Go – Go -- Go Series

GO – GO -- GO

ACTS 8:26-40 NOW AN ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID TO PHILIP, "GO SOUTH TO THE ROAD--THE DESERT ROAD--THAT GOES DOWN FROM JERUSALEM TO GAZA." 27 SO HE STARTED OUT, AND ON HIS WAY HE MET AN ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH, AN IMPORTANT OFFICIAL IN CHARGE OF ALL THE TREASURY OF CANDACE, QUEEN OF THE ETHIOPIANS. THIS MAN HAD GONE TO JERUSALEM TO WORSHIP, 28 AND ON HIS WAY HOME WAS SITTING IN HIS CHARIOT READING THE BOOK OF ISAIAH THE PROPHET. 29 THE SPIRIT TOLD PHILIP, "GO TO THAT CHARIOT AND STAY NEAR IT." 30 THEN PHILIP RAN UP TO THE CHARIOT AND HEARD THE MAN READING ISAIAH THE PROPHET. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE READING?" PHILIP ASKED. 31 "HOW CAN I," HE SAID, "UNLESS SOMEONE EXPLAINS IT TO ME?" SO HE INVITED PHILIP TO COME UP AND SIT WITH HIM. 32 THE EUNUCH WAS READING THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE: "HE WAS LED LIKE A SHEEP TO THE SLAUGHTER, AND AS A LAMB BEFORE THE SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DID NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. 33 IN HIS HUMILIATION HE WAS DEPRIVED OF JUSTICE. WHO CAN SPEAK OF HIS DESCENDANTS? FOR HIS LIFE WAS TAKEN FROM THE EARTH." 34 THE EUNUCH ASKED PHILIP, "TELL ME, PLEASE, WHO IS THE PROPHET TALKING ABOUT, HIMSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE?" 35 THEN PHILIP BEGAN WITH THAT VERY PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE AND TOLD HIM THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT JESUS. 36 AS THEY TRAVELED ALONG THE ROAD, THEY CAME TO SOME WATER AND THE EUNUCH SAID, "LOOK, HERE IS WATER. WHY SHOULDN'T I BE BAPTIZED?" 37 38 AND HE GAVE ORDERS TO STOP THE CHARIOT. THEN BOTH PHILIP AND THE EUNUCH WENT DOWN INTO THE WATER AND PHILIP BAPTIZED HIM. 39 WHEN THEY CAME UP OUT OF THE WATER, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SUDDENLY TOOK PHILIP AWAY, AND THE EUNUCH DID NOT SEE HIM AGAIN, BUT WENT ON HIS WAY REJOICING. 40 PHILIP, HOWEVER, APPEARED AT AZOTUS AND TRAVELED ABOUT, PREACHING THE GOSPEL IN ALL THE TOWNS UNTIL HE REACHED CAESAREA.

INTRODUCTION: BEFORE WE LOOK AT THE PASSAGE THIS MORNING, I NEED TO ASK YOU ALL TO DO SOMETHING FOR ME TODAY. I NEED YOU ALL TO HUDDLE UP. IN OTHER WORDS, KIND OF GET CLOSER TO EACH OTHER. IN FACT LET US KIND OF POOL OURSELVES TOGETHER IN THE CENTER OF THE SANCTUARY. THOSE SITTING IN THE OVERFLOW ROOM, COME ON IN AND JOIN THE GROUP. NOW THIS ONLY WORKS IF EVERYBODY PARTICIPATES, SO COME ONE, ….

NOW, THE REASON I DID THIS IS SO THAT YOU CAN LOOK AROUND AND SEE WHERE WE ARE AS A CHURCH. SEE THE SPACE. SEE THE POTENTIAL

TRANSITION: I DID NOT ASK YOU TO DO THIS AS A DOWNER, BUT AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF OUR TEXT TODAY. FOR IN OUR TEXT TODAY, WE SEE GOD DOING SOMETHING THAT IS “UNUSUAL” FROM THE HUMAN STANDPOINT.

PROPOSITION: WE NEED TO FOLLOW GOD FOR THE RESULT.

I. THE NEED TO GO – 8:26

a. IT ALL COMES DOWN TO OBEYING GOD

i. PHILIPS FIRST START IN SAMARIA CAME FROM THE INABILITY OF THE CHURCH TO FOLLOW GOD’S DIRECTIVE IN THE GREAT COMMISSION AND IN THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

ii. THE CHURCH DID NOT GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES

iii. THE CHURCH DID NOT EXTEND BEYOND JERUSALEM.

THEY WERE CONTENT TO BE THEIR OWN GROUP – SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY AS WE ARE “HUDDLED UP”

SAFETY IN THE HUDDLE:

· PROTECTION

· FAMILIARITY

· COMRADELY

TROUBLE WITH THE HUDDLE

· TAKES MOVEMENT TO GET OUT

· IF WE STAY IN THE HUDDLE WE NEVER GET IN THE GAME

· STAYING IN THE HUDDLE ENOUGH WILL DELAY THE GAME AND LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A VICTORY

b. PHILIP UNDERSTOOD THE NEED TO OBEY GOD

i. NO QUESTIONS RECORDED

ii. NO OTHER COMMITMENTS

iii. GOD SAID GO, PHILIP DID NOT SAY NO!

iv. PHILIP COULD HAVE SAID

1. I AM DOING A GOOD WORK HERE

2. NOT NOW – THINGS ARE GOING SO WELL HERE

3. THERE IS BLESSING HERE IN SAMARIA, IT WOULD BE A SHAME TO TURN OUR BACKS ON THIS WORK

4. LORD I AM NOT THE ONLY CHRISTIAN AROUND, HOW ABOUT SENDING SOMEBODY ELSE

5. NOT THE DESERT – NO ONE EVEN LIVES THERE, OR BETTER, DO YOU KNOW WHO LIVES THERE?

6. GOD, DON’T YOU KNOW THE PLACE TO BE IS SAMARIA.

THIS IS WHAT WE SAY WHEN WE WANT TO STAY IN THE HUDDLE!

c. WE NEED TO COME TO GRIPS WITH THE SCRIPTURE IN THIS AREA

ISAIAH 55:8 "FOR MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS, NEITHER ARE YOUR WAYS MY WAYS," DECLARES THE LORD.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:27 BUT GOD CHOSE THE FOOLISH THINGS OF THE WORLD TO SHAME THE WISE; GOD CHOSE THE WEAK THINGS OF THE WORLD TO SHAME THE STRONG.