WEBVTT 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:04.080 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:08.960 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:10.720 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:13.679 Well, it's great to be with you. 00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:18.879 And today we're kicking off a brand new series called For All People. 00:00:19.519 --> 00:00:25.120 It was Tuesday night around 6:15 is before the daylight savings. 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:26.640 And so it was already dusk. 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:34.479 I'm driving to our office to get a quiet space to be able to have a Zoom meeting with our leadership council. 00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:42.399 And as I'm pulling into the near-darkening parking lot, I see a car, one singular car right there. 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:48.240 And there's a guy sitting in with sunglasses on and a hat, and there's this music blaring. 00:00:48.399 --> 00:00:50.399 I can't really tell what kind of music it is. 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:55.280 It's uh, you know, it could be like heavy metal music, it could be hip-hop, I don't know. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:01:01.280 It's just got that bass, you know, rumbling, and just kind of going, what in the world's going on out there? 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:02.000 I don't know. 00:01:02.159 --> 00:01:04.319 Just somebody chilling all by themselves. 00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:26.319 And so I go to my parking spot, I get in, and I as I'm going to unlock the door to our office, all of a sudden, uh, with crystal clarity, the music bursts forth through across the parking lot, and I hear exactly the music that's going on, and it goes, so I lift my hands up, they're playing my song, the butterflies fly away. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:27.200 I think that's how it goes. 00:01:27.280 --> 00:01:29.040 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:34.000 There's a party in the USA, and it totally caught me off guard. 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:35.200 I'm like, what in the world? 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:49.439 And I look over and I see a guy that's dressed in like 90s boy band attire, and he's dancing his heart out by himself in the middle of the parking lot. 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:53.920 I mean, this guy is just going for it and it's awesome. 00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:57.680 And literally in my heart, I have this thought, good for him. 00:01:58.000 --> 00:01:59.200 Like, good for him. 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:00.319 Like, how fun. 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:01.280 Good for him. 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:03.040 But I also had this thought. 00:02:03.280 --> 00:02:04.959 That's actually not for me. 00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:08.319 You know, it's good for him, but it's not for me. 00:02:08.400 --> 00:02:15.039 Uh, and if you ask my wife, um, she says dancing is not for me at all there. 00:02:15.680 --> 00:02:24.240 But that's, I think maybe that thought is kind of how we approach Jesus and Christianity. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:28.000 We might look at it and go, like, yeah, that's good for them. 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:35.120 You know, good that they needed religion, good that they needed Jesus, good that they needed this, but you know, it's really not for me. 00:02:35.280 --> 00:02:36.800 It's not my thing. 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:40.800 Or, or maybe flip-flop is like, yeah, it's good for me. 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:42.960 Like Jesus has changed my life. 00:02:43.039 --> 00:02:46.560 It's good for me, but but it's probably not for them. 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:48.560 It's not good for them. 00:02:48.639 --> 00:03:02.960 And here's what's incredible: Jesus was actually explicit that following him was good for all people, not just some people. 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:09.680 In fact, this is what he says: he says, therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. 00:03:10.159 --> 00:03:15.680 Like following Jesus is good for all nations, not just some nations. 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:25.520 And in Acts 1.8, he says, You're gonna be my witnesses, and you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem. 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:49.680 That's where the church started, by the way, right after the death and resurrection of Jesus, not hundreds of years later in Europe, but in Jerusalem, and then in all of Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth, that the gospel following Jesus is actually good for Judean people, Samerian people, and ends of the earth type people. 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:54.000 It's not just like, hey, this is good for me, but it's probably not for everyone. 00:03:54.319 --> 00:04:01.039 Here's the truth: the gospel is good news for all people, not just some people. 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:12.879 See, the gospel is simply Jesus' life, his death, and his resurrection, which inaugurated a new way for us to be human. 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:20.879 That where the gospel writer John can only explain it in this way of being born again, of brand new life. 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:29.199 And this is fundamentally good news, not just for certain people or special people, but for all people. 00:04:29.600 --> 00:04:40.879 And so, and so, according to Jesus, according to Jesus, we are to go share it with all people, not just some people or a few people. 00:04:41.199 --> 00:04:48.480 Like we are to share this good news because it is literally good for all people. 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:59.199 Now, the birth of the church and the gospel began with just a few people, some people, specifically Jewish people. 00:05:00.240 --> 00:05:09.439 And um, we see in Acts chapter 8, the gospel moved from some people, Jewish people, to all people. 00:05:10.560 --> 00:05:16.639 What it said, Judea, Samaria people to the ends of the earth people. 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:30.959 And we pick up the story of how this good news spread to all people in Acts chapter 8, with three just small but incredible words that say, on that day. 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:47.199 On that day, something happened, something changed in the church where the news of Jesus and the movement of Jesus, the church of Jesus spread from this, these few people in Jerusalem, uh all people around the world. 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:53.680 And so let me catch you up to what happened or the events that led to what happened on that day. 00:05:53.839 --> 00:06:15.120 If you're a part of our future church series, we left off uh in Acts chapter seven, where the apostles appointed Stephen and Philip and five other guys to help address inequity of distribution of um uh food and resources to widows who are being overlooked, specifically Jewish Hellenistic Christian widows. 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:20.079 And so they appoint these seven people, Stephen and Philip, being the most notable. 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:25.600 Now, Stephen wasn't just a great business organizational guy, he's full of the Spirit of God. 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:32.560 He was performing all these miracles and he was going to the Hellenistic synagogues in the city, preaching the good news. 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:43.040 And so the religious leaders then are opposing him, and he's so like brilliant, they can't stand up to his arguments and they're getting frustrated. 00:06:43.279 --> 00:06:47.439 So, what they do is they they can't defeat him by argument. 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:56.160 They then try to take him out by a smear campaign and they incite a few different people, say he was saying some of these same and get people riled up. 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:04.879 Well, well, they do such a good job that Stephen eventually gets brought before the Sanhedrin or what's the Jewish Supreme Court. 00:07:05.040 --> 00:07:10.720 And he's standing before these men, having to give account for why he's there. 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:27.199 And with such great boldness as he's looking at them, he begins recounting Israel's history of consistent disobedience and stiff-necked resistance to God, and basically before this group saying, You're those people. 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:32.160 And you can only imagine that didn't go over very well at all. 00:07:32.319 --> 00:07:39.839 In fact, they were furious, and so they pull Stephen out, drag him out, and they begin to stone him. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:49.279 They grab these large stones and throw it on him to execute him as they're doing this, as they're doing this. 00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:50.720 Imagine this. 00:07:51.199 --> 00:07:58.879 Stephen looks up and prays that God would forgive the very ones that are killing him. 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:01.279 And then he dies. 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:13.759 And a text says that presiding over this execution was a man named Saul who gave his stamp and seal of approval. 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:20.480 And next week, Easter week, we're gonna talk a lot about this man named Saul. 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:34.639 And it was on that day, on the day that Stephen was martyred, the first martyr of the church, this something that was for not just some people, but for all people, began. 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:37.120 And we pick it up in Acts chapter 8, verse 1. 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:41.759 It says, On that day, a great persecution broke out. 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:44.720 That may not have been what you were expecting on all of that. 00:08:44.879 --> 00:08:53.840 A great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 00:08:54.240 --> 00:08:58.639 And then it goes on, it says, Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:02.879 But Saul began to destroy the church, going from house to house. 