November 27, 2018
True Ambition, Eternal Success
Romans 15:20-21
Mary Claire Carrick
Central Truth
There is no greater honor than to take the gospel of forgiveness to the places where it has yet to be heard.
Romans 15:20-21
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.”
Dive Deeper | Romans 15:20-21
Ambition. What is it? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines ambition as "an ardent desire for rank, fame, or power.” In the competitive world we live in today, some would say ambition is the currency for success. Do we desire rank enough to give up everything to climb the business ladder? Do we desire fame enough to sacrifice our integrity to please the world around us?
I desired a perfect body. It was my ambition to be skinnier. So I sacrificed a healthy relationship with food, my friendships, and my school work. The ambition of the world was crippling and destructive.
But take heart! This is not the kind of ambition Paul is talking about here. Paul’s ambition to preach the gospel was not a desire for rank, fame, or power. Paul’s ambition was an overflow of the life change that comes with trusting in Jesus. Paul had been transformed by this gospel, and he found no higher honor than to take it where it had yet to be heard. It's the gospel that tells us there is a God in heaven who loves us, who gave His Son to die for our sins so that we could have a relationship with the one true God.
As the Lord worked on my heart, my ambition for a perfect body faded. God loved my body just as He created it—without mistakes. I discovered that the ambition Paul illustrates is more joyful and satisfying than striving for bodily perfection.
As we try to mirror Paul's ambition, it can be easy for us to believe that the only place the gospel has not been heard is across the world. But knock on your neighbor's door, talk to the person next to you at work, and listen to the person checking you out at the grocery store. The TRUE gospel of Jesus has yet to penetrate the hearts of many right where you are today. What higher honor is there than to take the gospel of forgiveness and life change to those who are still living in the ambitions of this world?
This month's memory verse
Do Not Cause Another to Stumble
13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.
– Romans 14:13
Discussion Questions
1. What is your primary ambition? What are you compromising to strive for this desire? Are you finding real joy in this ambition?
2.Paul's life was changed by the gospel of forgiveness. Has your life been impacted by the forgiveness we have in Jesus Christ? If yes, how so? If not, let's grab coffee and talk about it!
3. Where can you take the gospel in your everyday world? What is holding you back from sharing with the people around you? Ask God to help you overcome any fears and to open your eyes to see where you can love people around you.