The Essential Question (Part 10): Paul's Journey to RomeSample

An Everyday Challenge

Prepare: Consider 2 Corinthians 5:20: "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us."

Read: Acts 28:11-31

Reflect: "And so we came to Rome" (28:14). Those six words summarize more than just the conclusion of Luke's mission journal. In a certain way, they sum up Paul's entire life. As we've seen in our journey through Acts, Paul grew up as a religious zealot, became a Christian-hating bounty hunter, but then, as a result of his encounter with Jesus Christ, spent the rest of his life preaching the gospel and planting churches. That's how he got to Rome.

As we look back on Paul's life, we must ask: Was he a success? From one perspective, we could say no. He never stayed put long enough to build an organization; he was always in trouble, and finally, he was executed. Those aren't the kind of achievements you trumpet in your annual report. But the book of Acts challenges us to take a deeper view of success, both for Paul and anyone who wants to serve God today.

The question we've been pondering throughout this study, what I've called the essential question, is the one Paul himself asked after he met Jesus on the Damascus Road: "What shall I do, Lord?" (Acts 22:10). Once we've decided to follow Jesus, answering that question must become the primary focus of our lives. God gave Paul his answer right away: "This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel" (Acts 9:15 NIV 2011). And now, in the final verse of Acts, we find Paul still at it: "Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ" (28:31). Knowing and faithfully pursuing our God-given mission–that's the real definition of success, and by that measure, Paul achieved it in the most incredible way.

Now that we've come to the end of our journey together let's take a moment to remember some of the people we've met along the way.

• Peter was the first to "get it" and "announce it," that God's good news was for everyone.
• Stephen was the first one to "die for it," and in so doing, became a model for martyrs ever since
• Philip miraculously used to "spread it" to Africa, a place that today has become one of the most vital Christian areas of the world.
• Paul was the one God used to "expand it," establishing the church among Jews, Gentiles, and eventually the whole world.

But there's one more person who's been on the journey through Acts, and that's you. You've seen how God used the individuals and small groups of the first-century church to make a difference for him. Now it's your turn. But it's important to realize that answering the essential question is not a one-time event. It's an everyday challenge. "What shall I do, Lord?" is the question that will keep you focused on your God-given mission, whether great or small, for the rest of your life. And that's the way to change your world forever.

Apply: Take some extra time today to record your main insights from this journey through Acts in the Essential Question Journal at the back of the book by Whitney T. Kuniholm, The Essential Question.

The Essential Jesus

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