SEIZE THE DAY: A CALL TO MISSIONS 150
Carpe Diem. Seize the Day. Because opportunity knocks but once. We have myriad ways to challenge ourselves when considering retirement opportunities, major purchases, business ventures, or financial investments. Those kinds of ventures and investments can be risky even scary. What if I don t like retirement as much as thought I would? What if the market goes bust? What if I lose everything? I am the last person to give you financial advice, but one investment is definitely worth making. You may not see an immediate payoff, but it will have an incredible impact on your life nonetheless. And on the lives of others. Invest yourself in missions. Many in our world still have never heard the good news of Jesus Christ, but we can use the opportunities and resources available to tell that good news. God s heart and mission is that all people everywhere know Him, and the mission He has given us is no less. This study is a call to missions. It is a call to seize the day. Lynn Pryor Lynn is the team leader for Bible Studies for Life. A native Texan, Lynn has been a part of the LifeWay family for more than 20 years and teaches each week in his church in Nolensville, Tennessee. Visit lynnhpryor.com. 151
GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes DISCUSS: Refer to the picture (PSG, p. 152) as you lead the group to respond to Question #1: When has a change in plans led to something better? GUIDE: Direct attention to The Bible Meets Life (PSG, p. 153). Acknowledge that those of us who have been around a long time have learned how difficult it can be to control things. Interruptions come. Things happen we didn t expect. SAY: Living by faith is like that. It s being content to move forward without knowing the full picture, trusting that God is in control. GUIDE: Introduce The Point (PSG, p. 153): Take your place in God s mission to the nations. Stress that Jesus did not give His commission only to paid professionals. It s a mission for all who follow Him. SESSION 13 SEIZE THE DAY The Point Take your place in God s mission to the nations. The Bible Meets Life The gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives. But many in our world have never heard the gospel message. Believers must use every opportunity and every means available to tell the good news about Jesus. God s heart and mission is that all people everywhere know Him, and our God-given mission is no less. The Passage Acts 8:26-35 The Setting Acts opens with Jesus final post-resurrection instruction and appearance (chapter 1), the Holy Spirit s coming at Pentecost (chapter 2), and His mighty works through the disciples (chapters 3 5). Chapters 6 7 tell of Stephen, one of the first deacons and the first Christian martyr. Stephen s death set off a wave of persecution, driving most believers, including Philip, away from Jerusalem (chapter 8). From a successful ministry in Samaria, Philip was sent to a desert road. 152 Session 13
Acts 8:26-27a 26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. (This is the desert road.) 27a So he got up and went. Be willing to go where God sends you. Verse 26. God s opportunities to share Jesus may consist of His sending us to unexpected places. Philip was commanded by an angel of the Lord to go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This road met the ancient Way of the Sea and led down to Egypt. The town of Gaza, the most southerly of the five Philistine cities, was near the Mediterranean coast and still borders the desert that stretches to Beersheba and beyond. We are not told exactly where Philip was when he received the call to move. Evidently, Luke cared less about where Philip began than what he did. We do know earlier, he was having great success preaching in a Samaritan city to crowds of people (8:5-6). Verse 27a. God s will may not have made any sense to him at all, but Philip obediently followed the angel s directive. He was commanded to go to the road leading to desert Gaza. The exact road Philip traveled is debated, because desert could define the nature of the road or simply refer to Gaza. Regardless, it is clear the road was only lightly traveled. Interestingly, the basic meaning of the Greek word translated south is noon. Was Philip perhaps called to travel during the hottest and most-uncomfortable time of the day? This is not the only, or even the first, time Philip had been obedient to God s call. Philip went to the region of Samaria and preached the gospel there (vv. 4-8). Philip s action demonstrates the gospel s power to break down barriers, because great animosity had long existed between Jews and Samaritans. Jews who had remained in the Northern Kingdom of Israel after the Assyrians had conquered it in the eighth century B.C. had intermarried with Gentiles whom the Assyrians had brought into the land. Their descendants lost their Jewish identity and were regarded as half-breeds. When the Jews of the Southern Kingdom of Judah were allowed to return home from exile in Babylon in the fifth century B.C., they refused Samaritan help in rebuilding STUDY THE BIBLE Acts 8:26-27a 10 minutes TIP: Physical limitations may hamper some group members from participating in missions opportunities that require extensive travel or physical activity. Note especially the Live It Out section for help in identifying various ways members can take their place in God s mission to the nations. However, acknowledge that God may be calling some members to take on more challenging opportunities that require travel or even moving to a new location. IN ADVANCE, talk to your pastor or other staff member about missions opportunities to people of other cultures your church offers. Have this information ready to access as needed during the session. GUIDE: Use the information in The Setting (p. 152) to set the stage for the focal passage. READ: Invite a volunteer to read Acts 8:26-27a. SUGGESTED USE WEEK OF MAY 29 153
