God's Plan Always Works

Calling

Phillip was instructed by an angel of the to go to a road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza. This was not just ant road. It was a desert road. This is important because there were two roads that went from Jerusalem to Gaza. One was a road that was well traveled because it was an easier rout. The one that the angel told Philipp to take was the one last traveled.

This request didn’t make logical sense. One might think that Phillip should have taken the path that had more people on it so he could tell more people about Jesus. It would have been a much easier trip if he would have taken the other road. So the angel of the Lord told Phillip to take the hard road that doesn’t have many people on it. This doesn’t make sense from a logical standpoint.

There are times where God’s calling in your life will not make sense. It will often be filled with difficulty.We may even question the calling. When God called me into vocational ministry, it didn’t make sense. I had a degree in finance and had excelled to the pinnacle of my career as a CFO. I had an amazing lifestyle and was from all outward appearances very successful. God said leave your position of CFO and pastor this small church in Eclectic Alabama. Here I am 13 years later and now understand what rue success is.

God has called my daughter into foreign missions. It doesn’t make sense because she worked so hard to get her undergrad and masters in social work. She passed her LMSW national exam that makes her very marketable in the social work field. She got a great job right out of college and was very successful in the Birmingham area. God has called her out of social work and into foreign missions. It doesn’t make sense to me but I know God has a plan and a purpose for her.

When God calls we need to do as Phillip did in Acts 8:27

Acts 8:27 NASB95

So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship,

It says he got up and went. When God calls we need to simply get up and go. We must trust in the Lord to guide on the journey for the purpose he has for us. He knows the end result. We just need to trust Him on the Journey.

The question one might have is how do I know that I am being called. My observation and experience is God will give you a holy discontentment. This means that whatever you are currently doing that should be bringing you joy, happiness and satisfaction does not. The reason it does not is because God is calling you into something else. The only thing that will bring you contentment is walking in God’s calling for your life.

Another aspect of God’s calling is that you can’t get away from it. The Lord gives you the direction or next step and you are fearful or do not desire to take it but you can’t get away from the calling. It seems to consume you. This is God’s calling in your life.

When you step into your calling you can’t go back. You can’t do what you used to do. Elisha learned this when Elijah called him as the next prophet. 1 Kings 19:19-21

1 Kings 19:19–21 NASB95

So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, “Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you.” And he said to him, “Go back again, for what have I done to you?” So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.

When Elijah threw his mantle on Elisha, Elisha killed his oxen because he knew that he would no longer be a farmer but a prophet of God. When God throws his mantle on you, you should not look back.

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Sometimes It’s Best to Burn Your Ships Posted at September 7, 2022 in Management Corner by Donald Smith, Ed.D4Likes In the year 1519, Hernán Cortés arrived in the “New World” with 600 men, and upon arrival, made history by “burning his ships.” This sent a clear message to his men. There is no turning back!  Two years later, he succeeded in his complete conquest of the Aztec empire. When Cortés arrived in what is today Mexico, his soldiers did not want to fight.  They were tired of the voyage, the natives were not friendly, and it was a strange land. Cortés, who wanted to conquer this new land, would have none of it. To motivate his men, he burned his ships to the waterline.  They were now all faced with a stark choice: fight or die!

When God calls, burn your ships!

Desire to Know God

When Phillip went to the desert road he encountered a Ethiopian Eunuch that was in charge of all the queens treasure. This was a man that had everything in life. He had wealth, power, education, and status. You would think that he would have no need for God. In spite of having everything this world could offer, he was empty inside.

How do we know this? We find him in Jerusalem worshiping. This is significant because his region was outside the known world. He had to travel a great distance to find what he was looking for. He was looking for peace with God and rest for his soul. Everything this world offered him could not bring him what he desired and needed.

I’m sure he had heard about the one true God that the Israelites served and wanted to experience for himself who this God was. He traveled to Jerusalem and worshipped. As he was leaving Jerusalem he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Let’s not move past this too fast. This scripture probably cost him a fortune. There was no printing press available, so scrolls were priceless. Especially one that had Old Testament prophets. This man did not consider the cost because I’m sure he would have given everything to attain peace with God and rest for his soul.

What do we want? Do we want everything that this Eunuch had and everything the world has to offer or do we want God?

James 4:4 NASB95

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

1 John 2:15–17 (NASB95)

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

We must have an insatiable desire for the Lord. The things of this world will never bring you rest for your souls. Peace and rest are found in a relationship with the Lord.John 16:33

John 16:33 NASB95

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

The world brings tribulation. God has overcome the world. He gives us rest and peace in a world of tribulation. This is why he says in our memory verse: Matthew 11:28-30

Matthew 11:28–30 (NASB95)

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

What is peace and rest worth to you. For this Ethiopian Eunuch it was worth long arduous travel, a tremendous price for the scripture and the willingness to learn about God. Our desire should be to know God no matter the cost. It may mean it will cost you everything. But it will be worth it. Matt. 13:44-46

Matthew 13:44–46 (NASB95)

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Gospel Presentation

The Spirit of God urged Phillip to join the eunuch in his chariot. The Eunuch was reading the the prophet Isaiah. It was no coincidence that he was reading Isaiah 53 when Phillip approached him. Acts 8:32-33

Acts 8:32–33 (NASB95)

Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth. “In humiliation His judgment was taken away; Who will relate His generation? For His life is removed from the earth.”

Isaiah wrote this passage regarding Jesus. Jesus is the lamb of God that was led to the cross to take away the sins of the world. You will recall John the Baptist testimony of this in John 1:29

John 1:29 NASB95

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

You will also recall as Jesus was illegally tried he did not try to justify himself but remained silent. Mark 14:60-61

Mark 14:60–61 (NASB95)

The high priest stood up and came forward and questioned Jesus, saying, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” But He kept silent and did not answer. Again the high priest was questioning Him, and saying to Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

He was humiliated and life was removed by being hung on a cross. He bore our sin and shame when he was crucified. But praise God he did not remain dead. On the third day Jesus rose from the dead victorious over sin and death.

This is why Luke explains in Acts 8:35

Acts 8:35 NASB95

Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

Phillip shared the gospel with the Eunuch! Friends there is power in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must share it at every opportunity.

Gospel Response

When Phillip had shared Jesus with the eunuch, the eunuch knew that he had found what he was looking for. He gave his life to Jesus and wanted to be baptised. It just so happened that there was water on this desert road!

I believe the Lord put that water there for the sole purpose of the eunuch’s baptism because after he was baptised he did not see Phillip any longer.

This Eunuch went back to Ethiopia and shared the gospel in his home place. This was outside the known world of the Greeks and Romans. We know it to be North Africa.

God called an unassuming humble servant to a place that didn’t make sense to meet a very powerful man that would take the gospel to an unknown world.

Acts 1:8 NASB95

but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

We see this fulfilled in Acts through chapter 8. The church began in Jerusalem in Acts 1 then through the persecution of the church it spread to Judea. Then Phillip was sent to Samaria to preach the gospel. Then he was sent to a desert road to meet an Ethiopian Eunuch who would take the gospel to the remotest part of the earth.

Folks when we share the gospel God can bring about miracles that go beyond our comprehension. Live in your calling and share the gospel with all you have opportunity with. You never know how God is going to use it!