seize the day: a call to missions

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SEIZE THE DAY: A CALL TO MISSIONS

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God has a mission for the nations. Take your place . Carpe diem. Seize the day. Because opportunity knocks but once. We have myriad ways to challenge ourselves when considering job 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 the new job? What if the market goes bust? What if I lose everything? I am the last person to give you financial or career 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 Pryor is the Team Leader for Bible Studies for Life. A native Texan, Lynn has been a part of the LifeWay family for over 20 years and teaches each week in his church in Nolensville, TN. He writes each week about these studies at lynnhpryor.com.

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SEIZE THE DAY: A CALL TO MISSIONS The Point Take your place in God’s mission to the nations.

The Passage Acts 8:26-35

The Bible Meets Life If your car’s windshield has ever taken a hit from a rock, you can thank Edouard Benedictus. No, he didn’t throw the rock—but he did protect your face. Benedictus was a French chemist who one day accidentally knocked a glass flask to the floor. He expected to hear the glass shatter, but the flask stayed for all intents and purposes in one piece. It was a mystery until his assistant told him the flask had contained cellulose nitrate (a liquid plastic). The chemical had evaporated, and the flask appeared to be clean, so the assistant had just returned the flask to the shelf without washing it. The evaporated chemical left an unseen film on the flask. In that moment, Benedictus gave the world safety glass. We don’t know what Benedictus was planning to do in his lab that day, but an unexpected event led to countless saved lives. As we’ll see in Acts 8, interruptions to our plans can lead to great things—especially if God is bringing about the change.

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.

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What does the Bible say?

Acts 8:26-35 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. Candace (v. 27)—This was likely not the name of the Ethiopian Queen; instead, scholars believe “Candace” was a title or office and authority, similar to “Pharaoh.”

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.) 27 So he got up and went.

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 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.

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THE POINT

Take your place in God’s mission to the nations.

GET INTO THE STUDY

10 minutes

DISCUSS: Question #1 on page 121

Notes

of the PSG: “When did a change in plans lead to something better?” ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Sometimes we don’t realize how connected we are to different nations in the modern world. Direct group members to check the country of origin for their clothing, shoes, handbags, and so on—ask them to find where each item was produced and call out the name of that country. If possible, write down on a whiteboard or large sheet of paper all the countries represented by the clothing in your group. GUIDE: Call attention to “The Point” at the top of page 122 of the PSG: “Take your place in God’s mission to the nations.” GUIDE: Direct group members to “The Bible Meets Life” on page 122 of the PSG. Introduce the theme of God’s role in bringing about change by reading or summarizing the text—or by encouraging group members to read on their own. ENHANCEMENT: Use Pack Item #10, “To the Nations,” to supplement the Activity on page 125 of the PSG. Encourage group members to transfer their X’s onto the poster and reveal all the nations with which your group has become connected. PRAY: Transition into the discussion by affirming the reality that you and the members of your group are more connected to the larger world than most people have been throughout history. Pray for guidance and direction as you study the example of Philip in the Book of Acts.

TIP: When helpful, use this “Notes” column to record additional discussion questions, concepts, and activities that connect the study content with your specific group.

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5 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Acts 8:26-27a

Notes 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. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. READ: Acts 8:26-27a on page 123 of the PSG. Read the text out loud or ask a volunteer to do so.

ALTERNATE QUESTION: What do you think Philip sacrificed to be obedient?

DISCUSS: Question #2 on page 124 of the PSG: “What stands out to you about Philip’s response to God’s call?” GUIDE: Direct group members to read or skim the second and third paragraphs on page 124 of the PSG in order to learn the background of Philip’s situation—and to learn why God’s call was so surprising. Note: You can also use the third paragraph on page 155 of this Leader Guide to walk group members through Philip’s history of obeying God’s call to preach the gospel in unlikely places. RECAP: Highlight the final two paragraphs on page 124 of the PSG: After Philip’s experience on the Gaza road, he “appeared in Azotus, and he was traveling and evangelizing all the towns until he came to Caesarea” (v. 40). Do you see the pattern? Jerusalem, Samaria, the Gaza road, Azotus, and Caesarea. Philip embraced a lifestyle of going whenever and wherever God sent him. And so should we. TRANSITION: We’ve seen some of Philip’s background, but now let’s move to the second part of verse 27 and learn a little more about the man Philip was sent to meet.

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THE POINT

Take your place in God’s mission to the nations.

