This week's Bible Study - May 31, 2009
Philip: The Man Who Loved to Tell Others about Jesus
 Background Scripture:
Acts 6:1-5; 8:1-13, 26-40 21:8-9
Quote of the Week:
“If you tell a joke in the forest, but nobody laughs, was it a joke?”
-- Stephen Wright
There are some things that people just love to talk about. Many older people that are grandparents are more than willing to spend as much time as you will give them, showing you pictures of their grandchildren or talking about what they do, etc. Many parents are the same way with their own kids. There are other people who have made large purchases are they want to tell everyone about it. Some people never make that purchase, but everyone they talk to knows that they are looking into it, doing some research - getting some facts and data. Some people talk a lot about their pets. Sports fans may talk at length about a ballgame that they went to or saw on TV.
Some people love to talk about Jesus. I know a few people who try and incorporate some words about Christ in almost every conversation that they engage in. They may have other jobs and they do well in their jobs, but they always try to squeeze in something about Jesus. There are others who love Jesus and do indeed have a relationship with him, but they never really seem to tell anyone else. I know some people are afraid that they will get asked questions that they don't understand. If you think back to the grandparent, is it possible that they may get asked a question about their grandchildren that they can't answer? Sure, there are many questions that can be asked about anything that we speak about, but in most cases, we keep speaking anyway. However, many people are afraid to speak about Christ, because they won't know the answers. This seems a bit inconsistent, doesn't it?
There is a song that I used to hear in church quite often. I haven't heard it as much in the past few years as the style of music has changed, but you've probably heard it - I love to tell the story. Even though the song may not be played as often in church, the words still fit. Here are the words to the first verse and the refrain.
I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story, because I know 'tis true; it satisfies my longings as nothing else can do.
I love to tell the story, 'twill be my theme in glory, to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.
As the church was starting to grow, other needs became apparent. Sometimes, we don't really think about all that will be required as a group of believers expands. This was the case in this passage. As the number of disciples increased, there started to be some issues in that widows from the Grecian Jews were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The disciples heard of the problem and had a meeting to discuss the issue at hand. I have meetings all the time at work, so now I guess I see that they are biblical.
They showed incredible wisdom in realizing that the effort of the church had to be focused in multiple directions. They couldn't neglect the needs of the people, as they went forward in the ministry of the word of God. If they focused solely on meeting the needs of people, it would have been counterproductive in reaching others with the gospel. So they decided to choose seven men among the group who were full of the Spirit and wisdom. Note that the qualities for positions in a church are to be more in line with the Holy Spirit and less about doing a task. If any ministry is started, it is most important that the ones leading that ministry are full of the Spirit and wisdom, and not just up to date on the latest techniques of a specific ministry.
The idea was to find the seven and give them the responsibility to meet the needs of the people, while the others gave their full attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. This proposal seemed to meet the desires of the people and the whole group was pleased. Seven men were chosen, including Philip (the central character of this lesson). The men were presented to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them, commissioning them for their ministry.
This passage follows the martyrdom of Stephen. Some people would look at that event as something that would squelch the Christian movement. As others saw the persecution, they would denounce the name of Christ (or so some would think). The opposition may have thought that they won the battle, as the church scattered through Judea and Samaria. However, those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. You see how this actually propagated the gospel to further parts of the known world.
Philip went to a city in Samaria and preached the gospel of Jesus Christ there. Many people heard him and they also saw the miraculous signs that he did. They paid close attention to what he said. When the Spirit of God is moving in a group of people, they begin to become more interested in the things of God. Evil spirits were coming out of many people, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. God was at work and there was great joy in that city.
The words that Philip spoke and the things that he did were not of Philip. They were of God. Too often, we are trying to memorize words or do things we think should be done in order to win others to Christ. No person can be convinced into faith based on what we say or do. It requires the Spirit of Christ in their lives. Are we reliant upon the Spirit of Christ as we share our faith?
There was a man named Simon who practiced sorcery in the city. All the people were amazed at Simon, and he boasted that he was someone great. The people had followed him and exclaimed that he had divine power. They followed him because they were amazed. Tricks and feats may draw a crowd, but they only hold because of the tricks. When Philip came and preached the good news, men and women were baptized. They were changed - they no longer simply followed after tricks. Even Simon believed and was baptized. He was astonished by the signs that accompanied Philip. Later, we read that Simon was more impressed at the accompanying presence of the Holy Spirit. When he saw Peter and John laying their hands on those who believed, he offered money so that he could do this task, as well. He was impressed with the Holy Spirit - the signs, the miracles - and he wanted to give it to others. Peter told him that the gift of God could not be bought with money.
There are benefits of Christianity, to be sure. However, you do not come to faith and believe because of those benefits. The good news is about the good news of Jesus Christ - not about the miracles and signs and wonders.
