We turn today to Acts chapter 8. If you’re especially observant, you’ll notice that this is the third time that we’ve covered this text in the last two years. We didn’t exactly plan for that, but we don’t believe that God has made a mistake. It just might be that He is trying to drive home a point for us to work on applying this passage as a church triply hard. This is one of the core areas that we’re trying to grow in, in evangelism. So some of my material may be familiar, but I trust it’s no less helpful nor less essential for us to apply. We’re calling our message today Divine Appointments. So, Acts chapter 8.

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

It was in Jacksonville, Florida. I was on a short-term mission trip with about twelve other college students and staff to visit a few school alumni and to do some local church projects, a new church plant, gospel outreach. We were serving. We had recently arrived from California and traveled a good deal before the service and outreach work was to begin the next day. Our host wanted to give us a special dinner at a restaurant chain unique to Florida. So we gather at this spot and we drive to a restaurant. We arrive and we discover that it’s closed because of a sudden fire. So we travel some distance to another site where there is supposed to be a restaurant across town. To my memory, we find that they were closed for a reason we didn’t know why. So we ended up just going to a third restaurant across the street that none of us had intended to visit. We sat down and began to order. Our servers came with waters and I heard a voice behind me. “Josh? Josh Beakley?” I turned to look and I am shocked to see it was someone I know from Los Angeles.

I vaguely remembered that she was a young woman who had attended our school the year before, but my understanding was that she had faced some personal troubles and had left the college abruptly on tough terms. Almost nobody had any idea where she went, but apparently, an extended family member from Jacksonville had invited her to come live with them. She had been passing her time just working and having fun, not attending church, not thinking about God at all. Now, here she is, right in front of me at a restaurant that we never intended to visit, with a look of total shock. In the moments that followed, we discussed our trip, the events that redirected us to the restaurant, the greatness of God, and invited her to church. Here was a young woman who had crossed from coast to coast to escape meeting with any religious people who knew her. Despite her aim, God arranged a divine appointment completely outside of both of our plans. According to our trip agenda, the mission was scheduled to begin the next morning, but in real life, God was already on the move.

It’s not every day that feels full of miraculous, divine appointments. Countless hours just slip by our notice as ordinary and uneventful. But sometimes we forget that we’re encountering dozens of people made in the image of God. We find ourselves racing past opportunities to make meaningful connections because of our ever important pre-planned schedules. Now, perhaps the apparent absence of powerful encounters is not because God is any less at work. Perhaps the gap so often persists because of our failure to remember how easily God can design divine appointments far outside the scope of our own personal agendas.

Philip is a man with a mission. It’s not a mission he had chosen for himself. It was one designed and commissioned by another. It was an assignment given by Jesus to His followers. He had come for a specific purpose. He lived a perfect life. He had died on behalf of all who would trust in Him. He had risen again, showing the power of God unto salvation. Before He ascended into heaven, He left His followers with a job to do.

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

“You will testify of the good news of who I am, what I’ve done and the hope of life for all who would trust in Me.” The book of Acts unfolds as things expand and the movement continues on.

Jesus claims authority over all heaven and earth. He gave this Great Commission in Matthew chapter 28. We see that His disciples would go and make more disciples from all nations. We see that they would call people to believe in Him, to belong to Him through baptism, and become like Him, teaching them to obey all that He had commanded. In the book of Acts, we see the Holy Spirit arrive. We see how the movement explodes in Jerusalem and grows beyond. We see the man Stephen powerfully explaining this Gospel and then is murdered. Then through his murder, there is a scatter that happens because of persecution and the movement continues to expand. Philip is one and he goes and carries the Gospel, as Jesus said, to Samaria.

A powerful work is happening in Samaria as the word of the Savior spreads. People are telling about this good news. This Jew named Philip is reaching into this foreign territory and it’s sort of a radical city-wide revival in Acts chapter 8. When you look at verses 4-6, you can see what is happening. In verse 12, Philip is preaching the good news and many people are being baptized, just like Jesus had called. Philip is on this mission and the Gospel is on the move.

What we see happening through the book of Acts and all throughout, is God working through divine appointments to bring people to salvation. We see that God loves to save people through these divine appointments. He loves bringing people into encounters with each other, relationships in sometimes every day, ordinary, mundane life, to encounter a message that would appear to the world to be foolish. He works through a method of just talking about it. It’s a means and a method that would appear to be foolish. He works through people that the world would say is foolish, and yet, through this, Paul would later say

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes,

Here is God bringing divine appointments where people would just talk about this simple message through a simple method of sharing this good news through simple men and women, so that people experience salvation. God loves to save people through these divine appointments where lives are changed eternally for the better.

