May 10, a people for his name.

Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for his name.

Acts 15, 14. It is scarcely possible to overemphasize the centrality of the name of God,

that is, the fame of God in motivating the mission of the Church.

When Peter had his world turned upside down by the vision of unclean animals in Acts 10,

and by the lesson from God that he should evangelize Gentiles as well as Jews,

he came back to Jerusalem and told the apostles that it was all owing to God's zeal for his name.

We know this because James summed up Peter's speech like this,

brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a

people for his name. Acts 15, 14. It's not surprising that Peter would say that God's purpose

was to gather a people for his name because the Lord Jesus had stung Peter some years earlier

with an unforgettable lesson. He recalled that after a rich young man turned away from Jesus

and refused to follow him, Peter said to Jesus, see, we have left everything and followed you

unlike this rich fellow. What then will we have? Matthew 1927,

Jesus responded with a mild rebuke, which in effect said, there is no ultimate sacrifice

when you live for the name of the son of man. He said, everyone who has left houses or brothers

or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for my name's sake will receive a hundred

fold and will inherit eternal life. Matthew 1929, the truth is plain, God is pursuing with omnipotent

delight a worldwide purpose of gathering the people for his name from every tribe and language

and nation, Revelation 5.9 and 7.9. He has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the fame of his name

among the nations. Therefore, when we bring our affections in line with his and for the sake of his

name renounce the quest for our own worldly fame and comforts, join his global purpose,

...