Becoming Y2F Compliant
As you may know, Beth and I spent the last three years in Mexico City working as church planters. My primary activity was to offer English classes to business people. I taught for a computer company called Silicon Graphics, and also held classes at Pepsi Cola. One day, in one of my classes at Pepsi, I was trying to help my student imagine what his family members might be doing at that very moment.
For instance, I asked Mario, “What do you think your father is doing right now?” Mario thought for a moment and said, “I think my father is reading the newspaper.” Good job, I encouraged him. “Now, what is your mother doing right now?” Mario answered, “I think she is cooking dinner.” Outstanding. “What is your wife doing right now?” By this time, Mario was feeling very confident and didn’t hesitate in his reply, “My wife is eating our baby.” Trying to hold back my laughter, I gently corrected him by having him repeat after me, “My wife is feeding our baby.” He told me he understood so I asked him one final question, “And what is your baby doing right now?” Feeling the flow now, Mario answered, “My baby is eating my wife.”
At this point, I didn’t think I could control myself so I very quickly said, “Good job, now let’s move on to the next section of our lesson.” I don’t know how much English I taught my students but it at least provided some comic relief!
Just as my students struggled with their English, I had my share of difficulties with Spanish. Several months ago, I took Becky (our 4-year-old) and our guinea pig named Muzzy out for a walk to the Vet so that we could get his toenails cut. Becky found a little purse that we crammed Muzzy into, and we were off. When we got to the Vet’s office, I asked her if she could cut Muzzy’s toenails. Or, at least that’s what I thought I asked her. After she asked me to repeat my request three times, I realized my mistake. Instead of asking her to trim some toenails, I was asking her if she could cut Muzzy’s toes off! Maybe she thought I was serious because after all, he was a Guinea Pig!
Introduction
Just as Mario has been struggling with his English, and I have struggled with my Spanish, my guess is that many of you are struggling with learning another language. It’s called the language of evangelism. Some of you would rather have your toes cut off than share your faith with someone.
In fact, to borrow from the title of the new Star Wars movie, the evangelical church in America is suffering from Phantom Evangelism. A phantom is an illusion -- something that exists only in the mind. Even though we consider ourselves evangelicals, the truth of the matter is that for many of us, evangelism is something that we value in our minds, but not necessarily in our lifestyle.
When Jesus gave the Great Commission to His followers, it was an uncategorical command to everyone, not to just a few who enjoyed evangelism. If you and I are to call him Lord, then we, too, must accept that evangelism is one of the things that we must do.
The sinners of Pontiac have no hope without Christ. And they are not likely to be brought to faith in Christ through institutions or events, by books or TV programs. You are their best chance of helping them escape the clutches of hell. We have the daunting privilege of ushering undeserving people into God’s eternal presence.
I really believe that most of you sincerely want to talk about Christ with your families, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. You have the desire, but it doesn’t always work out. In the hustle and bustle of life, our encounters with people are brief and fleeting. We hurl past one another like speeding chariots on an old Roman road.
This morning I’d like to camp in Acts 8. We will see that the account of Philip’s discussion with the Ethiopian Eunuch is a story of divine appointment -- of a seized opportunity to share the Good News. If you have your Bibles, please turn to the book of Acts.
1 - Preparation
We’re introduced to Philip in Acts 6. You remember the story, don’t you? As the early church was beginning to experience growth, the disciples realized that they were dropping the ball by not caring for the widows among them. So seven men were chosen who were known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Among these seven men, who were the first deacons of the early church, was a man named Philip.
Friends, the first key phase of evangelism is preparation. Philip had the job of making sure that those women who no longer had husbands were not overlooked. I’m sure he worked hard at his new responsibility. His job was not very glorious and he probably didn’t receive many accolades, but he was faithful.
