In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed[.] Romans 15:17-18
I continue my study looking at the life of Paul using John Piper's 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul. Today, I move to chapter twenty-eight - Unrivaled Success as a Missionary, with No Conceit. Here, John Piper loves and admires Paul for how he demonstrated "one of the most courageous, sacrificial, effective missionary careers in the history of the Christian church,*" yet remained humble and gave all the glory to God vs taking credit for the fruit of his efforts. Piper first describes Paul's as a missionary to reach "not where Christ has already been named" (Romans 15:20). He then shares how Paul was historically successful in establishing "churches from Jerusalem to northern Italy that would endure for centuries of empire-wide significance*." Piper then shares how - despite this historic success - Paul remained humble and gave all the glory to God, pointing to numerous examples of scripture, including Romans 15:17-18, 1 Corinthians 1:31, 3:5-7, Galatians 6:14, Philippians 3:3, and Colossians 1:28-29. Piper closes the chapter by summarizing: "[t]herefore, a life of dependence on the power of Christ was the key to Paul’s beautiful combination of stunning missionary successes along with no boasting in himself.*"
*John Piper. 30 Reasons Why I Love the Apostle Paul
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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God and Your works are amazing and I have seen Your hand in my life - thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of what You have done in my life. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