An angel of the Lord told Philip to go to a specific place - the desert road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza. In some places in Scripture, we read that God told people to go. To Abraham, God say go to a place that I will tell you about. And, he went. When we are told to go someplace, we like to know where we are going, why we are going, how long we will be there, exactly what will we be doing and many other things. God is asking for our obedience, without having us continue to ask questions. Do you ever wonder if the reason you don't really feel God leading you so often is because so many times you have not followed through on things that he has clearly said? I think we can all relate to ignoring God's call in one area or another.
Philip didn't question - he just went on his way to the place that God told him to go. On his way, he met an Ethiopian eunuch. This man was an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and was on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot, reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip to go to the chariot and stay near it.
Philip ran to the chariot and heard the man reading from Isaiah the prophet. Have you ever been traveling someplace and noticed someone reading something with which you are familiar? I used to travel quite a bit with my job, and I would almost always see a person reading a Bible or doing a Bible Study. I have often seen them reading Christian books. Do you think that God has put those people in our path so that we can minister to them? There have been times that I have spoken to some of these people and it resulted in a great conversation, often revolving around questions of Christianity. Philip heard the man reading and asked him if he could understand what he was reading.
The eunuch told him that he had been reading, but he couldn't understand what it meant. He invited Philip to come up and sit with him. We've all been in the eunuch's spot, at least in regarding to not understanding. How many times in some class you were taking did you read the words over and over, yet they didn't seem to click? As I was planning on a mission trip to East Asia, I was trying to learn some Mandarin. I purchased a well known software application that is supposed to make it real easy. I did begin to understand some phrases, but I couldn't really understand fully without someone who knew the language. If you've been a Christian for a long time, chances are that you have some basic understanding that others may struggle with. Are you willing to help them learn?
The passage that the eunuch was reading was about the man who was like a sheep being led to the slaughter, and also like a lamb, he did not open his mouth. This resulted in being deprived of justice, and his life was taken from the earth. The eunuch asked Philip what the passage meant. Was the passage talking about the prophet himself or someone else? Philip began with that very passage and told him the good news about Jesus. Sometimes, God has people placed in our paths, and if we will just open our mouths, we will find excellent opportunities to share our faith. In many cases, it will be wide open - so that you don't have to shoe horn it into your conversation.
As they continued to travel, they came to some water and the eunuch requested that he baptized. The chariot was stopped and Philip went with him into the water and baptized the eunuch. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit took Philip away. This is one of those things I'd like to see the instant replay on when I get to heaven. Did Philip simply leave at the time, or did he jettison out? I think about an old video game called Asteroids. You are a little spaceship that can fly around and the object is to shoot the asteroids that are nearing you. There is a button called hyperspace that allows you to get out of a precarious position and show up on some other area of the screen (often in a more precarious position!). I don't really think this is what happened to Philip, but nevertheless the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way, rejoicing. Philip appeared in other towns, preaching the gospel in town after town until he ended up at Caesarea.
This passage talks about one of the missionary journeys of Paul. As he and his group traveled, they stayed with different disciples along the way. When the group reached Caesarea, they stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied. Apparently, Philip eventually settled down and had a family. He stayed in the Caesarea and continued to share his faith.
Closing
In this lesson, we learned several things about Philip. These are things that can be applicable to our lives. First, he was a man full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom. It doesn't really matter if your vocation has you in a church or religious organization or not. God needs people who are full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom in all areas of life. Are you that kind of person where you are?
Philip was part of the original church movement, based on persecution. Many people were displaced from their homes. The key to learn here is not to just go where God leads you, but to do what God leads you to do. As Philip went from city to city, he shared his faith. Are you sharing your faith with others around you, or are you leaving that to the professionals (your church staff)?
Philip was in tune with what God wanted him to do and where God wanted him to go. I believe this is true because he showed in his life that we did what God wanted him to do and he went where God wanted him to go. I believe a pattern was started in the life of Philip well before we read anything. God isn't likely calling you to go do some huge thing - but he is calling you to do something that is very tangible in your life. Maybe it is to stop some behavior that you know is displeasing to him and harmful to yourself. Maybe it is to build a relationship with others around you, so that you can share your faith one day. Maybe it is to step out and talk to others who are already studying God's word. One thing I learned many years ago is that we are not to keep trying to look for God to tell us what big thing we need to do - but we need to see where he is already at work and then we should join him. The answer to this question is different to everyone who reads this. What is the Holy Spirit telling you to do right now?
Sometimes, we read the stories of great Biblical characters and we think we need to be just like him or her. Most of the New Testament was written by Paul, a relentless missionary who journeyed from place to place, starting new churches. God may speak to you to be like Paul, but there are many others who supported Paul, with prayers and finances. The key is not to be like any one character, but to find out what God wants to do with you - and then do it.
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