Going on Mission with God

TEXT Acts 8:26-40 ESV about Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

INTRODUCTION:

The phrase “Going on Mission with God” seemed to stick to this passage of Scripture that you just read. And it is the title of this message.

You see, God is on a mission in this world, and He gives us the opportunity to be involved specifically as a church and as individuals. In the account in Acts 8 that we have just read, this man, Philip, answered the call of God to a special opportunity. And this opportunity proved to be the time of salvation through the gospel for a very interesting person in a most unusual location.

The Book of Acts recounts the birth of the NT church, and it gives the history and the geography of the spreading of the Spirit-empowered witness of the church to the ascended Lord Jesus Christ - from Jerusalem to Rome. This witness to Jesus was commanded by the Risen Christ before His Ascension. We read that in Acts 1:1-11. You could say that the move of God, the wave of witness opportunity began in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and the movement, the wave, moved outward. It all started with a 120 people in a prayer meeting. You then have the powerful coming of the Spirit of God, Peter preaching the gospel of the crucified, risen and exalted Christ, and the response of thousands to the gospel. The witness empowered by the Spirit of God spreads further despite persecution, and the number of disciples grows in Jerusalem. The growing church experiences growing pains in Acts 6 and among those selected to help with these growing pains is a man called Philip. Then, after the death of the first martyr Stephen, further persecution developed associated with a man named Saul (who later became Paul), and the witness to Jesus spreads outside Jerusalem into Judea to Samaria. This was Jesus’ plan. The opportunity, the wave of witness was to move outward from Jerusalem to “the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Much has happened since the book of Acts, but the directive of Jesus is still ours to obey and fulfill. There are still people in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and hundreds of people groups worldwide who need to hear the message of Jesus. The Wave of God is still moving, and God-directed opportunities still abound.

In the account we have read, Philip is directed by the Lord through an Angel to go to the desert.  Philip is being directed specifically and geographically to a new place of witness to Jesus and the gospel.

Why? This is the purpose and plan of the risen-ascended-exalted Lord Jesus Christ for His Church and for His individual disciples. What I hope to communicate today is the exciting truth that God is on Mission in this world. He has exalted His Son, the Lord Jesus, and sent His Holy Spirit to empower us (His Church) to live and speak for Christ as He leads us. Our job, is to be in position to go with God, and then to move with Him by the power of the Holy Spirit and to see what God will do as we are used by Him in this gospel mission. What are the steps we must take, or the requirements we must meet in order to go on mission with God?

So, first of all how do you get in position to go on mission with God? Let’s use Philip as an example, because these lessons from Philip’s life are reinforced throughout the Book of Acts. 

1. Be Ready to Serve the Lord – by Being Filled with the Spirit and Faithful to the Lord (Acts 6:3-5)

We read about Philip in Acts 6:5, and he was one of the men selected to help when certain widows were not being helped as they should have been helped in terms of getting their needs met. The men appointed by the Apostles were to be “of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). And Philip was one of these men. So, we see that Philip was a good man, a wise man, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God was guiding and empowering his life.  This empowering of the Spirit did not just happen when he traveled to the desert in Acts 8. He was already someone characterized as full of the Holy Spirit rather than full of himself.

You remember on the day of Pentecost, when people responded to Peter’s preaching they were told to repent, to be baptized, and to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. I am assuming that Philip had received that gift of the Holy Spirit. But, he not only had received the gift of the Holy Spirit, he was controlled by the Holy Spirit and it was evident in his life. Also, Philip is found serving the Lord not only in Acts 6, but again in Acts 8 before his trip to the desert, and after his trip to the desert was completed. Philip was someone who was filled with the Spirit and faithful to the Lord. He was in position to be used by God. He was in position to go with God as God gave him a new opportunity for witness.

How about us today?  Can we honestly say that “the Spirit of God is in control of our lives?” It was the Spirit of God’s work in Philip’s life that put him in position to serve Christ in Acts 6 and it appears that the Holy Spirit put him in position to share Christ in the first part of Acts 8. I’ll read the first few verses of Acts 8:1-5.  What’s interesting is that we don’t read of God telling Philip to preach Christ. Due to persecution, Philip travelled into Samaria, and he just preached Christ. It just seems that Philip was ready and available to be used of the Lord wherever he went. He was in a position to “go with God” and take advantage of the opportunity of God’s mission and work. Philip had an amazing time in Samaria as the gospel broke into new territory and across lines of hatred and division.

