One at a Time - Part 3
The Proximity Principle
Randy Hageman
Part of One at a Time—Church-Wide Series 2024
February 5, 2024

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The Newberrys and Basigwas are examples of what Kyle Idleman calls the

Principle.

God opened

so that the Newberrys and Basigwas found each other – they were in close proximity, with each affirming what the other was seeking.

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But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized.—Acts 8:12 (NLT)

It’s clear that God is using Philip to reach “

” people in Samaria.

As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out… —Acts 8:26-27a (NLT)

This angel doesn’t give Philip any real clue as to why he’s being sent a fair distance away from where he’s clearly having ministry success, but Philip

.

If we want to experience God’s will for our lives, we need to listen for Him and be obedient when He calls, because that’s where God often enables us to

in and see some of His most amazing works.

… and [Philip] met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”—Acts 8:27b-29 (NLT)

God directed Philip so he came into close

with the Ethiopian.

What if you stopped assuming people in your proximity are there by random accident?—Kyle Idleman
Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” [Isaiah 53:7-8] The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?”—Acts 8:30-34 (NLT)

are a wonderful gift we can use to open doors and then simply listen for openings God is setting up for us.

So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.—Acts 8:35 (NLT)

Philip simply shared “the Good News” of how Jesus, the lamb of God, died our

, taking upon himself the sins of the world so that we might be forgiven and set free to live for him, as we put our faith and trust in him.

God provided Philip an opportunity to be in close proximity to someone who was searching and seeking after God, and Philip simply

what he knew, and as the text makes clear, God did the rest.

As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.—Acts 8:36-39 (NLT)

Our job isn’t to

people into a decision but simply use the opportunities God gives us and allow His Spirit to convict a person.

What God wants to do almost always requires proximity, and proximity can feel

.

It’s also helpful to recognize what’s at stake – each person you encounter was created by God, just like you, and it’s God’s desire for

to make the choice to put their faith in Christ and be saved.

It’s reasonable to believe that your proximity to a person and the opening that shows up is no

but a potential God encounter.

We may be scared of risk but imagine the

we’ll feel later if we missed an opportunity that God set up and we didn’t act – take risk over regret!

Prayers:

  • Week 1: “Jesus give me your eyes for the one. Help me to see people the way you see people.”
  • Week 2: “God do something in me so You can do something through me.”
  • Week 3: “God place broken-hearted people in my path and fill me with You so I can let your love heal their pain.”

Next Week: Intersections