Now, I can say that there really is no more privileged opportunity, no better part of your day to have than to take part in a life being transformed eternally for the better. There’s no better event to have on your calendar than to get to be a part of a divine appointment where God would save someone by the power of the Gospel. Is that something that you would like to be a part of? If yes, then say Amen. (Amen!) Do you believe that there is something better on your calendar or on your agenda than to be a part of someone coming to salvation? Or is that the most exciting thing that you could take part in? If that’s the case, then when we think about our plans and our agendas and our desires and hopes and dreams, it would be right for us to say, how can I ready myself to be a part of more of those divine appointments? How can I ready myself to see and then to seize those kinds of opportunities as they arise? How do I ready myself to be a part of divine appointments?

We’ve been praying for God to grow us in evangelism. We’ve been discussing it for years. We’re here again this morning. As a church, as families, as individuals, how do we ready ourselves to be a part of the divine appointments that God would use to bring people to salvation through the Gospel? If we want to be a part of what He is doing, what the Holy Spirit is doing, we see evidence here that He commands of our lives in what God is doing in the community and in the world around us. If we want to see people saved from their sin and rescued from the wrath of God and eternal separation, then today’s text provides us with some help for how we can ready ourselves to be a part of that, part of those divine appointments. How do we ready ourselves? Let’s try to look at a few ways. We’ll touch on four this morning.

Go All In—Divine Appointments Often Follow Commitment

The degree of readiness God expects (26-28)

Commitment is being completely dedicated or devoted and given over to God’s will rather than yours. It is total commitment to do whatever He might ask with full willingness and preparedness. It’s what Gospel readiness takes. It’s complete, all-in commitment. That’s the degree or extent of Gospel readiness God expects. It is commitment.

From what I’ve been told and what I’ve read, firefighters have this call as they’re on duty to be at a high state of readiness. In the past, they used to call their attire bunker gear, I’m told, because when they were sleeping, they would have their boots set and their protective clothing right next to their bunk so they could just slide out of bed, feet right in, and then slide the gear up and be ready to go. It is just an immediate, serious level of readiness. It reminds me of the spiritual armor God tells us to don in His service in Ephesians chapter 6. The picture we’re given is to don

Ephesians 6:15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

What we wear on our feet is the readiness given by the gospel of peace. It’s the same idea in Romans quoted from

Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news.

It’s that we’re ready to carry and bring good news to those who need to hear it. That’s what we’re talking about, here. It’s a degree of readiness that God expects that is not low. It’s not even average or even high. It is constant readiness. He wants us to share the Gospel and be ready constantly. We have a story here about a man modeling just that.

In verses 26-28 we see a witness named Philip. He receives a strange assignment and discovers a unique opportunity because he shows an amazing degree of commitment to gospel readiness. We can see the kinds of commitment that Philip makes here as the kind of commitment that we can make. I’ll touch on three commitments. They relate to where we’ll go, when we’ll leave, and who we’ll reach. We could say it just something like this: anywhere, anytime, anyone. These are the kinds of commitments that we need to make. This is what it looks like to go all in.

First, anywhere. Anywhere God sends, no matter how unusual, no matter how inconvenient or strange the assignment may seem, and it’s pretty strange. In verse 26 you see Philip, here. It’s strange in terms of its delivery. It comes supernaturally.

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip,

An angel comes and calls Philip to something different. What is unique or strange about this is Philip is having an amazing ministry in Samaria. It’s like a revival. People are believing in Jesus. They’re coming to be baptized. Transformations are happening. Everybody hears about it. The ministry is booming and Philip is called to go somewhere else. He’s called by an angel. It almost seems essential that it would be an angel because it seems shocking that he would be called away from what he is doing. It’s strange in terms of its detail, which is vague. The call is

“Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

Start going that way. He’s not even really given a destination. He’s just told to go that way. It’s essentially no where, we’re told. Luke says

This is a desert place.

So just like Abram is sent out, it’s less about location and more about direction. Philip is told, go this way. We’re told this is basically nowhere. Gaza is almost like the last watering hole or gas station until you start heading to Egypt. It’s a desert road. Philip is in this city. There is evangelistic success. Programs are going. Stuff is happening and he gets this vague assignment to basically nowhere. Yet, he receives it by faith. He is willing and ready. Anywhere! In fact, we see that Philip is ready immediately, anytime. You see his swift, immediate, eager obedience.

27 And he rose and went.

There were no questions, no complaining. It’s a new assignment. Here I go! It doesn’t matter if this is exciting ministry, if this is a revival. It doesn’t matter if this seems where I should be when it’s clear that God is calling me in a specific direction, that God works not just through programs. He works through people, and I’m ready to follow anywhere and anytime. Right now! Philip is gospel ready.

