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Put The Gospel First! – Pt 1 (Romans 15:14-33 February 5, 2012)

As we have seen in our study of Romans – the church in Rome was divided – Jew and Gentile. Romans is Paul’s antidote for disunity. As we reach the end of the book – Paul begins to pull all the strands he has mentioned together. If I had to summarise the one thought he longs to get across it would be this:

Unite for the gospel! Let me remind you of what led up to this plea.

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Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles. His mission was to see the gospel go forth into the lands where Christ is not named. In terms of the most powerful city in the world – Rome – Paul did not found the church in Rome, the gospel had come to Rome – probably through some Jews who had come to Christ. But as the Apostle to the Gentiles Paul had a keen eye on Rome – and had longed to visit it. But since it had a church – Paul had felt compelled to go elsewhere – where men had not heard of Christ. But through his contacts Paul knew what was going on in Rome. He heard about how it grew. How some Gentiles came to Christ – but the majority of the church remained ethnically Jewish. He knew that in 49 AD – things changed. The Roman Emperor Claudius gave an edict, requiring all ethnic Jews to leave Rome – this included Jews who had become Christians. So suddenly the church which had been founded and dominated by Jewish Christians – was suddenly entirely Gentile. The Gentile believers ran the church for five years or so. But then Jews were allowed back into Rome. When they got back, things had changed. Leaders had changed who had put their own stamp on the way things were done. The Gentiles were the majority and the church had a distinctly Gentile feel. The Jews were not happy with the changes. There was not enough keeping of the Law for their liking – especially in areas like food laws and feasts and Sabbaths. Basically, the Gentiles were worshipping Christ – without the Jewish flavour that those from a Jewish background thought was necessary. There was a clash of cultures – a battle of the wills. And when word reached Paul – he knew the ramifications. There was a strong potential that the church in Rome might split – into a Jewish church and a Gentile church. Not only would this distract Paul from his task – but it would destroy the witness of the church in the most strategic city in the world. Imagine what a church split would do to the witness of Christ? Who is right – do I have to keep some of the Law to be a Christian? Why would you listen to them – they can’t even agree among themselves?

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Paul knew that the gospel unites everyone – Jew, Gentile, male, female, slave, free – in Christ. Ephesians 2:14–16:

Christ Jesus is our peace, who has made Jew and Gentile one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.

And so Romans was written – a manifesto on the fact that the true gospel unites all groups – and a manifesto on the importance of making the preaching of the gospel a priority. Paul makes it clear – everyone – Jew and Gentile are sinners – lost without hope. Not Jewish roots, or Law can save – only Christ. Then in chapter 14 Paul moves from addressing their common salvation – to appealing to the Jews and Gentiles for unity in the church – so that the gospel can go forth. Paul cries:

Don’t pass judgment on your brother. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Do not for the sake of food destroy the work of God.

Now as we come to the end of Romans – I want you to hear Paul’s burden. His burden is the gospel. Romans 15:18:

For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience.

Romans 15:20:

I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named.

And Paul knows that one of the great stumbling blocks to the gospel is division in the church. Romans 16:17:

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.

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When you read through the New Testament, it becomes clear that the churches of the first century – in fact churches in any century – in fact churches today are at risk – of divisions that arise from two main sources.

Social Differences and Doctrinal Differences What are social differences? Social differences arise when you have one or more groups bonded by social factors – find their unity in these factors – not in the gospel – and seek to influence in a church – along their social lines. What are examples in the Bible? The classic one is Jew and Gentile. But there were others mentioned – rich and poor, slave and free, male and female. You see each of these tensions in Scripture. In Corinth – the rich banished the poor from sharing together in the Lord’s Supper – the divisions were so obvious. And then there were doctrinal differences. Major ones like – is Jesus God, debatable ones – like the events of the end times or keeping the Sabbath – to minor ones like – what foods can Christians eat. Please notice that often these are interrelated. Jewish views of the Sabbath, food laws, circumcision, the role of the Law – often underpinned the disputes that wracked the early church. This is very evident in the book of Romans.

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These differences have also been at the core of most church disputes throughout history. Social issues like race have split churches and still split churches. In the US – race is a major factor in churches. You see it in Africa and Asia as well. Generational issues have always split churches – the old not handing over the reigns to the young. The old not liking the young’s music. Even generational issues like the language spoken can split churches. First generation ethnic churches usually speak the language of the homeland. But the kids speak the language of the new country. It often leads to tension. As well, churches have been split because one family or one social group controls the reigns of power and won’t let go. And in terms of doctrine – I racked my brain to think of an issue churches haven’t divided over – major issues, debateable issues and minor issues. What was Paul’s commands concerning these potentially divisive issues?

