One To One

We live in a world of anonymous people. From crowded subway cars to endless social media feeds, we're surrounded by faces without names, stories without chapters, souls without connection. And somewhere along the way, many Christians have adopted a similar approach to their faith, keeping their beliefs private, their testimonies tucked away, their relationship with Jesus classified information.

But here's the truth that should shake us awake: God hasn't called us to be members of Christians Anonymous.

The gospel was never meant to be stored like a family heirloom locked in a vault. It was meant to be shared like bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, light to those stumbling in darkness.

There's a remarkable story in Acts 8 that illustrates this perfectly. Philip, one of the early church's servant-leaders, found himself in the middle of a powerful ministry. Crowds were gathering. The gospel was advancing. Miracles were happening. Joy was breaking out across an entire city.

Then God gave him an unusual instruction: "Go south to the desert road."

Leave the growing ministry, your place of honor and service, leave the pomp and circumstance, glitz and glamour and go to an empty wasteland.

And Philip's response? He rose and went. No debate. No delay. No negotiation. Just obedience. That’s not the typical response. Most people in that situation would have said, Lord are you talking to me?  Surely you don’t want me to leave this work and go there.  

But here’s what we must grasp. God doesn’t just work in growing ministries,    He also works on desert roads. And if we are truly followers of Christ then we will go to where God is at work regardless of the size of the ministry.

The reality is on that desert road, there was a divine appointment. An Ethiopian official, a man of status, authority, and education, heading home in his chariot, reading from the prophet Isaiah. Here was a man searching.

And the Holy Spirit whispered to Philip, "Go over and join this chariot." Again Phillips response isn’t what you expect.  Scripture says that Philip ran. Not strolled. Not drifted. He ran toward the opportunity God had arranged.

This ancient encounter on a dusty road reveals three essential elements that every believer needs to understand about their faith.
 
First we are to be filled with the Spirit.

Philip didn't manufacture this moment he was led into it. When you're filled with the Holy Spirit, four things start happening: you go where the Spirit is leading, you watch where the Spirit is working, you trust what the Spirit is doing, and you obey what the Spirit is commanding.

Think of the Holy Spirit as your divine GPS. Sometimes He reroutes you. Sometimes He interrupts your plans. Sometimes He redirects your path in ways that don't make immediate sense. But He knows things you don't know. He knows of a divine appointment on your calendar.

Being filled with the Spirit doesn't mean you just have the Spirit present in your life—it means the Spirit leads your life. When that happens, you don't have to be pressured into going or doing what He called you to do, Sharing Jesus. You'll want to share Jesus.

Secondly we must be faithful to the Scripture.

When Philip approached the chariot, he heard the Ethiopian reading from Isaiah 53. Which is the clear Gospel in the Old Testament.  The Philip asked a simple, respectful question: "Do you understand what you're reading?" The Ethiopian's honest response? "How can I, unless someone guides me?"

Notice the word "guide." Philip wasn't called to be a spiritual bully. He was called to be a spiritual guide—walking someone toward truth and toward the Savior.

Jesus gave us a clear mandate as His disciples. Go make more. That’s it. That’s all. No more and no less. Yes I know what the rest of the great commission says. Teach them all things.

But here's the liberating truth: people are not saved by your personality, your eloquence, or even your testimony alone. People are saved by the Word of God, empowered by the Spirit of God, revealing the Son of God.

Romans 10:17 tells us, "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

So understand that your job isn't to save anybody, You can’t. Your job is be available for God to use you whenever and wherever He needs to. If you will give Him that He will do the rest.

Which ultimately brings us to the crux of the entire purpose of our faith.

We are to be Focused on the Savior.

The Ethiopian asked the question of the ages: "About whom does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?"

Philip's response was brilliant in its simplicity: "Beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus."

That's it. That's the model. That's the mission. That's the message.

Philip made a beeline to Jesus. Why? Because the Holy Spirit always points to Jesus. And because all Scripture ultimately points to Christ.

The Bible isn't a collection of moral improvement tips. It's a story of redemption. It's not "be better"—it's "be rescued." It's not "try harder"—it's "trust Jesus."

People will try to pull you off this road. They'll want to debate politics, argue denominations, chase philosophical rabbit trails. You can be respectful, but you must stay focused.

You can talk about Jesus without the gospel, but you cannot talk about the gospel without Jesus.

So here is the bottom line.

God took Philip from a citywide revival to a desert road for one man. Which means God cares about crowds, but He also cares about the one.

You might think, "I'm not trained." Philip wasn't an apostle—he was a servant-leader, a faithful man.

You might say, "I don't know enough." Philip didn't bring a seminary lecture—he brought Scripture and Jesus.

You might feel nervous. That's normal. But God didn't give us a spirit of fear.

The question isn't whether you feel ready. The question is whether you'll be available. Because here's the stunning reality: God's answer to someone else's prayer is often your obedience.

Somewhere today, someone is praying, "God, if You're real, help me find You." And God may be planning to answer them through you.

Your one is out there. Not a project. Not a statistic. A person God loves desperately, someone He's pursuing relentlessly, someone who needs what you've already received.

Salvation is not to be stored. It is to be shared.

So who's your one?

Dr. Christopher G. Young