100:00:00,080 –> 00:00:10,600The church is not a campaigning organisation for social or political change. Our calling200:00:10,660 –> 00:00:18,160is gospel ministry that changes human lives, not by the imposition of human laws, but rather300:00:18,860 –> 00:00:22,540by the regeneration of human hearts. There’s all the difference in the world between these400:00:22,540 –> 00:00:27,440two things. Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pick. Glad500:00:27,540 –> 00:00:31,080glad you could join us today. Colin I know that’s one of your core convictions and600:00:31,080 –> 00:00:35,560has been for a long time. And it’s just as true today as it was the day you preached700:00:35,560 –> 00:00:41,439this message. And I guess it will continue to be true in the future. Yes. And you know,800:00:41,439 –> 00:00:46,720I think that for the church in the New Testament, it was also true. We’re looking at 1 Timothy900:00:46,720 –> 00:00:53,720and chapter 2 today. And here is Paul writing in the days of the Roman Empire. I mean, imagine1000:00:54,080 –> 00:00:59,380the kinds of social and cultural issues that there were in these days. And so what does1100:00:59,380 –> 00:01:05,099he say to the church? Well, he speaks about two things. Give yourselves to the ministry1200:01:05,099 –> 00:01:12,099of prayer and give yourselves to the proclamation of the gospel. These were the priorities.1300:01:12,480 –> 00:01:18,900And I think as we seek to be guided by the scripture in how we live in our world today,1400:01:18,900 –> 00:01:22,900there are the priorities that we should still embrace. So I hope that today is going to1500:01:22,980 –> 00:01:27,300be really encouraging. What should the church be doing today? We should be giving ourselves1600:01:27,300 –> 00:01:32,360to prayer and we should be giving ourselves to the proclamation of the gospel by which1700:01:32,360 –> 00:01:39,099human hearts are changed. And as human lives are changed, things in the world around us1800:01:39,099 –> 00:01:41,720are increasingly changed as well.1900:01:41,720 –> 00:01:47,160So join us today in the message, if you can. We’re in 1 Timothy, chapter 2 today as we2000:01:47,160 –> 00:01:52,500begin a message called Gospel Ministry. Here is pastor Colin.2100:01:52,559 –> 00:01:57,099We’re pursuing together gospel faith which means to be rooted in truth and to be growing2200:01:57,099 –> 00:02:02,779in love. We want to live in the joy of gospel freedom which means that we are drawn by grace2300:02:02,779 –> 00:02:08,919not driven by law. And we’re rejoicing in gospel salvation which means that we are sinners2400:02:08,919 –> 00:02:13,580who are saved by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.2500:02:13,580 –> 00:02:18,000Here is a trustworthy saying we saw last time that deserves full acceptance.2600:02:18,679 –> 00:02:23,779Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners Paul said of whom I am the worst in other2700:02:23,779 –> 00:02:28,800words when we’ve grasped the Gospel, we do not want to be among the self-righteous who2800:02:28,800 –> 00:02:33,320are saying Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners like you.2900:02:33,320 –> 00:02:38,000No, we want to take our place with Paul and with humility before the cross of3000:02:38,000 –> 00:02:43,199Christ and to say Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners like me sinners like3100:02:43,559 –> 00:02:48,899want others to know what we have found in Jesus Christ.3200:02:48,899 –> 00:02:54,500Now that launches us right into 1 Timothy in chapter two our passage for today which3300:02:54,500 –> 00:03:00,339is about Gospel ministry in which we share Christ’s passion for the world.3400:03:00,339 –> 00:03:04,880In other words, the Gospel did not come to us to end with us.3500:03:04,880 –> 00:03:11,080Christ has trusted it to us to the Church so that we may bring it to others.3600:03:11,139 –> 