We know from the Bible that God can use a donkey, a big fish, His enemies and even persecution for His purposes. But, the Lord more than often uses people who are filled with His Spirit and faithfully ready to serve wherever they are. We do not need a label, a title, some special recognition. Every day our prayer and attitude ought to be something like this: “Fill me Holy Spirit, and use me this day to honor the Lord Jesus in what I say and do.” Philip seemed to be that kind of person. Phillip was ready to be used by God.

But let’s look at the specific assignment the Lord had for Philip in our Scripture reading. This passage is a great example of what it means to go with God.

 Let’s note, first of all, how Phillip began this trip and how he started to go on this mission with God.

2. Be Ready to Serve the Lord – by Being Obedient to the Lord’s Call (Acts 8:26-27)

Philip obeyed the directive that came to him from the angel of the Lord (Acts 8:27). If you read the verses right before this section of Acts, you will get the sense that Philip was a busy man as we have seen. But, when the Lord called him to a new place of service, he obeyed. The Angel said “Arise……” The next verse reads, “So, he arose and went.” He heard and responded to the voice of the Lord. Philip was in position to hear God and to go where God directed him. An empowered witness must be an obedient witness, even if the Lord leads us into an unusual place. What a strange assignment! Philip had been involved with lots of people and dynamic ministry. He not only had seen many come to Christ, he had seen miracles. The Apostles had come to confirm his ministry in Samaria. God was doing mighty works. It was exciting. The gospel was impacting a whole new set of people in Samaria. God was on the move with His gospel. (Acts 8:8) But, even though Philip was being used of God already, he still had an ear that was attentive to the Lord. And that is something we need as we seek to be witnesses for the Lord.

You may have seen a lot of wonderful things happening at your church or in a ministry that you are a part of. You know that God is on the move. But, we individually need not only to be in position to be used of God, but we need to be able to hear the Lord’s directives to us.

“Take the Desert road, Philip.” It doesn’t sound like he was given a lot of other instructions at first. There were no assurances, game plans, nothing. Take the road into the desert. You don’t get the impression that Philip said, “you know I don’t like that road,” or “Oh, not the desert, not towards Gaza.” No, he just “arose and went.” We’ll get back to Philip in a moment, but by way of application: there are all sorts of reasons that a person might want to go on a trip. We may want to see a new place. It is nice to be with friends on a trip. It is great to do new things, and to have new experiences. But, when it comes to “Going with God” the important question to consider is – is God is calling me to go with Him?? I would encourage you to be very prayerful and to seek to listen for His voice as you seek to make decisions about where you can be an effective witness for Him. He may not send an Angel to speak to you. But, you need to discern as best as you can God’s direction for you. He can use His Word to speak, He can use God’s people, and He can convince you by His Spirit internally giving you a peace that He wants you to go. (Rom 12:1-2) But, if He calls you to take this opportunity, will you be like Philip??? Will you say, “Yes, Lord.” Be obedient to the Lord’s Call like Philip.

(Acts 13:1-3 a church must be obedient as well)

It is exciting when you sense that the Lord has called you to go somewhere, to be somewhere, to do something. I hope you sense His call to be where you are right now and to be doing what you are doing now. Whether it was in Jerusalem or Samaria or heading into the Desert, Philip was doing what the Lord was directing him to do. He was obedient to the Lord, and that obedience is very obvious in this episode in the desert.  

