by Grace Covenant Church on 01/17/12
Acts 8: 26-40
Often time’s people
think they are exempt from self-examination. God doesn’t stop working in you
after baptism or repentance. He is
continually in your life. Phillip was continually examining his life to make
sure he was doing God’s will. Phillip has been setting Samaria on fire
spreading the message of Jesus in the Book of Acts. In the passage from Sunday,
God sends Phillip to meet an Ethiopian Eunuch who was making his way back from
worshipping in Jerusalem. He was an
important official, a treasure for Candace, Queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch was
reading from Isaiah but not understanding.
Phillip was enjoying the revival but God
interrupted him. In the middle of a great, successful ministry sometimes God
has a different plan for you. The Spirit
tells Phillip to go to the middle of nowhere. Talk about trusting God. He is to
go to the Eunuch and just listen not preach. Sometimes you just need to listen
to people. Often times God has done the
work for you, you just have to listen and go where he leads. As he approached the chariot, Phillip heard
the Eunuch reading and asked if he understood it. It is important when
discipling people that you ask the right questions. The Eunuch replied, “How can I unless someone
explains it to me? Phillip had to come alongside him and explain what the
passage meant.
What did the passage say in Isaiah? “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before the 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.” Isaiah was talking about Israel, but also prophetically talking
about Jesus. The Eunuch could relate to the passage in Isaiah because he too
was a slave who had been victimized. It
is very hard to relate 100% to someone that’s going through something you never
have. Sometimes God just wants you to walk with that person and just be there
to pray with them and for them. You don’t have to have all the answers, allow
God to do the work in their hearts.
After Phillip explained the meaning he did not just
leave, he stayed and walked with the Eunuch, Discipleship is a way of life, it
needs to be a constant investment. As
they were walking they came across some water which was a rare commodity in the
desert. The Eunuch asked “Why shouldn’t
I be baptized?”, so Phillip did. After the baptism, Phillip was taken away by
the Spirit and the Eunuch went on his way rejoicing. He didn’t forget what Phillip had taught him,
he left truly happy because he had heard the Truth.
How does this apply to
your life?
1. Don’t focus so much on the revival but on the
people and the need. Phillip was excited about what was going on in Samaria,
why would he want to leave all that to go to the desert? Sometimes God calls
you somewhere and you don’t know why, just trust that he has is figured out
2. Be Available to people- don’t get so busy with life
or ministry that you don’t have time to spend with the divine appointments God
brings you
3. Let the Spirit lead you
4. Travel along the road with people, not just a quick
pass by- It would have been faster and easier for Phillip to leave the Eunuch
after he explained the passage, but instead he stayed and walked with him. Who is God calling you to walk with?
5. Ask the right questions
6. Be flexible to the needs of people around you and
in your community
May the Lord give you opportunities this week to be his hands and feet.
In His Love,
Nicole
