The Gospel Must Go Forth

As we continue our. Journey through the Book of Romans, we have come to what is often overlooked by way of major transitions in the Book of Romans. We talk about the major transition and the major break there in Romans six, and then again in Romans nine, and then again in Romans twelve, and we see the different breaks in the argument in the Book of Romans. However, this is the last major transition in the Book of Romans. Though it may not seem like a transition, there's also a sense in which this section represents a bookend of sorts. We had a bookend in the beginning in those first seventeen verses, and now there's a bookend here that begins in chapter fifteen and verse fourteen. This is the way James Boyce puts it. We can to. Understand the outline of Roman's best if we think of it as a doctrinal treatise wrapped up in a letter. The letter began with the first seventeen verses of chapter one. Everything since has been Paul's treatise. But here in verse fourteen of chapter fifteen, Paul resumes the letter format and actually harks back to some of the things that he wrote about in chapter one, he began a letter in chapter one, remember the way we began. Go back there with me, if you will. In chapter one. Paul, a servant of Christ, Jesus called to be an apostle set apart for the Gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning his son, who was descended from David according to the flesh, and was declared to be the son of God and Power according to the spirit of Holiness by his resurrection from the dead. Jesus Christ, our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, to all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints. Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and our Lord. Jesus Christ. Sounds familiar. It's a letter. It's the opening of a letter. He goes on all the way through verse seventeen, and then in verse eighteen we begin this treatise, if you will, on justification, the most significant treatise on the doctrine of justification to be found anywhere in the scriptures. And now in chapter fifteen, beginning in verse fourteen, Paul gets personal again and he closes up the letter. If you will look with me beginning of verse fourteen. The section is really verse fourteen all the way down through verse thirty three. We'll look at more of this in the weeks ahead, but for now we look at verses fourteen through twenty one and listen to the change of character from what we've heard so far in this letter. 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. 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 in Christ Jesus. Then I have reason to be proud of my work for God, for I will not venture to speak off 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 sol that from Jerusalem and all the way around to e Lyricum, I have filled or fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel of Christ. 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. But as it is written, those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand. There is a pattern that you. Find if you read on through verse thirty three for the second time. We won't do that, but let me give you this pattern that you see. Comparing it to chapter one. First, we see a commendation of the Romans. You see that in chapter fifteen, verse fourteen, and in chapter one, verse eight. Second, there's the identification of the declaration of Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles. In chapter fifteen, you see that in verses fifteen b through twenty one. In chapter one you see it in verse three, and then again in verse thirteen he talks about his hindrance in visiting Rome. In chapter fifteen, we see that in verse twenty two. Chapter one, we see it in verse thirteen A. He talks about his indebtedness to the Church of Rome. In chapter fifteen, we see it in verse twenty seven. In chapter one, we see it in verse fourteen. He talks about his desire to minister for the sake of mutual blessing there in Rome. Chapter fifteen, verse twenty nine. In chapter one, verses eleven and twelve, And then there is a prayer in chapter fifteen, verses thirty to thirty two, in chapter one, verses nine to ten. So not only is Paul closing the letter, but he's recapping it. Is as though you put this in the format of an extended essay. Tell them what you're going to tell him, tell him, tell him what you told them. In essence, he is hearkening back to his opening, to his introduction, now letting us know that he has come to his conclusion. And in his conclusion he gets personal. And when Paul gets personal, he cannot help but to talk about missions, and that's what this section is all about. In the next paragraph, he talks about his desire to come to Rome, but not to come to Rome so that he can stay and enjoy Rome. He talks about his desire to come to Rome and visit them on his way to Spain as he pushes forward to more unreached territory and unreached people groups. So here this is all about Paul's missions past, present, and future, and the implications of his missions past, present and future, because ultimately that is what we know of the Apostle Paul. That is his ministry, that is his life. His life is about pushing forward into territory where the Gospel has not reached, proclaiming the Gospel, establishing churches, strengthening churches, and then continuing to push forward into places where the Gospel has not reached. And essentially, this letter is a part of his missions ministry. This letter is a part of what Paul does. This is a part of strengthening churches as you're pushing forward, planting churches, going back to look at what God has done, working in the p in light of what He has done, and pressing forward