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Sunday's Message:
Yesterday, Pastor Ken (affectionately called PK) continued his series on Spreading Good News. He's been looking at Acts chapter 8, and considering how Phillip had been used of God in reaching certain people, and yesterday we came across the account of the Ethiopian eunuch. 

In this account, PK made some great points! First, the fact that this Ethiopian man was someone who was in a high-ranking position, seen by the fact he was seated in a chariot, and identified as a court official. Not only was this man a high-ranking official, but he was also a trustworthy person, because the royal authority, Candace (which is a title, not a name) had put him over the treasury; so he was entrusted with the kingdom's money. This man was also a wealthy man, because he had in his possession, a copy of the scroll of Isaiah (which in that day was extremely rare for an individual to have). Finally, he was seeking and worshipping God, because we are also told he was leaving Jerusalem, from where he went to worship [God]. All this was pointed out by PK, and this brought great insight into who this Ethiopian man was. 

Why all this detail about this man traveling back home? Well, insight was given by PK that God had asked Phillip to leave Samaria and to go to the deserted place (which would've been known to Phillip as Old Gaza). Why is this important? Because even though it was Samaria, Phillip was having an amazing ministry there! And yet, we are told in verse 26 that God's messenger told Phillip to leave Samaria and go to Old Gaza; in essense, Phillip was being led of the Spirit to go somewhere else. And this is where PK make a couple excellent applications. 

First, PK stated that if we are being led by the Spirit, we will be in the right place. This could be a leading to either decide to stay in-place, or to go somewhere else. Often times, when we make a decision to leave or stay, we do so based upon the amount of success or effectiveness we believe we're having, but God defines success differently. In Phillip's case, he was having tremendous success, preaching and reaching the Samaritans with the Gospel. But the LORD still asked him to go. Success in Phillip's account here isn’t seen in how many people he was reaching in Samaria, but in how obedient and faithful he was to the Spirit's leading. While man tends to measure success by results, God measures success by faithfulness & obedience. 
The second point PK brought out was that, not only if we are being Spirit led, would we be in the right place, but that we would meet the right person. Phillip would leave a group of people for a single person. Numbers, at least according to man, would seem to indicate that the more purposeful and needful ministry is in Samaria, but in God's mind, it's less about numbers and more about a number (i.e., a single person). 

The Spirit led Phillip to reach one person, this Ethiopian eunuch. Why? Because this man was seeking God; reading a copy of Isaiah 53 and wondering of whom is this speaking. This is where Phillip comes alongside and reveals to him the Messiah.

When this eunuch was seeking God, God responded by sending a person to him. While there are times God may reach someone through dreams and visions (as we read about in the Middle East), however most of the time he uses people; and in this case Phillip. This circles back to this second point, if we are being led by the Spirit, we will meet the right person.

Sunday's Illustration:
In closing, PK told a story about his mentor, Freeman Gooch. On a missions trip to Latvia, Freeman and his group had been recommended by other Christians to use a certain translator who had been helpful in ministry in eastern Europe. When Freeman asked those who knew the translator if the translator (who had been translating the Gospel to Latvians for many years) is saved, they didn't know. So naturally, when Freeman met the man, he was determined to ask him if he had believed in Jesus as his Savior. But he didn't begin with that question. Instead, Freeman asked the man if he knew what he had been translating all these years. The man said "Yes." Then he asked if he understood what he's been translating all these years; the man again said "Yes." Then Freeman asked him, "Did you believe Jesus as your personal Savior?" To this, the man said "No." After knowing what was being translating, and understanding what was being translated, this puzzled Freeman. So he asked the man, "Why haven't you believed yet?" Sadly, the man replied "Because no one had asked me." <Mic drop>

Wow! Here was a man whom many people were led of the Spirit to go his country, to reach a group of people, and yet not one of them sought to reach this one, single person. They saw the translator as a tool to reach others with the Gospel, but not as a soul. But Freeman didn't! Freeman saw himself as the tool and the translator as a soul, and Freeman knew that the Spirit led him to be in the right place to reach the right person.

Sunday's Echo:
As we seek to have Sunday's Message echo through this week, and bring it's message into Monday's world, let us desire to be led by the Spirit. Let us do so in order to be in the right place, and to meet the right person. Who is the LORD asking you to reach this week? May we focus on the greater purpose of our Christian walk, to be faithful and obedient to the call of God, thus ensuring a successful spiritual life.



(full sermon is linked below)