Devotion:
Read Romans 1:1-7.
At the opening of this letter, Paul refers to each person of the Trinity: Father, Son and Spirit. Today in our worship time, we will begin a sermon series focusing on our belief in a trinitarian God: one God in three Persons. In the sermon for today, we focus on the God who has created and is creating, the God who first called us into a covenant relationship to save the whole world. This is the God who gave us life, against whom we rebelled and who has been seeking after us ever since. Throughout the Old Testament, we read of the relationship of this God with all of humanity. This is not a God who creates and then leaves us to our own devices. This God comes looking for us in the Garden, then goes all the way to the Cross to find us. This God loves, disciplines, wrestles, counsels, shepherds, commands and engages us.
This God seeks to bless the whole world. Paul reminds us of this mission in these opening verses to the church he longs to visit in Rome. He writes of “the gospel of God…” that has been given to us through Jesus Christ. “Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake.” The Gentiles are the “outsiders,” those not considered to be the people of God. Through Jesus, we see and hear the fulness of this good news that God has been seeking to share since the beginning: everyone is welcome to a relationship with this God.
Personal Worship Option:
Who do you know who feels like an “outsider” with God? How might you share this good news with them? Pray for wisdom and courage to do so.
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