Embracing Gospel Ambition for Christ's Glory

 

Summary

As we embark on a new year, it's a time to refocus both personally and as a church community on the mission God has set before us. Drawing inspiration from Romans 15:20, we are reminded of the Apostle Paul's ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known. This ambition, driven by the Holy Spirit, is not just a personal calling but a collective mission for us as a church. We are called to make Christ known in Havertown, Delaware County, greater Philadelphia, and to the ends of the earth. This mission involves igniting a gospel ambition, fortifying our foundation, and sending gospel preachers.

Gospel ambition is about redeeming our drive and desires for God's glory rather than selfish purposes. It's about dreaming big and believing God for supernatural results beyond our imagination. We are not called to be passive Christians but to be on fire for Jesus, actively spreading the gospel. This ambition should be part of our DNA, fueling us to do something significant for Christ.

Fortifying our foundation means strengthening the base from which we operate. While Paul moved on to new territories, we are called to stay and build on the foundation laid by those before us. This involves not only maintaining our physical space but also ensuring that we are a stable base for sending out gospel preachers. Our vision includes purchasing our building, improving our campus, and ultimately planting and revitalizing churches throughout the Philadelphia region.

Sending gospel preachers is central to our mission. Preaching is a powerful tool through which God saves the lost. We need to raise up and multiply preachers who can herald the gospel message. This involves training and equipping individuals to preach in various contexts, from schools to prisons to nursing homes. Our goal is to send out many preachers from Manoa, ensuring that the gospel continues to spread.

As we move forward, let us embrace this vision with passion and commitment. May our lives be about exalting Christ and making His glory known. Let us lay down our lives for this great cause, knowing that our ambitions are not too big but often too small. May we have an ambition for Jesus Christ, to see His gospel go to the ends of the earth.

Key Takeaways:

1. Gospel Ambition: True ambition is not inherently evil; it becomes meaningful when directed towards God's glory. We are called to have a gospel ambition that drives us to spread the message of Christ with passion and purpose. This ambition should be part of our DNA, fueling us to do something significant for Jesus. [09:26]

2. Fortifying Our Foundation: While some are called to plant new churches, others are called to stay and strengthen existing ones. We are building on the foundation laid by those before us, ensuring that we are a stable base for sending out gospel preachers. This involves both maintaining our physical space and nurturing our spiritual community. [17:25]

3. Sending Gospel Preachers: Preaching is central to God's plan for saving the lost. We need to raise up and multiply preachers who can herald the gospel message in various contexts. This involves training and equipping individuals to preach with passion and conviction. [31:16]

4. Vision for Church Growth: Our vision includes purchasing our building, improving our campus, and planting and revitalizing churches throughout the Philadelphia region. This requires collective effort and sacrifice, but it's a dream worth living and dying for. [25:47]

5. Commitment to the Mission: We are called to lay down our lives for the cause of Christ, knowing that our ambitions are often too small. Let us embrace this vision with passion and commitment, making Christ known to the ends of the earth. [43:12]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [03:00] - Introduction and Prayer
- [05:37] - The Fullness of Christ
- [07:12] - Igniting Gospel Ambition
- [09:26] - Redeeming Ambition for God's Glory
- [11:18] - Personal Testimony and Evangelism
- [15:03] - Core Values: Gospel and Ambition
- [17:25] - Fortifying Our Foundation
- [19:01] - Building on Past Foundations
- [24:11] - Vision for Church Growth
- [25:47] - Church Planting and Revitalization
- [28:13] - Importance of Being Indigenous
- [29:31] - Vision for Greater Philadelphia
- [31:16] - Sending Gospel Preachers
- [33:31] - The Power of Preaching
- [36:14] - Raising Up Future Preachers
- [39:14] - Conclusion and Worship

