Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
— Acts 8:4 NIV
In Sunday’s sermon we heard a message that had its roots in Acts chapters 8 and 9. There are many great lessons there for us, and today I want to focus on three of those.
1. God’s work moves on.
Even in the face of attacks and persecution by powerful forces, God’s work through the Church is still empowered to get the message of his love and grace to the world. Saul and the religious leaders of the day thought their efforts were destroying the Christian Church, but they were actually a part of spreading the word to a much wider audience of people. Those who were scattered because of this persecution spread the word wherever they went. God’s work moved on.
2. The Spirit leads God’s people.
The Spirit told Phillip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
— Acts 8:29 NIV
Phillip sensed that he was being guided by the Spirit. He did as he felt the Spirit led him, and he was able to lead a man to Christ.
God still calls his people to specific tasks and empowers our efforts as we follow his guidance. Let’s listen for that holy call.
3. A sense of urgency occurs when the Spirit works.
The scripture tells us that, after his conversion, the eunuch was led to take the “next step” as quickly as possible:
As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
— Acts 8:36–38 NIV
I recently called a good and longtime friend. I had heard he was having some major health issues and I wanted to check in on him. It was a serious situation. After we talked for a good while, I told him that I would be praying for him. He immediately said, “Do it now.” So I did. I prayed for my friend right then over the phone. My friend was glad to hear that I would pray for him. But he wanted that prayer raised right then. The Spirit still works. It leads God’s people. And often, that brings along with it a sense of urgency. Some things need to be done now.
Have you accepted Christ as your savior? If not, if you sense the movement of God in your heart, do it now.