MAXIMISING OPPORTUNITIES IN MISSIONS

MAXIMISING OPPORTUNITIES 

IN MISSIONS

Oftentimes we wonder about how to preach the gospel in both a familiar and unfamiliar turf. The truth is; the Lord creates opportunities for us to do this from time to time. Many a times, the opportunity may come in form of meeting financial need, or through an hospital patient asking for prayers, or through sudden emergency on an aircraft or through a seeker who intends to know more about the Christian faith by asking probing questions. Whichever way, the certainty is the Lord Jesus usually creates opportunities of ministry for a willing heart. What matters is for Christians to maximize opportunities that present themselves for the advancement of the kingdom of Christ.This write up looks at the opportunity that Philip had to preach the gospel to the Ethiopian Eunuch as found in Acts 8:26-40.

The Eunuch was reading a portion of Isaiah on the surface. Philip heard him read it and simply asked him a question: Do you understand what you are reading? And he said, "How can I unless someone guides me" and he asked Philip to come and sit with him". 

That opportunity afforded Philip the privilege of preaching the gospel to a highly placed government official from Africa that he may not have been privileged to reach ordinarily.  The Bible did not tell us what happens after the disappearance of Philip before this Eunuch, but the scripture was emphatic about the fact that this eunuch "went on his way rejoicing". It can be assumed that the eunuch must have contributed in no small measure to the spread of the gospel in Africa. 

As noted by Craig Keener in IVP Bible Background Commentary, "Christianity especially began to expand in Abyssinia through lay witness in the third century, and that empire was declared "Christian" about the same time as the Roman Empire was". 

Philip maximised the opportunity he had to evangelise the eunuch. When opportunity knocks at your door to declare the good news that a sinner can be delivered by the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus, how do you handle it?  We must note that the greatest miracle is for a sinner to turn to the Lord Jesus. We must continually seek out and maximize every opportunity that comes our way to win a soul for Jesus. We must "make the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil". Ephesisans 5:16.

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Oluwabukunmi Popoola is the Minister, Missions and Church Development, Lagos Central Baptist Conference. He holds a Higher National Diploma in Accountancy; Master of Divinity in Theology  and is about completing a research-based Master of Theology degree in Missiology from the same seminary. A mission-minded pastor, he has participated in local and international mission outreaches. He was a member of the Executive Committee, Lagos State Baptist Conference, and Christian Education Advisory Board, Nigerian Baptist Convention. He is a member of the Executive Council of Lagos Central Baptist Conference and her subcommittees on Missions. He is married to Beatrice Abosede nee Abiola. The marriage is blessed with Precious, Promise and Praise.