The people who need the gospel are an mixed lot. Some are antagonistic to the gospel. Some are cynical and their views have been tainted by experiences with tactless Christians. Some think they know what the gospel is all about but really are clueless about spiritual truth. And then there are others who are open, receptive and responsive when they hear about Jesus.
Philip, the deacon, had great success in sharing his faith, even with complete strangers. He was a soul-winner who constantly wanted to share the love of Jesus. He obviously did this in Jerusalem. Then, when he arrived in Samaria, he shared his faith and in fact, sparked a great spiritual awakening. When there was an important Ethiopian official ready to get saved, Philip was the kind of man the Lord could use.
Philip didn’t belong to an ingrown, spiritual hothouse type of church. Philip wasn’t merely looking for a new spiritual thrill for himself. Philip enjoyed celebrating with God’s people, but he was equally concerned about lost people.
Philip was my kind of person. He wanted to go to heaven and take as many people as possible with him. He was concerned about getting the message of Jesus’ love out to those who had never heard. Philip was concerned about fulfilling Jesus’ commission. It didn’t matter where he was, witnessing about Jesus was what mattered to Philip. So it was no big deal to Philip when he received divine direction from the Lord to go to Gaza.
Philip had opportunities to witness when he obeyed God. Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Go south to the road – the desert road – the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. So he started out. (Acts 8:26).
Philip obeyed even though he didn’t have a great deal of instruction or detail. In fact, the Lord didn’t tell him why he was going to Gaza or how long he’d be there, but the lack of detail didn’t stop him from obeying. The Bible says, So he started out…
Philip had been told to go to Gaza but it was while he was still on the way that he met an Ethiopian. The opportunity to witness came as he was on the pathway of obedience. That’s the way it is in our lives. Opportunities for ministry come when we’re obeying in the little things.
The Spirit directed Philip to a spiritual seeker. So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. (Acts 8:27-28).
This Ethiopian was an interesting man, a government big shot. He’d visited Jerusalem, not as a tourist or as someone on vacation. He was on a spiritual pilgrimage. It says he had gone to Jerusalem to worship.
This man was religious and sincere. He had questions and was seeking answers. He wasn’t a believer in Jesus. He was not a Christian. He was investigating.
We call this Ethiopian a seeker. He was looking for spiritual answers. He was seeking spiritual reality. He was like Nicodemus who came to Jesus looking for answers. He was like the rich, young ruler who approached Jesus looking for eternal life.
He was, however, a frustrated seeker. He had made the long journey to Jerusalem looking for answers. He was reading the Scriptures but clearly did not understand the meaning of what he was reading. Despite all his efforts, he was frustrated and heading home. He was confused and without answers.
The term, “seeker,” is a popular word. It is embraced by some and ridiculed by others. Some arrogantly boast that they would never change what they are doing to appeal to seekers. They think that to present the gospel to someone who is seeking spiritual answers necessitates compromising or diluting the gospel. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Not all people are seeking spiritual truth. The Samaritan woman at the well was not a seeker. She didn’t approach Jesus; he went to her. Jesus had to arouse her curiosity before he could declare himself to be the Messiah.
However, there are a lot of spiritual seekers around us. They are sincere. They’re waiting for someone like us to help them understand and point them in the right direction. And God wants to direct us to them by his Spirit. They are like the rich young ruler and Nicodemus.
What happened when Philip met this Ethiopian official? The interchange between Philip and this African traveler is a classic example of witnessing for Jesus. What can we learn?
1. WITNESS WHEN PROMPTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Spirit told Philip, Go to that chariot and stay near it. (Acts 8:29).
Philip had only been told to go towards Gaza. He had no indication of what he was to do while on the way or while in Gaza, but he obeyed. When he obeyed, the Spirit gave him further instructions. God’s will was progressively revealed to him. As he was doing what the Lord told him to do, he received more instruction from the Lord.
Go to that chariot and stay near it. The Holy Spirit singled out the chariot of the man who would be responsive. It was the chariot of a stranger whom Philip had never met. He might have wondered whether he had got the directions straight. Imagine what you’d think if the Lord told you to go over to the parking lot and just stand near someone’s car. Philip was not told to say anything. He was just to go and stay near.
The Spirit wants to help us witness effectively. He knows who will respond to the gospel and he will lead us to them. He works in the spirits of those he is reaching out to before we ever say a word. He gives us the words to say. He gives us words of wisdom and knowledge to answer their questions. He creates faith and enables people to believe. He gives them courage to respond. Ultimately, when people are saved, they are born of the Spirit.
We’d be more effective if we responded to the promptings of the Spirit and spoke up when the Spirit urges us to speak. We’d be more effective if we relied more on the Spirit’s power than on our own ingenuity, cleverness and experience.
2. WITNESS ENTHUSIASTICALLY
Philip reacted with enthusiasm. Then Philip ran up to the chariot. (Acts 8:30). There was no hesitation. This official didn’t intimidate him. He was confident that the Holy Spirit was leading him and would give him the right words to say. Philip was excited. Here was an opportunity to do what he enjoyed doing more than anything else. It was an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus.
Here’s the question. How enthusiastic are we about sharing our faith? Are we more concerned about being politically correct than introducing someone to God’s kingdom? Are we afraid of being rejected or ridiculed? Are we more excited about praising God than about promoting his kingdom? The bottom line is: do we care about introducing people to Jesus more than our own comfort and prosperity?
3. WITNESS WITH SENSITIVITY
Philip was enthusiastic, but he wasn’t obnoxious. Before he starting talking, he did something that’s important for anyone who wants to share his faith to do. Philip opened his ears before he opened his mouth.
The Spirit had said, Go to that chariot and stay near it. In other words, size up the situation before you start talking. Philip got near this man and listened before he said anything.
That’s a powerful lesson. Often in sharing our faith, we don’t get near enough to people. We start talking without listening. We start preaching before we build a relationship. It’s very easy for Christians to be insensitive in their honest attempts to evangelize.
Philip was sensitive. He listened before he spoke and he discovered what this man was reading Isaiah 53 out loud to himself. This shows something of the significance of this man. There weren’t a lot of copies of the Old Testament available then, so for this man to be able to take a copy home with him from Jerusalem was unusual.
Philip learned that God was already at work in this man’s life. God had led Philip to someone who was seeking help. This man was open to learning about the gospel. He also learned where to start his explanation. There are many ways to present the gospel but usually there is one key that is important in unlocking the door for an individual. Philip discovered this key by listening. He knew he could talk about Isaiah 53.
Philip knew the Spirit was leading him, but he was still careful. He used tact and diplomacy. He didn’t blurt out that this man was a sinner nor did he start by telling him to repent and confess his sins. Philip started by asking a question. Do you understand what you are reading? (Acts 8:30).
We’re more effective when we learn to ask appropriate questions. Learning the questions to ask is perhaps the most important part in learning to share your faith. Asking questions is non-threatening. Questions compliment people because you’re asking for their opinions. There’s no sense of judgment or condemnation. When you ask the right questions, you can guide the conversation. Questions open doors to significant conversations.
Philip didn’t assume that the Ethiopian understood what he was reading. Philip knew many people read the Bible but don’t understand. He knew many people are confused and uncertain. The Ethiopian said, How can I, unless someone explains it to me? (Acts 8:31). The Ethiopian invited him up into the chariot and said, Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else? (Acts 8:33).
What an open door! Philip’s sensitivity gave him an open door
4. WITNESS WITH BIBLICAL UNDERSTANDING
Philip was sensitive and tactful in how he approached this man, but Philip was leading to the moment he could share his faith. When that moment came, Philip didn’t hesitate to speak. When the Ethiopian opened the door, Philip was ready to walk through. Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. (Acts 8:35).
Philip gave a verbal explanation of the gospel. This man needed more than a silent witness. Philip didn’t say, “My life is my witness”; he was prepared to explain the gospel. Philip started his explanation where this man was reading.
If someone asked you how to become a believer, could you explain it to him so he’d clearly understand? Do you know the Bible well enough to explain the gospel to a friend?
Philip led him to Jesus and taught the importance of water baptism as a result of faith. This man became a believer and immediately was baptized in water. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is some water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?
There was no reason for him not to be baptized in water. He had confessed his faith so there was no reason to wait. Philip knew water baptism was important. The Ethiopian was not saved because he was baptized, he was baptized because he had become a believer. And he ordered the chariot to stop. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. (Acts 8:38).
We’re saved by faith but after we’re saved, we need to be baptized in water. It’s a command and every believer should be baptized as soon after conversion as possible.
A complete directory of articles can be found at http://calsinsights.com/
You can receive this material regularly by email – just fill in your email address at the bottom left side of the home page under subscription options and you will receive a copy of each new article as it is posted.
To forward the material to someone else, press the “share this” button and fill in an email address.
I appreciate all your comments and suggestions.