3. Be Ready to Serve the Lord – By Being Sensitive to the Spirit’s Leading (Acts 8:27-30)

So, Philip is heading southwest toward Gaza. When Philip travelled, he did not go alone. The Spirit of God was with him. As Philip traveled, he “happened upon” an amazing individual and probably a large group traveling with him. I can only imagine that the sight of this individual must have been intimidating. At a distance, Philip has absolutely nothing in common with this man. First of all, this man was a religious man, probably a Jewish proselyte, but he was not a follower of Jesus. Then, nationally and probably racially, there was a difference. Scholars tell us that the Ethiopia referred to here is probably near southern Egypt and northern Sudan today. This man had traveled a long way from a foreign country to get to Jerusalem. Economically, there was a difference. Philip had a different form of transportation than this man. They drove different vehicles. Everything about the man’s position, his journey, his chariot, his scroll, everything tells us that he probably was in a different life situation to that of Philip. Politically and vocationally they were in different worlds. This man served in an important role in the government. The eunuch aspect of his description could mean that he was a eunuch physically as was true of some court officials at that time, but sometimes the term simply referred to court servants or officials in general. The Name Candace was probably not the actual name of the queen, as a number of commentators have pointed out, but a dynastic name, but that really doesn’t impact the story. As exotic and interesting a person as this Ethiopian official was, there is no indication that he had an interest in Philip at a distance. He did not initially invite Philip into his chariot. Look at what happened.

The Holy Spirit told Philip what he was to do. This is a common theme in the Book of Acts. The same Spirit who empowers is the one who leads. And Philip was sensitive to the Spirit’s leading (Acts 8:29). It doesn’t seem that the Spirit told Philip everything. Philip was just told to draw near and “overtake” the chariot, which is a pretty good indication that the chariot was not setting a land speed record. The important thing to note is that when the Spirit leads, amazing things can happen.

What I want you to sense in this passage is the way the Lord is leading in these events. You see, God is on a mission. God is on the move, and we need to go with God. God wants us to join in His mission in specific ways. There is no indication that Philip hesitated to do what the Spirit of God led him to do. He didn’t say, “Oh, I have nothing in common with this man.” “I don’t know this person, what if he responds badly?” No, like someone who listens for a word of counsel, Philip was sensitive to the Spirit’s leading.

But, there is another major step involved in this mission and a requirement for those who go on mission with God:

4. By Ready to Serve the Lord – By Being Able to Share Jesus (Acts 8:30-35)

As Philip approached this official, this man “of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians” was reading the prophet Isaiah aloud (Acts 8:28). Read (8:32-33) The official “just happened” to be reading one of the most direct prophecies concerning the sacrificial sufferings of God’s servant, a prophecy that Jesus fulfilled. So, when Philip heard him reading, he asked him if he understood what he was reading. Luke recounts the exact place in Isaiah’s prophecy where the Ethiopian official was reading (Isaiah 53: 7, 8). Luke also provides the actual question that the official had concerning the passage of Scripture, “…. ‘About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?’” (Acts 8:34 ESV). Then, Philip, “beginning at this Scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus.” (Acts 8:35 ESV).   

Philip was true to the message. Indeed, he was true to the “witness to Jesus” that needed to be shared with this man. Philip was a faithful witness to Jesus. This witness here was specifically based on the Word of God, and Philip explained how this Old Testament text pointed to Jesus. (Read Isaiah 53/Jesus).

On the practical level, it is good for us not only to be able to share our own testimony, but also to share Jesus from the Scriptures. That is one of the reasons we need to be studying the Word of God. yes, we need to know the Lord better. Yes,we need to grow in our love for the God, in our faith and in obedience to the Lord.  But, we need to be able to share Jesus with others, and we learn of Him in the Word of God, both Old and New Testaments.

You see, Jesus is our message, and that is emphasized so clearly in the book of Acts. (example Acts 10:37-43). It is great to be able to share Jesus with others from the Word of God.

This man had been to Jerusalem. He obviously was a religious person and had an interest already in the OT. He may have been a “God-fearer,” or Jewish proselyte. We can speculate so many things about this man, but I think the important observation to make is that God has a way of leading his witnesses into special encounters and appointments when we follow His leading. It’s the “mission effect,” its going on mission with God, taking the opportunity God gives. And Philip went with God sensitively, being available to share Jesus in the most meaningful way.

When he heard the man reading the Scripture, Philip asked a helpful question (Acts 8:30). When the man invited Philip to come up into the Chariot, Philip did so. When the man asked Philip a question, Philip responded directly to the question, and Jesus was the answer to his question. And praise the Lord, when the Ethiopian wanted to be baptized, Philip responded to his desire, being assured of the official’s understanding of Jesus and the gospel (Acts 8:35, 36, 38). Philip assisted in the baptism itself before the Lord moved him on to preach elsewhere (Acts 8:38-40).

