July 7 2024 Sermon
Notes
Transcript
A Call
A Call
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
The Wesleyan Bible Commentary, Volume 4: Matthew–Acts A. The Messenger of God (8:26–30, 40)
When God has a special mission to perform, He does not appoint someone who is sitting idly by waiting for something to do, but rather chooses one who is actively engaged in the task at hand.
—> I’ve always liked the story of Philip and the Ethiopian but in this chapter of my life it has taken on new meaning.
Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
—> Philip has been doing good work, making a real difference in the the place where he has been ministering. The church is growing, good things are happening, and then he is called to leave.
—> There’s no argument just obedience and he goes. Do you realize if he would have dragged his feet even a little bit he would probably have missed is opportunity to meet the man from Ethiopia?
—> There was no buts no questions just obedience to what God wanted him to do.
The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
—> The Ethiopian was an educated Jewish believer and was waiting for the Messiah like all Jews. He could have been in Jerusalem for Passover but either way he was actively searching he was hungry for spiritual food.
—> When we are following God and obeying his commands for us God will put people in our path that are searching.
—> Now they probably aren’t going to be reading the Bible, they may be, who knows. But they will be searching for answers, for help, for something with meaning and hope. Its up to us then to be in a place to ask the question, “Do you understand?” “Can I help?” “Let me tell you about a time when Jesus…”
—> So far all Philip has done is listening to God, obeyed immediately, followed the leading of the Spirit, and asked this man a single question…
—> Now its the Ethiopian’s turn and because the Holy Spirit has done so much of the ground work he is ready to have a conversation about who Jesus is and what that means.
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
—> And the conversation was fruitful and his life was changed and the Gospel went to Africa.
—> All because 1 man was obedient and followed the leading of the Holy Spirit.
3 Big Take Aways
God uses those who are active
Be quick to respond to God’s leadings
Don’t be afraid to start the conversation