THE POINT Take your place in God s mission to the nations. GUIDE: Explain that God was working through Philip in wonderful ways in Samaria. But God directed Philip to leave that successful ministry to go to another place. DISCUSS: Question #2 (PSG, p. 155): What stands out to you about Philip s response to God s call? (Alternate: What do you think Philip sacrificed to be obedient?) Jerusalem. By the time Jesus walked the land of the Bible, the relationship between Jews and Samaritans was greatly strained. Philip s ministry shows the early church under the Holy Spirit s guidance reaching out to tell lost people about Jesus regardless of their cultural differences. But Philip went where he was directed then, even as he later did in leaving an effective ministry to go to a desert road for one man. Testimonies of many modern-day missionaries would echo the truth God moves His people to unexpected places to accomplish His will. Often it is a move from a bountiful place of harvest to a spiritually dead location. We should not be surprised if God chooses to send us somewhere we at first cannot comprehend His reason for doing so. It may be a location near or far, a people group open or hostile to the gospel, or a nation where the work is relatively easy or extremely difficult. As Christ-followers, we must be willing to go anywhere God leads. GUIDE: Call attention to the map on PSG page 155. Note Philip s movements. Emphasize Philip s sensitivity to the Holy Spirit s direction for his life. He listened and obeyed. He was willing to go and do what God wanted him to do. TRANSITION: We should be willing to do the same, even when it means crossing cultural boundaries. 154 Session 13 Acts 8:27b 27b There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem KEY WORD: Eunuch (v. 27) Technically, a male who has been emasculated. The term seems sometimes to have been applied to men in high or responsible positions, even if not emasculated. Be open to cross cultural boundaries. Verse 27b. God s opportunities to tell others about Jesus may involve sending us to unexpected people. Not only was Philip commanded to go to an unexpected location, but to a person likely catching him off guard. Obediently leaving to follow the angel s direction, Philip found an Ethiopian man. What was so unexpected about encountering this man? Initially, it was his place of origin. The eunuch s place of origin should not be confused with modern-day Ethiopia. In Old Testament times, Ethiopia was the kingdom of Cush. The high-ranking official in our story hailed from modern-day Nubia on the Nile River. It was ruled by a queen mother with
the title Candace. Candace was not her proper name, but an official title given to the mother of a son thought too holy and pure to take on the mundane role of leading a secular nation due to the belief he was the child of the sun. Ethiopia was considered the end of the earth by the Greeks and Romans. 1 Philip was literally fulfilling Jesus command for His followers to be witnesses to the uttermost parts of the world! The Ethiopian was also a eunuch. While the term may have by this time become synonymous with any high-ranking official, more than likely, Philip s pupil had been emasculated and therefore forbidden under Old Testament law from fully participating in the Jewish faith (Deut. 23:1). Because this man was a eunuch and had no children, he could be trusted to deal with official matters of the royal court and not seek to seize the kingdom for a son. He was also a high official of the queen of the Ethiopians. Philip was in the presence of a noted governmental official in charge of the queen s entire treasury, much like a modern-day minister of finance. Finally, the Ethiopian had come to worship in Jerusalem. That the eunuch had gone to worship in Jerusalem indicates his sensitivity to spiritual matters. Probably he was a Godfearer, a Gentile who was attracted to Judaism. Although Luke did not make it completely clear, this man was probably a convert or near convert to Judaism, lacking only undergoing the rite of circumcision to be a formal member of the Jewish faith. Cross-cultural witnessing is not a new concept. It is a biblically-mandated means of sharing the good news with someone of a different ethnic background, language, culture, or belief system. Just as Philip acted upon God s plan for him to tell the Ethiopian about Jesus, believers today must not neglect to share Christ with another simply because he or she is different than us. Crossing cultural barriers in our witnessing can occur right in our own backyards with neighbors, but we should also remember believers have the opportunity and commission to help take the gospel to the entire world. At a minimum, Christ-followers can have a major impact by praying for missionaries and missions work around the world. STUDY THE BIBLE Acts 8:27b 5 minutes READ: Invite a volunteer to read verse 27b. SUMMARIZE: God was at work. It was no accident that this foreigner had come to Jerusalem to worship and was now headed back home at the same time Philip came along. Surely Philip noticed the man was different from himself, both ethnically and culturally. Jews, like Philip, primarily stuck to themselves, but that would not matter to Philip. DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 158): What kinds of differences exist in our community that could be barriers to presenting the gospel? (Alternate: How do we recognize an opportunity to share the gospel?) TRANSITION: We should be ready to share Jesus when God presents opportunities. 155
THE POINT Take your place in God s mission to the nations. STUDY THE BIBLE Acts 8:28-35 15 minutes READ: Invite a volunteer to read verses 28-35. SUMMARIZE: God s Spirit was at work with both Philip and the Ethiopian. It was God s Spirit who commanded Philip to Go and join that chariot (v. 29). From start to finish, this remarkable witnessing encounter was a divine appointment under God s initiative and direction. God in His sovereignty creates divine encounters for us to tell others about Jesus. We should seize these openings precisely because God planned them for us. We must recognize that He prepares the hearts of people to receive our witness and untold millions are simply waiting for someone to tell them about Jesus. Acts 8:28-35 28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud. 29 The Spirit told Philip, Go and join that chariot. 30 When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, Do you understand what you re reading? 31 How can I, he said, unless someone guides me? So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so He does not open His mouth. 33 In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who will describe His generation? For His life is taken from the earth. 34 The eunuch replied to Philip, I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about himself or another person? 35 So Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning from that Scripture. Be ready to share Jesus. Verse 28. Finally, the opportunities God gives us to share Jesus may involve unexpected preparation. John B. Polhill claims God s initiative in this story is unquestionable and points out Philip was directed by an angel of the Lord, the functional equivalent of the Holy Spirit s mouthpiece. 2 The eunuch was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud. Obviously one of the man s servants was driving the chariot since the man himself was reading aloud from the prophet Isaiah. He was in a spiritual mind-set, returning from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. We are told the passage he was reading was about God s Suffering Servant, but the broader context of the passage highlighted 156 Session 13
perhaps the greatest hope for a eunuch in the Old Testament (Isa. 56:3-5)! We may assume correctly that it was unusual for a eunuch from Ethiopia to have a personal copy of some or all of the Old Testament Scriptures. Perhaps he had recently acquired the scroll of Isaiah when he was in Jerusalem, or perhaps he had copied a part of Isaiah s prophecy during the time he was in the city. Verse 29. God s Spirit was at work with both Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in this witnessing encounter. It was God s Spirit who commanded Philip to Go and join that chariot. From start to finish, this remarkable witnessing encounter was a divine appointment under God s initiative and direction! Coincidence should never be part of the Christ-follower s description of any opportunity to share the good news. God in His sovereignty creates divine encounters for us to tell others about Jesus. We should seize these openings precisely because God planned them for us. We must recognize that He prepares the hearts of people to receive our witness and untold millions are simply waiting for someone to tell them about Jesus. OPTION: Invite a volunteer to share about a time when God provided a witnessing opportunity. DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 159): God goes before us and empowers us. How should this truth shape your involvement in missions? Verse 30. Effectively telling others about Jesus begins with recognizing God provides us opportunities to do so. Still, we must go with a message. Philip recognized God was providing him an opportunity, for when he went to the chariot as directed by the spirit, he found the Ethopian reading the prophet Isaiah. Upon reaching the Ethiopian in his chariot, Philip used the Scriptures to explain to the eunuch the good news about Jesus. Philip did not waste time tackling his assignment. He ran up to the Ethiopian s chariot. It was most likely a large, slow moving vehicle, allowing Philip to hear him reading the prophet Isaiah. It was customary to read aloud because the manuscript letters were small and written closely together. A reader, especially a beginner, would need to spell out or sound out words. Philip asked a simple, straightforward question: Do you understand what you re reading? This question includes a play on words that is difficult to reproduce in English. The verbs translated understand and reading come from the same Greek verb root that has the basic meaning to know. Surely the question caught the Ethiopian s attention immediately. It was a great icebreaker, considering the eunuch s interest in a passage, the message of the text itself, and God s divine hand arranging this meeting. 157
THE POINT Take your place in God s mission to the nations. SUMMARIZE: The Ethiopian was reading part of the Suffering Servant passage from Isaiah 53. Perhaps while in Jerusalem, he had heard debates about whether the prophet was speaking of his own suffering, the suffering of the Messiah, or the suffering of the whole nation. So when he asked, Who is the prophet saying this about? (v. 34), he was asking a very intelligent question. For Philip, the door of opportunity was wide open. Isaiah 53 points to the Messiah who was sacrificed for us. Philip was prepared to tell this man how the image of a slaughtered lamb was tied to the crucifixion of Jesus. The Isaiah passage points to the silence of Jesus during His trial and the false accusations He faced. 158 Session 13 Verses 31-33. The Ethiopian s response revealed the man s interest in Isaiah s words and his desire to understand them. The eunuch acknowledged that he needed someone to guide him in his study. The response, How can I? essentially answered Philip s question with a no. The Greek verb translated guides, from a root meaning to lead the way, is used to describe the role of a teacher as guiding others along the road of learning. The man needed someone to guide him in the Scriptures, so he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The Scripture passage the eunuch was reading was Isaiah 53:7-8, a portion of one of the prophet s Servant Songs (Isa. 52:13 53:12). The two verses present a basic picture of the suffering, humiliation, and exaltation of the Messiah. Like a sheep to the slaughter, Jesus was the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Jesus did not answer His accusers (Matt. 27:12), much like a lamb is silent before its shearer and does not open its mouth. Isaiah wrote of one who in His humiliation justice was denied Him. Similarly, Mark recorded the inconsistent and false testimony against Jesus at His trial (Mark 14:55-59). The good news about Jesus hits its high mark at His resurrection, an ingredient hinted at by Isaiah s writing, His life is taken from the earth. God s sovereign, divine directing of Philip s encounter with the Ethiopian is clearly seen even in the passage the eunuch read as Philip approached! Verses 34-35. The Jews debated whether Isaiah s prophecy referred to the Messiah, the prophet himself, or Israel, so the eunuch s question to Philip regarding who the prophet was saying this about himself or another person showed great insight and intelligence. It was also the perfect place for Philip to begin from that Scripture and tell him the good news about Jesus. Philip needed no further introduction to begin a clear presentation of the gospel to the Ethiopian. He simply started where the eunuch was in Isaiah and launched into telling him the truth about Jesus! The Scriptures were the heart of Philip s explanation to one searching life s greatest spiritual question. Modern-day Christ-followers can learn much from Philip and his companion. Even encounters we may consider coincidence should be looked upon as opportunities to share the good news about Jesus. Many people around us every single day have sincere questions about life, a relationship with God, and the Bible. Like the Ethiopian, they need
someone to explain Scripture to them, especially the gospel. We need to be contemporary Philips, willing and ready to share our knowledge about the Bible and its Author. The latter responsibility makes even more necessary that we ourselves spend quality time reading, studying, meditating upon, and memorizing Scripture to always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you (1 Pet. 3:15). Although our current culture does not readily accept the Bible as authoritative, believers must not forget the gospel has inherent power and God will not allow His Word to return void, but will fulfill His purposes (Rom. 1:16-17; Isa. 55:11). Our attempts to share Jesus should always include pointing people to the Bible to hear ultimately from God. Also, just as Philip s priority was following God s plan for his life to spread the gospel, we should remember the priority of all of our missions, whether local, statewide, North American, or International, should be to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19). While making our presence known through social ministry, acts of service, and forming relationships with non-christians are incredibly important, they cannot take the place of intentional evangelism and must be seen as avenues leading to sharing the good news of Jesus from the Scriptures. Although it cannot be established as fact, tradition claims this Ethiopian became a missionary in his native country. Archeology has uncovered a flourishing Christian community there between the fifth and tenth centuries. 3 If this tradition is true, Philip s willingness to seize upon an opportunity to tell one man about the Savior resulted in many more coming to faith in Jesus. We never know how far the results of our faithful obedience to bear witness for Christ will reach. We must, therefore, take every occasion to share Christ with others. GUIDE: Note that Philip not only interpreted the Scripture, he also shared the gospel. Emphasize that God opens doors for us to share Christ when we are willing and obedient to go where He leads. Comment that when our hearts are prepared and under His lordship, He will give us the words to say when we need to say them every time. DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 160): What can our group do to be more engaged in missions? (Alternate: What ways do we see God at work in this passage?) DO: Invite volunteers to share their responses to Take Your Place (PSG, p. 160). 1. John B. Polhill, Acts, vol. 26 in The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992), 222. 2. Ibid., 222. 3. Ibid., 228. 159
THE POINT Take your place in God s mission to the nations. LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes GUIDE: Emphasize The Point: Take your place in God s mission to the nations. Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 161; see text to the right). Invite group members to think about which application speaks most to their needs. Wrap It Up GUIDE: Emphasize that in a world filled with people who need to hear about Jesus, every Christian has a role to play in sharing the good news. LIVE IT OUT If you are a follower of Christ, you have a place in God s mission to the nations. How has God spoken to you as you have studied this session? Consider which of the applications you can adopt this week. > > Pray. Find out what your church is doing to support missions. Discover what opportunities to participate your church offers. Then start praying for others as they go on mission. Pray about your role and how you can be actively involved in missions. > > Give. With a portion of what God has given you, give cheerfully and sacrificially to support the missionaries and mission organizations with whom your church partners and supports. > > Go. Invite your pastor to talk with your group about how seniors can participate in local, regional, or international missions opportunities. Commit to support one another in your efforts to go as God leads. SAY: We may have limitations that prevent our being involved in the same ways we used to be, but God still can use us. PRAY: Thank God for wanting to use us to reach the nations for Christ. Ask God to lead your group to the opportunities to share in this great work. 160 Session 13
Nubian peasants living in Upper Egypt with conditions that have changed little through the centuries. Nubians are the modern descendents of the Ethiopians. The following excerpt is from the article First-Century Ethiopia (Sum. 2008), which relates to this session and can be purchased at www.lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator. The official described in Acts 8 didn t have to travel as far as the borders of modern Ethiopia. His land encompassed the area known as Nubia (southern Egypt) and its southern neighbor, Sudan. Ethiopia s northern border began at the Nile s first cataract (waterfall) near the present-day site of Aswan, Egypt. Modern Ethiopia is southeast of Sudan. The southern, eastern, and western borders of ancient Ethiopia were not well attested but likely included most of modern Sudan. If the ancient city of Meroe, the capital of biblical Ethiopia, was the same as the present-day city of Meroe, the southern border would have extended farther south than many scholars have believed almost as far south as the sixth cataract. Read the article Trade and Travel Routes to Ethiopia in the Spring 2016 issue. Previous articles Philip, All We Know (Winter 2010-11), From Jerusalem, Down to Gaza (Spr. 2009), and Chariots (Win. 1989) relate to this session and can be purchased at www.lifeway.com/ biblicalillustrator. Subscribe to Biblical Illustrator at www.lifeway.com/biblicalillustrator, or call 1-800-458-2772. SHARING THE GOOD NEWS Christ s mission was to proclaim the kingdom of God and to pay the price for our sins. The first step toward joining Him in His mission is to turn to Him in faith and receive His free gift of salvation. Each week, make yourself available either before or after the session to speak privately with anyone in your group who wants to know more about becoming a Christian. See the article, Leading Someone to the Greatest Decision of All, on page 2 for guidance in leading a person to Christ. Remind group members that page 2 in the PSG offers guidance in how to become a Christian. Encourage believers to consider using this article as they have opportunities to lead others to Christ. > > Get expert insights on weekly studies through the Ministry Grid (MinistryGrid.com/web/BibleStudiesFor Life). >Grow > with other group leaders at the Groups Ministry blog (lifeway.com/groupministry). > > Additional ideas for your group are available at BibleStudiesFor Life.com/blog. 161