Tell The Truth

Grover Cleveland

Our 22nd President Grover Cleveland

"Ma, Ma, where's my Pa?!”

"Above all, tell the truth."

"Gone to the White House. Ha! Ha! Ha!"

As the author of Ecclesiastes states telling the truth sets us on the right path. Today we are going to examine how we as Christians must tell the truth when prompted by the Spirit.

Ecclesiastes 12:10–11 ESV

10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth. 11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd.

Turn your Bible with me to Acts 8:26-40

Acts 8:26–40 ESV

26 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. 27 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 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 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. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 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?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 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. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

A Prompting of Opportunity (V 26-29)

Acts 8:26 ESV

26 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.

Philip i one of the deacons from Acts 6

A hellenistic Jew

He is prompted by an angel. AKA messenger of God

He is prompted to go to a desert

Uncomfortable place

Last watering place between in Jerusalem and Egypt

Acts 8:27 ESV

27 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

Ethiopian Eunuch

Eunuch- A male that was castrated. Where he was from and in his position they would be hired to protect the queen as they stopped being sexual.

If a proselyte he would be an outsider. Not allowed to go far within the temple courts. He would never be “close” to God under the old law.

Acts 8:28 ESV

28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

Truth seeker

Acts 8:29 ESV

29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”

We must first be in a position to hear from the Spirit.

We mustn’t deny the voice of God when it comes to the truth we possess.

The Truth (V30-35)

Acts 8:30 ESV

30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

Before truth telling can happen we must first listen

How the truth is presented matters

You cannot understand what is needed if you do not LISTEN

Acts 8:31 ESV

31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

The truth needed for the world will prod them back onto the right path.

Goad

Isaiah 53:1–8 ESV

1 Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?

1-2- The suffering servant came from God

Was not much to look at

3-

Faced rejection, familiar with grief, abandoned, hated, etc

4-6

He suffered because of us

God gave him punishment that did not belong to him

We caused the suffering

7-8

Explain and then go back to V32-33

Acts 8:32–33 ESV

32 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. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”

Acts 8:34 ESV

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”

Acts 8:35 ESV

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

The good news, the TRUTH is that the suffering servant did not stay that way!

Isa. 53:11-12

Isaiah 53:11–12 ESV

11 Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

The truth of Jesus is absolute and unchanging.

Truth Telling Never Ends (V 36-40)

Acts 8:36–38 ESV

36 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?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

Acts 8:39 ESV

39 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 8:40 ESV

40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Conclusion