Glimpse into a World Changer: Romans 1:9-10
“9) For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, 10) always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you.” Romans 1:9-10
Paul loved preaching the gospel, ministering to people and being on the front lines of where God was working. He was committed to building new believers and watching them grow into mature and fruitful followers of Christ.
God literally used Him to raise up the first and second wave or gospel workers who carried the Christian faith across Asia Minor, Macedonia and into Rome itself. This guy was a living, breathing, walking and talking catalyst for Jesus Christ.
These two verses illustrate that point. They give us a glimpse into Paul’s prayer life and and his life ambitions. He literally ate, drank and breathed missions. In Philippians 1:21 he said; “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” That was indeed the mantra of Pauls life.
Not everyone can have the focus and intensity of Paul for missions, but certainly God wants His people to move in that direction. Jesus made it clear in John 15:8 that God wants every believer to be fruitful for His glory.
The modern church is like a service station to patch people up so they can go their merry way through life with as few bumps, bruises and hurts as possible. The early church was a radical transformation center that changed people from the bottom up and give them a new focus, purpose and calling in life. The modern church turns out people with a religious bent. The early church turned out World Changers.
Paul didn’t care how he got to Rome, he just wanted a slice of the action for the glory of God. When he finally arrived, he didn’t get there sailing buisness class. He arrived in chains as a prisoner of Rome. But he became a spark that changed course of human history.
These two verses give us a glimpse into the heart of the Apostle Paul. His passion, love for Jesus and fire for the gospel were contagious. Ask God to infect you with this same passion for missions. Step into the sandals of Paul for just a few weeks. Sign up for a short term missions trip with GoServ Global or your church. Make this your transition year into becoming a World Changer for the glory of God.
Daily Devotional and Commentary by Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