Acts 8:26-27a [Verses 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. We do know that, earlier, he was having great success preaching in a Samaritan city to crowds of people (see 8:5-6). [Verse 27a] God’s will may not have made any sense to him, but Philip obediently followed the angel’s directive. He was commanded to go to the desert road leading to 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. This is not the only time, 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 (see 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 by the Jews 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 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. 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 that 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 Christfollowers, we must be willing to go anywhere God leads.

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10 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Acts 8:27b

Notes 27b

He had come to worship in Jerusalem DO: Direct group members to complete the activity “To the Nations” on page 125 of the PSG. If time permits, encourage volunteers to share their responses. On the map below, use an X to mark countries or regions where you have a personal connection with someone working to spread the gospel.

What obstacles are hindering you from taking a more active approach in God’s mission for the world? READ: Acts 8:27b on page 123 of the PSG. GUIDE: Use the first two paragraphs on page 157 of this Leader Guide to provide your group members with background information regarding the Ethiopian man Philip encountered. RECAP: Highlight the final paragraph on page 126 of the PSG: Philip didn’t know all these details when he first saw the chariot rolling by, but he did see a foreigner and a black man—someone very different from himself. Philip grew up in a culture where the Jews primarily stuck to themselves, but ALTERNATE QUESTION: How do we recognize an opportunity to share the gospel?

that didn’t matter in this situation. God had called Philip to go, and he looked past ethnic and cultural differences to see a man who needed the gospel. DISCUSS: Question #3 on page 126 of the PSG: “What kinds of  differences exist in our community that could be barriers to presenting the gospel?”

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THE POINT

Take your place in God’s mission to the nations.

Acts 8:27b [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 who likely caught 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. Therefore, 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. He was therefore forbidden under Old Testament law from fully participating in the Jewish faith (see 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 God-fearer, 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.

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15 minutes

STUDY THE BIBLE Acts 8:28-35

Notes 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. READ: Acts 8:28-35 on page 123 of the PSG. SUMMARIZE: Help group members walk through the main points from page 127 of the PSG: 1. “How would you begin a conversation with a total stranger? For Philip, the door of opportunity swung wide open.” 2. “For those of us who struggle to start a conversation with someone we don’t know, the feeling may be compounded when we’re on mission and step into another culture. But God meets us in our obedience.” 3. “The Ethiopian eunuch responded with faith and acceptance (see Acts 8:3638). … And it all started with one man’s obedience to go.” DISCUSS: Question #4 on page 127 of the PSG: “God goes before us ALTERNATE QUESTION: What ways do we see God at work in this passage?

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and empowers us. How should this truth shape your involvement in missions?” DISCUSS: Question #5 on page 127 of the PSG: “What can our group do to  be more engaged in missions?”

THE POINT

Take your place in God’s mission to the nations.

Acts 8:28-35 [Verses 28-29] Finally, the opportunities God gives us to share Jesus may involve unexpected preparation. The eunuch was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud. We are told the passage he was reading was about God’s Suffering Servant, but the broader context of the passage highlighted perhaps the greatest hope for a eunuch in the Old Testament (see Isa. 56:3-5). That the eunuch was reading this passage was no accident! 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. [Verse 30] Philip recognized God was providing him an opportunity, for when he went to the chariot as directed by the spirit, he found the Ethiopian 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. Philip asked a simple, straightforward question: “Do you understand what you’re reading?” [Verses 31-33] The Ethiopian’s response, “How can I?” essentially answered Philip’s question with a “no.” 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” (see Is. 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 (see Matt. 27:12), much like a lamb is silent before its shearer and does not open its mouth. [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.

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5 minutes

LIVE IT OUT GUIDE: Direct group members to page 128 of the PSG. Encourage them to consider the following options for taking part this week in God’s mission

Notes

to the nations:

>> Pray daily. Pray for others as they go on mission. Place their picture someplace

you’ll see it regularly, and pray for them each day whenever you see their faces.

>> Give above and beyond. Give freely and sacrificially to support the

missionaries and mission organizations with whom your church partners and supports.

>> Go yourself. As a group, talk about different ways you could go and be

directly involved in sharing the gospel to the nations. Don’t be afraid to dream about going for a weekend, a week, a month—or a lifetime.

Wrap It Up TRANSITION: Read or restate the Conclusion from page 128 of the PSG: You don’t need an unexpected interruption to spur your passion for God’s mission. You don’t even need a direct command from God—you already have it in Matthew 28:18-20. The opportunity is there. Go for it. PRAY: Conclude by expressing your group’s desire to be a helpful and fruitful part of God’s mission for the world—including His mission to the nations. Ask for eyes to see the opportunities for joining that mission in your local community, and beyond, in the weeks to come.

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