Servants Sensitive to the Spirit
Acts 6:26-39
Listen to one of the most exciting stories in all the scriptures:
Learning to listen to the Lord is one of the greatest needs in our churches today. It is not always easy to know where to go its not always easy to know what to do its not always easy to know what to say. But if I’m sensitive to the Spirit of God, I will always know where to go, what to do, and what to say. If this story magnifies anything, it magnifies servants of God being sensitive to the Spirit of God. Three times the spirit of God spoke in one form or another to this servant Philip and every time the spirit of God spoke to him and told him to do something, he did exactly what the Spirit of God told him to do. The angel of the Lord which is a form of Deity or a work of the Spirit of God in his life spoke to Philip and said arise and go and the Bible said he arose and went. And the Spirit of God said to Philip to go and join himself to the chariot and he ran and the Spirit of God caught him away and he went on his way, rejoicing and seeing him no more. Interesting enough every time the Spirit of God spoke Philip was close enough to hear and everything the Spirit of God said do, Philip did. Its still the same today. What God did for Philip he’ll do for us and what Philip did in response to God is what all of us need to do in response to God’s command. Every time God nudges us we ought to jump. Every time God speaks we ought to move. Every time God speaks we ought to be anxious and willing to do it. That is the best was to evangelize this world and see God manifest his power in a miraculous way in our day. So, for a little while I want to share with you some thoughts concerning, Servants of God Who are Sensitive to the Spirit of God. What does God do when we are sensitive to the Spirit of God? What does God do in your life and in my life? One of the first things he does is:
I. God leads us to hungry souls…. You don’t have to be a theologian or have a degree in the Greek to understand that the eunuch, the Ethiopians in the 8th chapter of the book of Acts was an extremely hungry man and wanted to know something about God as his personal saviour. How do you know that man was hungry? The Bible teaches us that this man had been down to Jerusalem for to worship. Now I do not know whether he could worship or not, but the scriptures teach us that he had gone down to Jerusalem for to worship. The first indication of this mans hunger was that,
A. He had made and effort to go to church. He had established that if he was to find out who this lamb was that he would find out in the synagogue, the church there in Jerusalem, if anybody should know it should be that religious crowd. But apparently they were talking the talk, but not walking the walk on this occasion. Listen, I don’t know how difficult it was for him to go to worship, but it was not any easy task. Now I have been to the Holy Land. If you made the journey the Ethiopian made in that day, all the way from Ethiopia to Jerusalem, it is a long, long way. It’s probably in the neighborhood of 1400 to 1500 miles. Now keep in mind that is a long, long way when you had to travel like he was traveling. He was not riding in an air-conditioned car on a dual lane interstate. He was riding in a chariot on a narrow dusty road for a long, long way. I know he was hungry to find out what God said he made and effort to go to worship. Now distance and danger made no difference. He was a wealthy man. He was the treasurer of the Queen of Ethiopia who name was Candace. He probably had in his possession prized precious jewels. He probably thought that if I get what I need, it would be an expensive item. So I am going prepared to pay the price. He didn’t know that it was free, it cost God his Son, but it cost us nothing. But he went prepared to pay; he wanted to pay the price. Now how long do you think it would take a man to travel that far, some 1400 to 1500 miles in a rough riding chariot on a rough riding dusty narrow road. If he made 50 miles a day, it would take him 28 to 30 days. I don’t know how much he could have traveled, but I do know that they had robbers in that day, they had thieves and criminals in that day. Just as much as we have robbers thieves and criminals in our day. An lurking behind every bush and boulder could have been a robber, thief or criminal ready to pounce on this rich man and rob him and beat him and leave him for dead. But danger made no difference to him because he was hungry to know who the lamb was. How do you know he was hungry? He had been to church. Danger and distance make no difference when the Holy Spirit of God gets hold of our hearts like he had gotten hold of this man’s heart. Now you can’t say a great deal for that church down there in Jerusalem. The Bible teaches us that he was returning in verse 28 still reading from the prophet Isaiah about a lamb that was dumb before his shearers and Philip ran up to the chariot and ask him. Do you understand what you’re reading and he