00:03:17,320Therefore, a Gospel Centered Church is a missional church, a church that is committed to the3700:03:17,320 –> 00:03:23,539advance of the Gospel, a church that shares the heart of Jesus Christ and as a passion3800:03:23,539 –> 00:03:25,960for all people.3900:03:25,960 –> 00:03:31,339That is why we are committed to glorify God by multiplying God-centered Christ-exalting4000:03:31,339 –> 00:03:36,179and world-transforming believers through the Gospel in the Greater Chicago area and around4100:03:36,179 –> 00:03:37,179the world.4200:03:37,539 –> 00:03:43,240I spent some time doodling this week on an antithesis to the mission statement.4300:03:43,240 –> 00:03:44,520Would you like to hear it?4400:03:44,520 –> 00:03:45,520Here’s the opposite.4500:03:45,520 –> 00:03:47,440Here is the anti-mission statement.4600:03:47,440 –> 00:03:52,360If you take every phrase and write the opposite, the anti-mission statement would be something4700:03:52,360 –> 00:04:01,119like this, to satisfy each individual by maintaining self-centered, performance-exalting, status4800:04:01,539 –> 00:04:08,179preserving diagnostics without the Gospel in the ZIP Code 60004.4900:04:08,179 –> 00:04:11,440Folks, that is not the mission statement.5000:04:11,440 –> 00:04:17,119We want to glorify God by multiplying believers through the Gospel in the greater Chicago5100:04:17,119 –> 00:04:23,420area and around the world, and I want us to see from 1 Timothy in chapter 2 how that directly5200:04:23,420 –> 00:04:28,359arises out of our understanding of the Gospel.5300:04:28,779 –> 00:04:34,640Now, it would be very easy, as you’ll quickly work out, to have four or five sermons from5400:04:34,640 –> 00:04:36,079this chapter.5500:04:36,079 –> 00:04:40,320The danger of doing that, I think, and the reason why I’ve planned only one is that there’s5600:04:40,320 –> 00:04:44,679always the danger of missing the wood for the trees.5700:04:44,679 –> 00:04:48,519And so I want us to see what holds this chapter together.5800:04:48,519 –> 00:04:50,420Notice what we have here.5900:04:50,420 –> 00:04:55,140It begins with a ministry of prayer in the church for all people.6000:04:56,100 –> 00:05:00,500First, the prayers intercession and Thanksgiving be made for everyone.6100:05:00,500 –> 00:05:06,399Then, you have in verse 7, a ministry of the word, which goes to all people.6200:05:06,399 –> 00:05:10,820Paul speaks about his own work as an apostle to the Gentiles.6300:05:10,820 –> 00:05:16,420What glues these two together, that is the church’s ministry of prayer and the apostolic6400:05:16,420 –> 00:05:22,239ministry of the word, is the atoning death of Jesus Christ, which was for all people.6500:05:22,739 –> 00:05:28,899There is one God, there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus who gave6600:05:28,899 –> 00:05:32,980himself as a ransom for all men.6700:05:32,980 –> 00:05:37,279Then you have, if you follow the flow of the chapter, what at first looks like a strange6800:05:37,279 –> 00:05:38,519jump.6900:05:38,519 –> 00:05:44,239Because Paul then speaks particularly to men, and then he speaks particularly to women.7000:05:44,239 –> 00:05:51,019What I want you to notice, is that he speaks to men in relation to prayer, which takes7100:05:51,040 –> 00:05:53,359us back to where we started.7200:05:53,359 –> 00:05:58,160Then when he comes to speak to women at the end of the chapter, he specifically speaks7300:05:58,160 –> 00:06:04,160about women in relation to the teaching ministry of the church.7400:06:04,160 –> 00:06:08,500It seems to me that there is a coherent theme that runs all the way through this chapter,7500:06:08,500 –> 00:06:10,720and it’s very important to grasp it.7600:06:10,720 –> 00:06:18,880It is about the global impact of the church’s ministry through the word, and through prayer.7700:06:18,880 –> 00:06:22,600That’s what I want us to see in the big picture together today.7800:06:22,600 –> 