Chasing Chariots

Chasing Chariots

Acts 8:26-39

Introduction

A few days ago I received this true account over the Internet. A young man had just left his Wednesday evening Bible study.

Sitting in his car he prayed, "Lord, we studied tonight about your speaking to Samuel. Do you still speak to people today? If

you'll speak to me, I'll try to obey." On the way home, he passed a corner grocery store when he heard a loud voice in his

head saying, "Buy a gallon of milk!" He slammed on his brakes, pulled over, and asked, "Is that you, Lord?" "Buy a gallon of

milk," the voice in his head repeated. "This is crazy," he thought. "But, if it's the Lord, I told him I would obey. Besides, I can

always use the milk."

He bought the milk and started home when he heard the voice again: "Turn down this street and stop." He did so reluctantly, all

the while asking himself, "Am I going crazy?" Again, the voice prompted him, "Take the milk to that house." The small row

house was dark; it was late and the occupants appeared to be asleep. Sheepishly, the young man knocked on the door. Then,

he saw a door opening from a lighted room down the hall. A man opened the front door and starred at him. Trembling, the

young man said, "I don't know why, but I felt like I should bring you some milk." The man grabbed the milk and ran back

down the hall shouting in Spanish. A young woman carrying a baby came to the door with tears streaming down her face. She

explained in broken English, "We had no money to buy milk for our baby, so I prayed and asked God to send an angel with

some milk. Are you an angel?"

The young man explained his strange urge to bring milk to their house. Then, before he left, he gave them all the money in his

wallet. He left praising God and thanking him that God does still speak today if we will only listen for his voice!

Acts 8 tells of another man almost 2,000 years ago who obeyed an angel, and later the Spirit of God, giving what seemed to

be very strange instructions. Let's look at Philip's unusual adventure in Acts 8:26-35.

A couple of weeks ago at an evangelism conference in Norfolk, I heard Dr. Jerry Vines from Jacksonville use this outline. I've

adapted it for my sermon I call "Chasing Chariots." Dr. Vines suggested that we can see here 4 ingredients for soulwinning and

salvation.

I. A Prepared Sinner

First, we can see in verse 27 a prepared sinner. Let's call this character a VIP, a very important person. We're introduced to a

eunuch from Ethiopia who had all the authority of the Queen Mother Candice. She trusted him with all her finances. He had

risen from being her slave to becoming her personal business manager, treasurer, and confidant.

We could also say this eunuch was a VRP, a very religious person. He had traveled all the way from his country in Africa, up

through Egypt, and along the Mediterranean coast to Jerusalem. He was searching for the true God. He must have tried the

many religions of Africa. Surely, he checked out the multiple gods of Egypt. He had gone right on past the Canaanite gods of

Philistia and Gaza. But, when he got to Jerusalem, he found in Judaism only an empty shell of religion. God had removed his

presence before the Babylonian captivity; even his Ark was missing from the Temple then. Alas, he was returning like he came:

empty, still hungry for the Bread of Life and thirsty for the Water of Life. Again, we could say this eunuch was a VPP, a very

prepared person. The Spirit of God had been working on him to create a God-shaped vacuum in his heart that only God could

fill. Now, God was obligated to respond to his cry, because God promised Jeremiah that those who truly seek him shall ever

surely find him. So, we see a man who's very influential and important; he commands and it's done; he can buy anything he

wants; but, he's still not happy because he's lost and undone before God. He's searching for God, but he can't find him unless

someone leads him. Perhaps that describes you: You have many blessings in life and you've searched for fulfillment in the things

money can buy, in personal companionship, in technology, or even in the ordered life of the military. But, you'll never find

fulfillment until you meet God in Jesus Christ.

Or, perhaps you're a Christian who's been so occupied with your own personal life that you haven't looked around to see all

the people who're searching for God. They're everywhere, and the same Spirit who brought you to Jesus is trying to draw