Dear Church Family, I just started the Book of Romans in my devotions. There is so much truth in the letter and even the first chapter, but as I read, I stopped on verse 5. Paul is in the middle of his introduction, in which he describes himself as a servant of Christ Jesus and set apart for the Gospel. He has devoted his life to sharing the message about Jesus Christ. He describes this mission in verse five: Romans 1:5 (ESV)
through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,
The part that struck me was “for the sake of his name among all the nations.” Paul correctly understands that God’s mission is to bring the Gospel to all the nations of the world. God’s heart is for all the nations of the world. Paul’s has the same heart, that people from every nation would respond with faith to the Gospel. I love how Paul describes it, “for the sake of his name.” Paul wants God’s name to be lifted high in every nation and among every people group. He finally gets around to further describing his intentions in Chapter 15, when he tells the church of his desire to visit them on his way to bringing the Gospel to Spain. Listen to his heart: Romans 15:20-21 (ESV)
“and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.”
In quoting Isaiah 52, Paul reminds us that this has always been God’s heart. In fact, in Genesis 12:3 God promises Abram that, “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” This is fulfilled in Revelation. Revelation 5:9-10 (ESV)
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, 10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”
God’s heart is for every people group to worship Him and respond to His Gospel. That will be a reality someday in the future, but He includes us in its fulfillment. How does God want to use us to bring His Gospel to the ends of the earth? What’s Happening at Gospel Life:Communion: We will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper together as part of our morning service this Sunday. Through the ordinance of communion, we remember Jesus’ body that was broken and His blood that was shed for us. Lakeview Ladies Christmas Party: Our sending church, Lakeview Bible Church, would like to invite our ladies to their annual Christmas Party. Ladies (of all ages) are invited to enjoy an evening of fellowship, worship, devotional, candlelight singing and a scarf exchange on Friday, December 2nd from 6-8:30 pm! Dinner will be served at 6:30 pm in the gym and catered by Olive Garden. Please sign up by November 27th. You can sign up below:
https://lakeviewbiblechurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1512932 Pray for the CWI Outreach: Continue to pray for God to use the outreach on Mondays from 11:30-12:30 pm. Kevin and Alice Edgerton are leading a study on Credible Forensics. Please pray that God brings more students to the class and that He uses it to point them to their Creator. Life Groups: Life Groups are an important way to connect and grow at Gospel Life. If you’re looking for a group to join, we have several different options to choose from, with more coming soon. You can sign up below or stop by the Welcome Table on Sunday.
https://gospellifebiblechurch.churchcenter.com/groups/small-groups This Coming Sunday:
Finding Faith – Join us on Sunday as we look at Mark 5:21-43 together and see how Jesus responds to two people with very big needs. Watch Previous Worship Services
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW5IMNeRoI99I-QNoGMnuWDy6Y5svTt_c | 
