How Ordinary People Live on Mission

Acts 8:26-40

Main Idea: In this passage we see an illustration of God’s saving grace among the nations as Philip helps an Ethiopian man understand the good news about Jesus from the Bible.

1. Love People with God-Centered, Christlike Love (8:26-40).
2. Yield Daily to the Spirit’s Guidance (8:26-31).
3. Understand and Explain the Good News to People (8:32-40).
   1. Be prepared to explain the good news.
   2. Consider using questions as you explain the good news.
   3. Expect God to work as you explain the good news.

In an effort to improve our evangelistic impact in the city, my local church went through a sermon series called “Mission 555.” Its goal was to help people identify five unbelievers in five of their normal networks (familial, vocational, geographical, commercial, and recreational). With that step done, each of us was to do one of five things for the individuals named. (1) We could pray for them; (2) we could invite them to church; (3) we could serve them in some meaningful way; (4) we could give gospel-centered literature to them; or (5) we could speak the gospel to them. The plan was designed to help the congregation see the power of living with evangelistic intentionality.

Halfway through the series, one of our aspiring church planters, Skylar, had an extraordinary encounter in an otherwise ordinary day. He was sitting at a coffee shop working when a guy asked whether he could share his table. As Skylar made room for the man and the two began to work alongside each other, they began talking. It wasn’t long before the man shared about some stresses he faced. So Skylar, who could’ve just offered sympathy, started talking to the man about how God had provided for him in a similar situation. When he was done, Skylar asked, “What do you think about Jesus?”

“Well, I’m not against him,” the man said. “I just don’t know much about him. I grew up Catholic, but I never really read the Bible.”

“And what do you think based on what you know?” Skylar asked.

“Well, the last time I remember opening a Bible, it opened to Psalm 18,” he replied.

“Let’s check that psalm out,” Skylar said, opening up his Bible. He quickly scanned the psalm’s themes of judgment and salvation before asking, “Do you know the story of the Bible?” When the man said no, Skylar began describing to him about how Jesus was judged in the place of sinful humanity to give us salvation.

And praise God, only a few minutes after hearing the gospel message, the man said, “Wow. I believe it.” That day, in that coffee shop, he chose to surrender his life to Jesus and follow him.

The two parted with the man’s promise to go home and read the whole Bible. And in the months ahead, Skylar continued to meet with the new convert and to study the book of Mark alongside him.

The Lord providentially arranged this meeting—something he can do in each Christian’s life. Even today Skylar fondly says of the encounter, “It was the easiest gospel conversation I have ever had with anybody!” And it serves as a great reminder that divine appointments like this one may well await each of us. We must look for them.

Whether you are visiting a coffee shop in your town, shopping in Walmart, coaching third base, talking to a person on an airplane, dialoging with internationals in your town, or conversing with the trick-or-treaters, you should prepare for evangelistic opportunities. The Lord of all the earth is offering salvation, and he often uses ordinary conversations to display the glory of his grace to unbelievers. We, in fact, are Christians today because someone shared the good news with us, so let’s live with sensitivity among those we encounter. God may use each of us to lead many others to him.

In this passage we see an illustration of God’s saving grace at work among the nations, as Philip helps an Ethiopian man understand the good news about Jesus from the Scriptures. John Stott comments on the double goodness of God in this story:

The fact is that God has given us two gifts, first the Scriptures and secondly teachers to open up, explain, expound and apply the Scriptures. It is wonderful to note God’s providence in the Ethiopian’s life, first enabling him to obtain a copy of the Isaiah scroll and then sending Philip to teach him out of it. (The Message of Acts, 161)

Indeed, the kindness of God leads us to repentance. God in his grace provides a copy of the Scriptures to this man, and then he orchestrates the arrival of a teacher who can to explain it to him. The whole story reminds us of other passages, like Luke 24, in which Jesus—appearing as a stranger in that account—meets up with some travelers and explains the Old Testament to them, using it to point to the reality that he is the Messiah.

There are a few other aspects of this story that we can’t miss. In chapters 8–10 we read of an increasing degree of the Spirit’s involvement. We already observed the Spirit’s work in the “Samaritan Pentecost” (8:17). In this conversion story the Spirit’s work is even more pronounced.

Important too is the global nature of God’s offer of salvation. Acts 8 is an illustration of the Great Commission and of Jesus’s commission to the disciples in 1:8. Already the church is advancing across ethnic and social lines when Philip, having established the mission to the Samaritans, becomes involved in an even more far-reaching missionary breakthrough. His witness to this Ethiopian in many ways parallels the story of Cornelius in chapter 10. Ethiopia was considered “the end of the earth” by the Greeks and Romans, and Philip’s witness to the Samaritans and the Ethiopian is no doubt a foretaste of the completion of Christ’s completed mission (Rev 7:9).

