Obedience Ahead Of Understanding

Philip was one of the 7 men - we might call them deacons - chosen to serve the church in Acts 6. Clearly he did much more than just wait tables - he took Jesus’ command to PREACH and MAKE DISCIPLES as though it was a personal command!

Acts 8:1, 4-8 (NIV) p. 749

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem (Saul was persecuting), and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. (I tend to read this as a record of God’s people viewing themselves as a SENT people.) PHILIP went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard PHILIP and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.

Philip seemed to have quite a thriving ministry going in Samaria. Acts 8 goes on to talk about a guy named Simon who practiced sorcery and became a believer because of Philip’s preaching. He was baptized, along with a bunch of other people.

Acts 8 is really a record of Philip trusting God and being faithful, OBEYING the call to preach the Good News of Jesus, and to BAPTIZE people when they believed.

Acts 8:26–40 (NIV) p. 749

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

Why would God send Philip south when he was doing so good in Samaria???

For context:

Jerusalem was roughly 50 miles south of Samaria.

The road from Jerusalem to Gaza was roughly 50 miles long.

So, God was sending Philip anywhere from 50 to 100 miles or more away from where he had been successfully, confidently, and (possibly) comfortably sharing the Gospel.

Why would God send Philip so far in a new direction without any explanation???

Answer: I don’t know.

It’s going to become obvious in the text that God wanted a man on the road to hear about Jesus. But…why Philip??? There were certainly others who were closer.

BUT… I do know this….

Jesus puts obedience ahead of understanding.

BIBLE WORDS THAT BECAME NAMES:

Grace, Mercy, Faith, Patience, Joy

NEVER “Obedience”

Luke 5:1–5 (NIV)

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.

When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”

Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I WILL let down the nets.” (It didn’t really make sense…he didn’t fully understand…but he obeyed.)

Imagine how different your life - and purpose - might be if you lived every moment with Peter’s words (and Philip’s actions)….

BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I WILL love.

BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I WILL forgive.

BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I WILL be generous.

BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I WILL get baptized.

BECAUSE YOU SAY SO, I WILL be SENT

So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”).

This dude is from Ethiopia…a long way from Jerusalem.

Probably this wasn’t exactly where modern-day Ethiopia is

However, it was still something like a 1,500 mile journey

When I think of Philip walking along, maybe trying to figure out exactly what God was doing by sending him off in a new direction, and then he came across a man who lived over a thousand miles away, I wonder if remembered what he had learned about Jesus’ final command…

Acts 1:8 (NIV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.”

PHILIP COUNTING ON FINGERS…

I heard Jesus’ command in Jerusalem and began serving Him there.

I traveled through Judea and preached His Word there.

I’ve been to Samaria and baptized people there.

NOW I GET TO TALK TO SOMEONE WHO IS FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH!!!

Philip —> “This. Is. Awesome!!!” (It’s a chance to obey!)

This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship (long stinking way), and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

Philip was OBEDIENT to go where he was sent and to wait there for further instructions.

Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

Philip’s obedience was so SIMPLE… He just started a conversation.

Story: Andrew and communion when he was little

Andrew was 5

Special communion time for families

We had just read “The Message For Kids” - an easy-to-understand Bible for kids

We held the bread and talked about Jesus’ body

We held the juice and talked about Jesus’ blood

Andrew just paused for a while, looking at the bread and juice. I was super excited - this was definitely a “winning parent” moment

Then Andrew looked me square in the eyes and said, “This isn’t special and doesn’t help me at all. It’s just ‘normal stuff.’”

Sometimes we get so caught up in waiting for God to do a miracle that we forget He’s the God of Normal Things too. And in Philip’s case, He called Philip to obey in a “normal” way - JUST START A CONVERSATION.

Be obedient by letting your normal life proclaim the story of Jesus.

“How can I,” [the Ethiopian] said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” (Isaiah 53:7-8)

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

Maybe this is the sticking point for you… You want to be OBEDIENT but don’t know if you have all the answers for someone who is asking about Jesus. If that’s your case, I want to let you in on a little secret…

Obedience DOES NOT equal expertise.

Obedience DOES equal willingness.

And God says He can do great things with your willingness.

Also… Answers are probably easier to come by than you think they are. In fact, here are a couple of great resources for you…

Got Questions: Your Questions. Biblical Answers - https://www.gotquestions.org/

Definitely not perfect…but my experience is that they generally have really good answers that are in line with how our church understands the Word of God

Weekly Podcast with Kenan and Adam - https://www.facebook.com/groups/goconnect.church

Tomorrow’s questions:

What is the most important ministry in the church?

If I want to read the Bible, where should I start?

You can submit questions to Kenan or I via email, text, note, etc. AND…if you tell us that you need the answer sooner because someone is asking you, we won’t even make you wait super long for a video!

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

Remember…

Jesus puts obedience ahead of understanding.

There is no way the Ethiopian had it all figured out after one relatively quick conversation with Philip. BUT… He was ready to get baptized immediately.

In fact, when you read the book of Acts, every single baptism - without exception - happens immediately upon belief.

Acts 2 - 3,000 baptized

Acts 8 - Philip baptized a bunch of men and women

Acts 8 - Philip baptized Simon (the sorcerer)

Acts 8 - Philip baptized Ethiopian

Acts 9 - Ananias baptized Saul (Paul)

Acts 10 - Peter baptized Cornelius and his family

Acts 16 - Paul baptized Philippian jailor and his family

There’s no way any of them had a full understanding of the Kingdom of God before being baptized. I can say that confidently because many of us have been baptized quite a while ago and NONE OF US have a full understanding of the Kingdom of God yet.

If you have been growing in your belief in Jesus and haven’t been baptized yet, it’s time to…

Be obedient by being baptized for forgiveness and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We get a great explanation of why we need to be baptized in Acts 2…

Acts 2:38 (NIV)

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

INVITATION: Be OBEDIENT by being baptized.

CHALLENGE: Be OBEDIENT by being sent.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

Why is it hard to obey if you don’t fully understand all the details?

What areas of your life is God calling you to obedience, even if you don’t fully understand the plan?

Why do you think obedience to God might require sacrifice and change?

Can you think of a time when you had to make a sacrifice to obey what you believed was right? How did that make you feel?

What does Philip show us about being sent to share the Gospel, especially when it doesn't make sense?

Have you ever felt prompted to do something that seemed confusing or illogical? How did you respond?

In Luke 5:1-5, Peter followed Jesus' command even when it didn't make sense to him. Why do you think 'because you say so' is an important attitude for believers?

How can you practice the 'because you say so' attitude in your daily life when faced with tough decisions?

Obedience does not require expertise but rather willingness. Does this change how you view your ability to share about Jesus?

Are there areas in your life where you feel inadequate?

How can you take a step of obedience even if you don't feel fully prepared?

Why do you think immediate baptism was a pattern in the early church?

What might be holding you or someone else back from taking that step?

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