Create Rhythms to Share Your Story
Getting into “rhythms” is a beautiful practice. Consider musical scores. There is timing, there is a beat. The snare and bass drum, struck in perfect pattern synchronized with vocal melody, classical keys, the strum of an acoustic guitar, and the low deep thump of a bass. We hear beautiful music throughout our week on phones and radios. We feel the live presence of music from our church stage each and every Sunday. Harmony. But do we seek to find harmony in our personal spiritual life? Do we create patterns or rhythms that make beautiful music, music ready to share the gospel of Christ?
This week at youth group we examined the story of Philip and the Ethiopian found in Acts 8:26-40. Philip allowed the spirit to lead, and he told the story of Jesus, starting right where the Ethiopian was at, the book of Isaiah. This encounter resolved in baptism and the spirit moving Philip on to the next encounter. Here is the text we examined:
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.) 27 So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem 28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.
29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”
30 When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this:
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb is silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will describe his generation?
For his life is taken from the earth.
34 The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or someone else?” 35 Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.
36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?” 38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip appeared in Azotus, and he was traveling and preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.[1]
What can we learn from this?
- Let the spirit lead! Only with God at the head will our eyes be open to the work ahead of us. Philip was walking in the spirit and able to see who needed hearing the good news of Jesus. Be bold and respond to the call!
- Be ready to share the good news of the gospel. In sharing the redemptive story of God on earth in Jesus, you have an opportunity to share how it has so changed you! It may change someone’s life!
- Remember that Philip is whisked away. It may be subtle, but this shows us that it’s not about us. It’s about the changed lives encountering the closeness of God. We may be tempted to idolize the celebration of saved souls as stats or figures. “I’ve baptized [x] amount of people.” This is not the call! 99 for the 1. It’s not a numbers game but an intentional one!
- Maybe you don’t know the story of Christ, much like the Ethiopian. Maybe you are looking for an answer. That is ok! Keep searching, keep digging, and the doors will be opened for you to find understanding. The Bible says to “ask, seek, knock” and the doors will be open[2]. Find a local body of believers, find community. There is fertile soil to grow in understanding of God and his love for you.
As you create rhythms in your life, look for ways to tell your story. How has God radically changed your life? Share of the past, share of the present, share of what is to come, and make beautiful music of this Christian life we live.
[1] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+8%3A26-40&version=CSB
[2] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207%3A7-12&version=CSB