PAULINE PIONEERING
WEEK 13 - WEDNESDAY
For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men's labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.
2 Corinthians 10:14-16
From the beginning of Paul's ministry, his goal was to, as the TV show Star Trek proclaimed, 'To go where no man has gone before.' Paul did not want to 'build' upon another man's work; instead, he wanted to pioneer a new work and preach Christ where Christ had not been preached before.
His ambition was for the gospel, and he took a holy pride in taking ground for the Kingdom. In Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he touches on this ambition again, saying that his ultimate goal was to reach the Corinthians, then go beyond them and expand the sphere of Christ's influence.
To pioneer means to be among the first to explore a territory or settle an area. Here are some 'Pauline Style' pioneering questions to consider:
TAKING TERRITORY FOR CHRIST
- What territory would you like to take for Christ, your family, in your career?:
- What territory would you like to take that no one has ever taken before?:
- Is there an area or uncharted territory God would like you to pioneer?:
Frequent questions:
- From where you are at, what is your launching pad?
- Who can help you jump-start your dream for the marketplace and ministry?
- What has God called you to pioneer, to be the first in your family to do for him?
Pioneering a new work is risky, messy, and requires the courage of Christ when taking territory.