You see, God was at work. God had led Philip to this desert place, and God had led Philip to this man. God had obviously orchestrated the events: the chariot, the scroll, the invitation, the request for an explanation; these all point to a God-directed opportunity. And Philip, in a real sense, went with the “flow” or the movement of God. And in so doing, Philip played an important role in this man’s salvation. And this man could now take the gospel to his own country, Ethiopia. Think of the significance of this one man becoming a follower of Christ.

(Paul Ndungu was one individual led to Christ through my brother and his wife while they were missionaries in Kenya. Now, Paul Ndungu has planted numerous churches and has seen thousands come to Christ. You never know the impact that one person coming to Christ may have on others.)

There is nothing more exciting or rewarding than to be right in the middle of something that God is doing, a God-directed opportunity. Philip was ready to serve. He was obedient. He was sensitive to the Holy Spirit, he could share the gospel, and it was a day of salvation. This was a God-thing. This salvation was clearly the work of God. And the whole account was like going on a mission trip with God. wave. Yes, you have to ready to go. You have to commit obediently to God’s call. But that’s just the start. Then, you move out and forward being sensitive to the Spirit of God and able to share the Word of God.

But, and this is key, the Lord was and is in control. The Ethiopian Eunuch responds to the gospel and requests to be baptized himself, indicating his faith in Jesus Christ. And this conversion to Christ, like others in the Book of Acts, indicates that God is on a mission, the gospel is to break all barriers, Jesus is to be proclaimed to the world and that God’s people will be (as Revelation shares) from all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues. God is a global God, and His salvation must be proclaimed on every side of the city, the countryside, and wherever people are, even in the desert. And it may have been that this man could not have entered the Temple area. But, Isaiah the prophet in Is. 56:1-8 predicts the day of salvation for the Gentiles, “the outcasts of Israel,” and for the eunuchs. Here in Acts we see the gospel reaching this man and genuine salvation taking place.

The account ends beautifully by noting the joy of the Eunuch and the next phase of ministry for Philip. The mission goes on, and the witness to Jesus continues, but one more person enters into the joy of salvation, which is one of Luke’s ways of saying that this man was truly saved, born again, a true disciple of Jesus. In is interesting to note that in Acts 8:8 when Philip was in the city of Samaria and they responded to the gospel, Acts tells us “And there was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:8). What a beautiful statement: Joy in the individual’s life, joy in the city – because of Jesus and true salvation. Would it not be wonderful to have more joy in the city where you live?

Conclusion:

Acts teaches that Jesus Christ is on a mission in this world by the power of the Holy Spirit. Philip is an example of an empowered witness who was in position to go on mission with God and to obediently witness by the power of the Spirit.

Are we ready to serve? Are we filled with the Holy Spirit and ready to serve? That’s the normal Christian life. This is not the life for a few elite, this is Jesus’ desire for His disciples, His Church. Maybe today we need to ask the Lord to empty us of pre-occupations, self, sin, stuff that hinders our service to the Lord, and seek to daily be filled with His Spirit. If we are honest, if we ask, seek, knock, he will answer and give us what we need by His Spirit to live for Him and serve Him.

Will we answer God’s call to “go,” wherever that may be. Don’t be surprised if God calls you to a “desert place.”  If he sends you there or has you there, it is for a reason. But, obey His voice. Someone here today may hear the Lord directing them into a new place, a mission trip, a fresh commitment to be a witness where you are. Answer the call obediently. But, keep in mind that all of Jesus’ disciples are called to mission.

Then, we need to follow the leading of the Spirit of God.. The blessing is that we do not go alone. We have the Spirit of God with us and in us to guide and empower. Everyone will not respond like the Ethiopian did. Indeed, Acts gives plenty of other examples of rejection and persecution. But, rejection and persecution did not nor does it stop God’s mission! The witness to Jesus and the movement of God continues.

Our responsibility is to be faithful to Jesus and His gospel.

Pray – May we “go on mission with You, Lord” wherever you take us. Use us, and help us to be faithful witnesses to You and the glorious gospel of Jesus.

—David O.