Introduction: Have you ever had a disagreement with someone over a sandwich? I have! My disagreement was with Judy (my wife). I met Judy when I was in seminary. When we first started dating this disagreement occurred. On this particular afternoon Judy had to work and I was off. She worked as secretary for one of the professors. After class she went to work and I headed to my dorm room. Judy asked me to bring her a sandwich at her office. This would have required my walking about ½ mile (out of my way). For some reason I did not want to do this favor. I either forgot or let something else take priority. Needless to say, I was in hot water over my selfish ways. That story illustrates a major weakness in the human spirit. We do not want to go out of our way. Going out of our way to express love should be a natural response. However, the selfish side of us wants to rebel. The selfish side wants to rule. This is true in our spiritual life as well. It is human nature to be selfish and withold our best from Jesus Christ.
Illustration: A little boy named Tommy illustrates the human spirit. The teacher asked her preschool class, “Now how many of you would like to go to heaven?” All of the kids but Tommy raised their hands. “Tommy,” asked the teacher, “Why don’t you want to go to heaven?” He answered, “I’m sorry, but I can’t. My mother told me to come right home after Sunday School.”
(Contributed to Sermon Central by Greg Yount) Tommy did not want to go out of his way.
With this in mind I want to ask you a question. In your relationship with God have you come to a place where you are willing to go out of your way for Jesus?
In Acts chapters 6 & 8 we find a man who who was willing to go out of his way for Jesus. His name is Philip. I would like to begin by reading one verse of scripture that describes Philip’s attitude and then follow the story of his life in chapters 6 & 8 to learn what motivated Philip to act in such a way. The one verse is Acts 8:5. “Philip went down to the city of Samaria.” Philip lived in Jerusalem. He left Jerusalem and went out of his way to share Jesus Christ in Samaria. That is God’s will for us. He wants us to come to a place of commitment whereby we would go anywhere and do anything for Jesus Christ. Let’s admit up front, this goes against the grain of the human spirit. It goes against our selfish human nature. What is the special thing that moves a person beyond selfishness to obedience? As we walk through chapters 6 and 8 we will find some clues to this amazing transformation.
1. What prepares a person to go out of their way to follow Jesus Christ? The first clue is found in Acts 6:3. “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.” (NKJV) Philip was one of those men. Philip, along with the other men, had three desired qualities.
• He had a good reputation among men.
• He was filled with the Holy Spirit. The filling of the Holy Spirit is possible only to the person who has accepted Jesus Christ and surrendered his spirit to Him.
• He had wisdom. Wisdom is the ability to translate you faith into life. I describe it as Biblical common sense.
In order to have a good reputation, be filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom your heart must be right with God. It is essential to understand this principle. If your heart is not right before God, nothing else will matter. The heart is the launching point for service to God.
Illustration: The other day I wanted to down load a file from the internet. Before doing so I had to download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat reader. Until I did this the download was impossible. Even so, a person cannot and will not fulfill the work of Christ unless he/she has the credentials that are necessary. It begins in the heart.
We see an example of this in Acts 8:19-25. We meet a man named Simon. This was not Simon, the disciple. This Simon was a worldly sort of fellow. He thought the Holy Spirit could be bought and sold (vs. 18). Two apostles, Peter and John, struck at the nerve of the man’s problem. “You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.” They went to the heart. That is the crucial issue in service and submission to God. It is not religion. It is not moral issues. It is not religious rituals. The heart must be right. Paul said, “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom. 10:10)
A person whose heart is right will gladly go out of their way to share and serve Jesus Christ. If you find yourself reluctant to tithe, serve in the church, go on mission trips and give of your time in service to the Lord you have a heart problem.
2. What prepares a person to go out of their way to follow Jesus Christ? A second clue is found in Acts 6:2. When the disciples selected Philip they were looking for individuals who would “serve tables.” Philip had the heart of a servant. Phillip started with a menial task. This was certainly not a task for such a dignified man. Servanthood is an unpopular task in our world today. Most people want to be served. Most people want to be pampered. The servant of Christ should want to serve others.
