By Daniel Gilliland
Content manager, TAB Media Group; associate pastor, Union Community Church
A Mission Outside Your comfort zone
Acts 8:26–38
The stoning of Stephen in Acts 7 sparked “a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem” (8:1). The believers scattered from Jerusalem throughout Judea and Samaria like ants after a child steps on an anthill. As they scatter, the gospel spreads, and a new chapter in the story of the Church begins.
The scene at Pentecost in Acts 2 already featured several nations and tongues, but that was on the home turf of the Jerusalem church. Now in Acts 8, the believers began to go out to other regions and peoples, exporting the good news of Jesus.
The gospel is not bound by geographic borders, so the witness of the Christian should not be.
Be willing to go where God sends you — even when crossing cultural boundaries. (26–29)
Philip’s obedience was simple and immediate. The angel tells him to go south toward Gaza, and he goes. He has just seen a fruitful ministry bloom in Samaria, which had “received the word of God” (8:14). Gaza is in the opposite direction of Samaria, yet Philip does not try to negotiate with the angel’s instructions. He does not make excuses or debate the usefulness of the angel’s plan.
When it comes to crossing cultures, it’s too easy to come up with all the reasons why not. It’s difficult. It’s inconvenient. It’s probably awkward. As Christians we must prioritize all the reasons why — because God has called us and is indeed calling others to Himself, and He invites us to join Him in that work with the help of His Spirit.
The Ethiopian eunuch was from a completely different place and status than Philip, but the evangelist does not let any earthly differences prevent him from speaking to the eunuch.
Every single person is made in the image of God and is equally in need of Jesus’ saving work — rich or poor, young or old, black or white, left or right.
Be ready to share Jesus. (30–35)
In terms of evangelistic opportunities, Philip gets a real layup. The eunuch is not just reading the prophet Isaiah. He is reading one of the songs of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53, a perfect segue for Philip to explain who Jesus is and what He has done. The Spirit has guided every step of this process, laying the groundwork for Philip to introduce the man to Jesus.
1 Peter 3:15 (NIV) says, “Always be prepared to give an answer” for the hope we have in Christ. We do not have to have all the answers for every question in the cosmos. We simply have to know the answer for our hope, and that is Jesus Christ.
If another person is similar to us, it may be easier to broach the conversation. But even if the hearer is from a different culture, he or she can see that we live in a broken world full of broken people in need of a mighty Savior.
It may be unnerving not to know how the full conversation will go, but we can take comfort in Jesus’ words to his disciples in Luke 12: “the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
Be prepared to help others take the next step. (36–38)
Philip’s obedience to go and to share leads directly to the eunuch’s obedience in baptism.
We certainly hope that people will be as eager to respond as the eunuch, seeing water and desiring baptism. This particular baptismal scene is extraordinary, even by New Testament standards. Realistically, we should be prepared to help others water the seed, pointing them toward a local church or helpful resources.
It is not our job to decide the response of those who hear the Word. Our responsibility is to obey the Lord’s voice and communicate the love and light of Jesus. It is the Spirit who works in the hearts of men and women.
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