Evangelism can be difficult for people. Some folks see salvation as personal and; therefore, keep to themselves. Others may be bold, brassy, and a bit offensive; therefore, their manner of communication may push people away. Lastly, sometimes people are such concrete thinkers they make everything about God intellectual and void of the Spirit. None of these practices are the best for the gospel.
In our lesson today, we meet Philip. This is how we could describe the evangelist, Philip: a real Christ follower on fire for the Lord! Philip was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit; he was bold, confident, and concise with how he shared the loving gospel of Christ.
Philip made himself available to God and the work of evangelism. Because God alone knows when a person is at his or her darkest moment or greatest need, we must listen and wait for God’s opportunity or appointed time to share Christ. Philip did not delay; when he felt the leading of the Spirit, Philip ran right up to start a conversation with a question. Yet, he waited for an invitation to explain things further—to share the story of Jesus.
You and I can do the same. Jesus wants to bring people into his family by testimony and acts of love. It is a great privilege to introduce a lost person to the Savior who sacrificially loves them. Ask God for your opportunity and get ready to be an evangelist!
Acts 8:26-40 NLT Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”
30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.
32 The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
33
He was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” 35 So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.
36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” 38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.
Prayer: Lord, we thank you for this lesson from the Acts of the Apostles and how Philip quickly ran to your appointed time to bring salvation to the eunuch official. Like Philip, give us your wisdom and help us form wise questions so we are ready to share Christ’s story. Help us devise a plan to share salvation with others through our testimony, as well as our acts of service. We will be listening to the Spirit. In Jesus’ name. Amen.