Not only that, but we see anyone. He is committed to share the Gospel with anyone. Anywhere, anytime and anyone. This is all-in commitment. In verses 27 and 28 you see the unique opportunity he discovers on this deserted road. He’s not alone. He runs into a very unique individual. There are plenty of details about this individual and about the opportunity that show us how unique he is. First, he is unique in terms of his ethnicity.

And there was an Ethiopian,

This is not someone that someone like Philip would usually run into. This is not modern day Ethiopia, but ancient Nubia in southern Egypt. The Old Testament referred to it as the kingdom of Cush. It represented what the Greeks and Romans considered as the extreme limits of the civilized world. So here he is coming across a bit of a foretaste of what Jesus said about the ends of the earth that the Gospel would reach. The Gospel is breaking barriers even here with Philip talking to an Ethiopian. Second, this man is unique in terms of his physiology. Physically, he is

a eunuch,

Very likely, at some point he was castrated and unable to have children. It was a common practice in the ancient world for officials working high up in government. It was a way to ensure that they were more loyal and dependable and less open to bribery, especially those who kept harems or treasuries. So here he is, a eunuch. There is something that we need to know from the Old Testament, from Deuteronomy 23:1. In the Law we learn that this particular condition, just like the lame man from Acts chapter 3, prevents someone from entering the temple. So, for a eunuch, he would never be able to enter the sanctuary. This is a painful reality that he would lose the ability to have children, almost certainly not to marry, but also, to be prevented from entering the sanctuary of the one true God. This man is also unique in terms of his industry. He was

a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians,

Candace is a title given to the queen mother. It’s sort of like Caesar or Pharaoh. The bulk of the government’s actual power rested in her hands. He is unique in his industry, serving her and in terms of his authority, he

who was in charge of all her treasure.

This was the royal financier of the Department of the Treasury. He’s a big deal. He’s unique in his authority. In terms of his itinerary, what he was trying to do,

He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning,

So here is a man who traveled 200 miles, likely. He was concerned enough about his spiritual life to travel this distance to come to Jerusalem, to worship at a place he couldn’t even enter. He was searching for God. He was super religious, super sincere, and yet, he does not know God. He was like so many people around us who are sincerely religious, even reading the Bible, seeking truth, and yet, they need someone to bring them to Christ. They need someone to show them the truth about the good news of Jesus. Here he is. He has come to Jerusalem to worship and he is leaving still searching. It must have said something about his worth to his queen that she would let him embark on such a journey. He is also unique in what you might say is his inapproachability. He is

seated in his chariot,

This is probably an ox-drawn covered wagon. One scholar would say that he is seated probably beside the driver and then he has other high ranking officials and servants following the wagon on foot. This whole entourage is saying that this is an important guy in the chariot and it’s not sort of the customary position that you would approach someone to strike up a conversation. You kind of give space to an official in a chariot. He’s also unique in terms of his activity.

and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

Now, that’s a surprise. All of these combinations and here is this individual reading the ancient scroll of the Jewish prophet named Isaiah. It’s a unique opportunity that would seem so strange that you might pass by, except Philip is ready. He recognizes this is the right man, the right person, the right time. I’m ready to go. So Philip has made this commitment: anywhere, anytime, anyone. He’s ready to go.

The point is, this divine appointment is here, but they often follow commitments. Divine appointments often follow commitments. If you want to ready yourself for more in your life, do you think that you would experience opportunities if you woke up in the morning and said, “God, anywhere, anytime, anyone”? If you made that kind of commitment and opened yourself up and said, “Not my will, not my plan, not my schedule, not my agenda Lord, but yours,” do you think God can work with that? Often, the old quote goes that God would much rather have not just our ability, but our availability. He will work through our commitment and willingness to do what He would have us do.

There is no more compelling picture of gospel readiness than Jesus. He received every assignment from God with an amazing attitude. He seized every opportunity. It didn’t matter whether He was sent into the wilderness to be tempted, whether He was talking with outcasts, whether everyone else ostracized Him because of who He was trying to minister to, He followed the mission that God laid out. He was so ready that He didn’t get distracted by exciting action around Him. Everyone was excited about Him being able to heal or provide bread and they wanted Him to do various things and make Him a ruler and He said no. He would often go away. He went to pray and then He said “We need to go to the next town because I need to go and preach the Gospel. That’s why I came.” He wasn’t caught up in things that made Him feel important. He recognized, “I’m here to serve the will of God.” He, as the Son of God, came and accomplished His mission. He was ready. His readiness pays for what so often is missing in ours.

