John, we recently had our national conference on the theme of missions. The title was

Finish the Mission, Bringing the Gospel to the Unreached and Unengaged. And there we talked briefly

about the missionary call. And some of the feedback we heard was that folks got helped there.

But I thought that may be a good place for us to start this

Q&A time because we've been hearing now about missions for two hours in the seminar and God may be

stirring in hearts. How would you help those wrestling with a missionary call?

I'm turning here to Romans 15.

I'm not sure I can put my eyes on the exact text that I'm thinking about.

I think it's here in verse 20 where Paul says,

thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ

has already been named.

So there's a unique calling.

He didn't expect that from Timothy or most of the people.

Something was in him, right?

And that's what you're trying to figure out at least i am you know

with every phase of my life is there something new something unique that i'm is god's burden for me to do

call it a call whatever you want to call it's just it's in you and and it's your holy ambition

and that's so i want to know how do paul this? And, of course, the immediate answer is, well, he got knocked off his donkey on the road to Damascus. That's how he got it. And we wish that would happen to us. But that's not what he says. Okay, this is why it's really relevant. I think this will help you. Listen, 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 him and those who have never heard will understand so paul

traces his holy ambition not to the damascus road experience which really surprises me like i mean

if there ever was a call it was God talking to him from heaven on

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