00:06:31,239We are called, as God’s people, to a ministry of gospel praying and gospel proclaiming to7900:06:31,239 –> 00:06:33,079all people.8000:06:33,079 –> 00:06:37,839And that mission, the mission of praying and the mission of proclaiming, flows out of the8100:06:37,839 –> 00:06:41,760death of Jesus Christ, which was for all people.8200:06:41,760 –> 00:06:47,959And this is a sacred trust that has been given to us, and it must not be hindered by arguing8300:06:47,959 –> 00:06:51,640verse eight or by disputing.8400:06:51,640 –> 00:06:55,220And that is why I’ve chosen the title here, Gospel Ministry.8500:06:55,220 –> 00:06:58,820We share Christ’s passion for all people.8600:06:58,820 –> 00:07:00,579Now, let’s dive into it.8700:07:00,579 –> 00:07:01,660There is so much here.8800:07:01,660 –> 00:07:05,959Let’s begin then with a church that is praying for all people.8900:07:05,959 –> 00:07:07,480That is verse one to three.9000:07:07,480 –> 00:07:14,839I urge then first of all that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for9100:07:14,839 –> 00:07:15,839everyone.9200:07:16,160 –> 00:07:23,279Now, Paul is speaking very simply about the place of prayer in public worship.9300:07:23,279 –> 00:07:28,399When the congregation gathers together, he’s saying here is something very important that9400:07:28,399 –> 00:07:30,279is to happen.9500:07:30,279 –> 00:07:36,920We as God’s people are to bring requests and prayers and intercession and thanksgiving.9600:07:36,920 –> 00:07:42,559And one of the things you need to know is that as a church, we are committed to intercessory9700:07:42,559 –> 00:07:45,540prayer in public worship.9800:07:45,579 –> 00:07:50,079And one of the reasons for that is precisely this passage of the scripture.9900:07:50,079 –> 00:07:56,100I have to tell you what you may already know, that intercessory prayer in public worship10000:07:56,100 –> 00:08:00,100is going out of fashion in many churches.10100:08:00,100 –> 00:08:05,739But God has given it right here as a ministry to the church.10200:08:05,739 –> 00:08:11,339If we as Christians don’t pray for the world, who will?10300:08:11,339 –> 00:08:14,459The world will not pray for itself.10400:08:14,459 –> 00:08:19,179And if we have not found the value of praying for the world when we gather together in the10500:08:19,179 –> 00:08:26,339presence of God, we are not yet reflecting the heart of God in his passion for the world.10600:08:26,339 –> 00:08:31,279So a Gospel-centered church, in other words, is a church that is not about ourselves.10700:08:31,279 –> 00:08:35,940It is a church that is about the Gospel, it is a church that has grasped in verse three10800:08:35,940 –> 00:08:40,700that God wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth so that when10900:08:40,700 –> 00:08:47,119we gather our worship is to reflect God’s heart for the world.11000:08:47,119 –> 00:08:50,119Now, specifically, what does that look like?11100:08:50,119 –> 00:08:54,500Well, Paul says, verse one, that there is to be prayer for everyone.11200:08:54,500 –> 00:09:01,020Clearly, this does not mean that we have to get a directory of the names of 6.8 million11300:09:01,020 –> 00:09:04,619people who inhabit the world and go through them from A to Z in whatever language the11400:09:04,619 –> 00:09:06,500names may be pronounced.11500:09:06,500 –> 00:09:08,500That would be impossible.11600:09:08,520 –> 00:09:14,460When Paul says that we are to pray for all, he means all kinds of people, that we have11700:09:14,460 –> 00:09:16,280to have a global perspective.11800:09:16,280 –> 00:09:20,460He’s not saying we have to pray for every single person.11900:09:20,460 –> 00:09:25,099Let me quote to you from Philip Reichen, who is so helpful here in his description.12000:09:25,099 –> 00:09:31,780He says, the public prayers of the Church should have a global perspective.12100:09:31,780 –> 00:09:35,780That should happen when we gather here