All Places and People are Mission Fields

Ross Paterson 巴柝聲

ACTS 6:1-7

Philip appears as one of a group of young men who use their gifting and ability to serve

widows in the distribution of food.

STAGE 1: Serving widows in practical ways

The work is at the initiative of LEADERSHIP, not his own idea

ACTS 6:1-7

STAGE 1: Serving widows in practical ways

STAGE 2: Church Planting in a cross-cultural setting. ACTS 8:4-12

Following persecution in Jerusalem, Philip church-plants amongst the

hated Samaritans

i) All places are mission fields has already kicked in. Just serve those in front of you.

ii) In both he was simply serving the communities in the places he found himself, meeting needs either shown by his leaders or obvious in the Samaritan city. He just served people.

iii) In stage 1 he was one of seven; in stage 2 he was alone (though he still needed Peter and John) Luke 16:10-12 applies here.

iv) Stage one was among his own people; stage 2 was amongst a ‘hated people’. So he reached beyond his local people group

Philip is told to go to a “nowhere” place. But there meets a significant African leader and leads him to Christ.

iii) When he has done his work and baptised him (Philip is an evangelist), he lets God take him

away from his “prize convert”.

STAGE 3: The Ethiopian Treasurer. ACTS 8:26-40

The similarities and the differences between stages

2 and 3

i) ‘All places are mission fields’ is in top gear.

ii) Again, Philip is just helping someone in need.

iii) In stage 2 it was a community of ordinary people; in stage 3 it was an important individual

iv) Philip is ALONE, and has no help from Peter, John or anyone else.

v) Philip is a servant meeting need, not owning the convert.

“On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the

house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had

four virgin daughters who prophesied. And as we stayed many days,..”

STAGE 4: A totally different lifestyle. ACTS 21:8-10

i) Philip married with 4 daughters who prophesied. Settled in Caesarea.

ii) Not central stage. Paul was “the man”. Just offering love and support to Paul - again, serving the need in front of him.

i) All places are mission fields takes on a new meaning again - in his local community not just in the desert.

ii) Philip just doing again what he always did, which was serving the different needs in front of him.

iii) Now no longer the Acts 8 evangelist, but settled with family.

iv) Note that many rejected Paul, but Philip encouraged him. Not jealous of him - Paul was much the more successful evangelist.

A final question: How can Philip help change our lives? ii) He never wanted to

own anything - the Samaritan church or the Ethiopian cabinet minister. Just to serve in the way God told him to.

iii) He could be leader and he could be background servant.

The Philip lesson:

Love Jesus and love people in the way that they need (all places are mission fields). Just serve those in

front of you, and your life will begin to

count like Philip’s did!