Romans 10:14
14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
We don't know his name; the Bible simply identifies him as "a man of Ethiopia." He essentially had everything this world had to offer that was supposed to bring happiness and fulfillment. As the one in charge of Ethiopia's treasury, he would have had wealth, influence, and fame. Yet there was something missing in his life that sent him on a search for God.
This search led him to the spiritual capital of the world, Jerusalem. This foreign man, who probably worshipped false gods, believed the answer to life's questions would be found in this city.
But he didn't find what he was looking for in Jerusalem. Instead, he found it in a conversation with Philip. He had an appointment with God in the desert.
God could have sovereignly spoken to this Ethiopian dignitary, but He instead chose Philip, who was the right man in the right place at the right time. And as he read from the scroll of Isaiah, Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading.
He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" (Acts 8:31).
We need to engage people, because God has chosen to primarily reach people through people.
God could text-message everyone instantaneously. He could appear to us. He could write His message in the sky. He could do whatever He wants. But God has chosen to reach others through people, using verbal communication. That is what the Bible says: "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14).
Have you ever thought about engaging a person in a conversation about Christ? As believers, we are all called to do our part in evangelism.
By Greg Laurie
