Guided by the Spirit and the Word of God

 By: Dr. Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Acts 8:26-40

 

Acts 8:26-27a

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is ^[a]desert. ²⁷ So he arose and went. 

(NKJV)

 

Life is full of appointments and meetings. We have work appointments, meetings, and doctor's appointments. We meet friends and even strangers as we go about our daily routine. However, in this passage, we see Philip having a divine meeting arranged by the Holy Spirit. Philip is prepared for this meeting because of his knowledge of the Word of God. We must ask ourselves if we are living lives led by the Holy Spirit and prepared for such divine meetings.

 

An angel of the Lord speaks to Philip and tells him to rise and go down from Jerusalem to Gaza, a desert (Acts 8:26). Philip is obedient and goes, while an Ethiopian eunuch of great authority who had charge of the queen's treasury is also in Jerusalem worshipping (Acts 8:27). The Ethiopian man is returning and sitting in his chariot reading from Isaiah the prophet when the Spirit of God tells Philip to go near and overtake the Ethiopian’s chariot (Acts 8:28-29).

 

Philip runs to the man, and discovers he is reading from Isaiah, asking him if he understands what he is reading (Acts 8:30). The man tells Philip he needs someone to guide him in his reading and invites Philip to come and sit with him (Acts 8:31). Philip discovers the man is reading from Isaiah 53:7-8, foretelling the crucifixion of Jesus (Acts 8:32-33). The question the Ethiopian man has for Philip is whether the prophet speaks of himself or someone else (Acts 8:34). Philip begins with this passage of Scripture and shares Jesus with the man (Acts 8:35).

 

As they continue down the road, they come to a body of water, and the man asks Philip if anything is hindering him from being baptized (Acts 8:36). Philip then asks the man if he believes in his heart that Jesus is the Son of God, and he says he does (Acts 8:37). The Ethiopian man commands the chariot to stand still while both he and Philip go into the water where Philip baptizes the man (Acts 8:38). After they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord takes Philip away, and the Eunuch never sees him again and goes away rejoicing (Acts 8:39). Meanwhile, Philip is found at Azotus and passes through preaching in all the cities until arriving at Caesarea (Acts 8:40).

 

As believers scatter after the death of Stephen, Philip is led by the Spirit to an Ethiopian eunuch, a Gentile, and has an opportunity to share Jesus with him. In this text, we see,

• Philips Obedience (Acts 8:26-27) – Philip is one of those who did not flee from Jerusalem and is told by the Holy Spirit to go to Gaza. Philip has no idea why the Spirit has told him to go, but he goes in obedience to the Spirit's leading. We learn in Acts 8:27 that an Ethiopian eunuch is also there, setting up a divine meeting.
• Philip understands the Word and shares it (Acts 8:35) – After confronting the eunuch, Philip finds out he is reading from Isaiah 53:7-8 and that he wants someone to explain who the passage is referring to (Acts 8:30-34). Because of his knowledge of the Word, Philip can explain the passage to the eunuch. Philip is not only obedient to the Spirit's leading but is also armed with knowledge of the Word of God and who is referred to in Isaiah 53.
• No hesitation to be baptized (Acts 8:36-38) – Philip and the eunuch continue on their way and come to a body of water. The eunuch points out that there is water and asks Philip if anything is hindering him from being baptized. Philip confirms that the eunuch has come to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and they go down to the water where Philip baptizes him.
• The Holy Spirit leads Philip to other ministry opportunities (Acts 8:39-40) – Instead of being able to stay with the eunuch or even accompany him to Ethiopia, the Spirit catches Philip up and takes him to Azotus, where he preaches in all the cities until arriving in Caesarea. The Eunuch goes on his way rejoicing, leaving us to wonder if he was not influential in bringing the Gospel to Ethiopia, with Philip continuing his ministry in Israel.

 

As we live our lives guided by the Spirit of God, God will lead us to opportunities to share Christ with others. Philip gives us an example of how to act when these opportunities arise.

• Let the Word and the Spirit guide (Psalm 119:105; Romans 8:14) – Believers in the Church must be like Philip and obediently follow the leading of the Spirit of God. When we do, God will arrange meetings with people who need to hear the truth of the Word of God. These are not chance meetings, but divinely appointed meetings like the one Philip had with the Eunuch.
• Know the Word of God (Acts 17:11; John 8:32) – In preparation for these divine meetings, we must be diligent students of the Bible like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, so we are prepared to be used by God. The truth of God’s word not only sets us free but will set others free as we share it.
• Do not allow fear to cause hesitation (Matthew 28:19-20) – The Church has a divine mission to take the Gospel to all the world. As part of the Church, every believer must live their lives led by the Holy Spirit and not allow fear to prevent us from sharing the Gospel with those God places in our lives.

 

If you are reading this and have never prayed to receive forgiveness of your sins and make Jesus the Lord of your life, I encourage you to do so now by praying with me.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9). I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

This prayer is not some magical prayer, but must be a genuine expression of your heart. If that is why you prayed, rest assured, your sins are completely forgiven, and you have eternal life. I now encourage you to let someone know of your decision. I also urge you to find a church of truth, teaching from the Bible that is empowered by the Holy Spirit, so you can grow in your faith. May God convict, challenge, and bless everyone reading this post.