00:09:03.039 --> 00:09:08.000 He dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. 00:09:08.639 --> 00:09:13.919 Now, those had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:15.120 Think about this. 00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:19.919 These guys were having a bad day, and they had really bad news. 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:26.720 But the good news about Jesus was so good, even in the midst of a bad day with bad news, they couldn't stop sharing this good news. 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:39.279 And so wherever they went, they're sharing, and then we zoom in on Philip, Stephen, and Philip, one of those seven, went down to the city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:45.279 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:51.679 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:56.799 So there was great joy in the city. 00:09:57.519 --> 00:10:05.200 See the good news, the gospel is good news for Samaritan people. 00:10:07.120 --> 00:10:08.720 Let me ask, let's ask this question. 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:12.559 Why in the world did Philip go down to Samaria in the first place? 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:21.200 And it wasn't, and the reason is a devout Jew would never enter into the region of Samaria. 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:27.120 And so this was actually a safe place as they were escaping persecution to go. 00:10:27.679 --> 00:10:39.039 And for us to recognize how powerful and profound and scandalous this is, the good news is the uh is for Samaritan people. 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:49.039 We have to understand the history of animosity and vitriol between Jewish people and Samaritan people. 00:10:49.360 --> 00:11:02.720 And so let me give you just a brief overview, actually, about a thousand-year overview of this uh hostile relationship between Jewish people and Samaritan people. 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:11.440 In fact, if you know about Israel's history, Israel began as a united kingdom under King Saul, King David, King Solomon. 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:17.759 And after King Solomon, uh King Solomon's son taxed the people uh ruthlessly. 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:20.399 And in 930 BC, we had this divided kingdom. 00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:29.120 And so the northern tribe uh was then, or the northern nation then was uh remained Israel, and their capital was Samaria. 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:37.279 The southern nation was called Judea or Judah, actually, and their capital was Jerusalem, where the temple of God was. 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:49.600 So you had this split in the nation in 930 BC, and then in 722 BC, Assyria conquers the northern kingdom, Israel, uh, and they take them off into captivity. 00:11:49.679 --> 00:12:11.360 And the way the Assyrians did this is they would take the best and the brightest into their capital and begin to train them, and then they would bring their own people to mix and intermingle with and to insert their culture and their ways into that to bring about uh to seduce the nations. 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:21.679 And so uh for the Jews, then they began to look at the Samaritans no longer as Jewish or racially pure, but as half-breeds. 00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:30.799 They would talk about them as these half-breeds or relation racial half-breeds, and so there began this animosity. 00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:41.200 Well, in 586 BC, uh Judah then was conquered by Babylon, and Babylon actually destroys the temple of God. 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:45.759 And we see the same thing that happened to the northern kingdom, happened to the southern kingdom. 00:12:45.919 --> 00:12:56.480 And about 60 years later, after 586 BC, Zerubbabel, a leader in Babylon, a Jewish leader, was allowed to come back to Israel and rebuild the temple. 00:12:56.639 --> 00:12:57.759 This is such great news. 00:12:57.840 --> 00:13:00.080 There's rejoicing, there's excitement about this. 00:13:00.240 --> 00:13:07.039 And yet the Samaritans stand in opposition to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem around 519 BC. 00:13:07.120 --> 00:13:12.639 And they're they're hostile, they're doing whatever they can to keep them from rebuilding uh the temple. 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:21.200 And in fact, there's such animosity there that eventually they build their own temple on Mount Gerizim to say, you know what, we don't need that temple. 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:23.120 We're gonna build our own temple. 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:33.519 And the Samaritan people only accepted the first five books of the Bible, uh, what's known as the Torah or the Pentateuch, and it's just the writings of Moses. 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:42.080 And so then now it's moved from racial half-breeds to religious half-breeds, and the animosity is growing and growing. 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:54.480 Years and years later, then uh the Samaritans joined the Seleucid Empire in fighting against the Jewish independence movement, known as the Maccabean Revolt, in 167. 