said how can I except some man should guide me. Pray tell me, what were they doing there in Jerusalem. If we do not talk about Jesus we have no justifiable reason for existing. If this service does not talk about Jesus we have no justifiable reason for existing. If our Sunday School, our worship, our organizations are not exalting, glorifying, and praising Jesus we have no justifiable reason for existence. They may have had their robed choirs, their risings and sittings, they may have gone through their formalities, their ceremonialism, they may have gone through their religious calisthenics and religious exercises and they may have gone through all those formalities, but one thing they didn’t do, and that was to tell that man about Jesus. No they didn’t. Jesus! I wonder how many people come through those swinging doors of our church hungry in their hearts to hear about the lamb who was dumb before his shearers, who opened not his mouth. And we’re sitting around church talking about what color the songbook back cover should be and what side the piano is going to sit and whose gonna be the janitor in the church, when we ought to be exalting Jesus, praising Jesus, singing about Jesus, testifying about Jesus, Jesus is the only hope of this world. Can’t say much for that church. That’s why love the church that may not have much organization, but it does know who Jesus is. Just keep in mind that when I’m a servant sensitive to the Holy Spirit of God, the first thing he will do is lead us to hungry men. Indications that this man was hungry was first, he had been to worship.
B. Second indication of the man’s hunger, he was reading the word. You don’t find a man riding alone in a chariot with the word of God laid across his lap, reading aloud about a lamb that was dumb before his shearers, if he was not hungry. Now I don’t know how difficult it was in that day to purchase a copy of Isaiah or finding and interpreter to translate it into his language, nevertheless the Bible teaches us that he was reading aloud from the prophecy of Isaiah and he was right there at the 53rd chapter. It would appear in our KJV version that he was studying about the lamb that was dumb before his shearers. There comes up within his soul a burning, yearning, hunger to know who this lamb was who God was talking about, when he talked about the lamb. Let me tell you something, he was reading the word and that was evidence of his hunger. I’ve not run into many people at church with their Bibles open that don’t know God lately, have you? I know some sophisticated Baptist people who will not carry their Bibles to church and they profess to be saved by grace. Here’s a lost man that thought it was important to go to church, and if you are going to find out who the lamb is, you’ll find out through the word of God. You’ll not find out about him from the Readers Digest, or The Book reviews, or a Fairy Tale, or a Tear Jerking novel, but through the word of God. The inspired, infallible, inerrant Word. Do you know now I know he was hungry, first he had been to church, seeking, second he had the word and was reading, I know some people who want read it silently much less aloud. Rich, well off, and HUNGRY. But there’s a third indication of hunger and that is:
C. He was blessed with a soft tender will. The Spirit of God said go join thyself with the chariot and the Bible said he ran. Now the Spirit didn’t tell him to run, but when you get orders as clearly as Philip had, you might be inclined to run a little. When Philip heard the Spirit he ran. He ran straight up to that chariot and he heard that man reading about that lamb, and he broke right in, and started a conversation with a complete stranger. He said understandeth what thou readest and do you know what he said? “He slammed the chariot door and said go your way, I don’t have time to talk to folks about their religion.” NO! He just answered. “How can I?” That’s what I’ve been trying to find out. I’ve gone down there where I thought it would take place. Of all the places I should have found it, it should have been in that religious place. It sounds religious, smelled religious, acted religious, but nobody told me who Jesus was. I want to tell you what tenderized his soul, it was the Holy Spirit, who took that 53rd chapter of Isaiah and reminded him that he didn’t know who he was, and he didn’t know what was taking place. But it is the Holy Spirit of God who takes this wonderful word and tenderizes and pulverizes those hard hearted sinful hearts and God made him recognize who he needed and what he needed, he didn’t know how to get it, but thank God, God worked it out. He had been to worship, he was reading the word of God and he had a soft tender spirit. Let me move to the second thing that I know takes place if we become sensitive and obedient servants of God. God will lead us to Hungry Men But:
II. Secondly he will cause us to be helpful messengers. How can I except some “Angel” oh no. How can I except some “superman” oh no. How can I except some “man.” Do you realize that we are guides to God for other men? Do you know there are some people in this world that will never come to know God unless you tell them? There are people in this world you will win, that nobody else can win. There are people in this world that you can influence, nobody else can. I believe God has a place for every person. God has a ministry for every man; God has a person for you to minister to and nobody else can do it. Hear me now. He was led to become a helpful messenger. How can I except a man, will just any man do, no a thousand time no, its got to be a man who knows who the lamb is. It’s got to be a man who has been introduced and personally knows who the lamb is. He’s got to know that he was the supreme sacrifice come to take his place on Calvary, He was bruised for our transgressions, he came to die for our sins and blot out our transgressions and to cleanse us thoroughly from all iniquity, we must know the Lamb. You cannot tell someone else about the lamb if you don’t know the lamb. It takes someone who knows the lamb to tell another about the lamb. Now I don’t suppose there is a group or organization of the church, deacons, and teachers, leaders who would have understood the occasion, no one seems to understand. You know when I get to thinking about a helpful messenger; I get to raising some questions in my mind. The first is when does God need them? You know the answer that I come up with is “straightway.” Philip was over in Samaria and was meeting with success, the Bible says that both men and women were being saved and were following Christ in baptism and all of a sudden an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip and said arise and go to the desert road. I can’t understand that, I’m to evangelistic. I deserve a bigger Sunday School Class; I want a greener pasture, greater potential than that. I’m having success right here, why move? Do you know when you ought to leave the church; you say when it starts to dwindle, not according to this story. When it’s at its peak, not according to this story. When should I leave my church? When God says leave! I don’t care what the circumstances are around you, I don’t care if the crowds are falling off or increasing, or the weather is hot or cold, or the congregation if up or down, it matters not what the situation is, the only time for the man of God to leave is when God says so. Arise and go, “straightway” the angel of the Lord said to Philip and he arose and went. You can take all the courses you want to and you will never improve on that program. Its Gods method of evangelizing the world, there is no better program, there is no better method, there is no better manner to carry out the work of God. That’s New Testament evangelism. “Straightway” now suppose he had lingered behind, suppose he like most Baptist do? Suppose he had said to God, I’ve worked 8 hours today, I’m too tired; I’ll go tomorrow. This man was in a chariot, if he had been 15 minutes late or early, he would have missed him altogether. You say, Brother Paige, I don’t have anybody who’s hungry, who reads the word, which has a soft compassionate will, that’s not your problem! It’s your business to be God’s servant, who is sensitive to the Spirit of God. He’s knows who’s been to church, whose been reading the Bible, who has a soft compassionate will, all God needs is a sensitive servant that he can bring into contact with that sinner whose been to church, whose been reading the word, who has a soft will and wants to know who the lamb is. It’s not my business to know where they live; my business is to be sensitive. Now I know that you can take that too far. I have sense enough to know that we need to acquaint ourselves with sinners and cultivate ourselves with sinners. That’s what’s wrong in our Baptist churches, we don’t know any sinners. Ask the average Baptist, and he doesn’t know anyone that’s lost. How many lost people do you know? I’m not talking about in general, but specifically. Not many, oh you say there are 3.5 billion, but do you know their names, addresses or do you just know them as statistics. I know you have to cultivate those things, and you know what I mean. But suppose Philip had lingered, he would have missed him. Let me tell you a story about a young man that was just 6 months saved, one night while in prayer God spoke to him and told him to go to a ballfield that night and witness to a particular individual, he argued with God about waiting till the next day and fell asleep. The next day he quickly arose and raced to speak to the man at work. On his way he stopped at a small store just behind his house and while there that individual walked in and put his hand on his shoulder and said, “I waited for you till after midnight last night to ask you something about this new life that you are leading.” To this day I don’t think that man has accepted Jesus Christ as his personal saviour. That young witness will have to stand before God one day and answer with blood on his hands for