God’s Unlikely People
Read Acts 8:4-8, 25-40
The Scriptures are full of stories of God using unlikely people. He chose a shepherd boy to be the greatest ruler that Israel ever had (1 Samuel 16:1 – 13). He chose a Jewish girl to save her people from annihilation at the hands of a foreign ruler (Esther 4:1 – 14). And he chose a boastful boy to become the ruler of a mighty pagan nation in order to save his family and ultimately God’s people, Israel (Genesis 50:15 – 20). These were all common people who did extraordinary things as God used them to accomplish His purposes in history.
But in our story today we read an account that seems simple at first glance, but is very profound in its illustration of how the Lord works through people like you and I to spread the Gospel. We read how the early church scattered from Jerusalem at the time of persecution and went about preaching the word of God. We’re told that Philip went down to the city of Samaria, proclaimed Christ to them, and performed many wondrous signs of deliverance and healing. While he was there he was joined by Peter and John who baptized the people with the Holy Spirit.
On their return trip to Jerusalem, they continued to preach in the Samaritan villages that they passed through. It was at this time that an Angel appeared to Philip and told him to “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) It was there that he encountered an Ethiopian eunuch, a man of great prominence in the court of the queen of the Ethiopians who was reading from the book of Isaiah. The Holy Spirit prompts Philip to go up and join the eunuch in his chariot. Philip engages him in conversation about the Scripture which he is reading (Isaiah 53:7). This inquiry gives Philip the opportunity to share Christ with the man; to lead him to salvation; and to baptize him.
So what can we learn from this story?
First of all, we see that God had a specific plan to lead this Ethiopian to salvation and used an unlikely man to do it. Why do I say that Philip was an unlikely choice? Because Philip was already very involved with Peter and John in ministry. But the Lord called Philip to “leave the ninety-nine and go after the one.” He had to travel from Samaria which was to the north of Jerusalem to a road leading south out of Jerusalem and into the desert. Jesus could have appeared to the man on the road as he did with Saul (Paul). But he didn’t. He used an ordinary, flesh and blood person to lead him to faith. Would it surprise you to know that the Lord has some planned encounters for you to speak the Gospel into the lives of other people just as He did with Philip?
The second thing we see is that Philip was obedient to the Angel and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Now we may not have an Angel speak to us as Philip did, but I would suspect that we often have the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The question is do we listen and obey? How do you know when the Holy Spirit is speaking to you? It can be as simple as having a thought or idea enter your head. It can be a prompting to turn aside and greet someone, or to ask a question and engage them in some conversation. Remarkably, you may find yourself involved in a spiritual conversation.
The final thing that is interesting in the story is that it was the Ethiopian who asked all the questions and who finally asked to be baptized. Phillip was prepared to share the Gospel. He merely shared what he knew to be true. The Holy Spirit had already prepared the heart of the Ethiopian. The Holy Spirit gave him the faith to confess Christ and the desire to be baptized. We somehow think that it is up to us to convince a person of the truth of the Gospel and that they need to be saved. That is not true, like Philip, all we have to do is be willing to be available.
As you pray today ask the Lord that you might be one of “God’s unlikely people.” Ask that the Holy Spirit might choose you for one of His “divine appointments.” Ask that He might bring to your mind three people that you could pray for, to prepare their hearts to hear and receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ.