When God Pushes His People
If you're staying in here turn to Acts chapter 8 we're going to continue walking through the book of Acts and what we've been seeing as we walked through. This is we've been seeing God doing some just incredible things, right? We've been seeing God moving in the lives of his people of his church and as we've looked at the yes, we've seen, you know, it's an incredible Heisman credible moments of the spirit filling his people and miracles taking place and the greatest sermon ever preached by Peter there in Acts chapter 2 and we've seen problems in the church and we've seen difficulties that have come up and and how even in those God is still working right, but I want to refresh your mind for just a little bit cuz we've been in this series now for a little while as I want to call your attention back to Acts chapter 1 Acts chapter 1 and in Acts chapter when I know I said 8 but it's just a couple Pages you guys can go with me on this. All right and Acts chapter one we get this idea that of a kind of a program really an outline. If you will for the rest of the book and in Acts chapter 1. Jesus is preparing to leave his followers. He's going to ascend into heaven and they're kind of saying okay. What do we do in Jesus says weights in Jerusalem. And the reason there to wait is because you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you this is our state and you will be my Witnesses in Jerusalem and in Judea and Samaria and to the end of the Earth. So the book of Acts really is the story of God doing that work because the church goes back to Jerusalem and they wait there. And they're waiting there until the promise from the father comes through the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit feels the church and they begin to declare there in Jerusalem. The truth. Jesus is the Risen King and the kingdom of God Has Come is coming a totally unexpected way, but it's here and this reality is now invading this world the reality of the kingdom of God. It's here and thousands believed in Jerusalem and we get these summary statements at various point where we see things are going really well for the church right at the end of Acts 2. We see they're all together. They have all things in common. There's no one in need a Miracles are being done. They're devoting themselves to prayer to the apostles teaching me see that at the end of Act 4. Write Jerusalem was the first place that Jesus said you'll be my witnesses there in Jerusalem, but we've made it now to access chat. We made it through Acts chapter 7 we made it to act chapter 8 and that's as far as they've gone. They've made it to Jerusalem. Now that's not where the commission stops though because Jesus said you're going to be my Witnesses in Jerusalem in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth. In Acts chapter 8 we see this truth that is still in operation today that God pushes his people. To do what he told them to do. God pushes his people to finish the task. He pushes them out. They had a good thing going in Jerusalem. Whatever it was going. Well in the few problems that arose there like okay we can deal with that. This is fantastic. But God says know the reason for the church is not to hang out. It's not to be comfortable. If not to sit home. The reason the church exists is to demonstrate and declare that the kingdom of God has come and that demonstration and that declaration cannot be limited to one location. It must be it must be declared to the entire world. And so he's going we're going to see how God begins to push his people out of their comfort zone begins to push them out in to do the thing that he told them to do take the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and to the ends of the Earth and we searched I don't want you to miss this isn't just like a back then kind of thing we today. Are still serving the same God? And that agenda is still our agenda to see the gospel go where it is. Not right, but I understand how he does this. We need to look at the text. So look with me now at Acts chapter 8 Acts chapter 8 and we're going to start in one after I give you just a brief summary of Acts chapter 7, right if you remember last week, we looked at Stephen we talked about we want to have a face like Steven space, right? The faith is Stephen had was a faith that led him to declare the gospel even under the threat of death, and he was killed for his trouble. He was killed for declaring. Jesus is King. In Acts chapter 7 at the end of it. We see the stoning of Stephen. And we are introduced to this young guy named Saul who stood there and gave approval to what they did. Then an Acts chapter 8 verse 1 look with me and Saul approved of his execution and there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostle now because we just read Acts chapter 1 verse 8 does anything jump out to you about Acts chapter 8 verse 1 you see that nice parallel there 1881 glad you guys are tracking with me. Now, it's not that remember the numbers in our Bible the verse numbers the chapter numbers don't was aren't part of the original but we are meant to see jump out at us is Judea and Samaria. Luke who wrote the book of Acts for us under the inspiration Holy Spirit? He's directing us anything. Look what God is doing. Look what God is doing God is going to show the church doing what Jesus said they should do. They were Witnesses in Jerusalem. Now, they've been spread into Judea and Samaria I so there they go. They're all scattered out. But what kind of scattering is it? What's the scattering from persecution devout men buried Steve and made great lamentation over to him, but saw was ravaging the church and entering house after house. He dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Now this is one of the most uncomfortable realities in the New Testament that left to our own devices. We would completely ignore. But one of the things that God uses to push his people to preach the gospel is he uses persecution to do that he uses persecution. To push his people to preach the gospel. I want to be very clear on this. God does not cause persecution.
