Acts 8:26-40

One man who impacted his nation for Christ is more often associated with green beer and leprechauns than the proclamation of the gospel — Patrick of Ireland.

Kidnapped by pirates as a teenager, Patrick was taken from his well-to-do home in Roman-Britain in A.D. 405, transported to Ireland, sold to a farmer, and given responsibility for the man’s sheep. Eventually Patrick escaped from slavery and returned to Britain, where he became a priest.

Patrick returned to primarily pagan Ireland, determined to bring the gospel to people enslaved by superstition and Druid worship. By the time he died, about A.D. 461, he had started a movement of the church that transformed ancient Ireland.

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Patrick was an evangelist commissioned to reach a nation for Christ.

So, too, was Philip. Philip was told by an angel to make an evangelism call on the road that goes south from Jerusalem to Gaza. No name. No address. When Philip arrived, an Ethiopian was reading the Scriptures. Philip explained the Scriptures to him, lead him to faith in Jesus Christ. His story has powerful implications to Christians today.

1. People are searching (vv. 27-28).

Our nation is filled with people a lot like the Ethiopian eunuch. This was a powerful man from an exotic country. He was in charge of the royal treasury. He had power, prestige, and position, but something was missing. He still was a eunuch.

As a eunuch, there were certain jobs open to him that were not open to others. A fair number of government officials were eunuchs. Eunuchs often were used by the wealthy to manage and protect their harems. The option of a family was no longer open to him. This man was spiritually searching for answers

There are many people in our nation today who are like the Ethiopian eunuch. They have lost the power to bring forth. They are like a dry tree whose branches crackle and crumble. They are seeking and searching for answers. All seems hopeless.

2. Good news is for sharing (vv. 32-35).

Isaiah 53, the song of the suffering servant, predicted the one who had borne our grief and carried our sorrows. So Philip began with this scripture and told the eunuch that the lamb who went to the shearer was Jesus, and the good news was that though Jesus was cut off, God raised him from the dead. And now, God freely pardoned sin, poured out His spirit to give life to all, and created a community in which all were valued and accepted and loved.

Philip spoke the good news. The eunuch accepted and went away rejoicing. He found what he had been looking for. His search was over.

3. Obedient workers are for sending (vv. 26, 29).

As powerful as this story is, the fact remains that the eunuch would still be seeking and the good news would have been silent, if Philip had not been obedient.

When a person listens to the voice of God, swift obedience is always next. Philip’s obedience reminds us that God doesn’t have part-timers. He calls men and women to complete obedience. When God has a worker that is available and adaptable he schedules appointments that are unforgettable.

During the darkest hours of World War II, Britain faced a critical shortage of silver for the war industries. Informed of the crisis, Winston Churchill asked if there were any possible sources of silver, however remote. The answer came back: Yes, the churches, cathedrals, and abbeys held beautiful, sterling silver statues of the saints. From Churchill came the now-famous reply, “Well, it’s time to put the saints into circulation!” And so they did.

When obedience is manifested in a believer’s life, a saint enters circulation. That’s what happened to Patrick of Ireland and Philip of Jerusalem.

It’s been said that Christianity is one generation away from extinction. We are not responsible for the past generation or the future generation. We are responsible for this generation. We cannot do everything to reach our nation, but we can do something. The greatest danger to reaching our nation is not ignorance, but apathy. Philip was not indifferent to the leading of God and the gospel spread to Samaria and Judea. Patrick did not turn a deaf ear to the voice of the Spirit and the gospel spread through Ireland.

What will we do as a church and as individuals to see that the gospel is reaching the searching souls in our country?

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