for any of our services.12200:09:35,780 –> 00:09:43,039These should include the great issues of the day, the vast nations of the world, intercessions12300:09:43,039 –> 00:09:48,099should be made for the renewal, revival and reformation of the Church.12400:09:48,099 –> 00:09:53,099Prayer should be offered for missionaries, evangelists and church planters.12500:09:53,099 –> 00:09:58,219The sufferings of the persecuted Church and the desperation of unsaved humanity should12600:09:58,219 –> 00:10:02,539be brought weakly before the throne of grace.12700:10:03,479 –> 00:10:13,539Now I’ll tell you honestly, when that gets dropped, as is increasingly happening in evangelical12800:10:13,539 –> 00:10:17,979churches in our day, intercessory prayer in public worship.12900:10:17,979 –> 00:10:20,700When it gets dropped it’s for one of two reasons.13000:10:20,700 –> 00:10:29,659Either number one, the pastors have given up, or number two, the people don’t care.13100:10:29,659 –> 00:10:36,200And I want you to know that it is a value that we are utterly committed to sustaining.13200:10:36,200 –> 00:10:41,260Our campus pastors are committed in all of our services at The Orchard to the ministry13300:10:41,260 –> 00:10:43,979of intercessory prayer.13400:10:43,979 –> 00:10:50,940So what I want to do today is to call us as a congregation to an engagement in that because13500:10:50,940 –> 00:10:55,580intercessory prayer – the prayer in which a pastor leads in public worship – is the13600:10:55,580 –> 00:10:57,500prayer of all God’s people together.13700:10:57,859 –> 00:11:04,479It involves your engagement, it involves your faith, it involves you being stretched so13800:11:04,479 –> 00:11:11,960that in the very place of worship here week by week your heart is expanded to reflect13900:11:11,960 –> 00:11:15,780more of the heart of God for the world.14000:11:15,780 –> 00:11:21,619That is something that should be happening every week, in every place where God’s people14100:11:21,619 –> 00:11:26,500are gathering together for public worship and, folks, on the basis of 1 Timothy, Chapter14200:11:26,500 –> 00:11:32,8202, we are committed to it and I hope that you therefore are encouraged by it.14300:11:32,820 –> 00:11:39,260You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, and a message called Gospel Ministry.14400:11:39,260 –> 00:11:44,280It’s part of the series Ten Distinctives of a Gospel-Centred Church, and if you have missed14500:11:44,280 –> 00:11:49,359any of the series so far, you can easily catch up or go back and listen again by coming online14600:11:49,359 –> 00:11:53,820to our website openthebible.org.uk.14700:11:54,020 –> 00:11:59,619Going back to the message now, we’re in 1 Timothy 2, here again is Pastor Colin.14800:11:59,619 –> 00:12:04,419Paul says, verse 1, that there is to be prayer for everyone.14900:12:04,419 –> 00:12:08,760Now that’s what Paul says in 1 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 1.15000:12:08,760 –> 00:12:13,840I urge then, first of all, that prayers, requests intercession and thanksgiving15100:12:13,840 –> 00:12:16,000be made for everyone.15200:12:16,000 –> 00:12:18,219Then he goes further.15300:12:18,799 –> 00:12:34,380Now this is very striking because, of course, all of the rulers in Paul’s time were pagans.15400:12:34,380 –> 00:12:39,619There were no Christian rulers in those days.15500:12:39,619 –> 00:12:48,000Yet Paul says that Christians should pray for, and in his time they were all pagan rulers,15600:12:48,299 –> 00:12:50,099and, well you notice something else.15700:12:50,099 –> 00:12:54,619He says that this prayer should be with thanksgiving.15800:12:55,320 –> 00:12:57,059I mean this kind of stretches the mind.15900:12:57,200 –> 00:13:01,359How in the world do you pray for Nero with thanksgiving?16000:13:01,619 –> 00:13:03,059But that’s what Paul is talking about.16100:13:03,260 –> 00:13:07,979He says I’m urging Christian people