Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. (Acts 8:26-28)
Deacon Philip also left Jerusalem because of the persecution of the church. Like the disciples who were scattered, he preached Jesus Christ everywhere (cf. Acts 8: 5). At this time Philip’s ministry in the city of Samaria had just begun, and even though the church had just been established, the angel of the Lord asked him to leave. Leaving the city of Samaria meant that Philip had to give up all his previous efforts, and had to begin again. The place where the Lord called him was neither a city nor a land where the gospel had not been preached, but a deserted wilderness on the way from Gaza, which is on the way from Gaza to Jerusalem.
At that time, Gaza was a deserted place. Even travellers were scarce on the road leading to this deserted city and Philip was aware he might not find anyone there to whom he could preach the gospel. In contrast, there was a growing group of believers in the city of Samaria and they needed someone to strengthen the believer's faith. So Philip might have been puzzled by this leading of the angel of the Lord. However, even though Philip knew that the road to Gaza was a wilderness, he didn’t delay. He obeyed the Lord's leading by following the road to Gaza from Jerusalem.
Obedience to God is often emphasized in the Bible and can be said to be the core of the Scriptures. But most people are often reluctant to obey God's leadership. The most important reason is that they are not willing to leave their comfort zone. But God often leads people out of their comfort zone to a completely new place. There will be unknown challenges and many difficulties. There is no other way but to rely on God.
Especially when his ministry was going well, Philip was even more reluctant to leave his comfort zone. If we are unwilling to obey God’s direction because we want to remain in our own comfort zone, we will inevitably miss many of God ’s blessings. We will not be able to expand our horizons and can’t please God. For example, if Philip would have been unwilling to leave the city of Samaria even with a slight delay would have meant that he would miss the opportunity to tell the Ethiopian eunuch about Jesus.
Although the church encountered persecution in its early years, the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church were very rapid, precisely because believers in the church at that time were very obedient to God. Philip was also able to meet the Ethiopian eunuch who was on his way in the wilderness because of obedience to God’s direction. He had the opportunity to preach Jesus to such a powerful person, lead him to believe in the Lord, and baptize him. In this way, the gospel was also brought to Ethiopia.
Similarly, if we Christians want to be used by God today, and want to participate in the ministry of building God’s kingdom, we should always be ready to leave our comfort zone and obey God ’s leadership, going to the land he has directed.
(Note: The author of this article is a full-time co-worker in a grassroots church in Fujian)
-Translated by Abigail Wu
使徒行传灵修系列：走出舒适圈
有主的一个使者对腓利说：“起来，向南走，往那从耶路撒冷下迦萨的路上去。”那路是旷野。腓利就起身去了。不料，有一个埃塞俄比亚人，是个有大权的太监，在埃塞俄比亚女王干大基的手下总管银库，他上耶路撒冷礼拜去了。现在回来，在车上坐着，念先知以赛亚的书。（使徒行传8:26-28）
执事腓利也因着耶路撒冷的教会大遭逼迫，所以才离开耶路撒冷，他也如同那些分散的门徒一样，往各处去宣讲耶稣基督（参 徒8:5）。此时腓利在撒玛利亚城的福音事工刚刚开始复兴，或者说刚建立起教会，主的使者却让他离开现今所在的地方。离开撒玛利亚城就意味着腓利要放弃之前所有努力的成果，一切都要重新开始。并且主呼召他去的地方既不是一座城，也不是什么福音未得之地，而是去人烟罕至的旷野，就是耶路撒冷下迦萨的路上。
当时的迦萨是一座废城，在一条通往废城的路上，连行人都稀少，腓利可能在那边找个人传福音都找不到。又加上撒玛利亚城的福音刚刚开始复兴，需要有人来坚固信徒的信仰，所以他可能也会对这个带领感到不解。可是腓利在很清楚那条路是旷野的情况下，却没有丝毫的迟延，他完全顺服主的带领去到耶路撒冷下迦萨的路上。
