Cnr Alice and Edward Sts Mittagong | Sundays at 10.30am
God’s mind for mission
Isaiah 53 Acts 8: 26-40
Once the farmer breaks the ground and gets to sow his seed things are set up for growth and harvest.
Thus the church scattered under persecution was like the farmer scattering good seed, for they took the word out wherever they went. The harvest began to emerge.
God’s sparks of revival started by Stephen was carried on under Philip (Acts 6,5; 21,8,9), with ground breaking success (Acts 8.6,8).
The Gospel traveled under God’s leadership by a mysterious course in the life of Philip. It took a very circuitous route, off the beaten track, as we read in Acts 8.26. Under the direction of the angel of the Lord the seed was being scattered to a desert road and Philip was lead by the Spirit to make a surprising introduction.
All this seemed pre-arranged by God for Philip was lead to an important worshiper of God who was an official returning to Ethiopia. He was reading the Old Testament Scroll and needed a preacher to explain the passage he was reading from Isaiah 53. The official was baptized and went home rejoicing.
We read of Philip he was taken off by the Spirit and soon appeared at Azotus, traveling about, preaching the Gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
God by His Spirit was scattering the Gospel seed across the entire region.
God has a mind for mission. He desires us to get the good news about Jesus out onto the public arena