in the future, trusting God to do it again. And so here in this particular paragraph we get an overview of Paul's missions. But this is not just about a history lesson. As we get an overview of Paul's mission. We also learn why it is that these things have been written down for us, and these things are not just written down for us so that we can know what happened. This is still a doctrinal treatise. And here it's a doctrinal treatise as it relates to the mission of the church. First, we learn from Paul's ministry of the Gospel in the present, and in his ministry of the Gospel in the present, we see that he is admonishing an established church. That is his ministry of the Gospel in the present. That's Paul's present missions ministry, admonishing an established church. We see this in verses fourteenth or sixteen. Look at it carefully. He says, I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you, yourselves are three things full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. Not ironic. He writes them this long treatise. And then at the end of this long treatise he says, by the way, and I'm very confident and persuaded that. You guys are good church. Really, what do you write to bad churches? Well? First and second Corinthians, But anyway, that's. Paul is writing here to an established church. Paul is writing here to essentially a healthy church. He's writing here to a church goodness. And again this is general is it general? Terms? Here full of goodness, with all knowledge, all kinds of knowledge. They're good, knowledgeable, and able to instruct one another. And yet, but. Even so, even though that's who and what you are, the ministry of the Gospel is not just for people who are not filled with goodness. It's not just for people who are not filled with knowledge. It's not just for people who are not capable of instructing one another. The Gospel is not something that you graduate from. The Gospel is not something that a healthy church no longer needs. The Gospel is not something that we look back upon because we needed it in our infancy, but now have moved on to more significant things. There is, in fact, nothing more significant than the Gospel. You are all those things, Church at Rome, you are all those things GFBC. But nevertheless, even though you are all those things, even though you are a healthy, established church, on some points I have written you and then there's these three phrases, very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God. You know. One of the things. This is just a little aside here. In preaching classes, in seminaries, when guys are learning how to preach, and when you go take your preaching class, they always make you do a short sermon. And a lot of preaching professors will tell you when you're preaching something from the New Testament that you cannot preach Appauline text. One of the reasons they tell you that you cannot preach a Pauline text is because so often in Pauline texts, you don't have to hunt for three points, because he just writes like that. He just did it twice. In the first phrase, he says, what about the church? Three things number one full of goodness, filled with all knowledge able to instruct one another. There's three points right there. You just need a poem and an altar call. You're good, okay? And then what does he say next? But on some points I have written you how very boldly by way of reminder, and because of the grace given to me by God. It's explaining himself and all these things are important. He's written very boldly. Paul started his letter with a statement about boldness in the Gospel in chapter one, 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. Now, as he's coming to a close, he refers again to the boldness with which he wrote, we can be bold when our message is the message of the Gospel. We must be bold when our message is the message of the gospel. Why because it is the power of God unto salvation for all those who believe. But he also says, by way of reminder, Paul saw this church as full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another in verse fourteen, and yet he wrote to them a reminder. Not, by the way, talk about an understatement. I wrote you a reminder. What's the reminder? Remember the letter starts in chapter one, verses one through seventeen. Then the reminder is one seventeen all the way through fifteen thirteen. I just wrote you a little reminder. The most extensive treatise on the Gospel that you'll find anywhere in the New Testament. You're a healthy church, You're full of goodness, you're full of knowledge, you are able to instruct one another. Nevertheless, you need the Gospel, you need the fundamentals, you need the basics, you need the ABC's and the one two threes, because you never get too old for it, you never get too mature for it. This is our ministry. See, the gospel ministry is not just about what we do with lost people. The gospel ministry is what we do and who we are. And we never stop doing it, and we never stopped being it. Paul never stopped doing it, and he never stopped being it. He didn't say, hey, you know the Church of Rome. This could have been at the beginning of the letter, by the way he writes his introduction, and then he says, by the way, yeah, you guys are not like those folks over there in Corinth that are having all those problems and all those divisions. You guys are filled with all goodness. You guys are filled with all knowledge. You guys are able to instruct one another. So I will go beyond the gospel for you and talk to you about those weighty, meaty things that you get to once you've mastered the Gospel. He doesn't do that because he doesn't believe that, and neither should we. You don't graduate