combines essential aspects of the other views, seeing each as having benefits and flaws.  It takes the truth of each view and combines it, saying that the book addresses the present through parallels with the future and sees both historical and future fulfillment.  I think this final approach is the healthier approach.  Revelation was written to a first century audience to call them to persevere in the face of persecution, false teaching, and worldliness by placing their hope in God and His plan in Christ to wrap up history. 

Now as important as all that information is, we still haven’t answered our question of what John means by “the things that must soon take place” (1).  John also says in verse 3 that the time for these things to happen “is near.”  I want to make three points here.  First, any discussion of when these things will take place needs to keep in mind God’s perspective with respect to time.  2 Peter 3:8 clearly alerts us to the fact that God is in now way bound by time like we are.  So “soon” to God may mean something completely different than what “soon” would mean to us.  Second, “imminent language” is common in the New Testament with respect to Jesus’ return and God’s bringing about the end of history.  Consider the following examples: [20] The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. (Romans 16:20 ESV) [7] The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. (1 Peter 4:7 ESV) [18] Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18 ESV) In the New Testament, the “last days” are not merely the end of history but the final period of salvation history that spans from Jesus’ first coming until His second coming.  So I take these things taking place “soon” to simply mean that the 4^th Quarter of salvation history has begun. 

I think this is confirmed by the third point that I want to make about this phrase and that is that it is most likely an allusion to Daniel 2:28-29.  The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) contains the same basic wording seen here in Revelation 1:1.  In Daniel 2, God gives Nebuchadnezzar a dream about how God will one day establish a kingdom that will never be destroyed and will rule over all other kingdoms.  This kingdom will eventually cover the whole earth and its king will be a “rock” who will be a King of kings and a Lord of lords.  If this is an allusion to Daniel 2, then Revelation 1:1 means that the kingdom that Daniel prophesied about is now and soon coming to fulfillment.  I say now and soon because this is our current reality: that the kingdom of God has come in the coming of Jesus and that history is moving towards its final consummation.  God’s kingdom is both already here and coming soon at the same time.

V.             The Message of Revelation is Meant to Be Shared (2)

Verse 1b-2 says also says God made this revelation known to “His servant John” (the apostle) by “sending His angel.”  This is a common characteristic of apocalyptic literature, where an angel serves as a guide and interpreter for the visions seen.  John is identified as God’s “servant” who “bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”   This means that john has been a faithful witness of the gospel and the things that God has revealed to him, and it reminds us that the message of Revelation is meant to be shared.  This is an essential bearing that we must set.  Revelation is not in the Bible to simply spark our intellectual curiosity.  It is meant to move us out of comfort and into commission. That is what a grand vision of Jesus Christ will do! 

VI.          The Message of Revelation is Meant to be Heard and Heeded (3)

Verse 3 is the first of seven benedictions found in the book of Revelation (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14).  A blessing is promised here for “the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy” and also for “those who hear, and who keep what is written” (3).  Again, Revelation isn’t written to merely inform you, but to transform you.  James 1:22-25 says that we are not to be “hearers” of the word only, but “doers” of the word as well.  According to James, when we are “hearers” and not “doers” of the word, we actually deceive our own selves. Ask God today for grace to hear, head, and speak the message of this book as we journey through it together.

VII.        The Book of Revelation Must be Interpreted in a Way that Keeps its Original Audience in Mind (4a)

Revelation was written to “the seven churches that are in Asia.”  It is significant that there are “seven” churches addressed (because there were others in Asia Minor) and that they are called “the” seven churches.  This means that Revelation’s message is not only for the seven churches addressed, but also for the whole church for all of history.  But what I want to reiterate here that that these seven churches were the book’s original audience.  They understood this book when they heard it read.  Most every symbol made sense to them.  So another important question to continually ask in Revelation is “what did this text mean for its original audience?”  If we are going to understand what this book means for us today, then we have to understand what it meant for that audience then.  These churches were being infiltrated by false teaching and worldliness and were about to face unimaginable persecution at the hands of the Roman Empire.  This book was written to call them to endure in the face of all of it. 

The book of Revelation aims to reveal Jesus in all His glory in such a way that it changes your life into a disciple of Jesus who will be His witness in this world in the face of anything, including death.  Ask God to help you be an open book as we journey through it.  There is great diversity and division over interpreting this book.  My prayer is that I would be humble and kind in sharing my take on it with you, but also that you will see that by applying sound principles of Bible study, we can understand the main message of Revelation.  This book reminds us that Jesus is coming again.  Are you ready to meet Him today? 

