“And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert” (Acts 8:26,35).
TEXT — Acts 8:26-40
Message
Ann Judson, one of America’s earliest female foreign missionary once said, “In encouraging young men to come out as missionaries, use the greatest caution. One strong-headed, conscientiously obstinate man would ruin us. Humble, quiet, persevering men: men of decent accomplishments and some natural aptitude to acquire a language; men of amiable yielding temper, willing to take the lowest place, to be least of all, and the servant of all; men who enjoy closet religion and live near to God and are willing to suffer all things for Christ’s sake without being proud of it.”
Today’s passage reveals Philip’s dogged commitment to the Master’s commission of soul-winning. His work and success in Samaria were a testament to his call and anointing as an evangelist. His loyalty and optimum submission were unquestionable. Amid the incredible revival occasioned by his preaching and ministration with power, he was instructed by an angel of the Lord to go to Gaza, which is a desert with no population, and he promptly obeyed.
The prayer and call for more labourers in the mission field is appropriate now than at any other time. Research reveals that about 67 per cent of all humans since AD 30 have never heard the name of Jesus Christ. In the last 40 years, over a billion people have died without hearing the gospel message of salvation. Of the world’s 8.23 billion people today, about 2.56 billion profess allegiance to the Christian faith. How many are devotees? Missionaries must be people of uncommon consecration, love for the Saviour and passion for souls. In her hymn, “So Send I You”, Margaret Clarkson unveils the sacrifice the mission work entails:
“So send I you to labour unrewarded. To serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown. To bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing. So send I you, to toil for me alone”.
The sit-tight tendency and refusal to follow God’s call, directly or through proxies, are unscriptural and fleshly. Significantly, Philip’s obedience and his aptness to divide the word of truth led to the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch, through whom Christianity further spread beyond Jerusalem to Africa, revealing God’s love for all, regardless of their colour, culture and geographical boundaries. It is also a call to all believers to be involved in mission work. If you are not physically available, you should willingly support the missionaries through prayers, intercession and generous giving. Philip remains a model to all believers today. We cannot claim to be Christ’s followers if we are unwilling to obey the Great Commission.
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Thought for the day
To be Christ’s true disciples, we must fully pursue the great commission
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
