How Ordinary People Live on Mission

The Ethiopian was probably a God fearer who believed in the God of Israel, like Cornelius, but he couldn’t experience full membership in the community of Israel because he was a eunuch, as proscribed in Deuteronomy 23:1 (Polhill, Acts, 224). While he could visit the temple in Jerusalem, he couldn’t enter it.

Notice that he was reading aloud from Isaiah (v. 28), contemplating the promises of the prophet. Isaiah was particularly important for eunuchs because in his work the prophet describes the future, which promises eunuchs “a name better than sons and daughters” and “an everlasting name that will never be cut off” (Isa 56:3-8). Little did this eunuch know when he began his morning that he would soon personally experience the fulfillment of such promises! And Philip had the privilege of displaying the gospel of grace to him.

What happens here is a God-ordained meeting. Philip asks a man if he understands what he’s reading (v. 30). The Ethiopian responds, “How can . . . I unless someone guides me?” (v. 31). He doesn’t know he’s just provided Philip with a great softball question; he has practically given him an invitation to share the gospel! The scene reminds me of the story of Ian Thomas, who was traveling on a plane, tired and hoping to sleep, when he heard someone say, “Psssst.” When he looked to see where the sound had come from, his eyes met those of a stranger. The man said, “I am reading in the Bible about Nicodemus in John 3, and I do not understand it. Do you know anything about the Bible?” (Hughes, Acts, 120). Both of these stories remind us that the Lord does divinely arrange conversations. He continues to guide his people by the Word and the Holy Spirit (see 10:19; 11:12; 13:2,4; 16:6-7). So we must always make the most of every opportunity.

Pastor Bill Hybels describes another modern-day story of divine appointment. One cold January evening in Chicago, he hurried to take out the garbage. In his rush he hadn’t even bothered to put on shoes. His plan was to drag the can out as quickly as possible and then run back in before his feet froze. As he started tiptoeing quickly down the driveway, however, he noticed that his new neighbor was taking the garbage out as well. Hybels didn’t think much of it. He parked his own can at the curb and started to sprint back up the driveway as planned, but then he sensed the Spirit compelling him: “Go walk across the cul-de-sac and introduce yourself to that guy,” he said. “But it’s cold, God,” Hybels replied, “my toes are freezing off. I’m sure he’s cold too. I’ll do it another time!” Nonetheless, Hybels couldn’t get any peace about his plan to rush back into his warm house. So, somewhat reluctantly, the pastor walked across the cul-de-sac and said something like, “Hi, I’m Bill Hybels, your neighbor across the street. Welcome to the neighborhood.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m so and so,” the neighbor replied. “I own the new car dealership.” And after that, both men pivoted and returned to their respective homes. But here’s where it gets interesting. On every Tuesday night for the next year, Hybels and that neighbor took out the garbage at the same time. And every night, through the prompting of the Spirit, Hybels stopped to chat with him. Over time, through their conversations around the garbage cans, the men became close friends. And eventually Bill Hybels led this man and his family to faith in Christ (Mark Adams, “Attitudes Essential to Evangelism”).

Do you have a neighbor you’ve been meaning to visit or a new co-worker you’ve intended to engage in conversation? Do you have a gift you’ve been thinking about giving to the struggling family down the street? Is there someone in your school who continues to be on your mind and heart? If so, it could be that God is up to something. You, like Philip, may have a chariot waiting for you.

A missional church is composed of individuals who are led by the Spirit like Philip. The Lord will direct us, but we must be willing to obey. Understand, Philip could have used the common excuse, “Not now!” to release himself from following God’s prompting in his heart. After all, Christian ministry was exploding in Samaria. Why would he want to leave that to head down a desert road? Conventional wisdom, in fact, would lead him to think he was already doing what he was supposed to do. Yet Philip went as directed.

This whole chapter in Acts is a lesson about how God’s ways are not our ways. This story makes no sense from a purely human perspective; in fact, much of Acts doesn’t. But this conversion story didn’t happen because of conventional wisdom or human planning. The Ethiopian was led to Jesus by Philip as a result of divine leading.

