Philip, the Hitch-Hiking Deacon
Philip: The Hitch-Hiking Deacon
Text: Act 8:26-40 - PPHC (P.M.)
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Many leave church services unchanged
1. A man who refused to do that.
2. His example should challenge us all.
B. The setting of the text
1. And Ethiopian official travels to Jerusalem.
2. He attends the Passover and leaves empty.
3. Crossing the desert, he reads the bible.
4. Philip joins him and leads him to Christ.
II. BODY
A. God sends Phillip to find a hungry heart (vv. 26-27)
1. Philip having success in Samaria (vv. 5-8)
Experiment: Hearing Jesus in the Crowd - Do an experiment by asking everyone in the auditorium to say their name aloud three times. Beforehand, ask one person to say the name of Jesus three times aloud. After everyone had said their name aloud three times, ask if anyone had heard the name of Jesus being said. See how many heard his name. Point out that with all the voices of the world competing for our attention, many times it’s hard to hear Jesus. We need to quiet our lives and get in tune with the Holy Spirit. (James Chandler) – Philip was in tune!
2. Goes to the desert to reach one man.
- Illustration: The Holy Man
There’s an old story of a holy man who, while meditating in the countryside, noticed a scorpion struggling to get out of the swirling water of a rapid brook. Its efforts to climb onto a rock were futile, for the water was too strong. The holy man, taking pity on the creature, tried to help it, but the scorpion kept striking back at him.
A friend, passing by, said to the holy man, “Don’t you realize that it is the nature of a scorpion to attack and sting?”
“Yes,” said the holy man, “but it is my nature to save and rescue. Why should I change my nature just because the scorpion doesn’t change his?” [i]
· Whether to many or few, we are called to be a witness. God does the choosing…
a. God reaches one at a time.
b. Even true in large meetings.
c. The worth of one soul…(Samaritan lady – “I must needs go by Samaria”…)
3. You hungry heart is important to God.
4. Jesus died for individual sinners.
5. Salvation of the thief on the cross.
a. There’s room at the cross for you…
B. God meets a man who searches for him with all his heart (vv 28-29)
1. Here is a man who is searching.
2. The Passover had not ended his search.
3. He takes his search to the bible.
4. Don’t be satisfied with religion.
a. Dig deeper and find (Jer. 29:13)
b. Come to faith in Christ.
C. God’s servant gets to the heart of the matter (vv. 30-35)
1. Do you understand what you are reading?
a. A question that met the man where he was.
b. A question that offered help.
2. Philip was one of the first deacons. (Acts 6)
a. He did not limit his work to church business.
b. He gave himself to winning souls.
3. Philip helped the searching man find Christ.
D. Jesus is the answer for every troubled heart (vv. 35-40)
1. Jesus fulfills bible prophecies of Christ.
a. He is the lamb slain for sinners.
b. He humbled himself for you and me.
2. He fills the need in every troubled heart.
3. Be converted man wants to be baptized.
a. Wants to demonstrate his faith to others.
b. Declares his faith by word and baptism.
4. He now knows what real joy can be (v. 39)
III. CONCLUSION
A. God knows the need in your heart.
B. Christ is your answer.
C. Trust in him and find in him all you need.
Borrowed from: Roger Campbell, Preach for A Year, Volume 2
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[i]Morgan, R. J. (2000). Nelson's complete book of stories, illustrations, and quotes