WWUTT 101 Prevented Thus Far (Romans 1:8-15)

The Apostle Paul said that he knew what it felt like to be in need and what it felt like to have an abundance.

Yet he had learned by the strength of Christ to be content in all circumstances. A lesson for us to learn as well when we understand the text.

This is When We Understand the Text, a daily study of God's Word, that we may be filled with the knowledge of His will.

Here's your teacher, Pastor Gabe. Thank you, Becky. In Romans 1, 8 -15, Paul writes, 1.

I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.

2. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, 3. that without ceasing

I mention you always in my prayers, 4. asking somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.

5. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, 6.

that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 7. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you, 8.

but thus far have been prevented, in order that I may reap some harvest among you 9. as well as among the rest of the

Gentiles. 10. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

11. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. If you could live anywhere in the world right now, just up and move to wherever you wanted, where would you go?

Why would you go there? You probably have a myriad of reasons. Because the weather is warmer. Because you want to broaden your understanding.

Because that city holds a special place for you. Because it looks pretty in all the pictures. The Apostle Paul really wanted to go to Rome.

And the reason he wanted to go there was because at the time it was the capital city of the whole world. It was the central hub of everything.

And just as the gospel had gone out from Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost to different reaches of the Roman Empire, so the gospel would go out from Rome to the far reaches of the earth.

Now, obviously the gospel was already there to some degree. Paul wrote his letter to the Romans sometime around 57

A .D. And the church had been there for over 20 years by that point. But no apostle had yet visited them.

Paul had a unique title from all the other apostles. He's referred to as the Apostle to the Gentiles. That's in Romans 11 .13.

At his conversion in Acts 9, this is how God spoke of Paul to Ananias. He is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the

Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. So, if Paul really wanted to get to Rome and it would result in the gospel going out all over the world, why hadn't he been there yet?

Well, he mentions it here in verse 14. Also in Romans 15 .22, he was planting churches in unreached areas of the

Roman Empire. That was the work that God had him doing. At times, the Spirit of God prevented Paul from going somewhere he really wanted to go, instead directing his steps elsewhere.

The Philippian church was planted this way. In fact, the Galatian church got planted because Paul got sick and had to stop in Galatia.

God used Paul's illness to plant a church. Paul was always obedient and gave all of the glory to God.

And I hope that you can see through the example of Paul how God will sovereignly use every single circumstance for His glory.

Sometimes we suffer from ideal place idolatry. It's that mentality that goes, the grass is always greener on the other side.

We think our situation would be better if we were just somewhere else. And when we get this attitude, we think, even if it's subconsciously, that God is mistaken and this is not the best place for me to be in.

We do this with church, too. We think we'd be better worshippers if our church was exactly the way that we wanted it to be.

God, I could worship you better if you'd just give me a better church. But I appreciate something that Dr.

Jason K. Allen said. He's the president of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He said,

Over the years, I have noticed the more I pray for my pastor, the more I get fed from the pulpit.

I know Dr. Allen's pastor and I'm aware of their doctrinal differences. And I appreciate

Dr. Allen's humble witness. Paul says this in Philippians 4, 11 through 13.

Remember, this was a church that God had Paul plant. Instead of going to the place that Paul wanted to go,

Paul wrote to the Philippians and said, I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound in any and every circumstance.

I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Apply this to your present circumstance. 1 Thessalonians 5, 18. Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

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