In terms of social divisions – Paul was emphatic. In Christ we are one. Every social institution is to be subjected to the Lordship of Christ. Galatians 3:28:

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

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There is no social difference that should ever lead us to split a church. In terms of doctrinal divisions – Paul draws distinctions.

If it is major – remove the heretic If the integrity of the gospel is at stake – the deity of Christ, salvation through grace – then don’t mess around. There needs to be a split. Remove the heretics.

If it is debatable – listen to your leaders If the issues are debatable – end times, music – then understand that the leaders will set the tone for the church in these areas and if it is too big a deal for you – go somewhere else – don’t make an issue.

If it is minor – bear with those who disagree Don’t let the unity of the body be disturbed by minor issues. I spent quite some time thinking about our church this week. In many ways – we are very blessed. In terms of social issues – I don’t believe we are divided and in fact I don’t think we have much potential for division. We don’t have major ethnic or social groups. In fact we are so diverse – the majority of the adults in our church are not born in Australia. And fortunately – we don’t have one major ethnic sub-group – New Zealand, South African, American. We have a real diversity. If my reckoning is right we have people born in around 30 different countries. Nor do we have any families who dominate the leadership. We have a fair variety of trades and education. Our youth don’t seem disenfranchised. In terms of doctrine – again we have been remarkably blessed. We have had issues – music, Calvinism, eschatology – but right now – I can’t think of any issue that is gnawing away. We have to be careful – issues such as music, baptism and church membership, plans to move or plant a church – these have potential for division – but are not divisive at this time.

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In fact I was asked this week – since these are not really an issue for us – how will you apply these last two chapters of Romans? My answer is this.

A gospel focus brings unity. When you realise the real focus – that men and women in the world are going to a Christless eternity – social issues and doctrinal issues dissolve in the face of the great task – taking the gospel to the world.

A gospel focus brings unity. This week and the next two weeks – I want you to hear the heart of Paul. Put the gospel first! Subjugate your preferences, your rights, your choices – for the sake of the gospel. Paul uses himself as an example. I do whatever it takes to make proclaiming the gospel the centre of my life – you do likewise. So with all of this preamble – we can finally turn to today’s passage. Look with me at Romans 15:14-15:

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.

Paul knows that the tone of this letter has been negative. He has reprimanded the Jews and the Gentiles in the Roman church. At times he has scolded them like quarrelling children. But Paul wants them to know that he is aware of their positives – their goodness, knowledge and instruction. Yet this does not excuse the division they have allowed to form – so he wrote this incredibly bold, confronting letter. Why? Verse 15:

Because of the grace given me by God. Paul’s ministry as Apostle to the Gentiles is a gracious gift from God. But as Apostle to the Gentiles he has the right to tell the Romans what the true gospel is and to heal the divisions in the church.

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Also, he wrote because his ministry can be a template for healing the divisions in the church by focussing on the gospel. Then in verses 16-33 – Paul describes his ministry. He describes his ministry in three points. These three points are a pattern that the church in Rome and indeed each of us should adopt in our lives.

First:

Purpose to proclaim the gospel Paul made it the purpose of his life to proclaim the gospel. Everything he does is for the gospel. He eats, sleeps, lives for the gospel. Listen as Paul describes how he made the purpose of his life to proclaim the gospel. Romans 15:16–19:

[Paul’s gracious gift from God was] 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 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 of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ.

Here is the consuming task of Paul’s life – to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles.

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To act as a priest – reconciling Gentiles to God, offering up redeemed Gentiles to God as an acceptable sacrifice. The only thing he deems important enough to talk about is what God accomplishes through him in bringing Gentiles to obedience. He mentions the signs and wonders God had empowered him with as the Apostle to the Gentiles – and tells us that the Lord had enabled him to plant churches from Jerusalem to Illyricum. Illyricum is modern day Greece and what was Yugoslavia.

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This is incredible. Paul was the main human cause of the gospel reaching all of these countries. The Middle East, Asia Minor, Western Europe. He went – with a few helpers – into idolatrous, hostile territories. By the power of God planted churches, appointed elders and saw the world turn upside down.

Here is my point. Paul had a purpose – to know Christ and to make Him known in the Gentile lands.