Some dislike the idea of “Spirit-leading talk,” calling it superstitious or wildly charismatic. And certainly many people exaggerate and even abuse the “God spoke to me” notion to justify all kinds of wild actions and claims. But I’m not advocating that sort of thing. Instead, I am advocating for a vibrant belief in the Spirit’s involvement in our everyday lives. If we don’t joyfully welcome his guidance, then something is wrong (Rom 8:9-14). Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who was not a flaming charismatic, had this to say on the matter:

Here again is a most extraordinary subject, and indeed a very fascinating one, and, from many angles, a most glorious one. There is no question but that God’s people can look for and expect “leadings,” “guidance,” “indications of what they are meant to do.” There are many examples of this in the Scriptures and I take one at random. You remember the story in Acts 8:26ff of how Philip the Evangelist was told by the angel of the Lord, “Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.” . . . Now there are leadings such as that. . . . If you read the history of the saints, God’s people throughout the centuries and especially the history of revivals, you will find that this is something which is perfectly clear and definite—men have been told by the Holy Spirit to do something; they knew it was the Holy Spirit speaking to them, and it transpired that it obviously was his leading. It seems clear to me that if we deny such a possibility we are again guilty of quenching the Spirit. (Cited in Etter, “The Leading and the Quenching of the Spirit”; emphasis added)

Importantly, I don’t think you need to “feel led” to share the gospel with people before you actually do so. The Lord has given us a Great Commission to obey. It gives us all the license we need to go out every day and make the gospel known. Nevertheless, we should pray for divine opportunities and remain open and sensitive to the Spirit’s promptings. And when he speaks, we must act.

Acts 8:32-40

I love to picture Philip and the Ethiopian in a chariot rolling along under the desert sun. A scroll is unfurled between them as the Ethiopian shares that he has been reading Isaiah 53:7-8, from the famous Suffering Servant song.

For centuries Jews have debated about this passage. Is the prophet speaking of his own suffering, that of the nation as a whole, or that of the Messiah? Philip, who rightly viewed Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies like this one, was prepared to provide the answer. He explained that some 750 years before the crucifixion, Isaiah had described the suffering and exaltation of Jesus. At the heart of Jesus’s mission, he shared, is Christ’s substitutionary work for sinners. Philip used the Isaiah passage to explain the good news to his eager student. He knew that Christ is the key to Isaiah 53 and said so. He knew and could explain that is also the star of Scripture. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who has borne our sins in his body on the tree. He’s the One to whom the redeemed from all nations cry, “Worthy!” (John 1:35; 1 Pet 2:25; Rev 5:8-14).

Though the Ethiopian man probably felt rejected because of his condition, Philip was able to tell him that he was loved and welcomed by the Messiah!

Throughout Luke-Acts we see a recurring need for people to explain the Messiah from the Scriptures. The disciples themselves had needed such guidance (e.g., Luke 24). And after receiving this instruction from Jesus, they in turn explained the Scriptures in light of Christ’s work to the Jews in Jerusalem, as illustrated in Acts 2–7. Here this pilgrim from a distant land needed to understand the meaning of Isaiah, and the Lord sent him a wonderful guide in Philip. All of this magnifies the need for Jesus’s witnesses to understand the story line of the Bible.

We need to be prepared spiritually and theologically to do the work God intends us to do. The Ethiopian man needed more than a friend in his chariot. He needed an encounter with someone who could explain the truth of the gospel with the Spirit’s help. To be faithful witnesses we need the Spirit, and we need a good grasp on the Word. Philip was not only prayed up; he was also studied up.

Recently my local church assembled a group of lay evangelists from our congregation to participate in an outreach experiment that we’re calling the Philip Group. These forty people meet with me online every other week for prayer and sharing. Their first task was to identify multiple unbelievers they wanted to reach with the good news. After that, each person was to look for and take opportunities to share truth with those individuals, reporting back via e-mail and text about any gospel conversations they had and giving prayer requests related to their evangelistic efforts. It has been an extremely encouraging initiative!

