Everywhere is a Mission Field - Sermon Slides by Rev Ross Paterson shared at SSMC on 27 Apr 2014

1. All Places and People are
Mission Fields
Ross Paterson 巴柝聲

2. 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

3. STAGE 2: Church Planting in a
cross-cultural setting. ACTS 8:4-12
Following persecution in Jerusalem,
Philip church-plants amongst the
hated Samaritans

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. “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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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!