00:13:54.639 --> 00:14:00.000 And so the Jewish people are once trying to get their independence, and they actually were victorious. 00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:05.440 But the Samaritans are coming out against them and fighting to try to repress and put them down. 00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:20.799 Well, the Maccabean Revolt was successful, and then uh about 40, 50 years later, Jewish high priest and national leader John Hiracanus destroys the temple at Mount Gerizim and the capital city of Samaria. 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:34.080 And scholars tell us this was the straw that broke the camel's back, that forever these two would just be deep, deep enemies. 00:14:34.399 --> 00:14:36.080 And so think about this moment. 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:48.879 Seven hundred years of anger, of fighting, of being taught, you are my enemy. 00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:54.799 The good news is for the Samaritan people. 00:14:55.919 --> 00:15:02.320 Philip brought the good news to the people of Samaria and they responded. 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:17.360 And you can just only imagine the tension and and the questioning for the those first believers on both sides, as they've all been brought up to taught to hate one another. 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:22.559 And now, because of this good news, they're no longer enemies, they're family members. 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:28.559 And God in his infinite wisdom does something that is so powerful and so profound. 00:15:28.799 --> 00:15:31.600 Peter and John come to see this revival. 00:15:31.759 --> 00:15:34.159 Think about this, a persecution led to a revival. 00:15:34.240 --> 00:15:35.039 That's amazing. 00:15:35.200 --> 00:15:41.200 This revival that broke out in um in Samaria, and as they go there, they're going there to confirm them. 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:44.000 But the people hadn't received the Spirit of God yet. 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:45.120 That's not normative. 00:15:45.279 --> 00:15:48.879 See, the moment you believe in Jesus, you receive the Holy Spirit of God. 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:55.840 But God wanted something really special to say this broken relationship is mended and there's a unity. 00:15:55.919 --> 00:16:04.000 And so when the apostles came, they laid hands and the spirit of God entered them, and all of a sudden it was this confirmation for both the Jewish and the Samaritan. 00:16:04.320 --> 00:16:07.120 We're all one together. 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:12.799 The gospel is good news for Samaritan people. 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:37.200 See, the gospel is good news for people you hate, people you disagree with, people that you don't really want to be around, people that think differently than you, people that you look down on, people that you have a tough time with, people that maybe you think the world would be a better place if they weren't there. 00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:40.799 The gospel is good news for those people. 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:54.000 You know, when I was a young pastor at our former church, um, we'd bring in from time to time these people to come speak, and theologian Leonard Sweet came and I I volunteered to be his chauffeur. 00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:56.000 Uh, and I was just gonna drive him around. 00:16:56.159 --> 00:16:59.759 Anytime I could get around anybody, you know, I wanted to get around and learn. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:04.000 And I remember him talking about an enemy in the ancient day. 00:17:04.240 --> 00:17:11.680 And he said, an enemy in the ancient day is one with whom you would not invite into your home. 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:20.160 You see, in the ancient Middle East, as it is today in many parts of the world, hospitality is uh incredibly important. 00:17:20.640 --> 00:17:24.480 And you would welcome in all sorts of people and welcome in strangers, even. 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:29.519 And uh, an enemy is one you would not welcome in, you would be inhospitable to. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:33.119 And I just wonder for us today. 00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:38.000 I wonder who is hard to welcome into our home. 00:17:39.839 --> 00:17:42.319 And you're like, well, I no, I'd I'd welcome people in. 00:17:42.559 --> 00:17:48.160 Okay, so I just wonder who haven't I welcomed in into my home? 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:52.720 Who do I think is a lost cause? 00:17:53.359 --> 00:17:54.559 A waste of time. 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:05.359 And Jesus would say, His word would say that the gospel is good news for those people, for Samaritan people. 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:13.839 Well, the text goes on to say that the gospel isn't just good news for Samaritan people, the gospel is actually good news for Ethiopian eunuch people. 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:17.039 You probably never thought you'd see that sentence ever before, right? 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:20.400 The gospel is good news for Ethiopian eunuch people. 