Since the Philip Group began, I have heard several stories of people ministering to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and atheists. The evangelists are excited to report about how God’s Spirit is at work, and they often express a deepening realization of the need to teach the gospel accurately and clearly. As we talk about what questions unbelievers are asking and how they can be prepared to answer them well, I am reminded that the ministry of Philip continues to inspire and instruct.

When was the last time you opened the Bible and explained the good news to someone? Will you pause and pray for such an opportunity this week? If you don’t feel capable of explaining the gospel from the Scriptures, it’s time for a more rigorous plan of study. Consider opening a copy of Sally Lloyd-Jones’s Jesus Story Book Bible first; technically it’s a kids’ book, but it’s a great overview of the metanarrative of Scripture. Then progress to a good study Bible or a book on biblical theology. You may even want to look for podcasts you can listen to during your daily commute that focus on teaching Christ as the hero of the whole Bible. No matter what steps you take, pray and remember that such study will help you faithfully and more confidently explain the good news to others.

This whole passage in Acts turns on questions. Philip asks one question, and then the Ethiopian asks three. Asking questions, in fact, provides a wonderful way to start gospel conversations.

Philip began with, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” (v. 30). You can do something like this on an airplane, in a coffee shop, at a library, or wherever books are being read because references to books will often get a conversation started. My wife recently started a book club in our community. She and several ladies meet for tea once a month to discuss a novel. It has been a wonderful way for her to meet neighbors and to open dialogues. One of our church members gave out a book on the gospel to all of his coworkers. Then, a few days later, he asked those who’d received it whether they had any questions or wanted to talk about what they read in it.

The Ethiopian asked a great question in reply to Philip’s: “How can I . . . unless someone guides me?” (v. 31). The first time I read the Bible, I needed help. Many people feel that way, and it’s common to hear people with whom you’re attempting to share Christ admit, “I don’t know the first thing about the Bible.” Don’t miss that Philip doesn’t use a canned evangelism presentation. He’s able to dialogue with the Ethiopian because he knows the Bible well. He knows the story line of Scripture, and he is ready to explain it. You need to see that your personal study of Scripture is evangelism training. It prepares you to meet people where they are, sharing Christ with them in ways that will resonate.

The eunuch’s next question is, “Who is the prophet saying this about—himself or another person?” (v. 34). In this is a great reminder that even people who are interested in Christianity and have opened their Bibles may still fail to see how it all goes together and points to Jesus (John 5:39,46). Some approach the topic of Christ’s identity like they’re playing with a jigsaw puzzle but never bother to look at the picture on the box. That means there are even people coming to Sunday gatherings who have little pieces of the puzzle and yet don’t really know how the pieces fit into the big picture. Philip types are able to show seekers this glorious picture (e.g., Acts 17:2-3). They understand that the whole Bible is a book about Jesus; it’s a book about salvation in him (cf. 2 Tim 3:15).

Finally the Ethiopian asks, “What would keep me from being baptized?” (v. 36). As the chariot passes by a pool of water, the Ethiopian expresses his desire to identify with Jesus though baptism. He believes the gospel as explained to him by Philip. And Philip has the great privilege of baptizing a new believer, a new Christian brother, as a result of his faithfulness to the mission.

Some people will repent and believe when they hear the gospel.

In this story a double barrier gets broken—physical and racial barriers fall (Polhill, Acts, 226). A eunuch, who was also a black man, was received into full membership in the people of Jesus Christ. Though he never would’ve been able to become a full Jew, he could become a Christian! And so can everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (2:21,37-41).

We don’t know much about what happened to this new convert after this scene, only that he journeyed on “rejoicing” (v. 39). Church fathers, however, claim that he became a missionary to Ethiopia. And while their accounts can’t be proven, he surely went home and told the good news to others (cf. Ps 68:31).

After disappearing (v. 40; cf. Jesus in Luke 24:31), Philip continues preaching the gospel, working his way north, until he finally lands at Caesarea, where we read about him later in 21:8. Philip had a home and four daughters. Luke simply calls him “the evangelist, who was one of the Seven.” We have much to learn from this evangelist about loving people, being led by the Spirit, and explaining the good news from all the Scriptures to everyone. May God grant us grace to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim 4:5).