that we pray for our rulers and whenever we do it,16200:13:08,200 –> 00:13:09,840make sure the Spirit is right.16300:13:11,140 –> 00:13:17,619You must pray for those who are in authority over you in the secular sphere and you must do it.16400:13:17,640 –> 00:13:21,460Paul says to Timothy with thanksgiving.16500:13:21,599 –> 00:13:23,340Now what this means for us is very clear.16600:13:25,000 –> 00:13:26,520It means that we must pray,16700:13:27,659 –> 00:13:32,419as a congregation, for our President, our senators, our representatives,16800:13:32,460 –> 00:13:38,200we must pray for those who hold public office whether we voted for them or not16900:13:38,859 –> 00:13:42,960and we are to do this with thanksgiving.17000:13:43,780 –> 00:13:47,280And will you notice what we are to pray for those in government?17100:13:47,380 –> 00:13:49,080This is a very important question.17200:13:49,340 –> 00:13:52,039What should we be praying for those in government?17300:13:52,539 –> 00:13:55,880It’s answered right here that we may live what?17400:13:56,159 –> 00:14:01,059Peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.17500:14:02,320 –> 00:14:06,500And folks if we understand that it’s telling us something of massive importance.17600:14:06,500 –> 00:14:10,500Our objective is not that politicians will change society,17700:14:11,239 –> 00:14:17,280it is that we should live in peace, so that the gospel will change society.17800:14:17,380 –> 00:14:19,719That is always the hope of the New Testament.17900:14:20,719 –> 00:14:25,059The Bible never encourages us to put high hopes in human government.18000:14:25,679 –> 00:14:28,979We do not pray that the government will lead us into godliness,18100:14:29,080 –> 00:14:31,880the New Testament never suggests that because they can’t do it.18200:14:31,880 –> 00:14:37,200Only the gospel can lead people into godliness and the gospel is not trusted to the government,18300:14:37,299 –> 00:14:40,200the gospel is trusted to the church.18400:14:40,679 –> 00:14:44,739God’s purpose for the government, quite clearly stated here,18500:14:44,840 –> 00:14:48,679is that they have a role in maintaining stability and peace18600:14:48,780 –> 00:14:52,659so that the gospel may go forward and the gospel may change people’s lives.18700:14:53,719 –> 00:14:56,979It is very important to work it out and to be clear about it.18800:14:57,080 –> 00:14:59,099What is the mission of the gospel,18900:14:59,419 –> 00:15:01,020It is very important to work that out and be clear about it.19000:15:01,419 –> 00:15:04,159What is the role of the government, what is the role of the church?19100:15:04,260 –> 00:15:10,979Confuse them and you end up a long way from the New Testament.19200:15:11,200 –> 00:15:16,539So I thank God from the bottom of my heart for every person in our congregation19300:15:17,419 –> 00:15:20,739who serves in public life.19400:15:20,840 –> 00:15:27,140We need more Christians in politics.19500:15:27,380 –> 00:15:31,460It is a high calling for our most able people.19600:15:32,859 –> 00:15:36,140But it is not the calling of the church.19700:15:37,979 –> 00:15:43,159The church is not a campaigning organization for social or political change.19800:15:44,260 –> 00:15:50,859Our calling is gospel ministry that changes human lives not by the19900:15:50,859 –> 00:15:55,299imposition of human laws, but rather by the regeneration of human hearts.20000:15:55,340 –> 00:15:57,580There’s all the difference in the world between these two things.20100:15:59,080 –> 00:16:02,460Politicians can write laws that will restrain evil.20200:16:02,460 –> 00:16:04,539But folks, that’s all that laws can do.20300:16:05,219 –> 00:16:06,140We saw that last time.20400:16:06,140 –> 00:16:07,099What is the law for?20500:16:07,099 –> 00:16:08,659It’s for rebels and sinners.20600:16:08,659 –> 00:16:12,780Laws can restrain evil, but look at what Jesus Christ does.20700:16:12,780 –> 00:16:19,260He