00:18:20.559 --> 00:18:25.119 Well, revival breaks out in this town of Samaria, and Philip doesn't stay there. 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:26.640 In fact, he's on a journey. 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:28.960 The Spirit moves him to go on. 00:18:29.200 --> 00:18:39.519 We pick it up and says, uh, now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Go south to the road, the desert road, the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. 00:18:39.680 --> 00:18:52.720 And so he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official, in charge of all the treasury of Kandake, uh, which means queen of the Ethiopians. 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:55.279 This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship. 00:18:55.359 --> 00:19:08.400 He was a God-fearing man, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah, the prophet, the spirit told Philip, Go to the chariot and stay near it. 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:25.200 Now, I don't know what picture comes to your mind when you hear Ethiopian eunuch, but let me describe and tell you the man that Philip encountered, what this Ethiopian eunuch and who he was. 00:19:25.359 --> 00:19:29.680 See, the Ethiopian eunuch, he was a politically powerful person. 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:36.559 In fact, the word eunuch actually is synonymous with high-ranking official. 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:46.480 It doesn't mean that they're technically, you know, physically a eunuch all the time, uh, but they certainly could be for uh purposes of serving in the high court. 00:19:46.559 --> 00:19:52.079 Uh, but they were, he was a politically high-ranking, powerful official. 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:54.319 He was positionally influenced. 00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:57.839 His influence, he was head of the treasury department. 00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:00.799 He he was the financier, he's writing the checks. 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:04.000 Uh, he has the ear to the queen. 00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:06.960 He he was independently wealthy. 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:10.960 You see, he's he's traveling in his own BMW chariot. 00:20:11.119 --> 00:20:17.279 He's he's actually holding a scroll of Isaiah, which um were incredibly expensive. 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:26.079 He financed his trip to Jerusalem and back and was had a scroll that you know he's like going, okay, that he probably bought while he was in Jerusalem. 00:20:26.160 --> 00:20:28.799 He's incredibly wealthy. 00:20:29.119 --> 00:20:40.079 And then he's also highly educated, speaking multiple languages, reading, uh, being able to not only just speak, but also read multiple languages. 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:50.640 This is the Ethiopian eunuch, politically powerful, positionally influential, independently wealthy, and highly educated in his chariot, traveling back home. 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:53.680 And God says, Philip, I want you to go talk to him. 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:57.440 And Philip's like, uh man, I don't even, I don't even have a donkey. 00:20:57.680 --> 00:20:59.279 I I'm walking up. 00:20:59.680 --> 00:21:01.519 In fact, I'm gonna run up to him. 00:21:01.599 --> 00:21:06.160 And can you just imagine how intimidated Philip might have been at that moment? 00:21:06.240 --> 00:21:10.559 It's like, okay, this is this is like an important person, you know, important. 00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:13.519 And like, okay, how do how do I approach him? 00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:22.799 And the text goes on to say, then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:26.480 And Philip asked, Do you understand what you're reading? 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:33.759 What a great way, by the way, when we're talking to people who don't know Jesus to begin with a question, not an answer. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:35.519 He says, How can I? 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:37.920 He said, unless someone explains it to me. 00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:40.960 So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:44.240 This is the passage, the scripture the eunuch was reading. 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:46.480 In fact, it's Isaiah 53. 00:21:47.359 --> 00:21:59.759 It's the passage that recounts the prophetic uh word of the suffering servant, which is going to happen in five days from today, will celebrate Good Friday, the passion of Jesus. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.720 Jesus. 00:22:00.880 --> 00:22:07.759 He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:10.480 In humiliation he was deprived of justice. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:12.400 Who can speak of the descendants? 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:14.720 For his life was taken from the earth. 00:22:14.960 --> 00:22:21.039 The eunuch asked Philip, Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else? 00:22:21.279 --> 00:22:28.480 Then Philip began with that very passage of scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 00:22:28.799 --> 00:22:34.400 And the Ethiopian eunuch responds, Okay, what's keeping me from being baptized? 