Acts 8

Red light green light.. .. we want to get to our destination.. older you get you appreciate the red light sometimes.. unless you are in a hurry that is to be somewhere ..

ON the Road again

Joy in the Desert

In order to disciple

Rise and Go

Acts 8:26-27a(ESV)

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went.

At the time he was in charge of an emerging mega church.. a huge revival was happening because of him.

Francis chan was a member of a large church in California called cornerstone.. he left that church because he said he was restless.. .what made him restless.. he believed that the church was not following God's command to love one another because the attendees would simply greet each other for 30 seconds and hang out

his encounter with a former gang member whom he baptized in Cornerstone, but that man later left even though he was quite involved in the church.

"One of my friends asked him, 'Hey, how come you're not at Cornerstone anymore?' He said 'I didn't understand church. When I was baptized, I thought that was going to be being jumped into the gang where it's like 24/7 they're my family, because I didn't know it was just somewhere we attend on Sundays," he recounted."That makes me so sick that the gangs are a better picture of family than the church of Jesus Christ. I can't live with that. ... We're going to do something different,"

Matthew 16:24-26 (ESV)

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Philip had notary to gain or to gain popularity possible wealth.. a huge following.. the dream church but he was asked to go to a desert instead!

Desert road map

Desert road

What is keeping you from rising and going?

Comfortability .. comfortable to be uncomfortable

Taking up your cross is not. Easy task, there is a huge risk here. Do we give up our dreams our success, well we do if that is what God demands of us.

One of the most precious things I believe we have on earth is Time. God has asked us to use that time on each other and Him.. Love God.. love one another..

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In order to disciple

Go and Join

Acts 8:27-29 (ESV)

27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”

He was an emasculated or castrated male.  Eunuchs were often given high positions in government because they were not subject to sexual temptations and sexual bribes as were other men.  According to the Old Testament, no eunuch could have full privileges in Israel.  “No one who is emasculated, or has his male organ cut off, shall enter the assembly of the LORD (Deut. 23:1).  Somewhere along the way he would of gone from a pagan ..worshipping many gods to Judism and trying to understand the one true God

He wanted to know God.. he was searching for how to worship He most likely traveled 1200 miles in a chariot to worship and figure out what the truth was..

Do we Judge who gets to receive Jesus?

Join those who are eager to hear of God..

Men and women of church go to a recovery house Craig Corbin.. Amy.. they say that some join them and some don’t first I Love that we are there joining those who have made poor choices but want to change.

But not everyone comes to the bible study..

Pastor George taught me..chase after the ones who chase after you ..who chase after Jesus..Join them..

This man was in charge of all the money..what more could he desire. Well he desired truth and was eager to seek it out..

Psalm 34:18 (ESV)

18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted     and saves the crushed in spirit.

What keeps you from joining others and sharing the gospel with them

Run and Listen

Acts 8:30-31 (ESV)

30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him

The chariot is moving.. Philip has to run to chatch it..he runs and ehars him reading Isaiah out loud..

Do you know what you are reading???

He gets invited in?

Calvin commented on the Ethiopian's modesty, how freely he acknowledged his ignorance and his need of instruction in spite of his important position and his great education. He contrasted that with people of his own day who he described as swollen-headed –those are his words – self-confident people, and he suggested that the reason there was so much ignorance of the Bible in his day is because they were too proud. They were not willing to submit themselves to the teaching of the Word of God. The fact is to be taught of the Word of God, to understand the Word of God, there must be humility. There must be a humble heart. There must be a willingness to submit to it. Many don't to it, but this Ethiopian did. He was eager to learn the truth of God's Word, and he gladly submitted to the teacher that God brought him.

Psalm 119:15-16

15 I will meditate on your precepts     and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes;     I will not forget your word.

In order to disciple

Go and teach

Acts 8:32-35 (ESV)

32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter     and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,     so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.     Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

Isaiah pic.. scroll in museum

Talk about the scripture in Isaiah

Jesus is in the old testament..

Nehemiah 8:8 (ESV)

8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

Observe Scripture:

What does it say?

Interpret Scripture:

What does it mean?

Logos.com blueletterbible.org preceptaustin.org bibleproject.com rightnowmedia

Apply Scripture:

How does it apply to me?

Psalm 119:32-34 (ESV)

32 I will run in the way of your commandments     when you enlarge my heart!

33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;     and I will keep it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law     and observe it with my whole heart.

We need a heart for God and a teachable attitude\

I wonder if Philip shared Isaiah 56 here with the ethopian man? Beginning with this scripture he told him the good news.

Isaiah 56:3-5

3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,     “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say,     “Behold, I am a dry tree.” 4 For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,     who choose the things that please me     and hold fast my covenant, 5 I will give in my house and within my walls     a monument and a name     better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name     that shall not be cut off.

In order to disciple

Stop and be obedient

Acts 8:36-38 (ESV)

. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

I have to imagine the Eunuch was not traveling alone he told someone to stop the chariot he is pretty prominent figure, he probably had a entourage. Philip didn’t wait either..he wasn’t like lets go do this back at my church so people can see this amazing transformation. Philip must explained not only the gospel but also about baptism and why he should be baptized and the eunuch shows his faith and is obedient..

Baptism wasn’t necessary for salvation but it is necessary to obey God!!

Romans 6:3-4 (ESV)

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

We cannot preach Jesus and w/o preaching baptism!

Every service we baptize someone..noone ever leaves and thinks..that was terrible.. haha..its full of Joy and so was the eunech and so are we so do it some more!!

In order to disciple

Go and do it again!

Acts 8:39- 40 (ESV)

39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Philip taught in Samaria there was great Joy

Philip went to the desert a man found true Joy

We will catch Philip 20 year later in Acts 21

But he will still be doing the Lords work..faithfull.. still discipling and bringing the joy of the Gospel!!

Luke 15:4-5 (ESV)

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

Only in Gods presence will we ever find Joy so Go be obedient and share the Joy of Christ

You are here because I believe the Holy Spirit led you here this morning and I believe he is calling all of us to share Jesus.. maybe even go to a desert of sorts.. do get out of our comfortable lives and be bold for Jesus.

Prayer:

May his presence go before you

And behind you and beside you

All around you and within you

He is with you he is with you

He is for you he si for you

Acts 8:26-40 (ESV)

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter     and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,     so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.     Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.