Unwanted Places

Opening

Good morning!

Years ago my wife, Carrie, went into labor with our first child. We arrived at the hospital. Everything was progressing fine and then I had to exit the room so she could get an epidural. Too many husbands passed out over the years. They probably looked at me and thought - he’s a fainter. I was in the waiting room for longer than expected and a nurse came out to get me. Looking concerned, she said the baby’s heart rate was spiking and they were going to do an emergency c-section. I followed the nurse and when I entered the labor room there were half a dozen medical staff rushing to get her to the O.R. And it was so chaotic! As they were coming out of the room they couldn’t turn her bed because brakes were on and they went at the wrong angle, so I had to use my weight to help shift the bed so they could get out of the room and go forward. They rushed down the hall and I followed behind but I couldn’t go in with them and all the doors closed in front of me. It was like a scene from a movie and I was left by myself in a cold hallway. I never felt more alone. Eventually a nurse came out and told me I could put on scrubs for after the delivery and I said, “can I go talk to my mother in law?” because the last thing she saw was me leaving the room concerned. So I went out and told her and then broke down crying. Then I was taken to another hallway by myself outside the operating room where all I could do was pray.

I didn’t want to be in that place.

Is it fair to say that we’ve all been in unwanted places?

And won’t we probably find ourselves in unwanted places down the road?

I’ve learned that is where God does his best work.

Bible

I invite each of you to open your Bible to the book of Acts

If you need a Bible, please raise your hand

We are in Acts chapter 8 on page 942

Many believers were brought to unwanted places

Last week we looked at the first martyr, Stephen, who was stoned to death for his belief in Jesus

And somehow Pastor Josue tied that into Mother’s Day. He made it work and God spoke through it!

Our story picks up immediately after Stephen’s death.

Acts 8:1–3 NIV

And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Very scary and very sad circumstances!

I don’t believe it is ever God’s will for people to do evil, but I do know that when it effects the ones He loves (you and me) . . . He never lets it go to waste

We may not be scattered from persecution, but all of us have been and will at some point find ourselves in unwanted places.

Are you in one right now? Did someone drag you to church today? Maybe you are here for a reason. Perhaps God has a word for you today. What is it? Keep listening and share it with someone!

For some of you . . . this whole season of life isn’t where you want to be. Maybe you’ve lost your home. Maybe you’re living with your parents and want a place of your own. Maybe you are single and wanting to be married or trying for kids and it isn’t happening. God sees you.

Even if you’ve done it to yourself, you did something dumb at work, you messed up your relationship, or your sins brought you to unwanted places and now you have to deal with the consequences . . . I encourage you to lean in. God still has something for you today - wherever you may be.

You know sometimes we’ve done nothing wrong and we’re still scattered. Where is God in it?

Let me give you some encouragement today.

There are at least a few ways that God can use us in places we don’t want to be.

First, God may have us in unwanted places . . .

1. To Lead Others to Christ

Acts 8:4–8 NIV

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 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 may have never gone to Samaria if he weren’t forced to leave Jerusalem. This scattering propelled him and others forward to begin fulfilling the Great Commission.

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.”

So now Philip was in Samaria. And thank God he was there because many were introduced to Jesus through him.

Notice that he didn’t just sit quietly. He knew he had to speak.

Romans 10:13–14 NIV

for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

Philip preached the word to those who hadn’t heard it.

After college I worked in customer service at a large hotel. And there were cool perks, but for the most part I hated the job. And I prayed daily for three years that God give me a better job.

While I worked there, I did “okay” in my witness.

There weren’t many Christians on staff, but everyone knew that I was a believer and took off Sunday mornings for ministry. They knew that I was moral and acted ethically because of my faith.

And time to time I had some good conversations about faith with my colleagues.

But in hindsight, I wish I did more. I focused so much on wanting out of that season that I did not capitalize on opportunities that were right in front of me to transform lives and be used by God.

I failed to recognize that at that time I was right where God could use me.

See some of my coworkers wouldn’t step foot in a church, but they’d share a table with me at lunch.

They wouldn’t come hear a sermon, but they would listen when I brought up church

What if I stepped out of my comfort zone and engaged them further?

C.T. Studd was a British missionary to China, India, and Africa in the late 18/ early 1900s. Studd really was a stud! He said, “Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell.”

Why? Because the people who need God the most are not in this building.

Apply:

Has God put you in an unwanted place so that you can share the gospel with others? Be a “Studd” and lead others to Christ!

You may not be a street evangelist or preacher, but I imagine there are people around you who are in slavery to sin - hell bound - without hope. And you have THE answer to their problems —> the answer is always JESUS! You have an opportunity to be a light in the darkness.

Maybe that’s in the workplace. You don’t love your job, but there’s an opportunity to witness.

Or how about loving your actual neighbors? Or the fellow parents of your kid’s baseball team.

Even if you’re in the hospital while you or a loved one are going through treatment, you can be a light for Christ.

Show and tell others about Jesus!

__

Now let me clarify that you’re not a failure if you don’t in-a-single encounter lead someone to a decision for Christ. You may be one part of the equation moving them closer to Jesus and that’s a beautiful thing.

The Holy Spirit will do the convicting. Your responsibility is simply to share.

God may have us in unwanted places to lead others to Christ!

Second, God may also have us in unwanted places . . .

2. To Glorify Him

In Samaria there was a man named Simon who practiced sorcery and he had a FALSE reputation of having the power of God.

We know that this was demonic, not from the Lord.

And it didn’t glorify God, it glorified Simon.

But when Philip was in this unwanted place, he changed the narrative by sharing the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

Acts 8:12–13 NIV

But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

Note that it says nothing about Philip being praised and elevated. All the glory was for God. The people were baptized into a life with Jesus. And even Simon the sorcerer surrendered his life to Jesus.