A Passion for the Fame of Christ's Name Among the Nations: Romans 15:17-24

This summer four men from our church will be traveling to Uganda to work with Curt and Dede Iles for the purpose of identifying an unreached people group for our church to begin working with.  This will be the first of hopefully many trips to this part of the world in an effort to see God use us to make disciples and plant churches among a people group who are unreached (meaning that less that 2% of their population is evangelical Christian) and unengaged (meaning that there is no known effort to reach them with the gospel).  I’d like to take the time today to lay a Biblical foundation for why this missionary effort is so important from Romans 15:17-24.

In Romans 15:17-24, Paul shared his ambition to preach the gospel of Christ among those who have never heard.  His ambition reveals a passion for the fame of Christ’s name among the nations.  Paul would say in Romans 1:5 that he and the other apostles had “received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among the nations.”  John Stott makes the following comments on this passage: “The highest of missionary motives is neither obedience to the Great Commission (important as that is), nor love for sinners who are alienated and perishing (strong as that incentive is, especially when we contemplate the wrath of God…), but rather zeal – burning and passionate zeal – for the glory of Jesus Christ… Only one imperialism is Christian…and that is concern for His Imperial Majesty Jesus Christ, and for the glory of His Empire.”

“We should be “jealous” …for the honor of his name – troubled when it remains unknown, hurt when it is ignored, indignant when it is blasphemed.  And all the time anxious and determined that it shall be given the honor and glory which are due to it.”[1] This same passion should burn in the heart of every believer in Jesus Christ.  All believers should possess a passion for the fame of Christ’s name among the nations, especially those who have never heard.  My prayer is that God would use this passage to fan such a flame for His fame in our hearts today. 

[17] In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. [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, [19] 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; [20] 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, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

[22] This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. [23] But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, [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.  (Romans 15:17-24 ESV)

Here is what I want to consider from this passage today: What does a passion for the fame of Christ’s name among the nations look like?  This passage reveals that such a passion surfaces in two ways in our lives.

I.              A People with a Sacred Pride (17-21)

The first way in which passion for the fame of Christ’s name among the nations surfaces in our lives is in making us a people with a sacred pride.  Paul says in verse 17 that he has reason in Christ to be proud of his work for God.  Now it may seem strange to use language like pride in such a positive sense, but upon further investigation, we see that we have to make a distinction in this passage between sacred pride and sinful pride.  Paul’s pride is not in himself or what he has done, but in what Christ has accomplished through him (18).  It is right to be proud of God!  It is right to boast in knowing God (Jeremiah 9:23-24).  It is right to boast in the cross of Jesus Christ (Galatians 6:14). 

What was this work that Christ had accomplished that Paul was so proud of?  He describes it in two ways in this passage.  He first describes this work as bringing the Gentiles to obedience by the power of the Spirit of God (18-19a).  Notice how conversion is described here: as bringing others to obedience. Conversion is spoken of this way because in true conversion people receive new hearts that are inclined to obey God (Ezekiel 36:26-27), and this is part of what disciple making is: teaching people to obey Jesus’ commands (Matthew 28:19-20).  Paul also describes this work that Christ has accomplished through him as the preaching of the gospel where Christ has yet to be named (20).  By “named,” Paul means among people who have yet to call upon Jesus’ name for salvation (Romans 10:13).  This is another reason why I call this a passion for the fame of Christ’s name among the nations.

Because this is a passion for the fame of God’s name and not our own, success will always result in proper boasting and a sacred pride if it is present.  This is the Christian life: a life of constant dependence upon God and of constant rejoicing over and boasting in what God is accomplishing in us and through us!  Are you boasting in what God is doing in your life?  Does anything come to mind?  Perhaps is because you are not depending upon Him for anything and you are not concerned about the fame of His name in your life.  You have to be concerned about the fame of His name in your own life if you are ever going to be concerned about it among the nations.  And true passion for His name leads to a desperation for His power and a sacred pride over what He accomplishes.

II.            A People with a Sacred Ambition (19-22)

The second way in which passion for the fame of Christ’s name among the nations surfaces in our lives is in making us a people with a sacred ambition.  Paul says that his ambition is to preach the gospel of Christ where Christ has yet to be named so that he is not building upon another’s foundation.  Notice right away that this passage is describing two types of gospel work.  There is (1) the work of laying a foundation and there is (2) the work of building upon a foundation. 