I believe that all of life is preparation. God in His sovereignty uses all of our experiences, both good and bad, to help prepare us for what he wants us to do. Do you feel like you’re not doing anything really glamorous for the kingdom? Do you sense that your ministry or job is not all that important? It’s not true God uses every one of our experiences in order to prepare us.
As a side bar, this first point also challenges us to be prepared in another way. According to the Barna Research Group, almost 9 out of 10 people who share the gospel say they generally wind up sharing their faith unexpectedly in response to concerns or interests raised in the normal course of conversation rather than as part of a planned evangelistic moment. What this tells me is that we need to be prepared because sometimes we only get one good chance to share the gospel with a nonbeliever.
Later Philip went to Samaria, where he experienced incredible “success” and fruit he spoke to huge crowds and hundreds of people were baptized. In fact, there were so many new believers that the church in Jerusalem sent Peter and John to help out. Philip is riding high. He probably wanted to stay right were he was and keep ministering, especially after Peter and John subsequently returned to Jerusalem.
In this first stage of Preparation, Philip is practicing obedience and working in partnership with God. Since his life is submitted to the will of God, he’s eager to do whatever God directs him to do, and to go wherever He sends him. As we will see, he wasn’t supposed to stay where he was -- God wanted him to take a trip.
2 - Positioning
While traveling can be fun, it’s also something that can cause some stress and anxiety. I recently read some true stories that several Travel Agents compiled.
One Travel Agent writes: A client called in inquiring about a package to Hawaii. After going over all the cost details, she asked, “would it be cheaper to fly to California and then take the train to Hawaii?”
A man called, furious about a Florida package we did. I asked what went wrong with his vacation in Orlando. He said he was expecting an ocean-view room. I tried to explain that is not possible, since Orlando is in the middle of the state. He replied, “Don’t lie to me. I looked on the map and Florida is a very thin state.”
A nice lady just called. She needed to know how it was possible that her flight from Detroit left at 8:20am and got into Chicago at 8:33am. I tried to explain that Michigan was an hour ahead of Illinois, but she could not understand the concept of time zones. Finally I told her the plane went very fast, and she bought that!
I just got off the phone with a man who was calling from the airport, “How do I know which plane to get on?” I asked him what exactly he meant, and he replied, “I was told my flight number is 823, but none of these stupid planes have numbers on them.”
A businessman called and had a question about the documents he needed in order to fly to China. After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded him that he needed a visa. To which he replied, “Look, I’ve been to China 4 times and they’ve always accepted my American Express.”
Philip didn’t have to worry about getting a visa, or finding a plane with a flight number on it, when his “Divine Travel Agent” gave him a new itinerary. Look at verse 26, “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road -- the desert road -- that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’”
If the first stage is Preparation, then the second phase of Philip’s ministry is Positioning.
Philip is told to leave Samaria and to travel on the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza. By direct route, this would be a 48-mile journey on a lonely road through steep mountain passes and hilly country. Yet, despite the poor prospects for converts on the road, Philip books his flight and heads south.
Notice the first phrase of verse 27: “So he started out.” I want to pause here to point out that God doesn’t necessarily expect us to make wholesale changes all at the same time -- he just wants us to start out, by taking small steps. We don’t have to know all the facts, or even attempt something huge, the most important thing is to just do it.
One of my pastor friends sent us an email several months ago when we were planning to do an Easter Outreach. This is what he said. “The most important thing about this outreach is that you’re doing it.” His point was that it’s difficult to do something, especially when we feel overwhelmed and underqualified. The key is to start...to take small steps...to begin. We needed to do exactly what Philip did.
Verse 27 continues: “...and on his way he met an Ethiopian Eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians.”
It’s clear isn’t it? If Philip had not “started out” by taking that first step, he never would have met this man with a hungry heart.
Sometimes I wonder how many opportunities I’ve missed simply because I’ve not been willing to “start out.” Maybe its a phone call I didn’t make, or a meeting I didn’t attend, or a neighbor I didn’t say “hi” to, or a smile I didn’t give to someone who was hurting.