So often, we have limits to our commitment. It’s hard to wake up and say, anywhere, anytime, anyone. There are some places that we don’t really want to go. There are some times where we say “My job is too important. This ministry that I’m doing is where I need to be. If God were to call me somewhere else, I couldn’t do it. My reputation is too important. This is where I need to be no matter what God thinks.” Or there are times where we don’t leave. We say, “God, I’m willing to do this, but first, I need to do this.” We’re like the man who told Jesus, “First let me bury my father. Let me take care of some business. Wait until my father dies and then I’ll wrap things up.” Or we might say, “Not while my kids are young. Not before I get my promotion. Or not before I retire.” Or even on a daily basis we say, “Not right now.” Or we can say, “Not on Mother’s Day.”

There are just some times where we just don’t want to have to leave it open to where God might lead. Or maybe there are people that we’re limited. We think, “I just don’t want to run into so-and-so. I don’t want to encounter this person. I don’t think that they deserve it. It’s always awkward when I run into a certain demographic or a person of a certain opinion or someone from a political party. I always have a hard time talking to people from the country or people from the city or people from this culture, this background.” Or maybe we say, “Not college students. They eat all the Doritos.” That’s what they used to say about me. (Laughter!) Or you say, “Just not children’s ministry. Children run around. They play Red Rover and then they wipe their nose on your leg. It’s just tough.” There are ways that we say, “God, anywhere, anytime, anyone.” Make those kinds of commitments with no holding back. I’m not going to hold onto my comfort. I’m going to set it aside. I’m going to let God set my agenda, and not only to go somewhere scary.

My parents are kind of the classic story. We came to Bethany. I don’t know however long it was ago, twenty-five years or something. We walked in the first time. Our neighbors had invited us. “You need to come. You need to hear this pastor. He’s great. He’s this young pastor.” We show up and he’s not here. They have some missionaries from Africa. My parents are like, “That is the worst!” (Laughter!) “The only thing worse than a pastor is being a missionary from Africa. They can’t even get a job in America.” They swore an oath that we would never go back there. Nowhere! God worked through amazing ways and divine appointments and it turns out a couple years later, however long it was, we ended up back at Bethany. A couple years later, dad is at Seminary. A couple years later, we’re in Africa. (Laughter!) Now you say, “Okay. I’ll go anywhere except Africa.”

Do you know that it flips though, sometimes? Some people are like, “I’ll go to Africa. It sounds romantic. It sounds exciting. Anywhere but Peoria! I’m ready to go anywhere, God.” God could say, “I want you to stay in Peoria.” We say, “Oh, just not that one! Peoria is not exciting. There are no divine appointments here.” Except, maybe there are. Maybe there are divine appointments right in our very home. We say, “God, I’m ready to go anywhere. I’m ready to do ministry, except I’m just tied down here. I have all these challenges. Here we are on Mother’s Day and I have children. The children are keeping me…” No, they could be your divine appointment day after day. To truly say, “I’m committed to anywhere, anytime, anyone. God, lead me.” Gospel readiness starts there, but it’s not where it ends. The commitment is going to cost you.

Take Some Risks—Divine Appointments Involve Risking Engagement

The drama of readiness God enjoys (29-31)

To engage means to get involved, often in a conflict situation. Engagement means risking interaction with a possible hostile party. It means risk. It means that something you love is at stake. It’s what you might call the drama of readiness that God seems to enjoy.

Last time we mentioned this. Turner Network Television launched in 1988. You probably know it as TNT. In 2001 they did a rebranding and they unveiled a new slogan: We Know Drama. Do you remember that? The whole point was an emphasis on suspense and excitement to be enjoyed. It’s a good slogan for tv entertainment, but it’s not the kind of thing that we’re after in life. How many people want that to be their life slogan? I know drama! Or how about a church slogan? Bethany: We Know Drama! (Laughter!) We probably would prefer Bethany: No Drama! This neighborhood: Welcome! No Drama! Our household: No Drama! In fact, we might even be praying for that.

But you think about the book of Acts. You think about basically every book in the Bible. Think about God’s mode of operation. How does it stack up against that mindset? We might not like the drama, but it’s not so with God. We might prefer comfort and calm, no suspense, but not so with God. It’s this passage and others like it that remind us in terms of Gospel readiness that there are some elements of drama that God actually seems to enjoy and He even designs for us.

You look at verses 29-31 and you see the drama in which Philip is about to engage with this man he has never met and the risks that he takes to share the Gospel. These are the kind of risks that we can take, too. The first is the risk of obeying hard commands. Take some risks! The first would be to obey hard commands. Step out in obedience to what God is asking of you. God enjoys when we engage by faith with the hard commands He gives. It pleases Him.