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I admit – Paul was extraordinary. The greatest missionary and theologian of all time. A man of incredible tenacity and drive. A man empowered with signs and wonders. Yet, even given all of this consider his task. When the Lord met him on the road to Damascus and called him to be his Apostle – imagine how daunting that must have sounded. In the place most likely to receive the gospel – Israel – the Jews were persecuting and killing Christians – as Saul well knew. Now he has to go to the known world. A world filled with religions, philosophies, idols. A world dominated by sex and money and power. A world in which Caesar is god and rules with an iron fist. And he has to go with his gospel of a crucified Jewish carpenter and see the world turn upside down. Paul says – I had a purpose – I accepted it – I did not relent. Imprisonment, beatings, rejection, humiliation – nothing deterred me. What Paul is doing is challenging those divided Romans – and you and me – to ask – what is my purpose? Why are you here? Why did God leave you on this earth after your conversion? Why not take you to heaven there and then? Paul knows that the Lord gave you and I and every Christian a task. To proclaim Christ and see souls saved. Matthew 28:18–20:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Paul knew his purpose. If Paul, dusty, exhausted trekked into your city in the mid first century – and you asked him – Paul what is your purpose in life? He would tell you:

To see the gospel of Christ proclaimed and churches planted throughout the known world.

If I asked you – what is your purpose in life? What would you tell me? What Kingdom goals do you have for your life? When you stand before the Lord – and He asks – with the eighty-four years, with the

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education, wealth, time, resources I entrusted to you – what were you trying to do? – what will you say? I suspect most of us have no specific kingdom goals. We are not purposing to actually do anything. Our purpose is to survive this world with as little pain as possible. Our purpose is to get through this week, this month, this year. We hope to be holy and share Christ – but they are not a dominating purpose in our lives. For many years on the front of our bulletin we have written the purpose statement for our church. Grace Bible Church exists to glorify God and glory in Christ through:

• God-honouring services • Christ-like lives • Fervent evangelism • Loving fellowship

If I was to ask you to finish this sentence:

I exist to … What would you say? And is there a difference between these two sentences:

I would like to exist to … I currently exist to …

The world says:

I exist to get the most enjoyment out of life – through wealth, sex and worldly pleasures.

A Christian says:

I exist to get the most enjoyment out of life – through knowing Christ and making Him known.

Read the Upper Room Discourse. Jesus gave us our purpose. To make the glory of God known throughout this world. You need to know your purpose. It might not be to be the main force in taking the gospel to every unevangelised land – but it had better be to see some who do not know Christ in the orbit of your life – neighbours, workmates, school mums, fellow students – hearing the gospel.

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The Jews and the Gentiles in Rome were divided. It was a power struggle. It took their eyes off Christ and it left a bad taste in the mouths of the watching Romans. Paul knows this. He also knows that when you are shoulder to shoulder in the trenches – purposing to know Christ and make Him known – you are unlikely to argue over whether you can eat meat or what you can do on the Sabbath. Purposing to tell the world about Jesus is so consuming – that is about all you can fit in. It is the great antidote for division. Related to this:

Plan to proclaim the gospel You might have a great purpose in your life – but if you do not plan – you won’t achieve anything. Paul knew this. Listen to verses 20-29:

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.” This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 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, 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. At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among

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the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.

Paul didn’t just set a goal. He mapped out every facet of his life toward that goal. Short term, medium term, long term. Here was Paul’s plan:

1. In the power of the Holy Spirit, armed with the gospel alone – go to every major city in the known world. Go first to a synagogue and if they won’t listen, go to the Gentiles – and preach Christ. Most will reject – a few will come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Teach them. Appoint leaders. Tell them to share Christ. Tell them to send out missionaries. Move on.

2. If other missionaries get to a major city before you – pray for the work – encourage the work – send helpers – but don’t build on a foundation that is already planted.

3. Then, when every major city in the known world has a self-sustaining church –

go to the major cities in places like Italy and Spain to build up the churches there. Make sure they are united, sound, missional and reproducing.

4. Unite the Gentile and Jewish arms of the church. Take a collection from the

Gentile churches to the church in Jerusalem as tangible sign that they are truly brothers in Christ and part of the one church.

Paul was methodical and driven. Keep moving on. That boat leads somewhere Christ has not been preached. That road leads to a missionfield. Yes I want to visit Rome – but I need to preach where no one knows of Christ. He knew he might not accomplish every step – he probably didn’t make it to Spain – but he knew without a plan – he would not accomplish anything. Brothers and sisters – I suspect that although most of us could not articulate our purpose in life – if we were honest it might go something like this:

Live a fairly godly life, be a good husband or wife, see my kids come to Christ, provide well enough for my family and I would love to see some friends and neighbours come to Christ.

The problem most of us have – is that we simply meander through life – hoping that our modest spiritual goals will be achieved. We don’t plan to see even our modest goals come to fruition.

