Philip and the Ethiopian

I am pondering Acts 8 and wondering what it might look like for me to apply this passage to my own life.

"An angel of the Lord told Philip to go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza (26)."

There was an Ethiopian who was on his way home from Jerusalem. He was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah. The Holy Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it (NIV)" or "Climb into the chariot (MSG)."

Philip asks the man if he understands what he is reading, and the man responds, "How can I unless someone explains it to me?"

"So he invited Philip to come up & sit with him (30-31)." 

The man was reading Isaiah 53:7-8, and he asked Philip who the prophet was talking about—himself or someone else.

"Then Philip [grabbed his chance] began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water & 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 (35-38)."

I watched a webinar a few weeks ago hosted by Larry Crabb and his two sons, Ken and Kep. I can't remember who said what, but one of them mentioned how we can "be with others in a way that puts Jesus on display." 

To me, this passage paints the most beautiful picture of what it looks like to relate to others in a way that puts Jesus on display!

I'll share a few points from the story first and then do my best to tie it all together...hang tight!

1. Philip was obedient.

First, Philip obeyed the angel of the Lord by going south to the road. According to the text, he was given no further instructions. I think it's safe to say he had no idea what was in store for him on that desert road, and yet he went anyway.

Second, in response to what the Spirit was telling Philip to do, all versions specifically say he *ran* to the chariot. It doesn't say he walked or tried to wave them down. The Spirit told him to go to the chariot, and off he went.

2. Philip was running alongside the chariot.

Now, I ain't no Bible scholar...but "stay near it" leads me to *think* Philip had to run alongside the chariot...and he had to do so long enough to hear and *recognize* the man was reading Isaiah.

Whether Philip was "[staying] near [the chariot]" for 10 seconds or 10 minutes, I DON'T KNOW...both are too long for me! I am panting just THINKING about it.

Regardless, it was a MOVING CHARIOT, and he ran alongside it.

3. Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

Philip met the Ethiopian right where he was at in his journey! He didn't try to impress the man with his knowledge, and he didn't go out of his way to make sure the man knew he was "qualified" to teach (Philip was one of the seven appointed deacons mentioned in Acts 6). He simply asked the man if he understood what he was reading, and then used that passage to tell him about Jesus!

NOW, BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER...

As I ponder Acts 8:26-40, here is what I gather and why I believe this passage is a primary example of what it looks like to put Jesus on display by the way we relate to others, and what it looks like to truly do life with another individual.

This passage revolves around the relationship between two people, Philip and an Ethiopian man. Philip was asked to go south to the desert road where his soon-to-be brother in Christ was waiting. It was a divine appointment, one that wouldn't have occurred had Philip not responded to the call. In that moment, he was more concerned about being obedient and delighting the Father than anything else. Then, when he was told to go to the chariot, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to conclude that stepping into this moment was going to require a bit of physical work on Philip's end. In order to get to know the Ethiopian man and hear his heart, Philip was going to have to get uncomfortable. He was going to have to inconvenience himself by not only running to catch up with the chariot, but by then climbing up to ride with the man. It was a cost Philip was willing to pay in order to "put flesh and blood on who Jesus is and what he came to do (Paul Tripp)." Just as we don't know how long Philip was running alongside the chariot, we also don't know how long Philip was in the chariot. What we DO know is this: Philip stayed with the Ethiopian man long enough for the man to come to know Jesus Christ as his Lord & Savior! THINK ABOUT THAT! Philip met him where he was at, and he didn't leave the chariot until the man knew Jesus.

THIS is what it looks like to do life with others and to love them like Jesus!

I think it delights God when we...

• have quick feet and are prompt to respond to what we know the Holy Spirit is asking us to do

• are more concerned with delighting Him in that moment than anything else

• develop a willingness and readiness to inconvenience ourselves and hear the hearts of others for the sake of the Gospel

• meet others where they're at, not where we want them to be or where we think they should be

• climb into another's "chariot" and choose to sit with them in their mess & stay long enough for them to know God deeper (or come to know Christ) as a result of the Holy Spirit's work through us

Here's the thing...when we are stumbling along the Narrow Road, God is going to ask us to go south to the desert road...without further instructions (aside from His Word)! He is going to give us the opportunity to put Jesus on display by the way we relate to those he brings along our path. He is going to ask us to inconvenience ourselves, be uncomfortable, and step into hard places for the sake of another's soul (and for the sake of our own, too).

I long to be obedient, run alongside others, meet them where they're at, and stay with them for the long-haul!

Don't you, too?

I think it delights God when we...

• have quick feet and are prompt to respond to what we know the Holy Spirit is asking us to do

• are more concerned with delighting Him in that moment than anything else

• develop a willingness and readiness to inconvenience ourselves and hear the hearts of others for the sake of the Gospel

• meet others where they're at, not where we want them to be or where we think they should be

• climb into another's "chariot" and choose to sit with them in their mess & stay long enough for them to know God deeper (or come to know Christ) as a result of the Holy Spirit's work through us

“Here's the thing...when we are stumbling along the Narrow Road, God is going to ask us to go south to the desert road...without further instructions (aside from His Word)! He is going to give us the opportunity to put Jesus on display by the way we relate to those he brings along our path. He is going to ask us to inconvenience ourselves, be uncomfortable, and step into hard places for the sake of another's soul (and for the sake of our own, too).”

“I long to be obedient, run alongside others, meet them where they're at, and stay with them for the long-haul!”