God does not create persecution wants to hear this. But he does allow it. And more than just allow it. He uses it for his own purpose. When we see persecution in church, here is the guarantee based on not just the New Testament but based on the totality of church history when the people of God. When the people of God say Christ is King. Persecution is inevitable. We talked about that last week when the people of God say Jesus is King persecution is inevitable and God praise His name can use it. We do not need to fear persecution. We do need to expect it. The reason we don't fear it is because God has shown himself faithful throughout history to use it for the task to which he's appointed the church. The reason we ought to expect it is because Jesus said as much If they persecuted me they're going to persecute you if they hated me they're going to hate you but I want you to understand the reason behind it. Right we look at bad things that happened we say well, there's no sense in that. Where's the sense in that? That's pointless. I can't believe that no. God will redeem anything. I want you to watch this video and I want you to listen not just to the story, but listen to the words of the song.
There's a true story of a small village in India. And in this Village there was this family that came to a saving faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Is agitated The Village so much and everybody became so upset that an angry mob gathered and shoved them into the Public Square. Village Chief confronted them and he said to the man if you and your family will not recant your face. You all will surely die. The man didn't know what to say or what to do. And so the only thing that came to mind for him where the words of the song that he himself had composed when he had first surrendered his life to God. If we began to sing, I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. returning back
with that horrific Lee his children were killed. I have
Call home.
New China
He was given another chance this time with his wife's life on the line and yet he continued to sing. So none go with me still. I will follow no turning back. No turning back.
After her tragic death, he was given one final opportunity.
It's time to save himself.
Yet he continued to sing.
CrossFit
Even though that man and his family died on that day. something remarkable happened seed was planted in the heart of that Village cheap seed that began to grow over time. And eventually he called the community together in that very same neighborhood in that very same square. He renounces for Murphy declared his allegiance to Jesus Christ.
Can a celebration broke out in that moment of the Gospel begin to flourish and to grow in that Community nightstand that Village but across the whole region? Because they had seen real thing and they knew the true character of God because of a family that believed in sacrifice even under the penalty of death.
dogs
God uses the persecution of his people. to push his people Into sharing the gospel that story out of India. I was related to us by an Indian missionary named Sundar Singh. If you want to look up more about his life, I would encourage you it's edifying reading.
church God uses persecution We don't need to fear. We need to be ready for it. We need to be faithful through it. We need to stand with our brothers and sisters that video was put out by Open Door Fellowship who have a Ministry connecting the church in the Free World with the persecuted Church. We need to understand now. When we say Jesus is King. we are not committing ourselves to a lifestyle of Sunday morning sermon listening to or Sunday afternoon potluck or Wednesday night bible study. When we say Jesus is King we are saying I am going to cut a path out of mice in and out of my selfishness and I've going to I'm going to sit as the song says the cross before me. And the World Behind Me natural ends natural ends. of the Christian Life Is the cross? Jesus said if anyone would follow me let him take up his cross and do so daily.
This is a costly space.
But God uses the cost. to cause us to confess before the world. Jesus is King. Praise the Lord. He doesn't just use persecution to push us to preach. The people that go out from Jerusalem under the persecution they go out preaching the gospel as they're scattered. One of them who goes out of the man named Phillip and Phillip is a name that if you've been with us through the series you should jump out at you because just like Steven last week Philip was one of those men who are appointed to serve the church there in Jerusalem. And he was appointed to serve and then he's sent out so he can't fulfill the ministry they gave him anymore. So what's he going to do? He's going to preach and if God's going to use persecution to scatter him, he goes into Samaria and he starts preaching the gospel jumped down 2 verse 14 with me. He begins to preach the excuse me. I lied verse for not 14. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word Philip went down to the city of Samaria and Proclaim to them the Christ and the crowds with one Accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the sign but he did for the unclean spirits crying out with a loud voice came out of many who had them in many who were paralyzed or laying were healed. So there was much joy in that city, right? He goes out through the persecution and he begins to preach to the people of Samaria and they receive the word they received the word what happens next is really really cool. Look now at verse 14 when the apostle that Jerusalem heard that some Mariah had received the word of God they sent to them Peter and John who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the holy spirit for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Here's what happens right? The people in Samaria received Phillips preaching which was a result of persecution and they start rejoicing and they start praising the Lord that salvation has come when word of this reaches the apostles in Jerusalem. They say we got to go and be a part of this and they come And wisdom comes to the gift of the Holy Spirit and now all of a sudden you have the apostles preaching there in Sumeria as well. So Philip goes out as a deacon of the church and he preaches and then did the celebration that results brings others to come and preach the gospel and you have more lives that are being changed God uses persecution to push his people to preach but God thankfully uses praises to push his people to preach as well. It's no surprise to me that when we look at church history some of the greatest revivals and I need a briefly pause and say what is a Revival Revival is a moment when the church and those outside the church experience the presence of God in an incredibly profound way that leaves them to go out and declare him to those around them.