Each of us should ask the question: do I have a servant heart? A person who is willing to go out of his way for Jesus has a servant heart. Bob Russell, pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., tells an inspiring story about service. Russell said they have a man in their church named Dwight Day who is a pilot for UPS. Russell said he walked into their church sanctuary one day and found Dwight Day scrubbing grape juice stains off of the pews. Russell said Day could have easily paid someone to do that menial job but he received great joy in performing that simple task. (P. 178, When God Builds a Church)
Illustration: Jesus displayed a servant spirit at the last supper. It was traditional for a hired servant to wash the feet of guests. Jesus and His disciples shared a meal. At the conclusion of the meal the foot washing job had not been fulfilled. Jesus took a pan of water and threw a towel across His shoulder and proceeded to wash his disciple’s feet. This practice seemed to be reversed. You would have expected the disciples to wash His feet. He was the Lord; however, he set an example for all disciples to follow. He wants his followers to have a servant spirit.
3. What prepares a person to go out of their way to follow Jesus Christ? A third clue is found in Acts 8:26, 29, 39. In Acts 8:26 an angel instructs Philip to go to a certain place in the desert. Had the angel instructed him to go to downtown Jerusalem it would have been understandable. Had the angel instructed him to go to the crowded streets of Caesarea it would have been understandable. However, the angel instructed him to go to the desert. Philip obeyed. Next, in Acts 8:29 Philip is instructed to get into a chariot with an Ethiopian eunuch. This was weird. He was to get into a chariot with a man he had never seen. Philip obeyed. Finally, Philip is instructed to go to Azotus. Azotus was the New Testment name of the city of Ashdod. This was the home of the Philistines. Most of us readily identify the Philistines with Goliath. The Philistines had been bitter enemies of the Jewish people throughout history. Therefore, going to Azotus would not have been an easy task. This would have been somewhat like an American going as a missionary to Iran. Philip followed God’s leadership to the best of his ability. Philip was instructed by two different methods, an angel and the Holy Spirit. He followed God’s leadership in each incident! That is the goal. God uses many methods to instruct His children. Following the Lord’s leadership is a challenging task. None of us feel up to it! However, the fruitful servant follows to the best of his ability.
There is an old hymn that should reflect the spirit of our heart. The song is “Wherever he leads I’ll go.”
4. What prepares a person to go out of their way to follow Jesus Christ? A fourth clue is found several times in studying the life of Philip. Look at 6:2; 8:5, 26, 40; 21:8-9. Phillip was available and faithful. God is not looking for ability but availability. God is not looking for talent. He is looking for willingness.
Some people, instead of going out of their way to serve Jesus, act like they are put out in serving Him. Philip did not have such a spirit.
Illustration: One church conducted a "No Excuse Sunday." These excuses reflect the irritation some people feel. Cots will be placed in the foyer for those who say, "Sunday is my only day to sleep in." Murine will be available for those with tired eyes... from watching television too late on Saturday night. We will have steel helmets for those who say, "The roof would cave in if I ever came to church." Blankets will be provided for those who think the church is too cold, and fans for those who think the church is too hot. We will have hearing aids for those who say, "The pastor speaks too softly," and cotton for those who say I preach too loudly. Score cards will be available for those who wish to list the hypocrites present. For those who wish to spend time with family on Sunday we assure you that your Father will be in attendance. There will be T.V. dinners for those who cannot go to church and cook dinner also. One section will be devoted to trees and grass for those who like to seek God in nature. Finally, the sanctuary will be decorated with both Christmas poinsettias and Easter lilies for those who have never seen the church without them.
(Contributed to Sermon Central by Sheila Crowe)
John Piper wrote, "What is God looking for in the world? Assistants? No. The gospel is not a help-wanted ad. It is a help-available ad.."
(Contributed to Sermon Central by Dana Chau)
May you and I be willing to go out of our way for Jesus Christ!
