Desert Road

Southeast Christian Church

Feb 7, 2023

Acts 8:26-28 says, “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet.” Sometimes God sends you to the desert road because that's precisely where he needs you, even if it doesn’t make sense to you in the moment. Notice that when God sends Philip to the desert road, what does he do? He starts out, and he immediately does what God wants him to do. It's that simple. If you want to be used by God, if you want to wreck the roof, it starts by obeying the simple commands of God.

Do you obey the simple commands of God in your everyday life? You want to be used by God in some great way, but are you generous and giving with your possessions? Have you forgiven your mom? Do you keep your word when you tell your spouse when you'll be home? Phillip was a deacon whose job was to run the food pantry. God looked at his work and said, “That's somebody I can use.” It’s one of the reasons it's so critical for you to serve in church and in your community because it builds that muscle. Based on this Scripture, it's likely that God uses things like that as a filter to see who he can use for more.

So, Philip started out and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Queen of Ethiopia. He was a high-ranking government official, and you also know he was wealthy because he had a copy of part of the Old Testament, which would have been very rare and very expensive. Philip sees his man and knows this is the opportunity that God sent him here for, and Philip boldly steps in to point this man to Jesus.

Discussion/Reflection Question: Who in your life have you met on the "desert road" that you wouldn't have met otherwise?

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