July 27, 2025 | Ptr Ryan Escobar
Most of us fear many things, including sharing the gospel to others. But the apostle Paul declares that he is not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation for all who believe (Romans 1:16). How about you? Sometimes we think that sharing the gospel effectively is about our knowledge, eloquence or training. But Jesus promised His disciples that it is the Holy Spirit who will empower them to be witnesses starting where they were (Jerusalem) and farther out (Judea and Samaria) to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). God is calling all of us to be His witnesses today, no matter your personality and limitations. God did not make a mistake when He made you — do not make your personality an excuse for sharing Christ to others. You might not make a difference to EVERY person, but you can make a difference to ONE person. Reach out to one soul at a time, one step at a time. Philip the Evangelist gives us an example of how to go about this:
START WHERE YOU’RE AT
Philip first served as one of the early church’s deacons responsible for distributing food for widows (Acts 6:3-4). Philip’s main qualification for being chosen was being Spirit-filled, and he was faithful right where he was, before being an evangelist (Acts 6:5). Don’t even wait for a position before serving the Lord!
Later, after Stephen’s death (the first martyr), a great persecution broke out and Philip and the other believers were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, preaching the gospel wherever they went (Acts 8:1-4). Whatever pain point you may have in your life right now, God can turn it around so that the gospel will reach more people when we respond with a godly perspective. Whenever the church is persecuted, the gospel spreads even more! Philip himself went down to Samaria, a place that was out of his comfort zone as the Samaritans were considered “outcasts” by the Jews; crowds of Samaritans believed the gospel that came with power (Acts 8:5-8). Do you bring great joy when you come into the office, your classroom, your neighborhood? Do not hesitate to share the gospel, even from your home, you can reach other places around the world through technology!
After much success in Samaria, God sent Philip to a desert road to the south that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza (Acts 8: 26). Perhaps it didn’t make sense that God will assign Philip to this remote desert place, and not back to Samaria where he was having a successful ministry. But wherever God sends you, just be faithful in what He wants you to do. Do you have your own “desert road” right now? Will you still commit to obey God even if it seems illogical?
TAKE INITIATIVE
Philip “started out” to obey God’s direction, even if he didn’t know all the details of God’s plan, he took the initiative to take one step at a time. In God’s perfect timing, Philip met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Ethiopian queen on his way home (Acts 8:27). At that exact moment, the Ethiopian was reading Isaiah’s prophecy about Jesus (Acts 8:28, 32-33)! Have you missed out on opportunities to share about Jesus because you were fearful in taking initiative with others, going beyond our comfort zone? The Lord commanded us to make disciples of all nations, and it starts with one soul at a time (Matthew 28:19). “All nations” refers to “people groups” within a nation, not just the nation itself. There are thousands of people groups in this world, and God is telling us to make disciples among all of them. God is preparing people’s heart to hear the gospel as He did with the Ethiopian court official (Acts 8:34). To take initiative, we must be “A.B.C.”: Be Available – Philip stayed by the chariot (Acts 8:29); Be Bold – Philip “ran up” to the eunuch and started a conversation with him (Acts 8:30); Be Compassionate – Philip cared about the eunuch’s ability to understand the Scriptures, he cared enough to do something about it (Acts 8:35). Who is God telling you to reach out to? Every soul matter to God, and every soul is someone He wants us to reach out to. Make them G.L.A.D. (Gospel Story, Life Testimony, Ask for Prayer Requests, Deeds of God Recently). Start where you are at and take the initiative!
EXPECT GOD TO WORK
God is at work in the timing and in circumstances because He is a good God who never stops working in people’s hearts (Acts 8:30-31). God uses trials, transitions, tragedies and times of waiting to get people’s attention, you can be the one to help them know Jesus. Philip explained the gospel to the eunuch (Acts 8:35), and we must know and be ready to share the gospel too using a simple outline: 1-God’s Promise; 2-Man’s Problem; 3-God’s Provision; 4-Man’s Proper Response. God worked in the eunuch’s heart, he believed and was baptized (Acts 8:36, 38). If God has transformed your life, that too, is a miracle for today!
PRESS ON!
Philip continued on his mission after this, preaching the gospel to all cities along the way from Azotus to Caesarea (Acts 8:40). He did not rest on his “successes” but pressed on. As long as we are alive, God still has a purpose for us! The Ethiopian eunuch went away rejoicing! When we have good news, we usually go and share it to others and that’s probably what the eunuch did in Ethiopia. The story of Svea Flood who was a missionary to Congo, Africa shows us that even if our great sacrifices result in only one life reached for Christ, it is worth it, and we must press on like the many faithful CCF servants God has raised up in different parts of the world to plant churches. Be faithful “fishers of men”, one soul at a time, one step at a time (Mark 1:1 7-18)!