Obedience through seeking

1 Samuel 15:22 ESV

And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

1 Samuel

Luke 11:28 ESV

But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

Today we look at a man named Philip. He was one of the seven chosen by the Apostles to serve the church. He was one of the first deacons to tend to the everyday needs of the church.

When Paul begin to perscuate the church, many from the churches fled. At this time Philip went to Samaria to proclaim to the people. There was many that was receiving the message and Jesus. Things were going great, and then the Lord done something that makes you ponder.

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Throughout the Bible we see the Lord calling His people to be obedient over and over. When we are obedient we see three things that take place.

First, be obedient even if it doesn’t make since

Acts 8:26 ESV

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.

v.27a- And he rose and went.

v.27a- And he rose and went.

He was obedient and went.

Why would the Lord move Philip from a successful ministry and call him to a place in the middle of nowhere?

Why does the Lord ask us to do things that do not make sence?

Because He has a plan to reach All that are lost.

Acts 8:27

Acts 8:27–29 ESV

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 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”

V.30- So Philip ran to him.

He was obedient and went!

This Enunuch heard about this Hebrew God. He went to Jerusalem to seek and worship Him. He knew being a gentile, that he would only be able to go to the gentile area in the temple. Yet he went anyway.

After he worshiped, he went on his way to head back home. He was not expecting anyone to encounter him or a life change.

Second, obedience demands patience

Acts 8:30–35 ESV

So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 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. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

Acts 8:30-

Philip could have said, I have a strong ministry taking place in Samaria. Many are receiving the Lord.

Let me quickly tell him about Jesus and head back.

But he didn’t. He took his time through the scriptures the Enunuch was reading and shared the gospel with him.

Working with people is never easy. Many are facing issues that are hard to understand. Don’t have quick answers to their problems.

Many will hear what you have to say, if your willing to show you care for them and willing to give up your time for them to understand.

Third, obedience will produce results

Acts 8:36–39 ESV

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?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 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.

Acts

After Philip took time to share Christ, the Eunuch desired to receive Jesus and ended up seeing some water and was baptized.

This will not always be the case.

Many times we share and share before someone comes to Christ.

It is stated that it takes 7 times of sharing the gospel before many will receive Jesus.

Can you imagine once the Eunuch received Christ and made his way back to Ethophia how many he shared the gospel with. Even with Candace, queen of the Ethiopians.

Sometimes that one leads to many.

But it starts with that ONE!!

Acts 1:4–5 ESV

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Jesus tells the disciples to not leave Jerusalem, but to patiently wait on the Holy Spirit.

We see that they waited 7 days from the time Jesus ascended until the Holy Spirit appeared. But they were not told a time, but to just wait.

Because they were patient, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and the disciples were able to proclaim the gospel to many people. shows that 3,000 people accepted Christ.

The disciples were obedient in waiting and we see the beginning of the church.

One would have to wonder what would happen if the disciples chose to do things their way?

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