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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Ready is such a common word! It simply carries the idea of preparedness, maybe even without desire. I may be ready to go to the dentist, but I may not want to go. I may be ready to pay my monthly bills, but that exercise is seldom executed with exuberance. The word Paul used in Romans 1.15 is a word that not only indicates preparedness, it indicates an eagerness to perform the task for which he had declared himself ready. The New American Standard Version translates the verse, “So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.” Today’s message will look at Paul’s eagerness to preach and a couple of the reasons for it.
First and foremost, Paul was eager to preach because it glorified His Lord! While there may have been ancillary reasons, there can be little doubt that this was the prominent and most persuasive part of Paul’s motivation. How could a man like Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus and one of the foremost persecutors of believers) not love Jesus Christ! Once Saul realized that the stories about Jesus were true and that He really was the Messiah, a love instantly formed in his heart that would never be quenched or slaked. Bound ignorantly for hell, Jesus saw in Saul the heart of an honest man and rescued him from sure destruction. Although there were peculiar circumstances that surrounded Saul’s conversion, Jesus rescued him the same way He rescues every sinner. Jesus instructed Saul to go into the city where he would be told what he had to do in order to be saved (see Acts 9.6). Meanwhile an earthen vessel whose name was Ananias was being prepared to go to meet Saul and tell him what he had to do. At that meeting, the gospel was spoken in words by the evangelist to the penitent sinner; “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22.16). It was this method and this message that totally captivated Paul’s heart and demanded all of his resources. Paul was eager to preach the gospel because of the tremendous love he had for the Lord!
Secondly, Paul was eager to preach because of the consequences should he not preach. “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9.16-18). This desire to preach was deeply rooted in the sense of fairness and upright character of the man! How could one receive such a gift and then not show his gratitude by sharing it with others? To have acted selfishly the matter would have totally been outside the character of the great apostle!
Like other things God wants of us, He not only desires us to spread His word, He expects us to spread it with eagerness. The believer who is lackadaisical about soul winning has (1) Forgotten what it was like to be lost, or (2) Has never been saved to begin with. God’s plan is simple, but it is also effective. He expects us to tell others the good news and thereby preach the gospel to every creature. It can be done; it must be done!
1. How does the word ready differ from the word eager?
2. Was Paul glad to demonstrate his love of the Lord? How did he do this from day to day and from city to city?
3. What glory did Paul say he was due if he preached the gospel?
4. What is wrong with the believer who does not eagerly share the good news with others?
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