pours grace, and love, and faith into empty human hearts bringing20800:16:19,260 –> 00:16:20,539transformation of life.20900:16:21,520 –> 00:16:23,020And that happens through the gospel.21000:16:23,020 –> 00:16:29,739And that is why our hope lies not in human government, but it lies in the21100:16:29,739 –> 00:16:32,940power of Jesus Christ to change a human life in the worst of all21200:16:32,940 –> 00:16:36,880circumstances by the gospel.21300:16:38,299 –> 00:16:39,900But we are to pray for government.21400:16:40,619 –> 00:16:43,239We are to pray for those in authority over us.21500:16:43,679 –> 00:16:47,580We are to pray, particularly, that God would grant them wisdom in21600:16:48,140 –> 00:16:53,260maintaining peace and stability for the very purpose that the gospel may21700:16:53,260 –> 00:16:56,979advance bringing transformation to human lives.21800:16:57,419 –> 00:17:00,299Let me quote one more time from Philip Rikin here today.21900:17:00,299 –> 00:17:05,319And, again, I found what he said here convicting and helpful.22000:17:06,339 –> 00:17:14,060He said, Christians who do not pray for their political leaders tend to disturb22100:17:14,060 –> 00:17:16,599the peace as we’re thinking about it.22200:17:17,599 –> 00:17:21,579If you do not pray for political leaders, you may very well become a fractious22300:17:21,579 –> 00:17:23,020person in society.22400:17:24,660 –> 00:17:28,079Christians who do not pray for their political leaders tend to disturb the22500:17:28,079 –> 00:17:32,839peace, they become cynical about their political opponents, and they rejoice22600:17:32,839 –> 00:17:34,560when they fall into disgrace.22700:17:35,699 –> 00:17:42,300Since cynicism about the government is so prevalent in the evangelical church22800:17:42,979 –> 00:17:49,459Reichen says, we may well conclude that Christians are not always diligent in22900:17:49,459 –> 00:17:51,780prayer for people in authority.23000:17:53,140 –> 00:18:00,040In other words, the way that we speak about our political leaders will clearly23100:18:00,040 –> 00:18:08,300display whether we pray for them or not, and if we speak of those with whom we23200:18:08,520 –> 00:18:14,780disagree, with a harshness and a cynicism, we betray the reality that we simply23300:18:14,780 –> 00:18:19,099are not praying for them and we are not doing what Paul is telling us here in23400:18:19,099 –> 00:18:21,0991 Timothy and chapter one.23500:18:21,099 –> 00:18:23,540Now, this is of huge importance for us.23600:18:23,540 –> 00:18:28,579It is of huge importance for the church to understand this clearly.23700:18:28,579 –> 00:18:34,540Reichen quotes so helpfully the words of John Chrysostom, no one can feel hatred23800:18:34,540 –> 00:18:36,939towards the one for whom he prays.23900:18:38,439 –> 00:18:42,959So I want to encourage you in this in private, as well as our responsibility in24000:18:42,959 –> 00:18:47,680public if we pray for the leaders of our nation.24100:18:47,680 –> 00:18:51,300Whether we agree or disagree with particular courses of action, whether we24200:18:51,300 –> 00:18:54,520have voted in one way or another.24300:18:54,520 –> 00:19:01,239When we pray, we pray for God’s blessing to be upon those who have been placed in24400:19:01,239 –> 00:19:05,599office, the New Testament makes clear under the sovereign hand of God and we24500:19:05,599 –> 00:19:09,540will rejoice in any success that God gives to them.24600:19:09,540 –> 00:19:15,599You can disagree with the people for whom you pray but if you pray for them,24700:19:15,599 –> 00:19:21,300you will not be cynical, you will not be harsh, you will not be unkind24800:19:21,300 –> 00:19:24,260towards them.24900:19:24,260 –> 00:19:33,000Now, this kind of praying, Paul says, is good, verse 3, and it pleases God,25000:19:33,000 –> 00:19:34,359our savior.25100:19:34,619 –> 00:19:37,880Now, that’s the first thing, and it’s a huge thing right here.25200:19:37,880 –> 00:19:41,479He’s calling Timothy as the leader and calling the congregation to whom25300:19:41,479 –> 00:19:49,599he writes that a Gospel-centered church should be a praying church for all people.25400:19:49,599 –> 00:19:56,780Second, Gospel-centered church here will not only be praying for all people but it25500:19:56,780 –> 00:20:00,199will be a church concerned that the Gospel should be proclaimed25600:20:00,199 –> 00:20:01,119to all people.25700:20:01,119 –> 00:20:03,260Look at verse 7.25800:20:03,260 –> 00:20:06,599For this purpose, I was appointed a herald and an apostle.25900:20:06,599 –> 00:20:07,920I am telling the truth.26000:20:07,920 –> 00:20:11,640I am not lying, Paul says, and the teacher of the true faith to the26100:20:11,640 –> 00:20:12,939Gentiles.26200:20:12,939 –> 00:20:17,000Now, that’s the big phrase, folks, to the Gentiles.26300:20:17,000 –> 00:20:21,500And you could almost put a triple exclamation mark against the word26400:20:21,500 –> 00:20:23,319Gentiles.26500:20:23,319 –> 00:20:27,760Whenever you see the word Gentiles in the New Testament, I found it helpful26600:20:27,760 –> 00:20:32,819simply to replace that with the word all nations, because that is really26700:20:32,819 –> 00:20:33,540what it means.26800:20:33,540 –> 00:20:37,599The words Gentiles, of course, is a reference to all nations outside of the26900:20:37,599 –> 00:20:41,319Jewish nation, outside of Israel.27000:20:41,319 –> 00:20:48,880Now, it is incredibly hard for us to grasp just how radical this Gentile mission was27100:20:48,880 –> 00:20:51,160in the early Church.27200:20:51,160 –> 00:20:54,699Remember, God had made a covenant in the Old Testament with who?27300:20:54,699 –> 00:20:56,579With Israel.27400:20:56,579 –> 00:20:59,900And to many people, therefore, their mentality was, oh, the God of the Old27500:20:59,900 –> 00:21:00,380Testament.27600:21:00,380 –> 00:21:03,479Yes, He’s the God of Israel.27700:21:03,479 –> 00:21:08,880So, when Paul says I was appointed as an apostle to the Gentiles,27800:21:08,880 –> 00:21:11,640that is such a stunning thing that you notice in here,27900:21:11,640 –> 00:21:17,160he actually has to say, I’m telling the truth, I am not lying.28000:21:17,160 –> 00:21:22,160Because, you know, it was just so staggering to get the idea that the God28100:21:22,160 –> 00:21:26,160who had made a covenant with Israel in the Old Testament was actually bringing28200:21:26,160 –> 00:21:31,579in Jesus Christ a gospel that was for every culture in the world.28300:21:31,579 –> 00:21:37,579Now folks, it is still difficult for people to grasp that today.28400:21:37,579 –> 00:21:42,540Of course, the dynamics have changed.28500:21:42,540 –> 00:21:47,119What happens today is that millions of people would say that Christianity is28600:21:47,119 –> 00:21:50,719the religion, not of the Jews, but they would put it this way.28700:21:50,719 –> 00:21:54,020They’d say Christianity is the religion of what?28800:21:54,300 –> 00:21:56,040The West, the West.28900:21:57,760 –> 00:21:59,180And it’s not right for29000:21:59,180 –> 00:22:02,319a Western religion to be imposed on other parts of the world.29100:22:04,339 –> 00:22:05,579That’s a huge debate today.29200:22:06,640 –> 00:22:08,180And where are we in it?29300:22:08,180 –> 00:22:08,819Well, here’s where we are.29400:22:10,699 –> 00:22:14,540We want to take as a gospel church, our stand with the apostle Paul and29500:22:14,540 –> 00:22:15,900say exactly what he said.29600:22:17,439 –> 00:22:21,400That the gospel is the good news for all nations.29700:22:21,400 –> 00:22:26,920And our calling distinctively from Christ is to herald the true faith to all peoples.29800:22:28,619 –> 00:22:30,119And we want to say we’re telling the truth.29900:22:31,359 –> 00:22:31,939We’re not lying.30000:22:33,040 –> 00:22:36,780That is the commission that is given to the Church of Jesus Christ.30100:22:36,780 –> 00:22:41,479You’ve