Finally, we shouldn’t miss the gift of seeing a servant at work. We first met Philip in Acts 6 among the seven godly men assigned the humble task of caring for widows. After watching him willingly serve in that case, now we see him effectively speak the gospel, too. God continues to use humble men and women who walk and share by the Spirit’s power as Philip did to accomplish extraordinary things.

In 8:26-40 we see Philip living out God’s mission. Remember that Philip was among other Christians scattered due to persecution that helped fulfill God’s plan of making disciples outside Jerusalem (vv. 1-4; cf. 1:8). Luke then records the account of Philip’s preaching among the hated Samaritans (vv. 5-25). And here we find Philip in the desert, obeying the Spirit’s calling yet again. He’s given a divine mandate to rise and go south (v. 26), followed by a divinely planned meeting in a chariot (vv. 27-31). In obedience to the Spirit’s guidance, Philip takes advantage of another occasion for sharing the divine message, the gospel (vv. 32-35). This results in a miracle of conversion (vv. 36-38). It’s followed by Philip’s gospel work in Azotus and Caesarea (vv. 39-40; cf. 21:8).

So what can ordinary Christians glean from this story about living out God’s mission? Consider three big applications.

Love People with God-Centered, Christlike Love

Acts 8:26-40

Philip’s heart is open wide to all types of people, and he reflects the heart of God. In Acts 6 we see him caring for widows just as God cares for them (cf. Ps 146:9). Then in Acts 8 he displays a Christlike love for the despised Samaritans even though people considered them ethnically impure heretics (cf. John 4). Then, in our text, he displays Christ’s love for the nations by caring for this Ethiopian man with respect. Philip displays love not just for the crowds (vv. 6-8) but also for individuals (vv. 26-40)—those of different ethnicities, different ranks, and even those who have different religious views.

What makes a good missionary? Loving people. Reaching beyond barriers.

Contrast Philip with Jonah. Jonah’s arrogant ethnocentrism made him a reluctant missionary. Unfortunately, the spirit of Jonah is present today. Many find it difficult to love Muslims, Buddhists, those of particular skin tones, or those from certain social classes. Let’s determine to follow Philip’s model rather than Jonah’s.

How can we grow in our love for others? We need to ponder the cross and to walk by the Spirit. Regarding the former, let’s remember that Christ loved us when we were unlovable. Not one of us deserves Jesus’s salvation, and the more we contemplate who Christ is and what he has done for us, the more we will love people as Philip did. Then we can love the least, the last, the lost, and even our enemies. Regarding the Spirit, remember that love is a fruit of the Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 13; Gal 5:22-23). In Acts 6 one of the marks of the “Magnificent Seven” is that the men were full of the Spirit. A result of this reality is a Christlike love for people. Therefore, every day, let’s ponder the cross, and let’s ask God to fill us afresh with his Spirit so that we may love people with a God-centered, Christlike love.

Yield Daily to the Spirit’s Guidance

Acts 8:26-31

Those walking by the Spirit are sensitive to God’s leading. God’s initiative in this story is unquestionable. An angel of the Lord visited Philip in a vision and called him to witness in a most unlikely place (v. 26). He directed him toward the wilderness in the south. He told him to leave the revival happening in Samaria to head for the desert.

What was called Ethiopia in those days corresponds to what we call the Upper Nile region. It reaches approximately from Aswan to Khartoum (Stott, Message of Acts, 160). John Polhill points out that in the Old Testament the same area is called the kingdom of Cush (Acts, 223; cf. Ps 68:31; Isa 18:7; Zeph 3:10). We’re talking about Africa here. And the fact that Philip would minister to an African man is striking indeed. It’s evidence of the spread of God’s global mission.

We are told that this particular Ethiopian man was a “eunuch,” and he was an important “official” in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. That means he was something like the minister of finance (Polhill, Acts, 224).

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.

Understand and Explain the Good News to People

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.

Be Prepared to Explain the Good News

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.

Consider Using Questions as You Explain the Good News

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.

Expect God to Work as You Explain the Good News

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).

Reflect and Discuss

1. How does this story highlight God’s passion for the nations?
2. What does this passage teach about being led by the Spirit?
3. What does this story teach about the need to explain the Bible to others?
4. What impresses you about the character of Philip?
5. Read Isaiah 52:13–53:12. What does this text teach about Jesus?
6. Why is baptism important?
7. How does Acts 8:26-40 reflect some of the same themes as Luke 24:13-35?
8. Why is Acts 8:26-40 a good illustration of Matthew 28:18-20?
9. How does the conversion of the Ethiopian advance the message of the book of Acts?
10. How might you share the gospel this week?