“My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else”

Rom 15:20.NLT.

About five years ago three of us came together to start a leadership institute. Though we have made some strides we are convinced the company was not growing with the commensurate effort and resources we are putting in. So we began to look inwards and outwards to seek for ‘growth wisdom’.

In the process we had a meeting this week with a successful entrepreneur. He shared with us not a completely fresh idea but something that made an impression on me afresh. The first one was that successful business ideas respond to three things, problems, needs and desires. The second point was that most people start business on two prongs:

“ Me Too” and “Niche”.

When I read the above passage this morning I saw that Paul was using this model in propagating the gospel. He was focusing on ‘The Gentiles’ who needs the gospel like any other man. Secondly he said - my ambition is to plant church not according to “ Me Too” syndrome but to follow the ‘Niche’ philosophical trail . What is the difference, ‘me too' people want to do things because others are doing things. My friend is a pastor I want to become a pastor , my friend is selling cement I want to sell cement, my friend has traveled abroad me too must travel abroad, my friend has started a church me too must start a church. Paul says my ambition is not to preach Christ where his name has been heard. But to go and preach where it has not been heard. Paul was a trail blazer in this area. Though he was not one of those Apostles who walked and dined with Jesus Christ physically on earth, but from the moment in Acts 9 when he had a personal encounter with Jesus and Acts 13 when by prayer, fasting and laying on of hands he was separated to preach the gospel he always stood out as not part of the ‘Me too’ party.

He championed three missionary trips to new grounds. At the climax of his constant trials, persecutions and perils he said ‘ I appeal to Cesar’ and that brought the gospel to another frontier and a new continent and which was a master stroke to enlarge and expand the kingdom territory.

But the focus today is ambition. What is ambition? It is defined online ‘as a strong desire to do or to achieve something, typically requiring determination and hard work.’ So we see that like every other man Paul had an ambition, but his ambition was different. His ambition was not to do ‘me too ‘stuff but to form a niche for himself and his God.

In a month of walking in the Power of Holy Ghost, amidst all developments what is the Holy Spirit teaching us today.

1. Nothing is wrong with having ambition as a matter of fact you are encouraged to have ambition.

2. Have the right ambition which is to help the needy.

3. Let your ambition not fall into the ‘Me Too’ category.

4. There are so many churches around you why plant another church there, go where the gospel is yet to reach, be practice novelty..

5. Let your preaching break fallow grounds through that idea you are avoiding overcrowding a crowded area and you are reaching new and fertile grounds.

6. There are over 7 billion people around the world and only one- third ( approximately 2.6 billion) of this are Christians of all shades( Catholics, Orthodox, Anglican, Mainline churches, Evangelicals, Pentecostal, Protestant, etc,) meaning there are two- thirds (4.4 billion)of the world population that needs to hear the gospel as a matter of necessity. The bulk of these people are in the 10/40 window. That is where like Paul we need to develop passion, compassion and ambition to reach. Go where there are no churches!

7. Give yourself an upgrade, stop thinking in the realm and areas of ‘me too’ business and ministerial ideas, join the league of the ‘niche’ syndrome. Come to think of it they are the people who have the wealth and the power who you call today ‘the rich and the powerful’

8. Life is about novelty, you have only one life live your life in novelty.

In conclusion, what are you waiting for, what is your ambition?

Shalom.