Friends, God will position us exactly where he wants us when we obey His promptings. Don’t ignore those gentle nudges from the Holy Spirit. Opportunities only come when we place ourselves in direct contact with people.
Now, after Philip meets this man, he makes some observations. This is good evangelism strategy.
In verses 27-28, I see at least 8 observations that Philip may have made.
1. The man is an Ethiopian. That means he’s a foreigner and is probably lonely.
2. He’s a Eunuch. It was not unusual in ancient Near Eastern cultures for high ranking officials to be castrated in order to assure that their entire attention would be given to their duties without any threat of sexual misconduct. Another observation that Philip no doubt made was that according to Deuteronomy 23:1, eunuchs were not allowed into the Temple. Even though this man made a trip of about 1,000 miles to go to church, he wasn’t allowed to draw near to God. No matter how devout he was, he would never be welcomed as a convert. Not only would this man never have children -- he was struggling to figure out how to get to know God.
3. He’s an important official. He was intelligent and had an influential job.
4. He was in charge of the treasury. He was the Secretary of the Treasury and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve all rolled into one. He was respected and trustworthy.
5. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship. This shows that he was a religious man who was earnestly seeking God.
6. He was on his way home. He was probably in a reflective mood and maybe thinking about how his journey to connect with God had left him unsatisfied.
7. Sitting in his chariot. Few people could afford the luxury of having their own chariot -- it would be like a Lexus or a Mercedes today. He was sitting down which meant he was available to talk.
8. He was reading Isaiah. Philip makes a mental note that the Ethiopian respects the Bible and remembers that this section of Isaiah speaks of Christ. Interestingly, this passage also gives hope to those who can’t have children.
Friends, we need to observe our lost friends, neighbors, and co-workers in order to find open doors and avenues of penetration. We need to watch what they do, listen to what they say, and feel what they feel so that we can build bridges to their lives.
Unfortunately, some of us are too upset with non-Christians to even think about making objective observations about their lives. If the truth were known, some of us are secretly angry with people who sin differently than we do. Instead of looking to build bridges to their world, we often erect insurmountable barriers.
Friends, where is God wanting to position you? While He might be trying to “reposition” some of you, I’m convinced that most of you are already in “position.” You are exactly where He wants you -in your neighborhood, in your work setting, and in your extended family. Are you ready to obey? Are you willing to do what Philip did and just start out?
3 -- Proximity
Stage 1 is Preparation. Stage 2 is Positioning. Now, beginning in verse 29, we come to the 3rd stage -- Proximity. Take a look at the verse: “The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
Philip’s task was to come up alongside the chariot and stay near it. Notice that God doesn’t tell him anything else -- he’s just supposed to get close to the Ethiopian and stay there. Philip isn’t given a crash course in Evangelism Explosion or the Four Spiritual Laws. God wants him to just be in proximity to a seeking heart.
The best definition of evangelism I’ve ever heard is from a book by Joe Aldrich called, “Lifestyle Evangelism.” He says that “evangelism is what spills over when we bump into someone.”
Have you bumped into anyone lately? Are you near enough to non-Christians so that the fullness of your Christianity can spill over into their lives? Have you come up alongside a hurting heart and stayed there?
Notice how Philip responds to the Spirit’s directive in verse 30 -- “Then Philip ran up to the chariot...” Once again we see that Philip doesn’t waste any time. When God tells him to jump, he says, “How high?” When God tells Philip to go, he says, “Right away, just point me in the right direction.” He then puts on his Nikes and takes off.
Have you ever noticed how many times “running” is used in the Scriptures? Let me give you just two:
In 1 Corinthians 9:24 Paul exhorts us to run in such a way to get the prize.
In Hebrews 12:1, we are told to run with perseverance the race set up before us.
