Gary was a brand new Christian when I became the pastor of a church in Montreal, Canada. He was a university graduate and was doing very well in his company.
Gary and I connected and we became good friends. We both liked sailing and enjoyed playing racquetball together. Eventually, I was the one who suggested a girl for him to date and eventually they were married.
Gary had a deep love for the Lord. He loved to read the Bible, pray and fast. He often asked me tough questions that showed me how much he was thinking about his faith. Gary became the leader of the youth group and then the young adult ministry. He led one of our small groups and then was elected as a deacon. Two things stuck out in Gary’s life: first, his commitment to spiritual disciplines and second, his willingness to serve in any way he could.
One Saturday evening, I received a call from the pastor’s wife in a nearby church. She said her husband was sick and would not be able to preach the next morning. She asked if I could find someone to preach at their church the next morning. I immediately thought of Gary and at 8:30 PM Saturday evening, phoned to tell Gary. He was shocked but said he would do his best.
The next morning, Gary was the preacher. He had no formal theological training and had never preached before. He stayed up all night praying and studying. From that point on, I frequently gave Gary similar assignments and he flourished. The spiritual growth was amazing. His influence was growing constantly.
By that time, Gary was vice-president of his company and the president told him that within a couple of years, Gary would be named president. At the same time, God was working in his life. Clearly, he was maturing in his walk with God and God was using him. Gary walked away from his position in business and has become the senior pastor of a large church.
Gary was just an ordinary person but he had strong character and gave what he had to God. Early in his Christian life he said, “Lord, I’m yours. You can use me however you want.” As a result, Gary was a man with a growing ministry. At each level of service, he grew. As a result, Gary not only grew personally, he had an increasing impact on others.
Philip, the man whose ministry kept growing
The Book of Acts tells us the story of a man like Gary. His name is Philip. Philip was one of the first seven deacons who emerged when there was a problem in the Jerusalem church. Philip was not a problem-maker but a problem-solver.
Philip was not simply a deacon, he was a man who was ready to serve the Lord whenever there was opportunity and wherever God called him. Faithfulness brought new assignments. Dedication in his home church opened doors for him to serve in other places.
What can we learn from Philip?
1. GROW! Don’t limit what God can do through you.
Philip started as a regular member of his church. Because of his good character, he was chosen as a deacon. Then it wasn’t long until his ministry took a different turn. Philip the deacon became Philip the evangelist. Philip was an itinerant preacher, traveling to Samaria, preaching in many communities. Later he traveled to other parts of Palestine including Caesarea and Gaza.
Philip’s ministry grew. Faithfulness in one area brought greater opportunities. God used Philip to perform miraculous signs and many conversions took place. I don’t think anyone should enter public ministry until there is a track record of credible service in his local church. Philip was a deacon before he was an evangelist. Many pastors today could relate better with their church deacons if they had served as deacons before becoming pastors!
God wants our ministries to grow. Every believer is a minister. We all have a place of service in the body of Christ. If we are faithful in the little things, he will open greater opportunities for us. God does not want our ministries to stagnate or go into a holding pattern. He wants us to move on to new levels of usefulness in his kingdom.
2. GROW! Serve in the face of opposition.
What was happening when Philip emerged in ministry? Was the media favorable to the church? Was it possible to buy time on Jerusalem TV? Were Christians riding a wave of popularity? No way! It was a time of great persecution.
On that day, a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. (Acts 8:1-3).
Those were tough times. There was great persecution. Stephen, one of the other deacons, had just been stoned to death. Saul was on a rampage to destroy the church. Most Christians in Jerusalem had to flee the city. It wasn’t easy being a Christian. If you started witnessing to your neighbor, he might report you and you’d end up in prison.
It was in this tough environment that Philip emerged. He was ready, willing and able. He answered the call. Philip’s commitment to Christ was backed up by courageous willingness. His friend Stephen had just been killed, so Philip stepped into his place to continue the ministry.
This type of boldness is happening in many parts of the world today. I know personally people who serve in such difficult circumstances. In many countries, there is no freedom to gather to worship, no freedom to witness for Christ and no freedom to seek to convert someone to Christ. In Israel it is against the law to seek to convert a Jew to Christianity. It is against the law in most Muslim-dominated countries to seek to convert a Muslim. I know those who have refused to stop preaching, have been arrested and some who have been martyred.
At the same time, some Christians live in comfortable circumstances and for some reason are hesitant to speak up for Christ. It is hard for me to understand how someone who is in a relationship with the living Savior, is afraid to tell others of the difference Christ has made.
Philip was a man of courage whose ministry grew in a time of great persecution. His life is an inspiration to each of us. Here’s my prayer: “God, give us a baptism of holy boldness. Help us see beyond our personal comfort. Enable us to release our children to serve you, even if it means difficult circumstances and inconvenience.”
3. GROW! Think cross-culturally.
Philip went down to a city of Samaria. (Acts 8:5). This was a significant event. Philip was the first Christian to break out of the strict confines of the Jewish faith deliberately.
At that time, there was great animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans. Samaritans were Jews who had intermarried with non-Jewish people so the Jewish people looked down on the Samaritans as half-breeds. Samaritans had built their own temple for worshipping God on Mt. Gerizim. They were not welcome in Jerusalem. You can’t appreciate the story of the Good Samaritan, until you understand the animosity between the Jews and Samaritans.
The woman who talked to Jesus by the well summed up the feelings. The Samaritan woman said to him, You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman… Jews do not associate with Samaritans. (John 4:9).
But none of this mattered to Philip. He started his evangelistic ministry in Samaria. He went to people whose customs and culture were different. Their form of worship was different. He went to people who suspected him and even hated him.
Philip overcame any personal feelings he might have had. He loved his Lord so much that he loved everyone else. He didn’t let culture or customs get in the way. There was no racial or tribal prejudice with Philip and God used him in cross-cultural ministry.
There are many challenges in serving cross-culturally. Of course, missionaries have had to deal with these challenges. It’s not always easy. Today, in our international world, this is something all Christians must deal with. In many situations, the world has come to us.
4. GROW! Be Christ-centered in your witness.
Philip went down to a city of Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. (Acts 8:5).
Philip’s message was about Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah. While the Samaritans had many customs that were different from the Jews, they did believe God’s Messiah would come. Philip started with what they believed and then explained that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Philip explained the gospel in language and idioms that they could understand. He said, “You believe a Messiah is coming. Well, I have come to tell you about the Messiah.” He proclaimed the Christ there.
It is important to learn to share our faith in ways that can be understood by those to whom we are speaking. It’s easy to use the language of the church that people outside the church don’t understand.
There is a tension for some between being Christ-centered and relevant. We must always remember that nothing and no one is more relevant than Jesus Christ.
5. GROW! Do what you can.
Philip couldn’t do everything in ministry, but that didn’t stop him from doing what he could. Philip was a good man and great things happened under his ministry. People were saved, healed and delivered. But when Peter and John visited Samaria, they discovered something was missing among the new converts. In spite of the great results, no one had been filled with the Spirit. Peter and John knew this was important so they prayed for the people and they received the Holy Spirit.
Peter and John were not critical of Philip because no one had received the Holy Spirit under his ministry. They knew that no one in ministry can do everything and no one has all the spiritual gifts. Peter and John rejoiced at what God had done.
And Philip was not resentful or jealous of what happened through Peter and John’s ministry. Philip accepted his own ministry limitations. He did not say, “I’m a failure because people did not receive the Holy Spirit. He did not let what he could not do, keep him from doing what he could do.
6. GROW! Take joy wherever you go.
So there was great joy in that city. (Acts 8:8).
Philip was a joy-bringer. He blessed others. Picture what happened. A Jewish Christian went to the Samaritan city and the whole city became happy! There was joy everywhere.
Some people take doom and gloom with them wherever they go. Their message is negative and condemning. When they leave, there is little joy left. Let’s remember, the gospel is good news.
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