Changing Lives By Studying Together Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• Think for a moment about some of the more exciting things in life. Watching your child being able to ride a bike without training wheels for the first time. Watching your daughter throw her first no-hitter. Oh, the joys of life.

• How would it feel if you could be a part of changing the life of another person? What if you could be in integral part of the spiritual growth of another Christian?

• Have you ever thought about how you can impact the life and faith of those around you?

• When you look around you in this sanctuary this morning you will see a lot of wonderful people, wonderful people who just life yourself, struggle at times with their walk with the Lord.

• Each one of us faces a unique set of challenges as we strive to grow closer to Jesus.

• There are people that you know and love who are outside of this building this morning that you know need Jesus. I bet you pray that God would send someone to them to teach them about Jesus.

• My question is why not YOU! Why can’t you be the one who helps lead them to Jesus?

• SLIDE #2

• Today we are going to look at another blessing that is there for the taking from being a part of the FCC Life Group ministry. This ministry opportunity is open to ANY ONE who wants to be a part of grow closer to Jesus as well as growing closer to one another.

• Last week we looked at how we are called to encourage one another and unless we get to know one another we will not be able to successfully carry out that call.

• When we think of getting to know one another we think of some of the social things we do together. Dinning out, going golfing, going to jewelry and purse parties, etc…

• Those times together are awesome and fruitful, but today we are going to work at taking our fellowship to a new and deeper level.

• We can Change lives by studying God’s Word together. Today we will be in the book of Acts as we dig up some gems from the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch.

• This is an interesting exchange that God orchestrates between this official from the Court of Candice Queen of Ethiopia.

• Let’s begin by looking at verses 26-29

• SLIDE #3

• Acts 8:26–29 (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. 29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”

• SLIDE #4

SERMON

I. God desires us to study together.

• Philip had been preaching in Samaria, now God has a new assignment for him to fulfill.

• SLIDE #5 MAP

• Philip is being sent to Gaza, one of the oldest cities mentioned in the Bible. It is mentioned clear back in Genesis 10:19. Gaza was the southernmost of five chief cities of the Philistines; it is about fifty miles southwest of Jerusalem.

• Now think about this for a minute, Philip had been reaching many people on Samaria, now God is calling him away from a fertile field of operations to head south to study with 1 person!

• This also shows the heart of those filled with the Holy Spirit. God is calling him away from a successful work, you notice that Philip does not throw a fit; he simply follows the Lord’s calling.

• Contrast this with Jonah in the Old Testament. He did not want to see the people of Nineveh saved.

• By the way in verse 26 there is no mention of him meeting anyone, the text tells us the place God is sending him is a DESERT PLACE.

• The Angel tells Philip that where he is going is not populated.

• Oh, buy, God you are calling me away from a successful work to a place where there are no people?

• Well anyway, this underscores point one, that God wants us to study together.

• The text tells us that Philip went to where he was told to go.

• Once he got there he saw an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official from the court of Queen Candice of the Ethiopians.