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How In The World
Contributed by Ken Sowers on Sep 1, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: The gospel spreads in Acts
How in the World?
Spreading the Good News How in the world did the gospel get into all the world? Sometimes it was by divine appointments like this one to the Ethiopian eunuch.
Formula - Jerusalem (home) Samaria (across racial lines) Ends of the world
But How? Teamwork - see I Cor. 3:5-9
Case Study - Philip - Acts 8:26-40
Seeker - God already drawing him
Witness - let me explain how good this Good News really is
Take a closer look at Isaiah 53
The man invited himself in to the party - why not get baptized?
What exactly is so good about the good news?
All your struggling - trying - self improvement plans have pretty much bombed
God takes care of the sin and evil problem by forgiving it (not complicating it)
The dilemma of Grace
We desperately need it to enjoy the party - not just eternity but here
We find it a bit hard to believe - is this too good to be true?
Even if we do buy it - we often stand at the door of the party and keep out the riff raff.
But you couldn’t get into the party without an invitation (Jesus came to save, not judge)
Don’t put restrictions on coming to the party - let the Holy Spirit train them - judge and convict them, not your job!
Recap the Good News - nothing you could ever do to make God love you or improve His already perfect love for you
(while we were still sinners Christ died for us)
Nothing you could ever do to diminish God’s love for you - NOTHING
So enjoy His great party, His grace - tell everyone you know about the great news
All you have to do is Believe - not even baptism is a thing you have to do - it is a thing you get to do - to celebrate the new life (Temple Grove baptism)