Monday, July 2nd
Read: Acts 8
At times you may have fallen into the trap of assuming that certain people don’t want to hear truth/the good news. And because of that assumption, some people have missed out on a life changing event. Sometimes we make judgments about people based on how they dress, where they’re from, or their reputation. It’s an easy trap to fall into. You might assume that the girl who sits next to you in class who dresses ‘Goth’ wants nothing to do with what you have to share. Or, that your Muslim neighbor wouldn’t want to listen to God’s truth about Jesus. How about the marijuana smoking ‘hippie’ who talks about peace and harmony? Does he have the whole truth in his life? We never know who is ready to hear truth in fullness (the gospel) unless we ask and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us.
Truth is revolutionary. As humans we are born with the instinct to search for, know and experience truth. Sometimes we’re fooled into believing that we have truth yet we still have a sense of being incomplete. In this chapter of Acts we read about three people from very different circumstances, yet each of them desired truth. First, we read about Philip who was preaching in Samaria. Next we’re introduced to Simon who lived in Samaria and was a successful and famous sorcerer. Finally, we read of the Ethiopian man who was returning home after making a trip to Jerusalem. In all three cases, truth revolutionized their lives.
We know from the scriptures that Philip was a man of faith. He was a disciple of Jesus and became an apostle, sent out to spread the news of Christ to the ends of the earth. Philip experienced a life change through his relationship with Christ and allowed God to work through him as a revolutionary. Philip believed so strongly in the truth he knew that even amidst persecution (v.1-3) he continued to preach the Good News of Jesus. He went to Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. Many believed the truth and there was much joy there because of the signs and wonders that happened. Simon recognized that the power of God seen through Philip was stronger than the magic he performed. He, too, believed the gospel, was baptized and followed Philip and the truth he spoke. He even went as far as to offer money in order to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. I guess he still had some more to learn about truth; God’s power can not be bought or controlled.
Philip was directed by an angel of the Lord to travel south. On a road he was led by the Holy Spirit to walk alongside the chariot of an Ethiopian man whom he overheard reading the scriptures. This man was actually reading God’s word but didn’t understand what he was reading. He was searching for truth but didn’t have the ears to hear what God was saying to him through it. Praise the Lord for Philip and his ability to hear the Lord; the Ethiopian man was led into truth that revolutionized his life! The Ethiopian believed and was saved. Hallelujah.
God wants to use us in the same way that he used Philip. In Galatians 5:25 Paul reminds us that if we “walk with the Spirit, we must also keep in step with the Spirit.” That’s exactly what Philip did; he was in tune with what the Holy Spirit was doing and waited for His guidance. The fruit of his conversations and preaching is a testament to the power that was working within him. Philip wasn’t an out of the ordinary kind of guy. He was simply chosen and called by Jesus to be his disciple. We, too, are chosen. Jesus desires to use us as agents of truth and fullness.
Process:
– Have you ever experienced a ‘divine encounter,’ an experience that seemed more than just coincidence? That is, a time when God connected you with someone who needed to hear truth? Pray for more opportunities today and ask the Holy Spirit to prepare you and guide you as they occur.
– Can you identify with lost and searching people such as Simon? Pray that the Lord would give you a passion for souls and a love for the lost and let him take over as you spread the truth of the good news!
Youth Department