from the gospel. People that in fact, you don't even go. You know, there's the gospel, and then you get beyond the gospel to obedience. Your obedience is rooted and grounded in the Gospel. In chapters one through eleven, we have this treatise on the doctrine of justification, and then in chapter twelve we turn the corner and we start to apply these things. But what do we do again and again and again the indicatives that inform the imperatives? And by the way, the indicatives chapters one through eleven, the imperatives twelve through sixteen, and from fifteen fourteen on he's landing the plane, what's most important for Paul? The indicatives the Gospel. Are there? Imperatives are things that we're called and commanded to do. Yes, they are. But they are rooted in the indicatives. They are rooted in who we are in Christ. They are rooted in what Christ has accomplished on our behalf. They are rooted in how we have been changed so that we are able and desirous of the obedience to which we've been called. You don't graduate from that. If you do, you graduate into works righteousness and legalism. But then here's the key, because of the grace given to me by God. Let's look at that statement more clear, because of the grace given to me by God. And then he goes on to explain this again. We've seen this again and again and again in Romans. Paul makes a statement, he explains a statement, and then he comes and reiterates the statement. By the way, the entire book of Romans is about what verses one through seventeen of chapter one making a statement. The rest of the book, he's explaining this statement because that again verses sixteen and seventeen, not a shamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Okay, the righteousness revealed from faith to faith. That's the opener. He makes the statement. Then what does he do? From chapter one, verse eighteen, all the way through chapter fifteen, verse thirteen, he explains the statement, and then in verse fourteen, what does he do He comes back and reiterates the statement. So he does that in macro form, that's what the whole book does, and in in microform he does that in virtually every paragraph as well. And we see it here. Because of the grace given to me by God. What is that 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? Did does that sound familiar at all? Sounds like we read something almost verbatim just a few chapters earlier. I appeal to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. So Paul goes back and uses this priestly language when he starts talking about the application of these doctrines, when he goes from orthodoxy to orthopraxy, from the indicatives to the imperatives, he uses this priestly language about us being offered on the altar and now here when he's closing his letter, he goes back to the same priestly language and says basically that God has called him to make an offering of the gentiles upon the altar of God. The grace to which he refers here is not just general, all encompassing grace. The grace to which he refers here is the grace of apostleship. He makes reference to it, and we already read it in chapter one, the Grace of his apostleship. You see, the reason that Paul was able to very boldly remind a healthy church about these essential doctrines is because as an apostle, that is the authority that's granted to him. There's some implications of this. One of the implications is the implication about apostleship. It's not something that we throw around lightly. In fact, in Ephesians chapter two, Versus nineteen and following, we read that the apostles are actually the foundation. The apostles and the prophets are the foundation upon which the church is built. There are those who use this title for themselves today. They run around and call themselves apostle this and apostle that, and profit this, and profit that. The office no longer exists people, The office no longer exists. The office had revelatory implications. There was authority in the apostles, and that authority in the apostles was important because of the role of the apostles in bringing the Word of God to the. Church, in confirming and affirming the gospel. Paul fought so highly of this role of apostle, that even he himself, as an apostle called personally by Christ, did not merely go out and start his ministry, but first went where to Jerusalem to see the other apostles so that he could verify that the gospel he was preaching was the same gospel they received from Christ over a three year period, and he goes back again seven years later to reconfirm the gospel that he's been preaching with the apostles. There's nobody who can do that today. But we don't need to because we've got this. Because we've got this, we have the Word of God, we have the Bible. There are other implications here, not just apostleship and the authority of the scripture, because there are applications for the authority of Scripture. I don't have the authority. Scripture has the authority. We can speak boldly because we're speaking the words of God, not our own words. But this also says something about expository preaching. Why we preach the Word of God, why we preach text and context instead of our own minds and our own ideas. Trying to go and put things together and find what would be pleasant, what would be advantageous, what would be whatever? Fill on the blank. There's a reason that we do expository preaching. There are those who argue against expository preaching, and one of the things that they argue is they say, well, you know, when you look at it, when you look at the ministry of Jesus, Jesus wasn't doing expository preaching. Jesus would you know, see something, and then he would tell a parable, he would tell a story. And so we ought to be doing more like Jesus. Just you know, taking everyday things and making stories about them. There's two problems for that. Number One, Jesus is the word of God. I'm not amen. And the ministry of Jesus and his parables was the affirmation and confirmation of him being the Messiah. Thirdly, I now have a closed canon of scripture, so I am obligated as a preacher to hold myself as closely as possible to the revealed text because I don't have the authority of Jesus and I don't have the authority of the apostles. That's why we do expository preaching. That's why we hold ourselves to the text. That's why we preach line upon line, precept upon precept, because I don't have the author authority to preach to you any other way. And when you do preach the word of God, preach it with boldness and with authority, not because I say so. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I am but decorated dust. Amen. God does not need me, and he's going to prove it. One day. I will die in the world will keep on saying, the sun will come up the next morning right when it's supposed to. People will go on doing what they're supposed to be doing. A couple of folks will stop, shed a tear and then go on. Parents in your home, this is the authority the word of God. If as parents we try to point our children to our authority, then number one, where we're in, you know, very real danger of blasphemy and idolatry. Number two, they're going to be in a world of hurt when they leave and they don't have us anymore. Amen. So what do we give our children? We give them the word of God, and we speak boldly and with great authority about what saith the Lord. So in his present ministry, he gives us a picture of the importance of the authority of apostleship, the authority of scripture, and a really in an indirect way points to the importance of expository preaching. Then he turns the corner in verses seventeen to nineteen, and he talks about his ministry of the Gospel in the past, so his present practice of missions, and then his past practice of missions the beginning of verse seventeen. In Christ Jesus, then I have reason to be proud of my work for God. We read that and we cringe. You just we have to You read that, and we cringe and we go. You know what, I think that's a translation problem. I need to find another translation of the Bible. Because the apostle Paul would never ever ever say I'm proud of me. I mean, he talks about not being proud, that we're not to boast. Keep reading in Christ Jesus, then I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For why 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. There he goes with threes again. Power the spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to a Lyricum, I have fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel of Christ. Now there's a mouthful here, and these things are all important, But notice what he says here about his ministry in the past. He's proud of what has happened in the past. He's not proud of what he has done. He's proud of what Christ has done through him. And he doesn't just mean that in a formulaic sense, because we can do that when talking about our past and the things that we can done, the things that we've done, we can be very prideful and then in a formulaic sense say you know, no, no, no, Now, I know it was God. But I did this, and I did that, and I did the other, and then I did this, and then I did that, and then the most amazing thing I did was this, and then I did that, and you know, I did this and this, and you ever around those people who are constantly giving you their resume, don't be that person. Paul is constantly giving Christ's resume. Notice how he speaks about it. It's not I did this, and I did that. And then when I was over here, I did this. You know, I got bitten by a snake one time. I didn't even die. I need it. That's not the way he talks. First opening statement, in Christ Jesus. Then I have reason to be proud of. My work for God. Proud of my work for God in Christ Jesus, my work for God. Next phrase, for I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the gentiles to obedience. Christ has accomplished this through me in order to bring the gentiles to obedience. By the way, He's going to get to this in a moment. But the reason that that's important is for an eschatological reason, because this is about the fulfillment of the promise that God made to Abraham. So Paul, a Jew, is giving his life to reaching the Gentiles. We've already seen in verse ten that he feels almost as though he'd be willing to give up his own salvation for the Jews to be saved. Well, then, Paul, how come you're not the apostle to the Jews? Because I've been called as an apostle to the Gentiles. I love my people. But I love my God more. And my God is fulfilling the promise that he made to Abraham. And he's calling all the nations to bow the need to Christ. And I'm seeing that to the glory of God. This is about what Christ is doing. How word, indeed, by the power of signs and wonders and the power of the Spirit of God, this is what God is doing. This again goes to the authentication of his apostleship, So that why does he do all this so that people could think highly of him? Because he's done signs and wonders. No, so that from Jerusalem all the way around to a lyricum, I have fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel of Christ. Now, it's interesting when you look at the pattern of Paul's ministry. For example, in the Book of Acts, you don't see the picture of him starting a church planting ministry in Jerusalem, and then you don't necessarily see him getting to but this phrase all the way around, he's talking about a circumference or an arc. A couple of implications here. But before we talk about the implications, let's look at the other phrases problematic. From Jerusalem all the way around to a lyricums. So the first thing that's problematic is the geography here, because we kind of say, Paul, you know, I mean geographically. That doesn't exactly seem to me to be the picture of your geographic. Ministry. Secondly, he says I have fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel of Christ. Not I am fulfilling, but he says, I have fulfilled. That. Interesting, I have fulfilled from this place all the way to that place. Listen to this in Acts chapter one, verse eight. But you receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, branching out in an arc from there to all of Jedea, branching out in an arc from there to Samaria, and branching out in an arc from there to the remotest parts of the world. In Acts one eight, we have a picture that sort of mirrors what Paul is doing here. In Romans. Fifteen nineteen, there's a picture of the arc of the Gospel moving forward from Jerusalem. That Jerusalem is understood as the navel of the world or the center of the world. In other words, the Gospel is going forward from the center of the world all the way out to the outer reaches of the world see Paul's geography. Here is not even about him. Paul says, I am proud of the work that I have done for the Gospel. Paul pride is sinful. And then he gives you the reach of his ministry from Jerusalem all the way to Lyricum. And you go, man, you're proud of stuff. You aren't even there for some of it, because I'm not proud of me. I'm proud of the work of the Gospel that is moving forth as God has promised. But then there's still this word. He says, I have fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel of Christ. Folks, in that first paragraph, and the past gospel ministry and a present ministry present mission. We see the importance of the authority of an apostleship, the importance of the authority of the scriptures. But here we see the importance of something else. He says I have fulfilled. He cannot mean that every person from Jerusalem all the way to Alyricum has come to faith in Jesus Christ. That has not happened. Sevidently, that's not the purpose of the Gospel. That every person would be saved. He said, it's been fulfilled, but every person hasn't been saved. Every civil government and every region from Jerusalem to Alyricum has not been transformed. The purpose of gospel ministry is not transforming cultures. The purpose of the gospel ministry is not transforming cultures. It's not Does the gospel have transforming impact in culture? It most assuredly does absolutely. But Paul says, I have fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel of Christ, and these cultures haven't been transformed. Didn't have a church on every corner. He hasn't eliminated poverty, war and strife. Why because that's not the purpose of the ministry of the Gospel. What has he done. Planted churches in strategic cities so that there are gospel outposts all. Over the place. That's the purpose of the ministry of the Gospel, the local church, planting of churches. That's what Paul did. And Paul says, I fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel from Jerusalem all the way up to alerc Why because then all the strategic places around those areas there have been churches planted. There's gospel witness in all of those places. But Paul, these churches aren't perfect. Yeah, but they're churches and they're planting and all of these places and all that. Yeah, but Paul, those cultures haven't been transformed. Yeah, but there's churches that have been planted and yeah, but Paul, there's still poverty, in war and strife in all of those places. Yes, but the ministry of the Gospel is fulfilled because. The church is planted. There. Look with me, if you will, in Ephesians Ephesians chapter three, and look at the first paragraph there in Ephesians chapter three. For this reason, I Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you gentiles, assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for you. There's this apostleship again, talking about the grace of apostleship. How the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly, when you read this, or when you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it is as it has now been revealed to the holy apostles and prophets by the spirit. This mystery is that the gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel, by the way that just kills dispensationalism. Go with me now towards the end to the next paragraph of this gospel. I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of His power to me, though I am the very least of all the saints. This grace was given to preach to the gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone. What is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things? So that through the Church, the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was according to the eternal purpose, that was that He has realized in Christ Jesus, our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our Him. What's the goal of his mission at the church? The pillar in the ground of truth would make known this mystery through the ongoing proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is because Paul has such a high view of the church, and I'm talking about local congregations. It is because Paul had. Such a high view of the local church that he was able to say, I have fulfilled the ministry of the Gospel from Jerusalem all the way to a Lyricum. Why because I've planted local churches. So when he looks back at his past ministry and mission, that's what he's looking to. Finally, future ministry Verses twenty and twenty one. 