Latest / The Daily Word / June 11 – Advancing the Gospel
Transcript
- Robert Rosales: Hey, Lakeshore family, welcome to the Daily Word podcast. This is Pastor Robert Rosales alongside my wife. Yolanda and I serve as the Gastonia campus pastors as an extension of our senior pastors, Gil and Debbie Dearman. Just a reminder, this podcast is a simple space we share each day to slow down, open God's Word and pay attention to what he's saying. As a church family, we're committed to meeting with God daily, not out of a religious routine, but out of relationship through scripture, through prayer, and by capturing what the Holy Spirit is stirring in our hearts and how it connects to our everyday lives. We're walking together through the Life Journal reading plan. And today we'll be focusing on the New Testament portion from that plan. When I invest time with the Lord, I try to keep things uncluttered. just my Bible, my journal, something to write with, and of course a highlighter to mark what stands out to me. At times I also lean on a couple of trusted study tools. If you're not using those, I would suggest a blue letter Bible is a great one. BibleRef.com is another one. They don't replace God's word, but they help me to listen, kind of slow down and understand things in context. We also follow the SOAP method, scripture, observation, application, and prayer. When you're reading your chapter, a specific scripture kind of pops out at you a word in that scripture and you write it down. And then what's your observation? What do you see God doing? How is God working in the text? And then what's the application? And then finally, the prayer, SOAP. ⁓ If you're not doing it yet, come on jump in with this. There's some instructions on the front pages of our Life Journal. Also want to let you know that it's important. Let's prepare our hearts. Let's pray. Let's lean in. Let's expect God to speak to us. Would you just agree with me? Father God, we come to you in the name of Jesus. And as we open up your word, we ask that you would open us up by your spirit. Make your truth come alive in us. Give us ears to hear. hearts to receive and courage to respond. Speak to us Lord, we are listening. In Jesus name, amen. Well church family, today's passage for June 11th is Philippians chapter one and I journaled from verse 12. Let me read it to us in the NIV version. This is what Paul says. Now I want you to know brothers and sisters that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. Notice, he says, all of this stuff that's happened to me has actually been useful. It's actually served to advance the gospel. The title of my journal entry is simply this, Advancing the Gospel. Come on, say it with me. Advancing the Gospel. Paul's talking about the fact that he's been arrested, he's been accused. He's gone through some trials, some imprisonment, hardship, suffering, and all of it seemed very negative outwardly. But I want us to clue in because the Greek word for advance in some other translation, it says the furtherance of the gospel. This word carries the idea of blazing a trail or cutting a path ahead or simply advancing forward. This word was sometimes used by pioneers to clear obstacles so an army could move forward or advance forward. Paul is saying this, my suffering became a pathway for the gospel to spread. Come on, somebody say amen. Now just so we're all on the same page, what is the gospel? Well, according to Paul, the gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, rose again, and offers forgiveness, reconciliation with God the Father, and new life to everyone who believes in Him. Now here's my observation. This is what I'm seeing in the text. I wrote this down big lesson! God can use what looks like a setback as a set up for kingdom advancement. Paul is writing this letter while in prison. for preaching the gospel, most likely in Rome. From a human perspective, it looked like his ministry had been stopped. He was chained, restricted, and awaiting trial. But Paul tells the believers, what happened to me did not stop God's work. It actually advanced it. While in prison, Paul had new opportunities to share Christ, specifically with the elite Roman army. and his boldness also encouraged and stimulated other believers to preach the gospel boldly as well. This is a huge, huge insight for us. So how does this apply to my life? How does it apply to our lives? So I ask this question, what about me? Do I look at my challenges, setbacks, or difficulties as possible ways? God wants to use to advance the gospel, to blaze a trail for the message of Christ. If we're honest, sometimes I think we get so caught up in our challenges that we forget God can use whatever we're going through to share Christ with others and encourage other believers to spread the gospel as well. Think of all of this like this. Sometimes, after a storm, Road crews have to go ahead of everyone else and clear fallen trees, rocks, and debris off the road. It's hard, messy work, but they're creating a path so others can move forward. That's the picture Paul's given us in Philippians 1.12. His arrest, his suffering, and his imprisonment look like obstacles, but God used them to clear a path for the gospel to reach new people, including Roman soldiers and others encouraged by Paul's faith. What looked like a setback was actually advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes the difficulties I face are not just something to survive. They may become opportunities God uses to advance the gospel and point other people to Jesus. Come on, somebody say, amen, Pastor Robert. All right, come on, let's pray and wrap this up. Father God, thank you for speaking to us today through your word. I ask that you change my perspective about my challenges, setbacks and difficulties. Show me how they can be used to advance the gospel. Holy Spirit, show me where, when and how I can share my faith out of my troubles, out of my setbacks and out of my challenges. I ask all of this in Jesus name, amen. Lakeshore family. As you go into your day, my prayer is that you'll develop a hunger for God and His Word like you've never had before. As you do, God will open your eyes to the riches of His Word, giving you revelation and life-changing insight that will help you become everything God's called you to be, fulfilling your mission, purpose, and plan for our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thanks for joining me today on The Daily Word Podcast. I hope this encourages you to stay faithful in the word and sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading. God bless you and we'll catch you again tomorrow.