29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”

No matter how unique the individual or the situation is, God commands him to approach the entourage. There is a risk here of for sure, social embarrassment, but perhaps even of physical safety. He is going up to a foreign entourage in the middle of nowhere, and yet, he is willing to engage because that’s what he came to do. There is kind of a helpful pointer here for us. Sometimes to obey hard commands, we recognize that there is a momentum that can build. When we start to obey God in the small things, the momentum can build and carry us over some of the harder things. Philip has already obeyed God to come out here. By this time, there is another clear direction from God. He’s like, “Well, I already came here. I’m already deep in with following God. I might as well keep going.”

By faith, as you continue to step forward into hard commands, there is a momentum that can carry you. It’s a blessing to be faithful in little so that you would be faithful in much. You see Philip trusting God even when it’s hard, even when there is a risk here with what might happen as he engages. So, obey hard commands. But second, ask bold questions. After you step out in obedience, you speak up with interest and engage someone by asking bold questions. In verse 30, look at what Philip asks the eunuch.

30 So Philip ran to him

He’s obeying this hard command and takes a risk right there.

and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

That’s a risk, asking a question like that. I don’t think he’s being condescending. I don’t think he’s being flippant. I think he’s engaging. He’s trying to offer to engage with a topic that maybe this man’s associates would not. He is ready to engage with him and he asks a bold question, engaging him. There is some drama of suspense. Bold questions can be a powerful tool to love and care for people when it comes to sharing the gospel. There is one source that I read, I didn’t count myself, but according to this source, on twenty-five occasions, Jesus was asked a direct question that required a simple answer and He only gave a direct response to four. The other twenty-one times, He replied with not a statement, but a question of His own. Questions are powerful tools.

What kinds of bold questions might you ask? There are so many. You could ask, “Do you think much about spiritual things? What do you think about spiritual things? Would you mind sharing your spiritual beliefs?” Or maybe ask, “Do you ever think about God? What shapes or informs the way you think about Him?” Or you might just ask, “Do you go to church anywhere?” Or even just share, “I was at church on Sunday. Would you ever want to come some time?” Or maybe ask, “We’ve been friends for awhile and I’ve not talked to you about the most important thing in my life. Could I take a few moments to just share?” Or maybe just ask, “What do you think happens after you die?” Or maybe ask, “What do you think about Jesus? Who do you think Jesus is? What do you think is the point of His life and what He taught?” Or maybe say, “When Jesus said such and such thing, what do you think He meant?” There are so many questions that you could ask and these are bold.

It’s easy to say it in here, but when you get in the neighborhood and you kind of feel that moment in the conversation happening, you’re talking and someone is sharing about the difficulty of the pandemic and covid and then all of a sudden you’re ready. This is the opportunity. This is the moment. I could ask a question. But it feels too risky, too bold. Have you ever waivered and backed down? I know I have. We need to recognize that if we want to be a part of divine appointments, we have to take some risks and ask bold questions. Prepare for those times. Sometimes we think, “I don’t think God wants any drama in this neighborhood. I don’t think He wants any drama on this flight or on this car ride. This is Mother’s Day. God doesn’t want any drama on Mother’s Day.” Yet, there are times where to be a part of a divine appointment, we need to ask a bold question.

I had the privilege of interacting just randomly when I came across one of our mother’s here from our church family this week and she was sharing about a conversation she had. In tears, she was sharing about some of the bold questions that she asked her child who is now grown. What an example to me and an example to us. What a blessing to say we’re ready for wherever God would lead us and take some risks because we care that much. We’re ready to be a part of what God will do. We’re ready for the divine appointments that He would have for us. We’re not trying to stir up sinful drama that is man-centered and fleshly. We’re ready for the suspense of trusting God by faith and asking questions that clarify who it is that we’re talking with.

If we obey hard commands and we ask hard questions, there is a sense in which we face real responsibility. There is an awareness of the responsibility that we have that is shown here in verse 31. Philip asks, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” The eunuch says

31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

There are two responsibilities that surface here for us to face. There are the needs that we can acknowledge and the opportunities that we can seize. You see the needs that we can acknowledge, the need that the eunuch expresses. “How can I, unless someone guides me?” This is a heavy responsibility to face. We’re looking at people that are asking, crying out for a guide. They are dependent upon someone pointing them, explaining, talking, and sharing about the good news about Jesus. There are people whom God has placed each of us around. Not everyone has the same neighbors. Not everyone has the same jobs, the same friendships, the same family members. There are people where you may be the only Christian in their life, the only person who knows the good news, who has that opportunity. There is a need that this person has for the good news and God sent you to bring it. That’s a responsibility to face, to acknowledge that need. The same God who is in control of everything, this God who is sovereign is the same God that Paul would teach as sovereign in Romans chapter 9. But He’s also the same God that Paul would teach in Romans chapter 10 that he would say

Romans 10:17 Faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.

The gospel is the power of God to salvation.