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. But as it is written, those who have never heard or have never been told of Him will see, and those who have never heard will understand. I love this statement from Douglas Moon. Douglas Moon is commentary on Roman says, like the early American pioneers who pulled up stakes anytime they could see the smoke from another person's cabin, Paul felt crowded by too many Christians. The gospel has to move forward. The Gospel has to push forward. Now, let's be careful here, because if you just take this the wrong way. You could basically negate the importance of the present ministry of the gospel, which is what the admonition and exhortation of established churches that's important. The ministry of the Gospel today in a church that has already been planted is important. So Paul is not. Saying here it's wrong to stay and preach and give your life to an existing church. He just gave the Book of Romans to an existing church. He's not arguing that it's wrong to build up or give your life to an existing church. But he's an apostle, and as an apostle to the Gentiles, there's a call on his life, and this calling on his life from God is that the Gospel would push. Forth in all of the world. Until that number of the Gentiles is complete and full. That's why he says, I'm pushing forward. He doesn't neglect to hear in the now church. That's why he wrote them Romans and First Corinthians and Second Corinthians, and first and second Thessalonians. And that's why philippis. Again he doesn't neglect the churches that have already been established. And what does he do He establishes those churches. And then in Titus, what does he say to Titus? You know what I want you to I want you to go and complete what remains, establish elders in all of the churches. But wait a minute, Paul, I thought you said it was bad and sinful and wrong to build on somebody else's foundation. If you're telling me to establish church, to establish elders in these churches, won't they be building on the foundation that you have establish See I'm an apostle. We are the foundation all y'all have to build on our foundation. So Paul is not negating the importance of present gospel ministry in existing churches, but he also leaves us absolutely no excuse for thinking that that's all there is. We're not done. We're not done, And for some of us, this is the very spirit, and the very attitude, and the very calling that will compel your life forward. I pray that God will raise up among us those who simply cannot sit still when they continue week after week and month after month to read about and pray about another unreached people group. I pray that God raises up young men. Who come and knock on my door one day and say, pastor I love you, but I just can't stay. Praise God for what He's done here and for what he's doing here. I love that He's used that in my life, but I cannot stay. Do you know that there are one point eight billion people in the world who've never heard the name of Jesus. I gotta go, I gotta go. Paul does not negate the importance of that ongoing gospel ministry in the here and the now. But that ongoing gospel ministry in the here and the now is always looking backward to what God has accomplished in establishing his Word and in establishing his Church, And it is always looking forward. Because ultimately what presses us forward. This turned to the Right Revelation, chapter seven, verse nine. After this, I looked and behold a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the Throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice. Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to. The lamb. See the commission that Christ left with his church. Is to go and make disciples of panta Ta of every people group, every tribe, every tongue, every nation, every kindred. So we're grateful to God for the ministry and the mission that has taken place in the past and what he has established. We must be faithful to God with the ministry and mission that he has in the present and the importance of the Gospel being preached faithfully in the here and the now. As we strengthen that which has been established, we've also got to be obedient to God and push forward. And in the very next paragraph, it's not our paragraph for this week, but we'll read it in advance of next week, because I want you to hear this just from the heart of Paul. That very next paragraph in Romans chapter fifteen, there's that statement where he quotes from Isaiah fifth two, and then look at how that manifests itself in his life. This is the reason why I've often been hindered from coming to you. But now since I no longer have any room for work in these regions and sons have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain. Amen, I love you, Roman Church. I didn't plant the Roman Church. I'm excited about the Roman Church. I'm glad for all the things that I hear about the Roman Church. Can't wait to get to the Roman Church. I believe it will be mutually beneficial for me to get to the Roman Church. And I'm going to come to the Roman Church. I've been hindered because of the work that I've been doing, but I'm kind of finished doing that work here. Don't want to build on anyone else's foundation and whatnot. So I'm going to come to you. And it's going to be glorious when I come to you for a minute while I collect money for the Jerusalem Church and make my way to Spain, where the Gospel must be heard. This is a gospel sentered attitude toward word, church and mission, Faithful in the here and now, grateful for the past, and always always anxiously looking forward to where we can press the Gospel into territories yet unclaimed.