that the Revival when Church it's not the end, but just the beginning when what is meant to take place take place the people of God move out from their Gathering to proclaiming the gospel. One of those in the history of our country was the Great Awakening and the Great Awakening was back in New England 1700 1740s somewhere in that ballpark a man named Jonathan Edwards had been preaching at a new church that he was a TD been there for about six months and he preached every Sunday Very Faithfully. Encino fruits No change when all of a sudden. People started to change as he kept preaching people started to save I am a sinner. I need salvation Lord have mercy and in just the next 6 months or 6 months. Very little fruits 6 months later 300 people had converted. in six months in a town of 1,100 people
That's Revival it came because the church was faithful to do what they were called to do. They were gathering every Sunday to hear the word. They were gathering every Sunday to praise and the spirit showed up and look at the transformation it spread like wildfire from that congregation into the surrounding areas as these people who have been change went out and declared to everyone. This is not just a ritual. This is just not a Sunday formality. This is real. This is life-changing and the whole region was transformed by that the Praises of God's people resulted in the preaching of the Gospel. There's a story I'm reading a book this week called make yourself at home the hearts of the church and it's all about love and hospitality and in the kindness of Christ followers for one another and how that really is the mark of a true church love for one. Another is the way that Jesus gives us to identify his people do they love one another in the midst of this? The author relates the story of a guy named Harry and Harry had made some really poor decisions in his life and he had ended up homeless. He didn't it up out on the streets. But on the streets was exactly where you needed to be because they are somebody introduced into Jesus. He was still homeless. He was still unkempt. But now he knew Jesus and they told him when you meet Jesus you need to go hang out with Jesus people so he shows up to church.
As a homeless man who loves Jesus and he plants himself in the middle of the foyer. As people are coming in the door Elaine. Here's your next recruit for your greeting Ministry. And he says to everybody who enters. Do you know what God has done praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. You know what happens? Some people avoid them like the plague. Some people walk as far away as they can but others begin to see this something changed in this guy. And this is a worthwhile message and they are convinced again of the importance of declaring the grace of God church when God's people praise him. God's people then are encouraged to go into Claire him when we see what God has done and when we share with one another what God has done we cannot help but say we want to see that happen more if he comes a beneficial spiral right? You guys are familiar with a downward spiral, right? This is this is the reverse. This is an upward spiral. God does something incredible his people praise him that phrase leads into save do it again Lord. He does it again and that leaves in to praise him and they say do it again Lord and that leads them the cycle of praise and response praise and declaration praise and preaching go hand-in-hand. Now if God can do this if God can bring the apostles down to Samaria after they hear the Praises the Samaritans of receive Jesus and they began to preach. Where do we look for this to happen in our day? Are we expecting the sap are we expecting to come in here and just sing songs? Like I lay me down. My life is not my own. Are we expecting to have that gospel? Hope that Nancy say about I will rise. And then do we just go, you know? Grab lunch go take a nap, please. That's on my agenda. I don't know if I'm Yours. And that's it or do the Praises we sing here lead us to proclaiming the word out there. That's what happened in the book of Acts. The phrase of God's people lead to further preaching of God's people that that's not the only way that God gets his people to preach. That's not the only way that God gets his people to demonstrate and declare the truth that Jesus is King. Look what happens next. I'm going to skip some of this in this is why I said you knows we're going through the book of Acts were you were taking large chunks of text here. There's a lot that were missing. So I encourage you to read Acts chapter 8 this week and on Wednesday night at 6:30 We Gather for the time of prayer and discussion over the last week's sermon the passage and so if you're reading through they really want to talk about this in this magician and all that whole stuff. Come Wednesday. We'll talk about it. We're not doing that this morning though, because I want you to look at verse 26 with me. Verse 26 now and Angel 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 and heroes 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'd come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning seated in his Chariot and he was reading the prophet Isaiah in the spirit said to Philip go over enjoying this Chariot. So Philip ran up to him and heard him reading Isaiah. The prophet and asked. Do you understand what you were reading? And he said, how can I understand unless someone guides me and invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of scripture that he was reading was this like a sheep. He was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before it's sheer is silent. So he opened 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 asked you to the prophet say this about himself or someone else then fill up open his mouth in beginning with this scripture. He told him the good news about Jesus 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 Baptized and he commanded the Chariot. They both went down into the water Philip and the eunuch and he baptized him 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. sometimes sometimes God uses his power. Two pushes people to preach I want you to think about this wedding just briefly, but I know we've been skimming through the passage of the pretty fast clip here, but Philip goes to Samaria and people are getting saved revivals breaking out so that it's not just being heard about there. It's been heard about all the way back in Jerusalem. It is a big deal. Philip has a successful Ministry going on. And got this hate, you know that Wilderness out there go stand by the side of the road for a little bit. All right. I want you to leave this really successful Ministry. You've got going on and just go stand out in the middle of nowhere weight there.
