“Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.” Acts 8:35
Philip was a leader, teacher and evangelist in the early church. In Acts, chapter 8, we read about a huge movement of people coming to faith. But, the encounter that stands out in Philip’s story isn’t the huge crowds and healings, rather the moment Philip responded to the nudge of the Holy Spirit and went for a walk down a long, desert road. It was there that he met an influential Ethiopian reading the book of Isaiah. Before long, Philip was baptizing him in faith — right on the side of the road.
It’s an incredible story of recognizing and trusting the Holy Spirit, even when it doesn’t make sense. And for followers of Jesus, there are a few things we can learn from Philip in how we share our faith with others:
- Walk with God and you’ll be led by the Spirit. Philip was totally sold out to God. He was walking and living in the center of God’s will.
- Be sensitive to the movements of God. Don’t let busyness cause you to miss opportunities to speak into another person’s life. Pay attention. Be sensitive. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize when God moves.
- The more Scripture you know, the better equipped you’ll be. Philip recognized the Scripture the man was reading (Isaiah 53) and was able to explain the meaning. The more we study Scripture, the better the Holy Spirit will be able to use us in answering questions.
- Ask if someone wants to believe. If the answer is “yes,” lead them in a prayer confessing their sins to God and declaring their trust and faith in Christ. If their answer is “not yet,” volunteer to pray with them and offer to meet together to study and answer their questions through God’s Word and your own faith journey.
- The Gospel is for everyone. We all have wounds and insecurities that can hold us back from trusting in Christ, but the Gospel is for everyone: Jew, Gentile, Muslim, Atheist – everyone from every continent.
- Baptism testifies of our faith. The Bible teaches that Baptism follows a decision of faith.
When God calls you to move, to act or to share – will you? Philip did and a man’s life was changed for eternity.