God doesn’t want us to obey Him slowly. When He prepares us, or when he positions us, or when he wants us to live in proximity to non-Christians, He expects us to “run”. He wants sold-out Christ followers who take great pleasure in whole-hearted obedience.
Take a look at verses 29 and 30 again. Philip is told to go and stay near. He responds by running up to the chariot. Then what happens? While he is next to the chariot he hears the man reading from the book of Isaiah.
I wonder how many times we short-circuit this process simply because we are not spending enough time in proximity to the non-Christians God has already positioned us to come in contact with. Maybe its because they make us feel uncomfortable. Or maybe its because we think they are the enemy. Or maybe in the busyness of our lives we just frankly don’t think much about them.
And, when we’re not near non-Christians we miss the cues, or signals that they send out. While we might not receive the same kind of cue that Philip did when he heard the Ethiopian reading his Bible, we will hear some -- if we’re close enough -- and if we listen hard enough. Maybe your friend will open up about his marriage, or his kids, or her work problems, or even ask questions about death. Listen for the cues -- when you do, you will hear them. And you might be surprised by what people are reading watching, or thinking about.
Several months ago, Beth was talking to our neighbor named Maribel. Maribel was explaining that she was planning to teach some of the poor people who lived around us how to read and write. Beth responded by saying, “That’s fantastic.” To which Maribel quickly replied, “Well, I have to if I want God to accept me.” Now that’s a cue! Over the course of time Beth and I were able to talk to both her and her husband about grace.
4 -- Proclamation
Once God prepares us, and then positions us, He wants us to stay in strategic proximity to lost people. Then, we’re ready for the fourth phase -- proclamation.
When Philip heard the man reading Isaiah, he asked him a question in verse 30, “Do you understand what you are reading?” By the way, it’s always a good idea to ask people questions -- Jesus did it all the time. It helps people think in new ways and often reveals inadequacies and contradictions in their thought patterns. In verse 31 the man responds by saying, “How can I unless someone explains it to me?” The man recognized that he needed some assistance. Philip is then invited to come up into the chariot and to sit down with him.
The eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53. Philip is ready for the next question in verse 34, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself, or someone else?” I love verse 35, “Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.” No doubt Philip pointed this seeker to some of the other verses in Isaiah 53 that show how Jesus solved our sin problem -- it was all laid on Him when He willingly and submissively went to the Cross to pay off our sin debt.
I like how the RSV translates the first part of verse 35: “Then Philip opened his mouth...” All we need to do is open our mouths and begin where our friends are at. Philip started where his friend was. He heard the questions, and answered them. He did not try to talk theology, or get him to memorize a creed, he didn’t even get him to affirm any doctrines. He simply told him the good news about Jesus.
A couple weeks ago, I was with my dad for an extended period of time. Even though I’ve told my parents about how I became a Christian, and have shared the gospel with them in different ways, the Lord impressed upon me the need to talk to my dad again. As I thought about talking to him about spiritual matters, I got real nervous. My heart started racing. My mouth got dry. I tried to think about what I would say. Finally, after about 30 minutes went by, I just opened my mouth. And you know what happened? God took care of the rest. The most difficult thing about this experience was to just open my mouth. After I did, the conversation stayed on spiritual topics for about 10 minutes.
Evidently, the eunuch heard enough about Jesus in order to put his faith in Him and receive the gift of salvation. Unfortunately, I don’t have time at this point to talk about the importance of baptism for believers. I want to simply point out that this man did not waste any time. He searched, he found, and he was dunked. Philip is to be commended for not just leading him to Christ, but for also obeying the Great Commission mandate in Matthew 28 which tells us to make disciples and to baptize them.
I don’t know if Philip would consider himself to be a great evangelist -- even though he’s later referred to as “Philip the Evangelist” in Acts 21. He was just a man who was willing to listen, he was willing to go, he was willing to be with lost people, and he was willing to open his mouth. Friends, he was no different than you or me.