Romans 10:13-15 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

There is a level of responsibility that we realize we are the ones that have been sent. We have those gospel feet ready. We are carrying the good news and they have a need to hear it. It’s not us that is the power of God to salvation, it’s the gospel. We bring them the gospel. We point them to Jesus and what He has done. It’s uncomfortable to face that responsibility, but you can see the opportunities that we might miss, the opportunities we need to seize as we face that responsibility.

And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

Come on up! Here is the opportunity. The window is open and it’s only open for a short time. Philip is ready to step in. At this window of opportunity, the moment that he is going to engage, he takes that moment. He seizes it for a divine appointment. Facing our responsibility helps us to step into that risk and engage when the moments come. Despite the suspense, the hard command, the bold question, there is a genuine response. Amidst this drama, Philip is ready to assume his responsibility to engage even though it’s all entirely orchestrated by God. That becomes very apparent in the next couple of verses. God has been preparing this thing the whole time. It’s not because Philip is amazing. It’s because God is amazing! But Philip is ready and God loves to see steps of faith taken, risks taken, and trust of Him. So here Philip is, trusting God, obeying hard commands, asking bold questions, facing a tough responsibility.

I’ll share two stories that I’ve heard from people in our church. One is from an individual who was talking about working with a coworker for many years and then feeling convicted about needing to share the gospel and saying, “I need to share something with you.” This person shared the gospel and the co-worker said, “You know, we’ve been working together for years. If this is so important, what took you so long?” That is a heavy question to face. It’s convicting! I think about the faces and names of people who could ask me that question even today. I’m praying and ask that you would join me in prayer for yourself that we would be faithful to bring the gospel sooner, with wisdom and clarity and courage to take those risks.

I’ll share another story. Someone came up to me after the first service and shared that they were going to a certain appointment. There were some details going on, so they walked to a store across the way and as they were talking and engaging, they asked one of those bold questions. “I was just coming from church. Hey, do you go to church anywhere?” They said they had just started searching for a church. This person said, “Well, you should come to our church, Bethany.” The one they were talking to said, “You know, you’re the third person to invite me to that church.” You don’t know how God is working. That’s an encouragement, that there are people engaging and taking risks. It helps to know that we’re not alone. There are so many stories that we could share, but these are reminders of the risks that we need to take. Then once we get into that opportunity, we need to

Make It Count—Divine Appointments Require Discernment

The duty of readiness God entrusts (32-35)

There is a duty that we bear to be discerning and to be able to meet people where they’re at, to study people so that we can discern where they’re at, but also to get them where they need to go. We have a duty to study people to learn where they’re at and to study the Bible so that we know how to get them where they need to go. Discernment is the need.

Do you remember going to that place called the mall? Do you remember that place? It’s kind of a strange concept, I know. But if you think back to the last time, you go to that mall and you’re looking for a particular store. You see that big sign with the map on there. It’s kind of confusing, but you look and then you find that great little symbol that says “You are here.” Okay, good! I’m here. I’ve got my bearings and I need to get here. Here is the destination and I chart my course. We need people who are able to discern where you’re at and where we need to go and how to get there. Here’s the discernment that we see Philip show through his love for people and his love for the Bible. He had an understanding of the person in front of him; where they are at and where they need to go. You see Philip meet the eunuch where he is at.

The passage of Scripture he is reading is a powerful passage from Isaiah 53. I wish we had more time to get into it, but clearly, God has orchestrated this thing for the perfect timing. This is a great reminder, one, that God is working before us and that gives some courage that I don’t know what has happened, but I’m ready. Then two, there are people outside of our scope that sometimes we think I’ve lost the opportunity. God can be working out there with children who are long gone. God is at work anywhere. So here, God has been at work with this eunuch. He’s reading Isaiah 53, a powerful text! Philip is ready to jump right into the conversation in relationship with this man and with the text because he is discerning where this guy is at and where he needs to go.

32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”

This text is ideal because of being Isaiah 53. It’s about Jesus as the suffering servant. It’s a prophecy that is foretold that was fulfilled just a little bit before. All it is, is about connecting the dots. Luke, in Luke 24 told about how two men after Jesus had died and had risen and no one really knew yet, they were walking down the road and they ran into Jesus. They didn’t know it was Him. Jesus said, “What are you guys talking about?” And they’re like, “Are you the only person in Jerusalem who doesn’t know what is going on?” This was very widespread that this man named Jesus had suffered. He was wrongly accused. He was denied justice. He was silently executed. Everyone had hope in Him. Everybody knew this. The eunuch must have heard these rumors. So here he is, reading this prophecy and trying to understand what is going on. This temple that he couldn’t go into, everybody was talking about. Here he is and here Philip is. Ideally, you can almost see Philip smiling like, “Oh wow! God has set this up on a t-ball thing and I just swing away. Here we go.”