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What is your plan to see your children grow up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? Do you have a plan to – teach them the gospel, teach them to have devotions, show them Christ in your life, pray for them, show them by the way your prioritise your time and money and life – that Christ comes first. Do you have a plan to reach your neighbours and relatives? Pray for them, invite them to Introducing God, think about ways to turn a conversation to Christ, write a short letter about what the Lord means to you. If you just hope that one day they will come knocking on your door asking how to come to Christ – you might have a long wait. Have you mapped out the steps – training, praying, going, following up? How about medium and long term plans. Plan to go on a short term mission trip. But even for this you have to plan your time off, finances, skills preparation – it doesn’t just happen. What about your retirement? What are you planning to do with that time? Play with the grandkids and wait for the return of Christ – or plan to go as a missionary for a year, help out as church secretary, visit young mums, visit everyone in your street and tell them the gospel? Even modest purposes need great planning. I talk to people about why they don’t share Christ.

Fear of man. They might ask me a question I don’t know. I don’t have the time.

Most of the reasons people don’t share can be alleviated by planning. Afraid of people – plan to go out with some experienced evangelists to see that it is not as scary. Don’t know the answers to questions – plan to read through the materials that help you with these answers. Don’t have time – plan to make time. I also find it interesting that in this section on planning Paul tells us his plan to overcome the divisions between the Jewish and Gentile wings of the church.

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He plans to take a collection from the Gentile churches to the church in Jerusalem as tangible sign that they are truly brothers in Christ and part of the one church. If our church – or any church has divisions – we need to plan to overcome those divisions. Focus on the gospel. Work out was is crucial and what is minor. Find a way to show we are one in Christ with one task to perform. Paul then gives one final piece of advice.

Pray to proclaim the gospel Look at verses 30-33:

I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

I have a plan – it involved going to Judea and Jerusalem with the gift from the Gentiles and then coming to you in Rome. This will only come to fruition through prayer – strive with me in prayer. Last week I preached on Nehemiah. When word reached Nehemiah about the troubles in Jerusalem – he prayed. He prayed for four months!

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There are things that drive us to our knees – a prodigal son, a wife with cancer, a missionary under siege – but even then our prayers are not day and night. We give up too easily. Jesus gave a parable about the importune judge and the woman coming night and day till he answered her prayer – so we could learn to pray without ceasing. Listen to Paul. Ephesians 1:

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers … that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.

Philippians 1:

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine. Paul repeatedly speaks of praying for the churches day and night, prayer without ceasing, in agony of prayer. Sometimes we have a great purpose, a good plan – but we do it in human strength. Notice in verse 18 – Paul makes it clear everything he accomplished – Christ actually did it. Seeing the lost come to salvation is not due to our plans and power. 1 Corinthians 2:1–5:

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

If we are to see the gospel go forth – in big plans – missions, church plants – or in modest plans – our neighbours and kids – it is ultimately due to the power of God. I do not understand how prayer works hand in hand with the sovereignty of God – like Paul I just know it does. If you want to see God’s purposes in your life fleshed out – not only do you need to plan – you need to pray. Pray without ceasing. Many of us have pathetic to non-existent prayer lives. Brothers – it must not be so. Prayer shows that the power is God’s, the glory is God’s. We need to strive in prayer to see the gospel go forth.

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Three small words. Purpose, plan and prayer. Nothing there you have not heard twenty times. But brothers and sisters – we need to heed. Paul was a murderous rebel – opposed to Christ. God took him and turned him into the greatest missionary this world has seen. How? – The work of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. But humanly – Paul knew his purpose. He planned to fulfil that purpose. He prayed for power to fulfil that purpose. And as you reflect on these closing chapters of Romans – remember that a gospel focus ends disunity. I have yet to see a divided church reaching the world for Christ. And I doubt any churches reaching the world for Christ are divided. But churches that reach the world for Christ are made up of men and women who have a great gospel purpose, who have taken the time to plan and who strive in prayer. Several years back, I told you the story of William Borden. This is a man who understood purpose, plan and prayer. He was born in 1887 into one of the wealthiest families in the US. He was brilliant, good-looking and incredibly wealthy – in today’s terms his family would have been billionaires. He could have wasted his life on wine, women and song. But William Borden chose not to waste his life. In the providence of God his mother had made a commitment to Christ and raised her son in the faith. For his high school graduation present, his parents sent him around the world. As he travelled through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, he felt a growing burden for the world’s hurting people. Finally, he wrote home about his “desire to be a missionary.” He had a purpose. One friend expressed surprise that he could consider “throwing himself away as a missionary.” In response, William wrote two words in the back of his Bible: “No reserves.” He would give everything for Christ – no reserves – despite what anyone thought. That was his purpose.