00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:36.880 Can I join the family of God? 00:22:37.039 --> 00:22:43.279 And then as they're traveling around, they see a spot of water, they hop out, and he's baptized, and he enters the family of God. 00:22:43.359 --> 00:22:44.400 And this is amazing. 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:45.680 Think about this. 00:22:45.920 --> 00:22:58.079 Long before the gospel ever went to Rome, long before the gospel ever went to Europe, it went to Africa by way of this Ethiopian high-ranking official. 00:22:58.400 --> 00:23:06.160 And what we know from church history is through his life and his testimony, and uh we believe Philip eventually ended up there as well. 00:23:06.400 --> 00:23:09.839 We see the church explode in northern Africa. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:15.599 See the gospel, the gospel is good news for Ethiopian eunuch people. 00:23:16.559 --> 00:23:40.640 See, the gospel is good news for Silicon Valley exec people, Stanford PhD people, political officials people, Santa Clara MBA people, engineer people, the highly educated people and wealthy people, the those people that live behind gates people. 00:23:41.359 --> 00:23:44.079 The gospel is good news for every people. 00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:52.640 And I think sometimes we can go, yeah, the gospel is good news for me, but I don't know if it's really for them. 00:23:53.039 --> 00:23:58.160 You know, they're highly educated and they're just not interested. 00:23:58.319 --> 00:23:59.440 They're so successful. 00:23:59.599 --> 00:24:03.599 Their career, you know, is their um their lives. 00:24:03.759 --> 00:24:07.920 And uh they they they have all everything you can imagine. 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:13.440 It can't be for them and no, the gospel. 00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:22.240 The gospel is good news for all people, not just some people or certain people, all people. 00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:25.440 And so Jesus. 00:24:26.720 --> 00:24:32.880 Jesus tells us we are to go share it with all people. 00:24:34.480 --> 00:24:56.079 This good news is for Samaritan people, Ethiopian people, good people, bad people, rich people, poor people, black and white people, and every ethnicity people and culture people, Republican people and Democrat people, every single people. 00:24:56.240 --> 00:25:04.880 The gospel is good news, and following Jesus is good for every person on the planet. 00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:11.680 And so, as we close, I just want to leave you with two quick questions to consider. 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:24.000 Two questions in the light of we're seeing this reality of this good news that's good for all people, that you and I would wrestle with, especially this week, but every day. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:30.880 The first question what if the disruption in your life is a divine redirection for your life? 00:25:31.200 --> 00:25:35.599 What if the disruption in your life, God has something in that? 00:25:35.759 --> 00:25:44.400 Think about this: an evil act of persecution, of killing Stephen, God used to advance the gospel. 00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:46.799 I mean, this is incredible. 00:25:47.119 --> 00:25:50.559 Persecution broke out and then revival broke out. 00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:57.200 A place where they would never go, they went to because they had no other option. 00:25:57.279 --> 00:26:00.400 And Jesus used that to bring the gospel there. 00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:02.240 What is it for us? 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:04.640 We've had a really disrupting year. 00:26:04.880 --> 00:26:08.960 And all we're focused on is the disruption and not the redirection. 00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:11.359 Where we go, guess what? 00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:13.200 You are called by Jesus. 00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:17.039 I am called by Jesus to bring this good news and go share it with all people. 00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:21.440 And this disruption has brought a redirection in how we do it with who we communicate. 00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:31.680 In fact, I was just talking to uh the gentleman who started the work uh and faith um ministry, and I just butchered the um the name of that. 00:26:32.000 --> 00:26:36.559 So uh read, you can help us later on the exact name of it. 00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:38.799 But I was with him yesterday. 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:49.599 And he said, This is amazing because of COVID and everyone's online, we're seeing these work and faith hubs pop up all over. 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:51.759 It's like in the Philippines. 00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:58.240 We we have we have a group now there, there's Googlers there that are living there, and then they started connecting to other people. 00:26:58.400 --> 00:26:58.799 Why? 00:26:58.960 --> 00:27:02.000 Because the disruption, it was a divine redirection. 