人要顺服神是圣经一直所强调的教导，甚至可以说这个教导是整本圣经的核心。可是大多数的人往往都不愿意顺服神的带领，最重要的一个原因就是不愿意离开自己的舒适圈。因为神时常会带领人离开自己的舒适圈，到一个完全陌生的地方。在那里会充满着各种未知的挑战，也可能会遇到许多的艰难，除了倚靠神，别无他法。
特别是在自己服侍一帆风顺的时候，就更加不愿意离开自己的舒适圈，就如腓利正处在撒玛利亚城复兴的时候。可事实告诉我们，若是为了自己的舒适圈而不愿意顺服神的带领，必然会错失神许多的祝福，也无法扩张自己的境界，同时也不讨神的喜悦。例如腓利在面对这个带领时，要是不愿意离开撒玛利亚城，甚至稍有迟延，都会错过给这个太监传讲耶稣的机会，因为这个太监是坐车回埃塞俄比亚去。
教会初期虽然遭遇到种种逼迫，可是福音的广传与教会的复兴却是非常迅速，也正是因为当时的教会非常顺服神的带领。腓利也是因为顺服神的带领，才能在旷野遇到正在赶路的埃塞俄比亚太监，有机会跟这样有大权的人宣讲耶稣，带领对方信主，并给他施洗，使福音也被带到埃塞俄比亚去。
同样，在今天我们作为基督徒若是想要被神重用，若是想要更好的参与到神国的事工当中，也应当随时准备离开自己的舒适圈，顺服神的带领，到神所指引之地去。
（注：本文作者为福建一基层教会全职同工）
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. (Acts 8:26-28)
Deacon Philip also left Jerusalem because of the persecution of the church. Like the disciples who were scattered, he preached Jesus Christ everywhere (cf. Acts 8: 5). At this time Philip’s ministry in the city of Samaria had just begun, and even though the church had just been established, the angel of the Lord asked him to leave. Leaving the city of Samaria meant that Philip had to give up all his previous efforts, and had to begin again. The place where the Lord called him was neither a city nor a land where the gospel had not been preached, but a deserted wilderness on the way from Gaza, which is on the way from Gaza to Jerusalem.
At that time, Gaza was a deserted place. Even travellers were scarce on the road leading to this deserted city and Philip was aware he might not find anyone there to whom he could preach the gospel. In contrast, there was a growing group of believers in the city of Samaria and they needed someone to strengthen the believer's faith. So Philip might have been puzzled by this leading of the angel of the Lord. However, even though Philip knew that the road to Gaza was a wilderness, he didn’t delay. He obeyed the Lord's leading by following the road to Gaza from Jerusalem.
Obedience to God is often emphasized in the Bible and can be said to be the core of the Scriptures. But most people are often reluctant to obey God's leadership. The most important reason is that they are not willing to leave their comfort zone. But God often leads people out of their comfort zone to a completely new place. There will be unknown challenges and many difficulties. There is no other way but to rely on God.
Especially when his ministry was going well, Philip was even more reluctant to leave his comfort zone. If we are unwilling to obey God’s direction because we want to remain in our own comfort zone, we will inevitably miss many of God ’s blessings. We will not be able to expand our horizons and can’t please God. For example, if Philip would have been unwilling to leave the city of Samaria even with a slight delay would have meant that he would miss the opportunity to tell the Ethiopian eunuch about Jesus.
Although the church encountered persecution in its early years, the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church were very rapid, precisely because believers in the church at that time were very obedient to God. Philip was also able to meet the Ethiopian eunuch who was on his way in the wilderness because of obedience to God’s direction. He had the opportunity to preach Jesus to such a powerful person, lead him to believe in the Lord, and baptize him. In this way, the gospel was also brought to Ethiopia.
Similarly, if we Christians want to be used by God today, and want to participate in the ministry of building God’s kingdom, we should always be ready to leave our comfort zone and obey God ’s leadership, going to the land he has directed.
(Note: The author of this article is a full-time co-worker in a grassroots church in Fujian)
-Translated by Abigail Wu
Devotional Series Fom Acts: Out of the Comfort Circle