And it's all the instruction to get to the desert. Is Philips anyting like me is Tang God time out. People are getting saved here. You want me to go preach to the ground squirrels? the rocks the cactus who what what exactly am I doing out in the middle of nowhere God? Philip doesn't know but God's power right that a messenger from Heaven shows up and says Phillip go do this and so Philip says, okay. I will go do that. Often. This is this is not an isolated incident. Austin intervenes in his people's lives to read direct us to the wrong place and in wrong should have been an air quotes to redirect us to the wrong place. This doesn't make sense God. Why are you doing this God? Why do you want me there? God to bring himself Lori? And so that we will preach the gospel.
Sophie love ends up in the wrong place, but he meet the right guy. And this is incredible to me. It's where this guy is introduced to us as a unit and not to be graphic. But this is a male who's been castrated so that he can be trusted among the females of a wealthy man's Harem for lack of a better way of putting it. That's what this is. This is a guy who is an outcast in his own Society. He doesn't relate to the other men around and they look down on him for having been emasculated. They look down on him and say you're just you're not a man. And yet he's constantly around women who say well you're not one of us either. He's an outcast. Nobody accepts this guy for who he is and I don't know the background. I don't know how this Ethiopian guy. Here's about Yahweh and decides. I'm going to go worship at the temple but in my mind. In my mind, I see there being some faithful Jew there in Ethiopia who has a copy of the scroll of Isaiah. And to starts talking to this unit about it. He's reading Jose on his way back from Jerusalem. Why is that because I wonder if it wasn't Isaiah that let him to Jerusalem in the first place. because in Isaiah you don't go ahead and turn their I try not to do this to us too much but Turn to Isaiah 56. It's going to be on the screen too, but I want you to see it.
in Isaiah 56 imagine this unit who's been ostracized. In the midst of his own culture who feels like he is totally alone. Somebody gives him the scroll imagine he reads this and this is all conjecture. This is not this is not the Bible, but this is 100% in there. Isaiah 56 let not the Foreigner who is joined himself to Yahweh say Yahweh will surely separate me from his people let not the eunuch say behold. I am a dry tree for that says y'all way to the eunuchs who keep my sabbaths who choose the things that please me and hold fast to my Covenant. 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. And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord to minister to him to love the name of the Lord to be his servants everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it who holds my Covenant. I will bring to my joy to my Holy Mountain and make them. Joyful In My House of Prayer. They're burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my Altar for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all people. Again, we're using our imagination, but think about this eunuch reading this passage in his Palace in Ethiopia. My people don't accept me my country wants nothing to do with me. I'm just a tool. And when I die, that's it. There's nobody to carry on my legacy. I cannot have children to carry on my name. There's nothing left for me after this. There's no hope it's somebody hands in this me says boy. That sounds an awful lot. Like I hope that there is a God who invites me into his presence who says I will give you a name and an inheritance and the Legacy I will receive you. If no one else will you're welcome to come to me come to my Holy Mountain.
