“They had a view of God’s sovereignty that produced an undaunted hope in the victory of God over all the world.  They were deeply stirred by a passion for the coming of God’s kingdom over all the nations.  Their hearts really believed the truth of the promises that Christ’s cause would triumph.  ‘I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’ (Matt. 16:18).  ‘This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come’ (Matt24:14) ‘All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name’ (Ps. 86:9). ‘In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’ (Gen. 12:3) ‘I will make the nations your heritage’ (Ps. 22:27).  ‘All the earth will worship You, and will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name’ (Ps. 66:4 NASB). ‘To him shall be the obedience of the peoples’ (Gen.49:10)

This tremendous confidence that Christ would one day conquer hearts in every nation and be glorified by every people on earth gave birth to the first Protestant missionary endeavor in the English-speaking world, and it happened 150 years before the modern missionary movement began with William Carey in 1793.”

John Piper, Let The Nations be Glad

Who were these saints with “undaunted hope in the victory of God over all the world”? More to come Thursday evening at the Rowe’s.