How Ordinary People Live on Mission

Introduction

https://www.squaremouth.com/campaign/pays-to-read/ Lady reads fine print of contract and is awarded $10,000. https://www.npr.org/2019/03/08/701417140/when-not-reading-the-fine-print-can-cost-your-soul

Word of God - God’s plan not written in fine print that we have to go searching for. Through the Bible - clear to see - God is on a mission to save people - His plan of redemption culminated in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

Word of God - God’s plan not written in fine print that we have to go searching for.

Now, Acts - Revelation - God’s plan to redeem people from every tribe tongue and nation is to use redeemed people to share the story of Jesus.

- “Go into all the world...” : “You will be my witnesses...”

Acts - God uses the apostles to establish the church, but He uses ordinary people...

Philip - an ordinary person who God uses in an extraordinary way. For 2000 years now, the Gospel has spread through ordinary people like you and me, and this will continue until Christ returns.

Three ways ordinary people live on mission:

Open your heart to the Spirit’s leadership.

Acts - the story of what happens after the ascension of Jesus. Finally, apostles get it! Church established - Gospel spreads through Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and ends of the earth.

- Apostles cannot handle load of ministry alone- 7 men to assist with ministering to physical needs.

Men do much more than minister to needs - 2 become missionaries - Stephen - signs and wonders - ultimately stoned to death for bold Gospel preaching.

After death of Stephen, believers scatter from Jerusalem because of persecution.

Philip to Samaria - people saved! In Samaria! Peter and John have to go check it out!

Tremendous success - Gospel breaking down walls of hostility - Jews and Samaritans becoming one because of Christ.

vs. 26 - Philip - “Go to road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza… a desert place.”

Philip? Why not Peter or John? God’s mission not reserved for apostles.

A desert place? Ministry successful in Samaria. BUT, the moment you gave your life to Jesus was the moment you stopped writing the story of your life. You handed the script over to God - “You write my story.” Open to His leadership because you trust He knows how to best use you for His purpose. ( - which God prepared beforehand.)

You came to faith hoping for Jesus to make your life better rather than realizing you are His workmanship.

A heart open to the Spirit’s leadership does not say:

“Not now” - Favorite thing to say when we sense God’s leading. Philip could have said: “Not now God, good things in Samaria! I’ll get to it when...” Delayed obedience is disobedience.

“Not there” Philip: “Desert? Are you sure?” We don’t get the voice of an angel - So, how do I know if I’m supposed to share the Gospel with my coworker? Go on that short-term mission trip, give to that person in need? Assume yes until you hear a clear “no.” “God I want to go to Russia. God: That’s a bad idea. Probably not a bad idea. If there’s an opportunity for Gospel ministry - move forward until the door is closed.

“Not me” The time, the resources, the training, etc. If Spirit is leading, He’s going to give everything you need to accomplish what He places before you.

Asparagus - My mind is made up — You’ve made your mind up that you’re going to live as a disobedient Christian - oxymoron! Did we even try to follow the Spirit’s leadership last week?

Open your eyes to the brokenness that surrounds you.

Open your eyes to the brokenness that surrounds you.

Open your eyes to the brokenness that surrounds you.

Open your eyes to the brokenness that surrounds you.

An unexpected encounter - treasurer of Ethiopia - “the ends of the earth.” Served the queen as treasurer of Ethiopia. Eunuch - common for men in positions of prestige in the royal court to be castrated - allegiance to their country and job - no time for family, etc.

Imagine - wanted prestige and power so desperately that he sacrificed having a family - a lineage of children.

Given up so much to be a part of the royal court - but empty. He went to Jerusalem seeking to fill the void in his life with the God of Israel - He’s heard of the God of Israel - seemed so different than the gods of Ethiopia - makes 1200 mile journey looking for answers and hope that he cannot find in the royal court or in Ethiopian religion.