been listening to Pastor Colin Smith on Open the Bible with a message30200:22:41,479 –> 00:22:47,099called Gospel Ministry, part of our series, Ten Distinctives of a Gospel-Centered Church.30300:22:47,099 –> 00:22:50,739And you can hear the second part of this message in our next broadcast, so30400:22:50,920 –> 00:22:51,760I hope you’ll join us for that.30500:22:53,500 –> 00:22:55,780Open the Bible is supported by our listeners.30600:22:55,780 –> 00:23:00,560It’s people just like you who enable us to stay on the radio and on the Internet and30700:23:00,560 –> 00:23:04,160we’re extremely grateful for the support we receive from you.30800:23:04,160 –> 00:23:07,959So if you already give to Open the Bible, thank you so much.30900:23:07,959 –> 00:23:11,819If you’re considering beginning to support Open the Bible financially,31000:23:11,819 –> 00:23:14,380this month, we have a great offer for you.31100:23:14,380 –> 00:23:19,599If you’re able to begin a direct debit of £5 per month or more, or31200:23:19,739 –> 00:23:22,400a one-off gift of £60 or more,31300:23:22,400 –> 00:23:27,199we’d love to say thank you by sending you a copy of John Stott’s book,31400:23:27,199 –> 00:23:29,079The Incomparable Christ.31500:23:29,079 –> 00:23:31,859Colin, who is this book for?31600:23:31,859 –> 00:23:36,040Well, it’s for anyone who wants to know the Lord Jesus Christ better31700:23:36,040 –> 00:23:40,540and it’s written by one of the most influential Christian leaders of the 20th century.31800:23:40,540 –> 00:23:46,400John Stott was a faithful preacher, a pastor and a scholar for over 60 years.31900:23:46,400 –> 00:23:48,160He’s one of my heroes of the faith.32000:23:48,280 –> 00:23:50,260I love to read his writing,32100:23:50,260 –> 00:23:54,760and never more so than when he’s writing on the most central subject of all32200:23:54,760 –> 00:23:58,400the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.32300:23:58,400 –> 00:24:01,219This book, the Incomparable Christ,32400:24:01,219 –> 00:24:05,219if you’ve never read a book by John Stott this is a great place to start.32500:24:05,219 –> 00:24:10,479It’s a deep dive on who Jesus is and it comes in four parts.32600:24:10,479 –> 00:24:14,280We see Jesus as he is presented in the New Testament,32700:24:14,280 –> 00:24:18,119Jesus as he’s been presented by the Church over the centuries.32800:24:18,339 –> 00:24:22,739Jesus as he’s inspired various figures in history,32900:24:22,739 –> 00:24:26,719and Jesus as he’s presented to us in the Book of Revelation.33000:24:26,719 –> 00:24:31,579It’s just a glorious snapshot of who the Lord Jesus Christ is.33100:24:31,579 –> 00:24:34,719And I think anyone who reads this book is going to feel33200:24:34,719 –> 00:24:36,619that they come to a deeper worship of Jesus,33300:24:36,619 –> 00:24:40,520a deeper love for Jesus and a deeper trust in Jesus, too.33400:24:40,520 –> 00:24:43,420Well, this book by John Stott, the Incomparable Christ33500:24:43,420 –> 00:24:46,380is our gift to you when you begin a new direct33600:24:46,380 –> 00:24:51,579debit to the work of Open the Bible in the amount of £5 per month or more.33700:24:51,579 –> 00:24:56,119Or a one-off gift of £60 or more this month.33800:24:56,119 –> 00:24:58,439Full terms and conditions are on our website,33900:24:58,439 –> 00:25:04,000that’s at openthebible.org.uk, and you can give online.34000:25:04,000 –> 00:25:06,579Don’t forget to leave your full name and address34100:25:06,579 –> 00:25:09,219so we can send you your free gift.34200:25:09,219 –> 00:25:13,000For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith, I’m David Pigg,34300:25:13,020 –> 00:25:16,300and I look forward to joining us again for our next programme.34400:25:20,760 –> 00:25:25,199The Church is called to a global ministry of the Word and prayer.34500:25:25,199 –> 00:25:26,880So, where do we start?34600:25:27,260 –> 00:25:29,699Find out next time on Open the Bible.