God's Word Shared

EVANGALISM

Read text: Acts 8:25-40

We are back in Acts.

Main characters of the story.

1. Philip

- Same man, one of the original seven deacons scattered abroad due to the persecution of Saul.

2. Ethiopian eunuch

- Let’s discuss eunuchs for a minute.

- Eunuchs are men who no longer have the proper body parts that make them male. This is interesting because there are many reasons why this man is this way.

- One they were born this way. Men born with natural defects or deformities. Still happens to this day.

- Two, they may have been made this way. What does that mean. This typically implied that individual was a slave that was castrated. They would do this and then make those men guards and servants of the queen. In an effort to avoid sexual situations.

- Three, they were this way by choice. Implying that not unlike a monk they swore to a life a celibacy.

Add to that it is widely accepted that he was a Jewish Proselyte.

Which means that he was gentile that converted to Judaism. To go with that he was unable to a full member being a eunuch and not whole in body.

Especially since circumcision was a big part of membership.

He was a man seeking truth.

3. Candace, Queen of Ethiopia

Ethiopia was an area south of Egypt. Which is quite a long way from Jerusalem.

- Clarification. Not her name.

- Candace is the title for a queen figure. Very much like Pharaoh for a king. It is her title but also what everyone is calling her.

Characters addressed, but what is the takeaway from this specific story.

Luke is giving us an example of what we are all called to.

Evangelize

That our mandate here on this earth as we wait for the return of our Savior.

That we are now clothed in righteousness and set apart for the good work of spreading the gospel to all people.

Three elements that we need to evangelize properly.

Three things that were needed to convert the eunuch.

1. The Word of God

Acts 8:34-35 “The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from the scripture he preached Jesus to Him.”

It didn’t say he began to reason logic with him.

It didn’t say he began to tell him his life story.

He preached Jesus to him.

We need the Gospel. We need the life Saving element of our salvation which is the layout of Jesus Christ and His birth, death and Resurrection. For the forgiveness of sins.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Acts 2:38 - And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

The goal of Christian apologetics (indeed, the goal of all evangelism) is not to coerce a person into accepting Christ on blind faith but to lead him to make an informed decision for the Lord.

Dan Story

2. Leading from the Holy Spirit

Acts 8:29 “Then the Spirit said to Philip “Go up and join his chariot.”

This is not a copout for us today because the Spirit isn’t telling us to specifically go to certain places and speak to specific people.

Which is definitely believe He still does.

But there is a reality that we downplay so often.

2 Timothy 1:14 “Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you.”

Romans 8:11

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you. Whom you have from God. And that you are not your own. For you have been bought with a price: therefore, glorify God with your body.”

Do you believe on a practical level that He is with you.

This goes so much deeper than just don’t sin. Deeper than purity culture.

He is someone that we so often leave out. Which means we are left grasping to our own devices.

How many of us go and seek discernment on the day-to-day decisions that we all make?

On the job to take. That house to buy or sell. That trip to take.

How many of us acknowledge we need to evangelize more often and be more direct about our faith to strangers but do not take that to the Lord and seek the intervention of the Spirit to aid us.

I do believe that is what then leads us to chicken out if you will. Convince ourselves to not step out in faith to speak to others about the only thing that will satisfy that gaping hole that we all once had.

The purpose of witnessing is to make something manifest that is hidden. Calvin said that it is the task of the church to make the invisible kingdom visible. We do that, first of all, by the proclamation of the gospel—by evangelism. But we also do it by modeling the kingdom of God, by demonstrating justice in the world, by demonstrating mercy in the world, and by showing the world what the kingdom of God is supposed to look like.

R. C. Sproul

We need help and He is the Helper. But how often are we asking for help.

3. Human Evangelists

I’m struck by the response of Philip in the text.

His obedience.

Acts 8:27 “So he got up and went.”

Acts 8:29 “Then the Spirit of the Lord said “Go up and join this chariot” and Philip ran up and heard him reading.”

Do we carry ourselves with an immediate obedience response to the Lord’s prompting or do we have to stop and consider the implications first.

He’s looking for Men and women who are sold out for Jesus Christ. That He is the Way the Truth and the Life.

Matthew 28:18-20

We have all been called to this mission.

Psalm 71:15-16

My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day,

for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;

I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

It should be our hearts desire to share the message of Jesus Christ.

God does not need us to get His message out. He doesn’t.

But he does want us to partner with Him in this. So that many may know the Truth.

Luke 8:39

“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.”

And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

The Lord wants to use you to share the The Word, Jesus our Savior. Remember that you are not alone. That the Holy Spirit lives inside you and is Ready to help.

To give you the words to say when you think you are smart enough.

When you think that you aren’t worthy of sharing. Not good enough. He’s there to remind you that you are.

That this life we is not our own. We are here to participate in the spreading of the gospel. May we do the work of ministry as we wait on the return of our King.

May we not be caught sleeping.

Press on.

There is someone like the eunuch that God wants to use you to speak truth into their lives.

When our hearts are filled with Christ’s presence, evangelism is as inevitable as it is contagious.

Robert E. Coleman

Are we looking for opportunities?

Romans 10:11-15