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Romans 15:20

Observation Questions:
1. What was the Apostle Paul's ambition as described in Romans 15:20, and how does it relate to the mission of the church? [03:00]
2. How does the sermon describe the concept of "gospel ambition," and why is it important for Christians? [09:26]
3. What are some of the specific goals mentioned in the sermon for fortifying the church's foundation? [17:25]
4. According to the sermon, why is sending gospel preachers considered central to the church's mission? [31:16]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon suggest that ambition can be redeemed for God's glory, and what might this look like in a believer's life? [09:26]
2. In what ways does the sermon propose that the church can strengthen its foundation, and why is this necessary for its mission? [17:25]
3. What role does preaching play in the church's mission according to the sermon, and how does this align with Paul's ambition in Romans 15:20? [31:16]
4. How does the sermon envision the church's involvement in planting and revitalizing churches in the Philadelphia region, and what challenges might this entail? [25:47]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your personal ambitions. How can you align them with a gospel ambition that seeks to glorify God rather than serve selfish purposes? [09:26]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of fortifying the church's foundation. What practical steps can you take to contribute to strengthening your church community? [17:25]
3. Consider the idea of being a "gospel preacher" in your own context. What opportunities do you have to share the gospel message, and how can you prepare for them? [31:16]
4. The sermon discusses the vision for church growth and revitalization. How can you support this vision through prayer, financial giving, or active participation? [25:47]
5. How can you cultivate a passion for evangelism in your daily life, and what specific actions can you take to share your faith with others? [15:03]
6. The sermon calls for a commitment to the mission of making Christ known. What sacrifices might this require from you, and how can you embrace them with joy? [43:12]
7. Reflect on the sermon’s call to lay down your life for the cause of Christ. What does this mean for you personally, and how can you live it out in your daily walk with God? [43:12]

Devotional

Day 1: Redeeming Ambition for God's Glory
Gospel ambition is about redirecting our natural desires and drives towards glorifying God rather than pursuing selfish goals. This ambition is not passive but active, calling us to dream big and trust God for supernatural outcomes. It should be an integral part of our identity, motivating us to make a significant impact for Christ. We are encouraged to be on fire for Jesus, spreading the gospel with passion and purpose. This ambition is not just a personal calling but a collective mission for the church community, as we strive to make Christ known in our local area and beyond. [09:26]

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."

Reflection: What is one specific area in your life where you can redirect your ambition towards glorifying God today?


Day 2: Building on Past Foundations
Fortifying our foundation involves strengthening the base from which we operate, ensuring stability for future growth. While some are called to plant new churches, others are called to stay and build on the foundation laid by those before us. This includes maintaining our physical space and nurturing our spiritual community, creating a stable base for sending out gospel preachers. Our vision includes purchasing our building, improving our campus, and ultimately planting and revitalizing churches throughout the Philadelphia region. This requires a collective effort and commitment to the mission. [17:25]

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 (ESV): "According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Reflection: How can you contribute to strengthening the foundation of your church community today, both physically and spiritually?


Day 3: Multiplying Gospel Preachers
Sending gospel preachers is central to the mission of spreading the gospel. Preaching is a powerful tool through which God saves the lost, and there is a need to raise up and multiply preachers who can herald the gospel message in various contexts. This involves training and equipping individuals to preach with passion and conviction, whether in schools, prisons, or nursing homes. The goal is to send out many preachers from the church, ensuring that the gospel continues to spread and reach new audiences. [31:16]

2 Timothy 4:2 (ESV): "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching."

Reflection: Who is someone in your life that you can encourage or mentor to become a gospel preacher, and how can you support them in this journey?


Day 4: Vision for Church Growth
The vision for church growth includes purchasing our building, improving our campus, and planting and revitalizing churches throughout the Philadelphia region. This vision requires collective effort and sacrifice, but it is a dream worth living and dying for. By investing in our physical space and expanding our reach, we can create a stable base for sending out gospel preachers and making a significant impact in our community and beyond. This vision is not just about numbers but about transforming lives and communities for Christ. [25:47]

Acts 16:5 (ESV): "So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily."

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to support the vision for church growth in your community?


Day 5: Commitment to the Mission
We are called to lay down our lives for the cause of Christ, knowing that our ambitions are often too small. Embracing this vision with passion and commitment involves making Christ known to the ends of the earth. This requires a willingness to sacrifice and a dedication to the mission, trusting that God will use our efforts for His glory. By committing to this mission, we can make a lasting impact for Christ and see His gospel spread to new territories. [43:12]

Matthew 16:24-25 (ESV): "Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.'"

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to lay down your own ambitions to fully commit to the mission of making Christ known?