It’s ideal in its content, but also in its context because there are not that many passages in the Bible that talk about eunuchs, especially that speak directly to eunuchs. Yet, here is one three chapters later in Isaiah 56. You might have skipped over it in your reading, but look at this.

Isaiah 56:3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, “The LORD will surely separate me from his people”;

Do you think that would ring in his ears after not being allowed in the temple? Isaiah says

Isaiah 56:3-5 and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree. For thus says the LORD: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters;

You don’t have a lineage or children that would go on and carry forth your name. But God says

Isaiah 56:5 I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

What a promise! Philip was able to dive in here and see how God set him up and say, “Let’s talk about the suffering servant. Let’s talk about the hope that you can have forever.” This is amazing! You see what’s going on here. Philip is able to meet this man where he is at and the text that he is reading and dive right in and answer the question that he is asking.

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”

He doesn’t say, “What does this text mean to you?” He says, “What does this text mean? What is this author trying to say? What is the prophet talking about?” He’s able to answer this question and not only meet him where he is at, but show him where to go. In verse 35 you see what Philip does. How do you show someone where to go? You just see first how to share. Open your mouth.

35 Then Philip opened his mouth,

This is one of the most convicting verses, here. He had to say something. He spoke. It’s one of the scariest things that we can do. He spoke, and you see where he starts. He used God’s Word.

and beginning with this Scripture

He had studied the Scriptures. He knew from his study of the Scriptures what this meant and he knew where this man was at. Here’s what to share. Share the Gospel!

he told him the good news about Jesus.

There are so many ways to remember the good news. One simple way is to remember Jesus in my place. Remember those four words: Jesus in my place. God created a good world. We are guilty sinners. We sinned against Him. We are under His wrath and judgment. We need to be saved from our sins or we’ll be separated forever. Jesus came and died in my place. He’s the perfect sacrifice, the Lamb who died in my place on the cross and rose again, showing God’s power over death. And all who trust in Him can be saved. There are so many ways. But you have to get to the good news that you need a Savior. You’re a sinner and He is a Savior. Jesus died in your place. Trust in Him.

Philip pointed him to Christ. Ultimately, it’s not just a cold, abstract story. It’s a story that is about a person, about a relationship. Philip points him to Jesus. This is so similar to what happens in Luke 24 and it’s going to end with a disappearance in a similar way. He points him to Jesus. This is the discernment required for divine appointments. It’s that we’re able to meet people where they are at and we’re able to show them where to go. It’s that we help them to understand what the Scriptures say about Jesus and what it means to trust in Him. Lastly, if you want to be a part of divine appointments,

Don’t Let Up—Divine Appointments Take Ongoing Investment

The drive of readiness God emphasizes (36-40)

It’s easy to look back and say, “I had one of those one time and that was good enough.” We long to be a part of more divine appointments. We want to be ready and it’s going to take ongoing investment. This is the drive that God emphasizes. There is a zeal and eagerness to keep moving and to maintain ongoing investment. Here are a few ways to not let up. First, just take your next step. You see the eunuch here doing that in verse 36. He has an eventful conversion, a powerful demonstration, here.

36 And as they were going along the road

He has heard about Jesus. They’ve been talking. We don’t even sort of hear or see the moment of conversion.

they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

It’s almost like Philip is trying to catch up with what God is doing in this guy’s life. He’s chasing down the chariot. The eunuch is already reading Isaiah 53. Philip starts talking about Jesus and the guy is ready to get baptized. This guy is going. He’s urgent. He’s ready to take the next step and get baptized. It’s not hard to wonder why. If he had been kept from entering the sanctuary, kept from being a part of God’s people, he traveled 200 miles to be a part of God and he didn’t belong. Then all of a sudden, here he is reading the prophecy and he’s like, “Wait a second. I can belong. I belong. I believe.” Then he is hearing the message. Baptism is an expression of “I belong to God. I’m united with Jesus and I’m united in Christ forever, belonging to the family of God. I was buried with Him in death and rose with Him in life.” Through baptism, you are a testimony, just like we see in all kinds of testimonies around us. We see testimonials where people show sort of a before and after picture. Here’s the before and after where the eunuch says, “I was without hope. I was a dry tree. I was on my own. I had no everlasting name. Now I do. I can belong. Get me in the water. Get me in the water, now. I’m ready to go. I traveled hundreds of miles. I’m not going to do 200 miles back. I’m ready to go now.” So here he is. He’s ready to take the next step.

