It Is God's Power That Saves

IT IS GOD’S POWER THAT SAVES (Outline)

January 8, 2023 – Epiphany 1 – ACTS 8:26-39

INTRO: Our eternal salvation completely rests with the divine authority of God. Only the Lord God of Armies possesses the perfect power to save sinners. We are saved by grace. Not by works. So that no one can boast. “(God) saved us—not by righteous works that we did ourselves, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior…” (TITUS 3:5, 6). IT IS GOD’S POWER THAT SAVES.

I. Divine direction II. Gospel preaching III. Baptismal washing

I. DIVINE DIRECTION

A. Verse 26. An angel, God’s messenger, directed Philip to go south to a desolate area.

1. Verse 27. Philip, a man of God, listened. Got up. Went south as the Lord directed.

2. Once there he meets an Ethiopian royal official. Ethiopia was a large country in Africa.

a. This official important. b. Head of treasury. c. Wealthy. d. Educated. e. Religious.

B. Verse 28. Ethiopian reading from Isaiah. Coming back from worship in Jerusalem.

1. Verse 29. Philip directed to go over to that chariot. Philip listened to this divine direction.

2. Verse 30. Philip went to the chariot and asked the man if he understands what he is reading.

C. Our loving, heavenly Father still speaks to us today. We are given divine direction for this life. For eternity. The Lord does not send angels to speak to us today. The Lord uses the Bible to tell us what we need to know. God’s Word in the Scriptures is living + active + powerful. Here is where we find the divine direction to live according to God’s will. “We also have the completely reliable prophetic word. You do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts” (2 PETER 1:19). God’s Word is the light that shines into our dark hearts. God’s Word scatters the darkness deeply buried in our souls. We pay attention. The Morning Star rises…

D. The living, active, and powerful Word of God is our Joy. Hope. Strength. It can be a challenge in our society to discover truth. Satan, the father of lies, works overtime to make the lie seem to be the truth. The truth seeming to be a lie. God’s Word is Truth. Absolute truth. Unchanging truth. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you in all truth. For he will not speak on his own, but whatever he hears he will speak. He will also declare to you what is to come” (JOHN 16:13). We are given the truth about what is yet to come. The Lord Jesus will return on the Last Day. Truth. Divine direction.

II. GOSPEL PREACHING

A. Verse 31. Philip asked, “Do you understand?” Ethiopian did not. Invited Philip to join him.

1. Verses 32, 33. The treasury official was reading from Isaiah 53 verses 7 and 8.

2. Verse 34. He asked Philip whom the prophet was speaking about. Himself? Someone else?

B. Verse 35. “Starting with that very passage of Scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus.”

1. Good news = gospel. Philip had much to teach. Silent lamb killed was Messiah, the Christ.

2. Isaiah wrote about the future. Jesus the Savior now had lived, died, rose again. Gospel.

C. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power that saves souls. Gospel preaching is needed as much today as ever. Some shy away from the simple truth of God’s powerful salvation. All too many are looking in all the wrong places for help. Hope. Salvation. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes—to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (ROMANS 1:16). God’s gospel is the only power that can and does change stony hearts into hearts of flesh. Changes lives. Change eternal death and punishment into eternal life and blessing at the Savior’s side. Proclaim boldly.

D. Followers of Christ you are well-equipped with the Good News. God’s Gospel. Notice how Philip began a conversation with the Ethiopian official. Asked a question. The question resulted in an invitation to share the Gospel. No talk about the weather. The road. With Scripture Philip laid out the clear, simple, powerful saving truth of God’s Word. The Gospel. Good News. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” (1 CORINTHIANS 15:3, 4). This is the Gospel we have grown up with. It is the same Good News people still need.