Quotes

Please keep your Bibles open to Romans 15 this morning. We're going to be looking at just one of those verses, verse 20, as I preach this morning. If you're new to Manoa Community Church, we just finished a series going through Advent together with the Christmas Eve service, and then Bill did a great job of eat well, live well last week as a one-off getting us ready for the new year. Well, I wanted to have one more message as a one-off too before we got back into Luke. So next week, we will launch back into our Luke preaching series. But the beginning of a new year, and happy new year, by the way, I forgot to say that, happy new year, happy new year, is an opportunity for us to recenter not only personally on some of our goals, but also as a corporate body, as a church on where the Lord is taking us. [00:00:07] (44 seconds)


The vision and the mission that God has given for our lives compels us forward. And that's both a personal truth, but also a collective truth. And the Lord's placed a vision and mission, which I'll talk about the vision tour in a little bit. Our membership class kind of helps invite you into that because there's a real sense that we're not just playing church here. We're not just going to church here. We are on mission together as disciples of Jesus Christ. Amen? And that involves movement and commitment and sacrifice, things that disciples of Jesus Christ do. [00:02:20] (32 seconds)


Oh Jesus, we pray that the ambition born of the Holy Spirit to the apostle Paul would become our ambition to make Christ known, that our lives would be about exalting Christ and making his glory known, making his forgiveness known, making his mercy known, making his love known, experiencing that, and then displaying that to the ends of the earth. And Lord, we don't pretend to be the biggest church in the world. We're just a small part of what you're doing in the world. But we pray that we would be faithful to our part here in Havertown and beyond. [00:03:48] (42 seconds)


There's a great quote I want to set out today's sermon with. Please put it on the screen. He says, you will never, you will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything but Christ. Let me say that again. You will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything but Christ. Here was an individual, a preacher, who experienced the glory of Jesus Christ, but at that, he also had to empty himself of all the other things that we chase after in this world. [00:05:37] (34 seconds)


Paul was on the move with the gospel. And as I read the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and the book of Acts, and then all the epistles, I don't get a you warming Christianity. Do you? No. Do you? No. These disciples are on fire. And we want to be on fire. Jesus Christ. That is the vision for biblical Christianity, a gospel ambition. You can pull the verse down. Now, Paul says it was always his ambition. That's not 100% accurate because there was a before and after in Paul's life. [00:10:07] (35 seconds)


We dream and pray big, believing God for supernatural results beyond our imagination. If we can do it in the flesh. It's not of God. Our goals have to be far bigger than we could ever accomplish without supernatural power from on high. Amen? Gospel ambition. Now, this is a teaser for those of you who haven't joined this church yet, because in two weeks on a Saturday, we're going to go through not just two of our values, but all five of them. We're going to talk about our vision, our mission, our strategy, and how God's called us to do that together. [00:15:36] (32 seconds)


But we have to keep strengthening the foundation for the vision and mission God has given us so that we can be faithful witnesses to the next generation and also be a stable base of sending from Manoa Community Church. Years ago many of you know we were a little smaller back then didn't have as many of the resources that we have we didn't have any children in the children's ministry wing uh so i i tell the story often but if you haven't heard it this was an empty hallway back here and i i dreamed one day said one day this place will be overflowing with kids. [00:18:45] (35 seconds)


The mission is not the building. It never has been the building. We're not building a building for building's sake. We're not relaying a foundation on the parking lot. That's not our mission. Our mission is the gospel, amen? But we want to stay in Havertown for the long term, amen? We don't want to go anywhere, and you'll see some water damage on our ceiling because there was a time where we couldn't replace the roof, so water was coming in. That's not an effective base for ministry, and the ultimate dream that we have as a church is not only to purchase this campus, renovate it, and grow a thriving church that becomes ascending base to all of greater Philadelphia. [00:24:20] (40 seconds)


Preaching is central to the miracle and how God saves the world. And I'm not just simply saying that because I'm the preacher, by the way. I had to grow in this conviction by reading the Bible because at Drexel, I was like, well, I'll go out and share the gospel, and sharing the gospel matters. But there's something powerful when we herald a message that's not a conversation. God is speaking to us through it. And the word of God says it's through the foolishness of what we preach that God saves the lost and saves the least of these. It is through the preaching of the gospel that people come to Christ. [00:31:49] (31 seconds)


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Transcript
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