00:27:02.799 --> 00:27:11.519 And in your life, in my life, it's easy to get comfortable and loving the community so much. 00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:17.519 And sometimes the disruption pushes us out of our comfort zone. 00:27:17.920 --> 00:27:30.160 And we can then kind of look back, well, I just want to get back there, or we can go, no, we're called to lovingly care and share the gospel, engage with those who God has called us to reach. 00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:31.200 Would you wrestle with that? 00:27:31.279 --> 00:27:34.559 What if the disruption in your life is a divine redirection? 00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:40.240 The second question I want you to wrestle with is this Who is someone you see consistently? 00:27:40.480 --> 00:27:42.960 God is asking you to love intentionally? 00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:49.200 Who's someone you see consistently that God is asking you to love intentionally? 00:27:50.079 --> 00:27:54.960 Like to go and to share and to love and to be in community that you see. 00:27:56.240 --> 00:28:10.319 Or maybe said another way, when's the last time you felt a prompting from the Spirit of God to go and share the love of Jesus with someone? 00:28:11.519 --> 00:28:15.200 See, I just love how Philip he was prompted by the Spirit of God. 00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:19.519 He ran alongside this eunuch and he's just looking for opportunities. 00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:21.920 And he hears the eunuch talking. 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:27.599 And I think that's the first thing that we have to do when we're loving intentionally is listen carefully. 00:28:28.400 --> 00:28:40.079 You know, they say that when someone's listened well, they can't differentiate really between listening and the feeling of being loved, because to be listened well uh communicates being loved well. 00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:47.519 So just listening to what he's saying, and then instead of going, like, hey man, I know all the answers. 00:28:47.839 --> 00:28:49.279 He asked a question. 00:28:49.599 --> 00:28:59.119 See, loving intentionally means listening well and then asking questions, being curious, getting to know them, their heart, their past. 00:28:59.599 --> 00:29:02.480 I was just talking uh with another man the other day. 00:29:02.640 --> 00:29:11.680 I was actually golfing, and and you know, they put you with random people, and I just asked them, you know, are you originally from the area? 00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:13.839 And and guess what? 00:29:14.079 --> 00:29:16.880 It's like, no, actually, I was born in Cuba. 00:29:17.359 --> 00:29:26.319 And during uh the revolt there, my family fled to the US, and all of a sudden it opened this whole door of hearing his history and his story. 00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:28.720 Like we just got to ask questions. 00:29:29.119 --> 00:29:39.680 People are ready to share their life, where we just ask questions, and then you notice in that curiosity, then the Ethiopian eunuch says, Well, do you have an answer? 00:29:39.920 --> 00:29:41.440 And then we get to share the good news. 00:29:41.519 --> 00:29:50.160 Listen well, ask questions, and then be ready to share the good news of how Jesus changed your life and my life. 00:29:50.559 --> 00:29:54.160 Who is someone you see consistently? 00:29:54.880 --> 00:30:02.799 Maybe it's a neighbor, maybe it's a friend, maybe you're seeing more people consistently now that you're out and about just a little bit more. 00:30:03.759 --> 00:30:39.680 And God is prompting on your heart to love intentionally on that day, on that day, a great persecution came against the church, and the gospel spread to all the people, and on this day, I think on this day, God is calling us to once more be those kind of people, a church that's for all people that bring the gospel to all people. 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:45.039 Would this week be a part? 00:30:46.720 --> 00:30:55.440 Would this week would you be a part of someone's journey and story to experience Jesus? 00:30:56.799 --> 00:30:58.160 I mean, just think about that. 00:30:58.319 --> 00:31:11.680 Would this week leading to Easter, and we've given you those eggs to share where you'd you we're asking you to pray, and you get to be a part of the story of someone experiencing the good news for all people? 00:31:12.240 --> 00:31:15.039 Would you be a part of that with us? 00:31:15.759 --> 00:31:28.799 God, we're so grateful that this good news isn't just for some people or a few people, the right people or special people, but it's for all people, people like me, and people like my friends who are listening. 00:31:29.839 --> 00:31:45.599 And God, would you make us and move our hearts to love intentionally those you bring along our path to move beyond our comfort zone and really care and share your grace and love in Jesus' name. 00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:46.559 Amen. 00:31:47.920 --> 00:31:50.319 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:31:50.559 --> 00:31:55.519 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:58.000 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:31:58.240 --> 00:32:04.400 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.comslash cards.