Brent Musburger

10.18.2009

Acts 8:35 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. New American Standard Bible

I once heard Brent Musburger of ABC say in an interview that he was (at that time) so familiar with NFL football and all the players that if he had to, he could call a game ‘cold’ without any pregame preparation, study, or analysis. Next time you think of Philip sharing the gospel with the Ethiopian, think of Brent… Brent is a picture of preparedness.

Philip was so in tune with the Scripture and so in step with the Holy Spirit, that he could preach a sermon cold using any verse in the Bible to do so. He did it that day and I think that’s how Christianity first came to Ethiopia way back then.

It’s being familiar with God’s story and God’s purposes that count. As Brent Musburger’s life is immersed in football, so the believer’s life must be immersed in God and what God has said. The Ethiopian didn’t know what the Scripture meant but Philip did and Philip used that Scripture, with no sermon prep, no commentaries, no ‘pregame’ warm-up to preach Jesus to a hungry heart.

I am called to be like Philip, to take a Scripture and use it to preach Jesus. That means I am to be immersed in God and in tune with the Holy Spirit (who sends people to desert roads south of Jerusalem to meet with hungry hearts…)

Father in Heaven,

Lord, may it be so in my life today, I pray in Jesus’ Name as I live and work among people with hungry, confused, fearful, and seeking hearts who may not even know what they’re looking for; they just know what they have is not where it’s at… in Jesus’ Name, amen.