Application
Research has shown that we struggle with evangelism because we are isolated from the very people God has called us to influence. For most of us, developing meaningful, authentic relationships with non-Christians will be an act of intent, not an act of chance. We will probably have to look for, or creatively make, opportunities to encounter and interact with nonbelievers.
How often do you pray for opportunities to meet new people you might someday have the privilege of introducing to Jesus Christ? Be proactive on this. Jesus did not wait for people to come to him. The apostles were not stuck in one place in fact, as we saw in Philip’s life, they were moved around. The biblical model we have is one of believers actively pursuing chances to engage with nonbelievers.
In closing, I want to give you two action steps -- the first one is personal, the second one is more corporate in nature.
1. As we head toward the year 2000, we’re hearing a lot about Y2K and what may happen when we enter the new millennium. Instead of focusing so much of our attention on Y2K, I want to challenge you to become “Y2F Compliant” the “Year of 2 Friends.” Ask God to put 2 people on your heart who don’t know Christ yet. Maybe he’ll burden you for one of your neighbors, or for someone you work with, or maybe even an extended family member. Once God gives you these 2 people, I want you to pray for them every day and then look for creative ways to live in proximity to them -- to get close to them and to stay there. I think you will be surprised at what God does through you -- and in you. If you can’t think of 2 non-Christians, ask God to reposition you so that you come in regular contact with those who don’t know Christ yet.
The church-sanctioned practice of turning inward—that is, to only befriend other believers nullifies the evangelistic influence of thousands of churches. Brothers and sisters, undertake activities for the primary purpose of meeting new people and having the opportunity to build friendships with them. Here are some ideas:
- joining sports teams not affiliated with the church
- serving as a teacher’s aid in a preschool setting
- throwing a summer block party
- inviting coworkers to your house for dinner
We cannot change people if they do not know us. We must take the initiative in developing these relationships. Boldly ask God to give you an opportunity to go through all 4 ministry phases with both of your friends before the new millennium. And, during the next 7 months, whenever you hear about the Y2K bug, think instead of Y2F and use it as a reminder to pray for your two friends. Ask God to help you move to the next phase with them from preparation to positioning to proximity to proclamation.
2. The second action step is a bit broader and will involve a little more work -- though there is a lot of flexibility in how it can be fulfilled. I’d like to challenge Pontiac Bible Church to launch some Y2F Groups. These groups would meet on a monthly basis and would provide accountability for you as you strive to become Y2F Compliant. During these get-togethers, your primary focus would be to encourage and challenge one another to be involved in the lives of non-Christians.
These Y2F Groups might meet in homes, or you might even be able to include a Y2F segment as part of your Sunday School class, your TLC, or even during a Board Meeting. The important thing for all of us is that we start encouraging each other to be involved in the lives of people for whom Christ died.
Just Do It
When I was a student at Moody Bible Institute, we had chapel every day. By the time I was a Senior, these chapel services had become rather dull and boring. Speakers would challenge us with the need for evangelism all the time. One day, I noticed that we were going to have another sermon on the topic of evangelism. As I settled into my chair to catch a quick nap, the speaker came up to the podium, looked around slowly, and then said just 3 words “Just Do It!” He then scanned the crowd again, turned around and walked off the stage.
None of us knew what to do. Was chapel really over so soon? Even though the speaker had now left the room, none of us moved. We were struck with both the simplicity and the profound truthfulness of his 3 word sermon. We didn’t need any more sermons on evangelism we just needed to Do It!
What is God saying to Pontiac Bible Church and to you this morning? It’s really pretty simple and yet profoundly true
1. Prepare yourself GET READY
2. Position yourself GET SET
3. Live in proximity GET NEAR
4. Proclaim the gospel GET ON WITH IT!
Friends, if you forget everything else I’ve said this morning,
…remember these three letters Y2F
…and these three words JUST DO IT!
Friends, don’t make evangelism more difficult or painful than it has to be. It’s not as bad as getting your toes cut off.