That kind of urgency is an encouragement to us, especially when we see new believers ready to take that next step. Sometimes when it comes to, “I believe in Jesus and belong to Jesus.” Then other times, “Become like Jesus? Well, that’ll happen over time.” At every point, following Jesus means being ready to take the next step. Sometimes, when we hesitate on one like baptism, and we hesitate for years, it keeps us from moving forward in other areas. So there is a hard, convicting thing for some of the people in our church that we can say we do need to take that next step. There are divine appointments ahead and there is an urgency that we see in this eunuch. There is not only an urgency, but we see him dismiss his dignity.

38 And he commanded the chariot to stop,

Everybody stop! They’re like, “What is he doing?” He jumps out, he jumps in the water, and he steps into community with this person that he never would have been a part of.

and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch,

This is sort of a unique picture. The eunuch embraces humility.

and he baptized him.

This is a humbling thing, and yet, he’s ready. It’s an audacious move to be dunked in the water by a foreigner, a follower of Jesus, in front of all his people. But he is united with Christ and he couldn’t care less. He is taking the next step. But not only taking the next step, trust how God leads. If you want a changed life and you want to see changed lives, you have to be ready even for a change in location, even when God would move us or others away.

39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more,

Just like in Luke 24, Philip is gone. The eunuch

and went on his way rejoicing.

Even as abrupt and unique as this transition may be, he recognizes that God is at work and that’s okay. I’m going to trust how God leads. I’m going to trust how God has moved this person. I’m not holding onto the messenger. I’m trusting in the message. I’m trusting in Christ and God has moved this person on. At the end of the day, there are lots of times and lots of ways. We see it happen all throughout Acts and all throughout our own lives where God moves people on and where He moves us on. We can trust how God leads.

Sometimes, when a certain person leaves or a certain ministry ends and we end up moving, we start to let up. We’ve gone to a new city and we don’t connect with a new church. Or our old Small Group has left or whatever, and we start to let up. The call is don’t let up. Trust how God leads. Continue on. Last, keep a gospel focus. Take your next step. Trust how God leads. Keep a gospel focus.

40 But Philip found himself at Azotus,

This is a random city.

and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

He’s ready to keep a gospel focus no matter how random the place may be, no matter how relentless these transitions are. He is ready to make it about Jesus. Not everything is the same. He’s had one big religious radical transformation in the city. Now he’s at a random desert road with one person. Now, he’s passing through and he ends up living in Caesarea for a couple decades, it seems. His ministry is changing all the time. There is no perfect formula. There is just being ready to trust God and not letting up. It’s to be a part of what God is doing. There is more I could say, but we’re coming to the end of our time. We want to be ready for how God leads. Here’s a sweet story of a reminder, and kind of a heavy story of the divine appointments that God would have.

There was a young man who grew up in a Christian home. He went away to college and like many, he became disillusioned and was convinced to reject the Bible by a fellow student named Jacob Eames, who was a friend of his. This young man ends up being the valedictorian of his university. He doesn’t tell his parents that he had abandoned his faith until after his graduation on his 20^thbirthday. He said, “I don’t believe in this anymore.”

He went to New York to write for the theatre. But as he is traveling one night, he stays in a small village inn. This was some time later. He happens to stay in a room next to a room where a man is dying. All night he hears the cries and the groans of this man and he can’t sleep. He is wondering: “Is this man prepared for death? It seems like it’s all that really matters now. Am I?” He also imagined the voice of his friend Jacob Eames in his head. “Really? You’re this weak? You’re the valedictorian and you’re spooked by a little superstitious religion?” He wrestles with that and he is uneasy.

The next day, he goes downstairs and he asks the front desk how this dying man was. He is told, “He is dead.” To which the man asked, “Do you know who he was?” He was told, “Oh yes. He was a young man from the college in Providence. His name was Eames, Jacob Eames.” That young man didn’t leave the inn for hours. Later, he would recount his thoughts in those moments. They are heavy thoughts recorded by one author.

“Lost. In death, Jacob Eames was lost—utterly, irrevocably lost. Lost to his friends, to the world, to the future. Lost as a puff of smoke is lost in the infinity of air. If Eames’ own views were true, neither his life nor his death had any meaning. But suppose Eames had been mistaken? Suppose the Scriptures were literally true and a personal God real? For that hell should open in that country inn and snatch Jacob Eames, my dearest friend and guide, from the next bed—this could not, simply could not, be coincidence.”

This young man, Adoniram Judson, eventually came to trust Jesus and gave his life to share the gospel as a missionary to Burma. He was seeking to be a part of divine appointments where people would hear the good news and experience life every day. He felt the urgency of the need to be ready for divine appointments and to not let this pass by. It’s too meaningful. It matters too much. This is the urgency that we need to share. May we be ready each day for the divine appointments God has prepared, so that one day, we would be ready for that future day that we await with hope everlasting.