Steven A. Bush - March 13, 2022
Sometimes Little Turns Out to be Big
Following the stoning of Stephen and persecution that forced a mass exodus from Jerusalem, Acts 8:4-5 tells us what happened next: "Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ." (ESV) And Samaria received the Gospel with joy which was affirmed by many miracles. Then in the midst of what we might call The Samaritan Great Awakening, Acts 8:26 reveals a mission-shift for the Evangelist: "Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, 'Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.' This is a desert place." (ESV) Philip, who doesn't bat an eye, promptly obeys. He encounters an Ethiopian Official riding in a chariot and reading aloud Isaiah 53. Philip unpacks those verses for the man, leads him to Jesus, and even baptizes him. Impressively, Philip was just as faithful sharing the Good News to a single soul as he was a great multitude. He left all the outcomes to God who orchestrated the events from the start. Sometimes little turns out to be big. Sometimes small actions loom large. When we leave the choreographing and appraisals up to God, the outcomes, even those we fail to see unfolding, always turn out right...