I remember praying and giving my life to Christ when I was six years old, but I don’t remember who I prayed with. And part of me wants to remember so I can honor that person, but part of me is glad that I don’t remember because now I have a sermon illustration.

I don’t need to remember the person because the point is that God gets all the glory. I didn’t give my life to that Sunday School teacher, I gave my life to Jesus Christ!

Sadly as the story continues in Acts 8, the newly converted Simon (former sorcerer) didn’t quite understand that the spotlight should be on God.

He went and offered to pay money to the apostles, Peter and John, so he could have power like them to lay hands on people to receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:20–23 NIV

Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

Yikes!

Apply:

Friends . . . when you are in unwanted places, be open to God using you. And when he does, make sure that you give Him all the praise.

Don’t be like Simon who longed to make a name for himself. That can be a temptation for us.

Don’t seek power and fame. There’s nothing about our Faith, salvation, or the Spirit that can be purchased or earned. Our salvation is through grace!

I like how Pastor Chuck Swindoll explains giving God the glory. He said . . .

I cannot at the same time accept the glory and give God the glory... Glorifying God means being occupied with and committed to His ways rather than preoccupied with and determined by my own way. It is being so thrilled with Him, so devoted to Him, so committed to Him that we cannot get enough of Him!” ― Charles R. Swindoll, Rise and Shine: A Wake-Up Call

God may have us in unwanted places to Glorify Him. So do it! Give Him the praise!

Finally, God may also have us in unwanted places . . .

3. To Prepare Us

After time in Samaria, God then sent Philip on a road toward Gaza. On the way he met an Ethiopian Official (known by his status as a eunuch - a man unable to produce children). This official was reading from the scroll of Isaiah, but not understanding the message. The Bible says that Philip ran to the man (I love his urgency!) and he helped him to interpret that the prophecy was speaking about Jesus Christ.

Acts 8:36–40 NIV

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. 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.

There’s a lot in there! Listen to our podcast, Behind the Point, this week and Josue and I will talk about what it meant for the Spirit of the Lord to suddenly take Philip away.

What I want to focus on today is that God led him to unwanted places to prepare him. It says in vs 40 that Philip reached Caesarea. The next time we hear about Philip is 20 years later in Acts 21 when we learn that he was still ministering in that city.

He found his home and long-term ministry in Caesarea. His journey to unwanted places before that time was preparation for his vocational calling.

Sometimes God leads us to places that we don’t want to be to prepare us for the future. We may find ourselves in valleys for learning purposes. It may even be a season of testing. Will we be faithful when trials come?

James 1:2–4 NIV

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

When I was sitting outside the operating room waiting for news about Carrie and our baby - I was in a place that I didn’t want to be. But God did not waste it. He showed me that I could trust Him. I wasn’t in a good place emotionally, mentally, spiritually when I first started praying in that hallway. But dear family and friends lifted me up in prayer and text me encouragement. And I spent time with God asking Him to intervene. I truly felt the peace of God come upon me. The “peace that surpasses all understanding” as Paul describes in Philippians 4:7 . Thankfully Carrie gave birth to a healthy baby boy. And now 7 years later, Sam is wrapping up second grade.

If that event went differently, God would still be good. And my life would still have purpose.

That day (and several others) played a critical role in preparing me for ministry. Not only am I called to trust in God to lead me as I lead others, but events like this prepared me to now work in pastoral care and do hospital visits.

God proved himself trustworthy even as I found myself in unwanted places.

I could overcome - not because I was strong or smart or special, but because God was with me there!

Apply:

Has God put you in an unwanted place this season?

What are you learning? How can you shift your mindset to get the most out of it even if you are there for a long time ahead.

What if you are there 2 more years, 5 more years, 10 more years? Are you just going to complain?

There’s a time to bring it to God. And there’s a time for us to change our attitude.

I know it stinks. I know you want your situation to change. But what might God want you to learn?

Is it patience? Grace? Trust? Gratitude? Endurance? Obedience? His voice?

It is never easy being in unwanted places, but there is beauty when we find purpose in it.

Often the purpose is not revealed until we are long out of it. Sometimes we may not know it at all, but there are signs of God at work while we are in it.

I encourage you to ask God what He wants to learn.

And if you need some help, consider joining a small group or a ministry like Celebrate Recover. They meet on Thursdays at 6pm in building B. It’s not just for people struggling with addictions. Celebrate Recovery is for anyone with Hurts, Habits, and Hangups. People go to CR for a variety of reasons. If you want to know more, I’m happy to connect you with Jason & Darlene.

Closing

Let me give you some hope. Jesus went to unwanted places for you and me.

Philip and the Ethiopian man talked through a passage from Isaiah.

Acts 8:32–33 NIV

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.”

Philip explained that this was about Jesus Christ. He went where He did not want to go.

Before Jesus was arrested and taken to be crucified, He prayed to the Father.

Luke 22:42–44 NIV

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

Jesus was under incredible distress. He felt every attack coming his way. Every insult and false accusation. Every whip on his body, every thorn piercing his head, each nail in his hands and feet. He dreaded the cross . . .

Yet he willingly endured it and gave His life for you and me and for anyone who will receive Him.

And because Jesus went to unwanted places, He modeled this for us.

In an unwanted place Jesus led many to eternal life in His Name

In an unwanted place Jesus glorified God - the Father, Son & Holy Spirit

And in an unwanted place Jesus was prepared so He could be raised to life on the 3rd day and ultimately, reign on high forever and ever.

Next time you find yourself in an unwanted place, think of the potential and look to Jesus!

Let’s pray!

Invite cards . . .