This message follows from last week’s message by Elder Dr Andrew Goh on letting our light shine before men that they may see our good deeds and praise our heavenly Father. (Matthew 5:16). Pastor Lionel used Philip, one of the seven men who were picked by the apostles to meet the needs of the Greek speaking widows in the Jerusalem church in Acts 6:1-6, to illustrate how God used a person who was available and obedient to him to grow his church. Philip, a man full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, started out waiting at tables and saw to the daily distribution of food to the marginalised widows. Subsequently, when persecution of Christians began in Jerusalem after the stoning of Stephen, Philip went to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the gospel there. Crowds came to hear him and many believed because of the miraculous signs he did. (Acts 8:4-8) As Jesus says in Luke 16:10, Philip who could be trusted in very little can also be trusted with much. God used him to reach out to the Samaritans, a people ostracised and despised by the Jews as they were offspring of Jews and pagans who were brought into the Northern kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians after its fall in 722BC.
Philip obeyed an angel of the Lord in Acts 8:26-29 and left his thriving ministry in Samaria and walked 100km to the desert road in Gaza. There, he met the Ethiopian eunuch, the Finance minister of Queen Candace who ruled the Meroë empire stretching from the Red Sea across the Sahara to the Adriatic Sea. Philip helped him to understand that the prophecy in the scroll of Isaiah referred to Jesus. The eunuch believed and was baptised. Deut 23:1 records that eunuchs were not allowed in the assembly of the Lord. God honoured the searching heart of the eunuch who travelled 1000km to Jerusalem by directing Philip to reveal his truth to him. Jesus’ death on the cross revealed God’s love for all men and fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 56:3-5 when God would accept and bless the foreigners and eunuchs who committed their lives to Him. Bishop Irenaeus recorded that this eunuch went back to Ethiopia and reached out to the elite there. Ethiopia became the second Christian nation in AD330 and was the strongest church in the world in the 2nd - 4th century.
A present day example of Philip who was willing to do the menial work and serve God anywhere as led by God is Heidi Baker. She started during her undergraduate days reaching out to the prostitutes and men who were without hope in the red light district near her campus and was often beaten by those whom she sought to help. While working amongst the triads and drug addicts in Hong Kong, she was betrayed by a man whom she had sheltered in her home to help him break his addiction. The latter raped her toddler. She was grieved, forgave him and vacated him from her home. She continued ministering to the poor and needy after this traumatic incident because she was convicted to follow Jesus’ example in John 1:10-12. Jesus came to his own who rejected him despite all that he has done for them. God subsequently brought healing when the Lord brought her to HK two years after the incident and asked her to be reconciled with the addict. She met him on a street in HK and he sought her forgiveness and she embraced the man who has hurt her daughter. This act of reconciliation ended her daughter’s nightmares. Heidi is presently serving God in Mozambique. She has made many sacrifices in her commitment to serve God who has richly blessed her work.
Pastor also cited various examples of Riverlifers who had served God faithfully in various tasks that nobody likes to do like being car park marshals. Others have spent time reaching out to the local community through Riverlife Community Service and still others, have made impact overseas. He exhorted us to learn to hear God and to follow His leading to shine as light for God wherever He has placed us.
Discussion Questions
1) The ministries of both Philip and Heidi Baker have impacted many people.
a) What do they possess in common that enable the success of their ministries? [10 min]
b) What are the things they have done which are difficult for you? [10 min]
Leader’s Notes: This is a recap, relate and reflect question to allow the people to recall the sermon and respond to the testimonies of the two lives used by God to impact nations for Him
a) They are both willing to do the menial tasks to serve God’s purpose anywhere God led them. They respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit and follow God’s prompting even when it is difficult for them. They made personal sacrifices to do what God asked of them and are willing to cross racial, social and cultural barriers to obey God.
b) Let members share the things that are difficult for them. Encourage them to seek God and not let fears overcome them. Fear is a natural instinct and we overcome the fear of poverty, criticism, loss of love, the unknown, failure, ill health and death by turning our fears to God and letting His perfect love to cast out fears. (1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
Surely God will lead us one step at a time and we depend on Him to supply the resources we need to accomplish His work. 1 Corinthians 10:13 assures us that God is in control. “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” Deuteronomy 31:6, Joshua was exhorted to “ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
2) Share with your group how you may shine as light for Christ habitually in your life? [15 min]
Leader’s Notes: This is a response question. Pastor shared that people in his company would respond positively to the gospel message of his former colleague because he was willing to do the menial tasks of cleaning up the pantry area, restocking it and giving lifts to fellow colleagues even when he had to detour to do them the favour. The key to this is integration and make good works and God, not self focus, a way of life. We are to be sensitive to hear God and do that which the Holy Spirit prompts us to do or pray for. The enemy also traps us to do good works by condemning us for not doing enough and then causing us to be offended when we are not appreciated. We can become stressed out with over-commitment and throw the baby out with the bath water. God rewards those who are faithful and follow the example of Christ. Some scripture verses to ponder in this area are:
Luke 16:10
He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. – Start small
Luke 19:17
‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’- End well
John 1:10-11
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. - Imitate Christ