But, he comes away from Jerusalem empty. - Because of his physically altered state, he wasn’t allowed to gather with the people of God. He could visit the temple, but never enter. Hope shattered…

Makes way back to Ethiopia hopeless. Made the long journey, given up time away from work - a wasted trip. He was broken. As he rides home in chariot - reads from prophet Isaiah - Don’t know how he came to own scroll - maybe bought in Jerusalem.

Spirit told Philip to go to chariot - Immediately, Philip knew why God brought him out here - RAN to the chariot. (Imagine - running beside a moving vehicle - “Hey how you doing, can we talk? Do you understand what you are reading?”)

Whole scene doesn’t make sense - Philip nothing like Ethiopian - different skin color - different social classes - Philip not in royal court - Ethiopian sexually altered - Philip not - They were the kind of people who should both have looked the other way when passing each other on the streets.

BUT - Gospel breaks down barriers - When you see people as God sees them - you run to opportunities even if it means you run to people who are nothing like you - people who you are supposed to avoid.

Don’t miss how God is at work in all of this: God directing (Spirit’s work in Philip), God preparing (stirring the heart of the Eunuch), God orchestrating a divine encounter.

God still at work in the same way if our eyes open to brokenness around us:

All people are broken - - spiritual death pervades - BUT God is at work - He has put us here for broken people! Right now, in your circle of influence, God is at work in the life of someone. Right here in N. Charleston - God is at work - Apartment complexes - People who don’t look like us, etc. Deepark Middle, CSU, So much baggage, brokenness, etc. God is at work, are you?

All people are made in the image of God - Created by God, loved by God - deserving of an opportunity to hear that they don’t have to stay broken.

Yet, we’re too busy to invest - too consumed with what we want to get out of life rather than what God wants to do with our lives. Open your eyes and see the reality that God sees at this very moment!

Train in China - most of the people around me will be enter a Christless eternity - What could happen if the church got serious about the mission? Mvt. in Acts - obedient people who saw brokenness and acted - what if that was the heartbeat of the church today?

Open your mouth to share the truth of the Gospel.

- Not by accident that Ethiopian reading this passage. Probably read more than what was quoted in Acts - Perhaps had been reading ahead to . God would give eunuchs a name better than sons and daughters? How is that possible? Was there hope after all for this Ethiopian?

Just the right time - God places Philip in the path of Ethiopian - sees him with scroll open to - One who like a lamb led to slaughter - beaten for my transgressions?

God directing, God preparing - Philip connects the dots. “Beginning with Scripture told him the good news about Jesus...” Eunuch ultimately had same problem as Philip - excluded from presence of God because of sin - Nobody can go in! Good News - you don’t have to be separated. Eunuch believes and is baptized. (Couldn’t identify with Jews at the temple who had rejected Christ - but identifies with true people of God who embrace the Messiah)

On a desert road - hopeless man finds hope. Don’t know his story - but think about God at work - Philip had been preaching to masses - led to preach to one - who would go back to his country as a Gospel witness in Africa. Eusebius - says Eunuch planted first church in Africa. You never know the chain reaction that might occur when you are faithful to share the Gospel.

Open your mouth and share not positive thoughts, not how to have a better life, not good advice for hurting people, opinions, but the truth - Do you know the Gospel so you can share it?

- All have sinned.

- The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.

- While we were sinners, Christ died for us.

- If you confess with your mouth, you will be saved.

- Everyone who calls will be saved.

Romans

- Since justified, peace with God.

- No condemnation in Christ our Lord.

- Nothing can separate us from God.

- How will they believe if they have never heard? Point - open your Bible and open your mouth. Share the Gospel from Scripture - authority. Different ways to share the Gospel - but point people to Scripture.

Challenge for you: to know the Scripture so well that you can easily share the Gospel from Scripture - seek out opportunities to learn!

Unbeliever - You’re like the Ethiopian - you feel excluded - far from God. God has made a way. Turn to Him and come close.

Believer - Did you even try to live on mission last week? You probably gave God all kinds of excuses… Lack of attempting to do God’s work reveals a heart closed to the Spirit’s leadership. Who will you share with? When? Who will you pray for?

Who will you share with? When? Are you even trying to live on mission?