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William’s father desired that his son attend a university, so he obeyed his father’s wishes and enrolled at Yale University. He found himself disappointed by the worldly ambitions of the university. The university president spoke on the students’ need of “having a fixed purpose.” After hearing that speech, Borden wrote: “He neglected to say what our purpose should be, and where we should get the ability to persevere and the strength to resist temptations.” Surveying the Yale faculty and much of the student body, Borden lamented they seemed to have no Christ-centred purpose. He resolved to have a kingdom purpose to his life. He made an entry in his personal journal that defined his life. That entry said simply:

“Say ‘no’ to self and ‘yes’ to Jesus – every time.” He also developed a plan. In response to the spiritual lethargy around him he began meeting with a friend in the mornings to read the Bible and pray together, and soon another student joined them, then another. The number of students showing up for the morning prayer meetings began to multiply, and over the course of a few years what began as a small group became a campus wide movement. Some report that by the end of William’s first year at Yale, 150 students gathered in groups for prayer meetings and by the time he was a senior, 1000 of Yale’s 1300 students were meeting in such groups. Also during his college years, he founded the Yale Hope Mission seeking to rehabilitate drunkards and others in need near the dock at New Haven. From his own personal wealth, he funded the buildings and other needs of the mission, but his investment was not merely financial. He was often found near the docks, feeding a poor person and sharing the good news of Jesus with them. One of his friends wrote that he “might often be found in the lower parts of the city at night, on the street, in a cheap lodging house or some restaurant to which he had taken a poor hungry fellow to feed him, seeking to lead men to Christ.” Over time, the mission at New Haven changed hundreds of lives. A fellow student wrote that, “In his sophomore year we organized Bible study groups and divided up the class of 300 or more, each man interested taking a certain number, so that all might, if possible, be reached. The names were gone over one by one, and the question asked, ‘Who will take this person?’ When it came to someone thought to be a hard proposition, there would be an ominous pause. Nobody wanted the responsibility. Then Bill’s voice would be heard, ‘Put him down to me.’” The Student Volunteer Movement conference in Nashville, Tennessee was another significant point in William’s college career. His missionary convictions narrowed on the Muslim people groups in western China as Dr. Samuel Zwemer spoke about his work among them.

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He inspired his classmates to consider missionary service. One of them said: “He certainly was one of the strongest characters I have ever known, and he put backbone into the rest of us at college.” William’s father passed away during his years at Yale, leaving him the family fortune. This must have been quite a temptation. He could have a life of ease or his wealth could open any door he wanted. He responded by giving most of his wealth away – an enormous fortune. It would distract him from his true purpose. Upon graduation he had several prestigious job offers, but to steel his determination, he wrote two more words in the back of his Bible: “No retreats.” No retreats from the task before him. He did his graduate work at Princeton Seminary in New Jersey and then set sail for the missionfield. Because he was hoping to work with Muslims, he stopped first in Egypt to study Arabic. While there, he contracted spinal meningitis. Within a month, 25-year-old William Borden was dead. I am not sure whether you had ever heard of William Borden. Few in the world know his name. All in heaven know it. On a human level you might say he was a failure. Gave his wealth away. No children. Died and buried in Cairo. He never even made it to the mission field. But this man is great in the Kingdom. He gave up the trappings of incredible wealth. He could have been a Paris Hilton – sucking life from the world on the family credit card. Instead he chose to give his wealth away and serve the outcasts for Christ. He purposed to go to a minority group – Chinese Muslims – he planned – study, preparation, – and he prayed. Yet he never even made it to the field. But, in his few short years he made an impact that is felt to this day. Hundreds of students at Yale found new faith in God by his example – many became missionaries. Many poor and outcasts found hope through his mission in New Haven.

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To this day those who hear his story are encouraged and challenged to lose their life in light of the promise of finding it in Christ. In the introduction to his biography, Mary Taylor wrote:

Borden not only gave (away) his wealth, but himself, in a way so joyous and natural that it (seemed) a privilege rather than a sacrifice.

Shortly before his death, he wrote a third phrase inside his Bible:

“No regrets.” He had kept the purpose he had set himself years before.

“Say ‘no’ to self and ‘yes’ to Jesus – every time.” He had no regrets about how he lived his life. Three phrases, written throughout his life that summed up the way he lived:

“No reserves. No retreats. No regrets.” What is your purpose? How do you plan to achieve it? What are you doing to empower that purpose through prayer?