Paul’s words here do not mean that the second type of work is not important.  Passages like 1 Corinthians 3:5-10 teaches that both foundational work and the work of building upon that foundation are important, and also that God ultimately is the builder of the church.  Paul is simply stating here that his primary ambition here is the foundational, pioneering type work.  As a matter of fact, it is precisely because others were building upon Paul’s foundation that Paul could say he didn’t have “any room for work” from Jerusalem to Illyricum (23).  Paul’s foundational work in his missionary journeys was to plant church planting churches where disciple-making disciples would be made in key cities.  This left behind an outpost of gospel coworkers that could fan out into the surrounding areas and build upon the foundation that Christ had lain through Paul. 

Notice also that Paul’s ambition is rooted in and motivated by Scripture, specifically the Old Testament (21).  Isaiah 52:15 is cited here, a passage about God’s Suffering Servant (Christ).  Isaiah 52:13-15: [13] Behold, my servant shall act wisely; he shall be high and lifted up, and shall be exalted. [14] As many were astonished at you—his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—[15] so shall he sprinkle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which has not been told them they see, and that which they have not heard they understand.  Paul viewed the mission of the church as taking the good news of this Suffering Servant to kings, and nations, and peoples who had never heard of Him.  Some commentators even say that Paul’s desire to go to Spain was rooted Old Testament prophecies.  [18] “For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, [19] and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations. [20] And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the LORD, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the LORD, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the LORD.  (Isaiah 66:18-20 ESV)

Notice also that Paul’s ambition had kept him from coming to the believers in Rome yet (22).  It kept him from doing some things that he really wanted to do and from seeing some people that he really cared about.  If the church is going to take the gospel to the nations, sacrifices will have to be made, and they will be worth it for the sake of His name. 

Finally, notice that this ambition is not exclusive to missionaries like Paul.  Paul stated that his desire was to take his next missionary journey to Spain and to “be helped” on his journey by the Roman believers (24).  In other words, Paul’s ambition is to do the foundational work in Spain of preaching the gospel among those whom have yet to hear of Christ and he hopes that those who are not doing foundational work in Rome, but are building upon the foundation will partner with him prayerfully and financially to help him do this foundational work.  So even though they are not going to do the foundation work they should still have a passion, or an ambition, to see it done.  This sacred ambition is something that should be in the heart of every believer, whether they get to do the foundational work themselves or simply partner with others who will do it.

When I think about Paul’s ambition, I’m reminded of missionary David Livingstone.  David Livingstone (1813-1873) was a medical missionary to Africa that God used to open up what was then called “the dark continent” with the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He did so at great cost to himself personally (was attacked by a lion and constantly battled sickness) and his family (lost his wife and new born child on one of their expeditions).  He had originally planned to be a medical missionary to China, but after hearing missionary Robert Moffat speak, he resolved to become a missionary to Africa instead.  The words of Moffat that haunted him were, “I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages, where no missionary has ever been.”  This awakened a passion in Livingstone to “preach the gospel beyond every other man’s line of things.”  He explored and ministered in the continent of Africa until his dying day.  When he died on May 1, 1873, he was found in the early morning hours kneeling beside his bed with his face in his hands. Before returning his body home, they removed his heart and buried it in the African soil.  It was a symbolic gesture for one whose heart was to declare the fame of Christ’s name among the nations.    

Do you have such a Bible saturated ambition in life?  Let me give you three applications from this passage and the surrounding context to express this ambition.  I have given them to you before, but I want to show them to you here so that you can see these are not just three neat ways that someone came up with to be involved in missions.  The first way is to pray.  Paul asks for the Roman believers to pray for his future plans and missionary endeavors (30-32).  If your not sure how to pray for missions, some excellent prayers are found in Matthew 9:35-38, Ephesians 6:18-20, Colossians 4:3-4, and in the model prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. 

The second way is to give of your time, talents, and treasures towards missionary endeavors among the unreached.  Paul’s plans were to take his next missionary journey to Spain and be “helped” on his journey by the Roman believers (24).  When we contribute resources towards those who are doing foundational work, we are partnering with them in the work of preaching Christ among those who have never heard (Philippians 1:5).  Finally, when we have opportunity, we can go to the nations to preach Christ there ourselves.  Paul is our example of “going” in this passage (20).  I once heard a pastor say that any Christian who didn’t have a passport was out of the will of God!  While that might be a bold statement, I do agree with him in principle: every believer should position himself or herself to go if called to. 

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[1] John Stott, Romans: God’s Good News for the World, 53