It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known

 Romans 15:14-33

Because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.

“Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand." Isaiah 52:15

I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there.

I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, so that I may come to you with joy.

In closing, Paul speaks personally. For more than 20 years he has been an apostle to the non-Jewish world. He has seen churches established all over Cyprus. Syria, Turkey, and Greece. Now he has completed this work and discharged his responsibilities. Once the business of delivering the money given by the Gentile churches to Jerusalem a visit about which he has real misgivings is over, he can look west to Spain, calling at Rome on the way.

Why?

Paul honest obeyed what God has commanded him to preach the gospel to those who do not know Christ.

We should boast what God has done for us and through us. For without the Lord I can do nothing.

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1.相信保羅的弟兄們也可以彼此相愛，彼此擔待、接待軟弱 的人

2.沒有什麼可以誇的。只有誇神的作為，藉他所做的工作，神蹟奇事。帶領許多外邦人信主，但是並不以此為傲。

3.立志向未聽過福音的地方傳福音。不是在別人的基礎上建立教會。保羅盼望到最遍遠的西班牙。可見神看外邦人信主多麼重要。

傳福音，宣教的動力在於教會的合一。如果有種族岐視，分門結黨，怎麼能夠傳福音?

外邦人以還債的心，捐款來幫助有災荒的耶路撒冷，提供生活上需要。這樣的教會已經被建立起來，願意付出恩典，保羅可以放心往西班牙去。如果教會成員都願意付出，合一，就是不會有自私的人，就會合一，就有傳福音的事工。保羅的心滿足，是看到每位成員生命成長，願意付出，為神擺上，這就是成熟的教會。福音給猶太人也給外邦人，因為猶太人不信，所以讓外邦人有機會先信福音，再來激動猶太人信主。

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How?

What is the mission came from the Lord to me? To honor the name of the Lord and show the love and joy to my neighbor.