Guide Them
Acts: Christ Builds His Church • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction:
Introduction:
Attention Getting:
RESCUE THE PERISHING
Fanny Crosby, the blind hymn writer, wrote so many hymns we love to sing. When she was up in years, she visited the Macaulay Rescue Mission in NYC. She stood before a crowd of homeless, drug-addicted, alcoholic men. She said, “is there a young man here who doesn’t have a mother?” One young man timidly raised his hand. He explained that his mother died when he was very young.
Fanny Crosby asked the young man to come to the front. She gave him a big hug and kissed him on the cheek. It touched her heart so much that she went home that night and wrote these words, “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, snatch them in pity from sin and the grave, weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen, tell them of Jesus the Mighty to save.”
Years later, Ira Sankey was singing for D.L. Moody in St. Louis. He rose to sing that song, but before he sang, he told that story. As he told the story, a middle-aged man jumped up and shouted, “It was me! I’m the young man she wrote about. She kissed me. I could never get away from that moment.”
As a result of one simple kiss.....a young man came to Christ and his entire life was changed!
(https://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/sermon-illustration-dr-larry-petton-stories-evangelism-84096?ref=TextIllustrationSerps)
Textual Segment:
The New American Commentary: Acts The Preparation (8:26–29)
Ethiopia was considered “the end of the earth” by the Greeks and Romans, and Philip’s witness to the Samaritans and the Ethiopian comprises a “foretaste” of the completion of Christ’s commission (1:8) by the whole church in the subsequent chapters of Acts.
On the road from Jerusalem to Gaza he meets the Ethiopian eunuch ().
On the road from Jerusalem to Gaza he meets the Ethiopian eunuch (). The History that follows, which makes up this lesson, is interesting since it is one of the few records in the New Testament of the process of individual conversion. A brief sentence (), tells us that Philip continued his work as a preacher at Azotus (Ashdod) and among the other cities that had formerly belonged to the Philistines, and, following the coast-line, came to Caesarea. Then for a long period—around eighteen or nineteen years—we lose sight of him. The last glimpse of him in the New Testament is in the account of St. Paul's journey to Jerusalem. It is to his house that St. Paul and his companions turn for shelter. He has four daughters, who possess the gift of prophetic utterance and who apparently give themselves to the work of teaching instead of entering on the life of a wife and mother (, ). One tradition places the scene of his death at Hierapolis in Phrygia. According to another, he died bishop of Tralles.
It is interesting to note that this it is one of the few records in the New Testament of the process of individual conversion.
After this account:
(), tells us that Philip continued his work as a preacher at Azotus (Ashdod) and among the other cities that had formerly belonged to the Philistines, and, following the coast-line, came to Caesarea.
Then, for a long period—around eighteen or nineteen years—we lose sight of him. The last glimpse of him in the New Testament is in the account of Paul's journey to Jerusalem.
It is to his house that St. Paul and his companions turn for shelter.
He has four daughters, who possess the gift of prophecy (, )
One tradition places the scene of his death at Hierapolis in Phrygia. According to another, he died bishop of Tralles.
Relational Segment:
In the work of Philip, we can learn about witnessing. We each have a share in the great commission. There are those with whom God has appointments for us to share Jesus with them.
The first lesson is that to be an effective witness.....
1. Follow the Spirit
1. Follow the Spirit
Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”
Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert.
Explanation: God sent Philip to witness
Explanation: God sent Philip to witness
Explanation: God sent Philip to witness
God had a plan for the Ethiopian to meet Jesus
He chose Philip to make that introduction:
Through the message from God. He moved Philip to be in the right place, at the right time, to deliver God’s message.
Application:
God still is in the salvation business an uses us in that process for reasons known only to Him.
We must be sensitive to the leadership of the Spirit.
Who knows what He has in store!
Divine appointments
The key is to trust His voice enough to obey!
Imagine if Philip had been hesitant and rebellious instead of obedient!
Let us follow the Spirit and be ready for those divine appointments.
The 2nd lesson we can learn from this text is to...
2. Begin where they are.
2. Begin where they are.
So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this:
“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
And who will declare His generation?
For His life is taken from the earth.”
Acts 8:
Explanation: Philip met the eunuch where he was.
He was already interested in God
He was reading aloud from Isaiah
He already had questions.
He wanted a guide so he could understand.
Philip asked: Do you understand?
The New American Commentary: Acts The Witness (8:30–35)
His response enunciates a basic principle that runs throughout Luke-Acts concerning the interpretation of the Old Testament prophetic texts—the need for a Christian interpreter. The disciples themselves had needed such guidance, and Christ had “opened … the Scriptures” for them (Luke 24:45). They in turn sought to explain the Scripture in light of Christ to the Jews in Jerusalem. How indeed would this Gentile pilgrim from a distant land understand the real meaning of Isaiah’s servant psalms without a guide?
was the passage being read.
This passage displays the suffering and humiliation.
So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
Philip explained that Isaiah was describing Jesus, the suffering servant of Israel.
Philip explained that Isaiah was describing Jesus, the suffering servant of Israel.
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:
Philip explained that Isaiah was describing Jesus, the suffering servant of Israel.
Application:
The Ethiopian believed and followed up with baptism.
Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Acts 8:
Application:
Application:
God draws people to Himself
It is no accident that a person opens the word of God.
We must begin at the point of connection God creates.
It may be through our testimony:
It may be through Scripture.
It may be while enjoying a sunrise as you camp together.
God’s Spirit can use any means to open the heart of the sinner.
That is His business
We need to follow Philip’s example to share Jesus.
It isn’t so much where we start… we must proclaim Jesus to them!
It isn’t so much where we start… we must proclaim Jesus to them!
The final lesson we can learn is to....
3. Call for a Decision
3. Call for a Decision
Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
Acts 8:34-
So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.
Explanation:
Acts 8:3
Explanation:
Though not recorded here, Philip clearly called on the eunuch to make a decision and follow the Lord in baptism.
The Ethiopian believed and followed up with baptism.
Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.”
And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Philip goes back to the same key Jesus did in
The Eunuch inquires about being baptized an Philip
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
and later, Paul will write in Romans...
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
“with the heart one believes unto righteousness”
:9-12
believe who Jesus is
believe He will do what He promised
“with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”
This is where the idea of praying enters into the picture.
Verbally confessing Jesus.
Acting upon the belief in one’s heart by calling on His name.
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Application:
Application:
Although God alone can draw people and save them, He tells us to share Jesus.
It isn’t so much where we start… we must proclaim Jesus to them!
The conclusion of that sharing is a call for them to respond.
We must follow the Spirit.
We must start at the point of connection and proclaim Jesus
Do they believe?
We must finish our part, but calling for a decision.
Are they at the point of putting their trust into Him alone for salvation.
Don’t stop with just sharing the truth.
Call on them to confess
Give them an opportunity to respond!
Just as the Ethiopian did.
Remember:
It is ultimately in God’s hands.
We cannot persuade them
We cannot save them.
Conclusion:
The example set by Philip is a look at the one on one sharing of the gospel.
We must follow the Spirit.
We must start at the point of connection and proclaim Jesus
We must finish our part, but calling for a decision.
Don’t stop with just sharing the truth.
Give them an opportunity to respond!