Imagine this guy's Chagrin when he gets to Jerusalem. And realizes that as a foreigner and as a eunuch Deuteronomy 23 says that the eunuch cannot. Offer sacrifices at the temple will not be admitted to the congregation. He travels hundreds of miles in this Hope finally. I'm accepted. And the priests turn them away at the gates of the temple. Can you imagine his dejection on that ride back to Ethiopia Philip catches him going back kid Come To Worship. But it's likely that the only thing all the closer he could get was the court of the Gentiles. He could not go offer sacrifices. He could not go Worship the Lord as the Lord desired he's turned away at the gate to this ride back is a rough one. My people don't accept me this God who I thought would accept me doesn't accept me. I don't know what to do. So it goes back to that scroll and he finds resonance there in Isaiah 53 with the prophet's words like a sheep. He was led to the slaughter like a lamb before it's yours is silent he opens his mouth in his humiliation. Justice was denied him. He's reading the scroll anything man. Am I identifying with the prophet or is the prophet pointed me to somebody else and Philip who had this great thing going in Samaria and got to just go stand out in the middle of the desert. Philip happens to be there the god that this Ethiopian eunuch thought had rejected him went to all the trouble of sending a Divine Messenger to fill up and calling him away from a very successful Ministry putting in the middle of deserts to let that Ethiopian eunuch know
I do love you. I love you so much that I sent my son to die for you. So that in the New Kingdom in this new covenant you are accepted and you do have a legacy and you are invited to be a part of my work. Can you imagine Phillip starting with this scripture? He's talking about Jesus. Can you imagine Phillip recognizing this unit and saying see that's what he's talking about. Just a couple chapters later in 56. He saying that even you as a eunuch. Are invited to be part of something that is so much bigger than you could ever imagine. You are loved so much more than you could ever comprehend the Unix ecstatic water what prevents me being baptized. I want in on this everybody's rejected me. everybody
Target I love technology.
everybody has told me I'm worthless. I'll never be anything and God thought enough of me to set somebody out in the middle of the desert just to catch me on my way home. Church some of you are the Ethiopian eunuch. Some of you were sitting here this morning, you can identify with that. Everybody's rejected me. I'll never fit in I'll never belong. Let me say this is clearly as I can. You are loved more than you could ever know. And you are more welcome. in the Eternal kingdom of God Then you could ever comprehend. You are invited. Not just to the Feast of the king you are invited to receive the inheritance. of the king So don't believe it. Don't believe the lie that says you're not enough that you're not good enough that God doesn't love you. Look at Christ. Who is willing to die and say God loved me enough to do that? some of you were sitting here though, and you know that
you're supposed to be Phillip. You're supposed to be faithful to God saying go out into the world. Don't just stay in your little church Circle. Don't just stay where the cool things are happening in the Praises are being sung go out into the desolate places where people feel marginalized and ignored. And tell them good news. Church God uses us.
God uses us.
to reach those who Society has rejected God uses us to reach those who on the outside looks like I got it all together. But on the inside or a broken mess. We have to be faithful now all throughout this. I've been talking I've been using the phrase preach the gospel a lot in your life proof. I'm off the hook. I'm not a preacher that's on you Preacher Man. That was preaching the gospel mean. What I'm doing right now is not the same thing that Philip was doing I want you to understand that there is a difference between the preaching that's being talked about here in the preaching that I'm doing. What I'm doing is I'm fulfilling the New Testament commands to exhorts and to equip the saints of God for the work of ministry. That's why I'm standing here why you're sitting there the reason you are sitting there so that you will go and proclaim the gospel. And that's going to look different for each one of you if you are a Christ follower. God is not asking you to get up on this stage next Sunday and preach. That's locked already filled. Sorry. But God is asking you. Just sit down at the break room table with your coworker that nobody else likes to interact with. And talk to them find out what's going on in their life and connect the hope of the Gospel with the hopelessness that they're feeling. God is asking you to go into your classroom. And to look for the hurting in the broken and to say I know who can fix that. That's what it means to preach. The gospel. God is not looking for more pastors. Trust me. God is looking for faithful Saint to a walk their own path way to proclaim the gospel everywhere. They go. I talked a lot about Matthew 28 1920 go therefore and Make Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that. I have commanded you behold. I am with you to the very end of the age. How did I do? clips
write this is this is all of our marching orders. But as I've said before I want to reiterate where it says go there for that is difficult for us to understand an English. The idea is as you are going as you are going make disciples as you are walking the path God has for you. God doesn't want you to walk. My path. God doesn't want you to walk Pastor Richards pass. God wants you to walk your path. Proclaiming the gospel as you go making disciples as you are going. So easy to misinterpret this idea of preaching be like for the professional Christians know that's for every Christian because we are the ones who the world will look at it and say I didn't like your Jesus and I don't like you much either. That's a call to us to preach and we are the ones. Gather and we declare God is glorious and look at what he's done in those phrases motivate us to go and tell others and say hey come Praise Jesus with me. Watch what he can do. We not me. We are the ones who receive the spirit of God.
