‘god’s Way Of Winning’ Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

The Characters

• An evangelist called Philip (vs 26)

• A eunuch from Ethiopia (vs 27)

The Situation.

• The servant of the Lord (vs 27)

• A seeker of the Lord (vs 27-28)

The Conversation.

• The helpful evangelist (vs 30 and 36)

• The questioning enquirer (vs 31-34)

The Conclusion

• The convert was baptised (vs 36-39a)

• The Christian was redirected (vs 39b-40)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• Penny and I watched a TV detective show this week,

• And one of the useless bits of information that came out of it,

• Is that we learnt that there are six different types of bridges.

• Question: I wonder if you can name them?

• Answer: Me neither! So let me help…

• 1 Girder (Beam)

• 2 Truss

• 3 Arch

• 4 Cantilever

• 5 Suspension

• 6 Cable Stayed

• Now that was worth coming for this morning!

• I always say it’s an education listening to one of my sermons!

• TRANSITION: Every Christian is in the business of,

• Building bridges and breaking down barriers in order to reach people with the gospel.

• In todays Bible passage we see that principle in action,

• A Jewish man will build a bridge to reach an Ethiopian man,

• and he share the gospel with him,

• Connections were made, language barriers were overcome,

• Relationships of friendship and trust were created,

• And most importantly, the Holy Spirit moved, and this Ethiopian came to faith in Christ.

Quote:

• St. John Chrysostom (347 – 407),

• (Was an important Early Church Father who served as archbishop of Constantinople.):

“Do not say you are unable to influence others. For as long as you are a Christian, you are able to influence others, because this is the essence of Christianity.”

• TRANSITION:

• In life God gives us opportunities to influence others.

• Let’s make sure we do not miss those opportunities!

(A). The Two Characters

(1). An evangelist called Philip (vs 26)

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza”.

I mentioned last week that Philip was first introduced to us in Acts chapter 6.

• He was one of the seven deacons who served in the Church at Jerusalem,

• That description ‘deacon’.

• Means his service in the Church was at first practical rather than spiritual.

• i.e., You would have probably asked him to fix a broken table,

• Than to preach a sermon.

• But by the time you read chapter 8:

• We discover Philip also had spiritual gifts,

• i.e., He could preach (vs 5).

• i.e., And in this story, he was also a very good personal worker (vs 35).

Application:

• As a Christian whether you consider your gifts practical or spiritual:

• Every Christian is called to be a personal worker.

• To share Christ with those we come into contact with.

Ill:

• Mercedes Benz was the company who first produced a car body design,

• That absorbed the force of a collision on impact.

• One Mercedes Benz TV commercial,

• Shows their car colliding with a cement wall during a safety test.

• Since then, of course many other car companies have followed its design.

• Someone then asks the company spokesman,

• "Why do they not enforce their patent on the Mercedes Benz energy-absorbing car body?"

• He simply replied,

• "Because some things in life are too important not to share."

• TRANSITION: The gospel of Jesus Christ,

• "Is too important not to share."

• My challenge to you this week is find someone new to share it with!

• Pray, ask the Lord to give you the opportunity and then take it!

(2). A eunuch from Ethiopia (vs 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”.

Note: We are told two things about this man:

FIRST: He was a significant political leader,

• He is called ‘an important official’,

• And described as the chancellor of the exchequer of Candace.

• Candace is a title not a place name,

• All the queens of Ethiopia bore it.

SECOND: He was a eunuch:

• A eunuch is a castrated man,

• In ancient times they were used to guard the women's living areas at an oriental court.

• And the logic goes, if a man has no genitalia.

• He is unlikely to make advances against the kings’ concubines.

Note: this court official did not come from Ethiopia, as we know it today:

• But rather his home was ancient Nubia,

• Nubia is a region along the Nile river,