The Mission Continues: When God Orchestrates Divine Appointments

Have you ever experienced a moment so perfectly timed that you couldn’t help but see God’s hand in it? A conversation that started exactly when someone needed to hear truth? A question asked just as you had the answer?

We live in a hyper-connected world where information travels instantly, yet countless people around us have never truly heard the gospel. Despite Bibles on every shelf, sermons streaming online, and churches on every corner, there are neighbors in our own county who don’t know Jesus Christ. If this was true in our digital age, imagine the early church—no internet, no printing press, no mass communication—yet the gospel spread like wildfire.

How did they do it? Acts 8:25-40 reveals a pattern that’s as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago.

From Revival to the Road

Peter and John had just witnessed an incredible move of God among the Samaritans. After confirming that Philip’s ministry was genuine and that the Holy Spirit was truly at work, they headed back to Jerusalem. But they didn’t waste the journey—they preached the gospel to many Samaritan villages along the way.

This wasn’t casual conversation. The text says they “solemnly testified and spoke the word of the Lord.” That phrase carries weight. This wasn’t feel-good, surface-level talk. They understood they were speaking about matters of eternal life and death. The gospel is good news precisely because, without it, we remain under God’s wrath. That’s a heavy testimony, and they treated it with the seriousness it deserved.

Meanwhile, Philip continued his ministry. But God had other plans—plans that would take him from revival crowds to a single conversation on a desert road.

The Divine Appointment

An angel of the Lord appeared to Philip with unusual instructions: “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert road.”

No explanation. No preview of what would happen. Just a command.

And Philip’s response? He got up and went. Immediately. No hesitation, no negotiation, no request for more details. This is the kind of obedience that opens doors for God to work powerfully.

As Philip traveled that desert road, he encountered an Ethiopian eunuch—a high-ranking official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This was a full Gentile, someone from a foreign nation, riding in his chariot after visiting Jerusalem to worship. And remarkably, he was reading from the prophet Isaiah.

Think about this: a government official from Ethiopia possessed a scroll of Isaiah and was interested enough in Israel’s God to make the long journey to Jerusalem for worship. God was clearly already at work in this man’s heart.

Meeting People Where They Are

The Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran—literally ran—and as he approached, he heard the Ethiopian reading aloud (standard practice in that culture). He was reading from Isaiah 53, one of the most beautiful messianic prophecies in Scripture.

Philip asked a simple question: “Do you understand what you are reading?”

The eunuch’s response is disarmingly honest: “How could I, unless someone guides me?” Then he invited Philip to sit with him and asked the burning question on his mind: “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?”

Here’s what I love about this moment: Philip didn’t dismiss the question. He didn’t say, “That’s interesting, but let me start with my four-point outline instead.” He met the Ethiopian exactly where he was—with his specific question, wrestling with this specific text.

Beginning from that very Scripture, Philip preached Jesus to him.

Philip was ready. He was equipped. He knew the Word of the Lord well enough to start anywhere and point to Christ. He understood that evangelism isn’t preaching at someone—it’s preaching to them. It means listening, engaging with their actual questions, and showing how Jesus is the answer they’re seeking.

This is exactly what we emphasize in our Out of the Fire evangelism training—learning to faithfully bear testimony to Christ, meeting people where they are, and being equipped to answer their questions from Scripture. Isaiah 53 is actually the passage we recommend memorizing if you only memorize one from the Old Testament, because it’s so complete and powerful for pointing to Jesus.

The Immediate Response

As they traveled along, they came to some water. The Ethiopian, having heard the gospel and believed, asked, “Look, water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

Philip’s answer was simple: “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”

The Ethiopian declared, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

They stopped the chariot, went down into the water together, and Philip baptized him right there. No waiting period. No membership class. No proving his faith over time. Just immediate obedience to Christ’s command for all who believe.

This reflects the pattern of the Great Commission: preach the gospel, baptize those who believe, and then teach them to obey everything Christ commanded. It’s a beautiful cycle of discipleship that just keeps expanding.

The Pattern That Continues

After the baptism, something miraculous happened—the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The Ethiopian no longer saw him but “went on his way rejoicing.” Despite the strange departure of the man who just led him to Christ, he was filled with joy because he knew Jesus.

Philip found himself at Azotus, and what did he do? He kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea. The special divine appointment was remarkable, but Philip understood his ongoing mission: wherever he found himself, that’s where he would witness for Christ.

What This Means for Us Today

Here’s what strikes me about Philip’s experience, and maybe you can relate to this too: most of the people I’ve had the privilege of leading to Christ were already being worked on by God before I met them. I got to enter into labor that others had sown. I got to be present at the harvest moment, but someone else had planted seeds, watered them, and prepared the soil.

That’s both humbling and exciting.

It means that when we faithfully witness for Christ—even when we don’t see immediate results—we’re participating in something bigger than we can see. Think about it: someone had to tell the Ethiopian about Israel’s God before Philip ever showed up. Someone sparked his interest. Someone pointed him toward Scripture. Philip got to see the culmination, but he wasn’t the only faithful witness in this story.

The flip side is equally true: we’re probably planting seeds in people’s lives that we’ll never see harvested—at least not until we stand before the Lord. Our job isn’t to see every seed grow; our job is to be faithful in sowing and watering wherever God places us.

Two Errors to Avoid

This passage helps us avoid two dangerous extremes in evangelism:

First, don’t be so passive that you wait for miraculous signs before you witness. Philip had been faithfully preaching Christ everywhere before this divine appointment. He wasn’t sitting around waiting for an angel to give him permission to evangelize. Jesus already gave that command. The angel simply redirected him for this specific encounter. If you spend your whole life waiting for supernatural signs, you’ll miss the opportunities right in front of you.

Second, don’t be so self-reliant that you think God is lucky to have you. Philip remained humble and dependent on God’s leading. When the Spirit said go to the chariot, he went. When he was transported to Azotus, he continued the work there. He understood that the mission was God’s, and he was simply a willing participant. Whether we plant or water, it’s God who gives the increase.

Are You Ready?

Here’s the question this passage leaves us with: Are you equipped and ready to witness when God brings opportunities your way?

Philip was able to start with Isaiah 53 and preach Jesus because he knew Scripture. He knew the gospel. He wasn’t caught off guard or scrambling for words. He was ready.

Are you ready? Have you taken advantage of resources available to equip you for evangelism? Have you learned to share your faith clearly and faithfully? Have you saturated yourself in Scripture enough to meet people where they are with their questions?

If you haven’t gone through evangelism training, I’d encourage you to check out the Out of the Fire materials on our website. Our evangelist Eric would love to help get you equipped—that’s what he’s here to do. There are also many people within our church body who can journey with you in learning to proclaim Christ effectively.

Questions for Reflection:

Who in your life might God be preparing to hear the gospel? Maybe someone is already wrestling with spiritual questions, and you’re positioned to enter that conversation.

Are you paying attention to the people around you? Sometimes we miss divine appointments because we’re distracted—faces in phones, earbuds blocking out the world. What if we looked up and listened more?

Are you being faithful to witness wherever you are, or are you waiting for the “perfect” moment? Philip preached Christ everywhere he went. The desert road encounter was special, but it wasn’t his only ministry. What about you?

How are you participating in the ongoing mission of God? You may be planting seeds today that someone else will water tomorrow. Or you may be harvesting fruit that others planted years ago. Both roles are essential.