Who are empowered to preach with our lives and with our lips the gospel the hope of reconciliation God uses our Pathways to do that. Look look back at it a couple of verses you're looking for it for now. Those who were scattered went about preaching the word. It's not. The deacons went around preaching the word Philip. You know, he preached but he wasn't the only one it was those who were scattered everybody who went out from Jerusalem went out preaching the word. Look at the fossils that they are returning in verse 25 from Samaria now when they had testified and smoking the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans just as they're going. Write the first group is everybody they just as they're scattered their preaching the gospel this second group The Apostles. Is there going back there? Like Hey, we're walking through this and we might as well preach as they're going. Philip verse 40 but they'll have found himself in as it's his nephew passed three preach the gospel to all the towns until he came to say Surya.
They just preaching as they go whatever path God sets their feet on. They're going and they're preaching that's it. That's it. If you want to know God's miraculous plan, the incredibly complex means by which the gospel is going to reach every corner of creation. That's it. Hey, whatever you're doing preaches you doing. I thought you were a carpenter that you can preach. Oh you work in an office? Yeah, you can preach the gospel. Oh, you're soon great. You can preach the gospel. Ouuu do underwater basket weaving you can preach the gospel.
It don't matter what path is in front of you doesn't matter what your gifts and skills and abilities are whatever you're doing preach the gospel while you do it. What's incredible to me in this is this is taking School outside of the text is there's a character in here. Who's received the gospel? Who's been changed by Christ? Who goes on his way rejoicing the Ethiopian eunuch this one who'd been rejected is now accepted and he rejoices but even though the text of scripture doesn't follow him. We have the benefit of History. One of the oldest churches in the world is in what country? Ethiopia according to tradition this very eunuch went back to his home country rejoicing over what Christ has done for him and he began to preach to those that He encountered. and one of the oldest churches existing today is the result of one man's faithfulness to just as he was going. Preach the gospel church. I want to hear. Well, we're in southern Utah. We're way to off the beaten path. Well, I'm just you know, I don't I don't talk very good. So I can't preach the gospel. No. God is in the business of taking our meager gifts and abilities our weaknesses our foolishness and using it for his glory and for the good of those around you have a choice to make this morning. First if you are not a Christ follower. Don't try to preach the gospel.
If you are not a Christ follower do not try to preach the gospel. Because if there is anything that our modern society has taught us it's how to sniff out a rat. How to recognize a hypocrite if you go out here and you say I don't really buy this price falling thing, but I'm going to do this anyways why I don't know but I'm going to do it. Don't don't. He's going to turn people away. If you're here this morning. And you are not a Christ follower. Your choice is not to go preach the gospel. Your choice is to believe the gospel right now. To accept that Jesus Christ is King and it by virtue of that fact. He commands the allegiance of every human being created in the image of God and to recognize that that Authority he has is not one that Lords it over you but one that says I'm going to come and I'm going to take the penalty for your sins. I'm going to die for you. That's the king who's inviting Your Allegiance. Not one who says come and do these things for me. But when he says I came and did everything for you. So your choice this morning is to believe that or not believe that if you're not a Christ follower choose whether or not Christ is who he said he is and recognize the incredible difference that that makes in your life if you respond to it, but if you are a Christ follower here
Here's what I have for you. God pushes his people to preach the gospel.
If you are preaching the gospel. praise the Lord
Continue in that more and more as God empowers you and moves you towards it if you are not preaching the gospel.
There are two things that could be on the horizon for you. One is a recognition that you're not actually a Christ follower because we're told that he always conforms us the image of Christ. He's always disciplining us his son always pushing us to do his will if you are not being pushed to preach you're not preaching to chance you're not following.
Or he's getting ready to push you. He's getting ready to force your hands. Because the truth is Christ is King is too good to be left on the Shelf. And he will use persecution. He will use praise. He will use his power but one way or another he is going to push you to preach the gospel and it may be that this morning. This is that push seeing in the word of God that God expects this from his people. So anybody here Christ follower, not a Christ follower. You have a decision to make will you follow him? Will you declare him? I want to play with you.