Remember Series
Forgetting is an easy thing to do and hinders our relationship with the Lord. The Remember Series is meant to bring those topics to light.
In Acts 8, an Ethiopian eunuch is saved. This event happened at a time when the church was facing persecution. The chapter begins with the martyrdom of Stephen and the fleeing of Christians from Jerusalem. Because of this, Christians were scattered, and the Gospel message spread faster as the believers took their faith outside of Jerusalem. The result for the power-hungry leaders was ironic: their attempt to suppress Christianity made it spread. We can rest assured that God is in control.
One particular believer named Philip was traveling back to Jerusalem from preaching in Samaria. The Lord was calling him to a different place: a road. See for yourself in verses 25-39:
After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages. Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
Things to Remember
Be Willing to Go to the Odd Places
This is the last statement the Bible records of Jesus: (Acts 1:8) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Acts records Philip preaching in Samaritan villages and many coming to Christ. While on the move from threats back in Jerusalem, Philip shares the Gospel right where he is. Wasting no time, he seizes the opportunity to glorify God.
Jesus includes Samaria as a place to be a witness to. Sometimes, "Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria" is metaphorically interpreted as one's city, state, and country. However, there is another take on this. According to a map, Samaria and Judea do not overlap as a state and country would. During Biblical times, a Jew from Judea would avoid contact with Samaritans as much as possible, which could even include going around Samaria instead of through it even if it meant a longer journey.
Between these two interpretations, Samaria can metaphorically stand for the places one does not want to go, whether it seems unpopular, dangerous, or far. Therefore, we are commanded to be willing to go wherever the Lord calls - whether it seems unpopular, dangerous, or far.
Be Ready to Take the Unknown Paths
Remember God's instruction to Philip in verse 26: "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." He literally tells Philip to hit the road with no other instruction. Sabaste (where Historians record Philip was) and Gaza are not close. I wonder what food Philip prepared to pack for this journey. He would not need a car ride snack but several meals. After researching, this trip was an estimated 80 to 100 miles, which is quite a commitment in Biblical times and would take a few days. I wonder what food Philip prepared to pack for this journey.
Another detail of this verse is that this is a desert road. When I think of a desert, I think of a place that does not have a lot going on, much less a harvest. Metaphorically speaking, God was calling Philip to a place that does not seem to have a lot of potential. What ministry impact could he have on the road that he did not already have in Samaria? Philip would soon find out that it would have an eternal impact for one blessed eunuch. It was no coincidence that they met there on that road. The eunuch had traveled over 1500 miles from Ethiopia past Gaza when the Lord put Philip in his path. It was no coincidence that the eunuch was seeking guidance on the Scriptures and was reading a prophecy specifically about Jesus. Remember, God knows exactly what He's doing, even when it is unknown to us. It is not our place to call the shots but to discern what our next best step of obedience could be.
Be Responsive to the Responsive
Seize the opportunities that God gives you. When you see a Gospel opportunity, don't wait. What if Philip never spoke up to the potentially powerful eunuch? There are lives at stake.
Speaking of responsive people, I want to write briefly on persons of peace:
Persons of Peace
Two Way People refer to Persons of Peace
The Ones You Share the Gospel with
The Ones that Give You Access to Gospel Opportunities
Regardless of which version you are referring to, understanding persons of peace is a way to being a good steward of one of your most previous resources - time. Everyone needs to hear the Gospel, but we need to use our discernment to determine how and where and with whom we will share the Gospel with. Not everyone is open, so when someone is, seize that opportunity and invest in them!
(This was a short explanation of persons of peace. I will probably dedicate a blog post to this important topic since I have realized I have yet to.)
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