those missed opportunities of witness. I have discovered that when God is working on your end, he’s working on the other end at the same time. Now you’re going to say Brother Paige I just know that if I get saved that God’s gonna call be out at midnight tonight to witness somewhere and I don’t want to go. Don’t be silly that’s the flesh talking. Servants of God sensitive to the Spirit of God, it excites you to go when God calls, it thrills your soul when the Spirit of God impresses upon you something like that. It will thrill your soul when he informs you about where you’ll go and exactly what he want’s you to do and what he wants you to say. It thrills the soul of the sensitive servant, so don’t talk fleshly. Sensitive servants of God who are obedient to God, God will lead you to be helpful messengers. How do you need to go? By being Spirit led. Did you notice in verse 26, and the angel spake unto Philip and said arise and go. (You’re still capable of understanding that.) Arise and go toward the South, unto the way that goeth down to Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. Now if I were to tell you to go downtown, anybody would know where to go. You’re that familiar with your surroundings. The Spirit of the Lord said Arise and go toward the South. Wouldn’t Philip have been absolutely ignorant to go North, When God says go south? I know some people who have packed their bags and when God said go south they went north. When God says go south, he means South, not east, west, north, but south. You can be sure God will lead you specifically and his instructions will be clear. You will be sure that God will give inspiration, but not just inspiration, but information too, you must know which way to go and be Spirit led, that’s the answer. Have you heard someone say lately that when God leads me I’m going to witness to that fellow down the road? That sounds like we are waiting on God. But if I read my Bible correctly, God’s waiting on us. Show me one person in this Book that was leadable that God didn’t lead. It’s not a reflection on God’s ability to lead a man, but on the availability of a man to be led. When I am leadable, God will lead, when I am useable, God will use me. I promise you when God can direct me, he will direct me. We’ve prayed all our lives “God use me”; you’ve heard, well, you get usable and God will wear you out. I have never worked in anymore-strenuous circumstances that I do today. God only knows, I don’t know tired and hurting this old body is, but I want to tell you folks something. I would rather be weary and worn in the work of the Lord that that of the world. I know I need to be a little more careful than I have been. I’ve tried to slow down up here, but I come from an area were speed and volume show spirituality. Doesn’t seem to matter what you say as long as its fast and loud. That’s right I deal with preachers all the time trying to show how spiritual they are. They know more right now than they will ever know. But spiritually led is the only answer. You will know what desert road to travel, what direction to go, you will know where, when, and what God wants you to do. Its not my business, I know people who are sitting around wondering why God wants them to leave Samaria. Big crowds, good responses, Folks following Christ in Christian Baptism, why not here Lord? Its not our business to figure out why, its our to know where and leave the why to God. Let me raise one other question: What happens, we’ve already said a little bit about that we may not have the same positive response that Philip had or some other soulwinners have had. No, but you have an opportunity to warn and get the blood off your hands and you get it on their heads, with a prayer that touches their hearts. Souls will be won and others will be warned. I have relieved my mind of my personal responsibility when I go. Let me close out on one more thing that happens when I become sensitive to the Holy Spirit. He not only leads me to a hungry soul, he not only causes me to become a helpful messenger, but thirdly:
III. He will lead us to preach a hopeful message. Did you notice verse 35, The Bible says then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scriptures and preached Jesus, not philosophy, but JESUS! Do you know what’s involved in a hopeful message?
A. First there is an exposition of the scriptures. We don’t have time to grind axes, or take pot shots at personalities, and proclaim philosophies. What we do is expound what thus saith the Lord. The Bible says Jesus expounded the scriptures. Do you know what the best thing I can do is: First, get a portion of this word, place it in my heart, and try my best to understand what thus saith the Lord and get up in the pulpit and unravel the truths in this book and hope they are applied to the hearts of the people and let God do the work in their lives. There must be an exposition of the scriptures. A hopeful message not only needs exposition of the scriptures.
B. It needs and exaltation of the Saviour. It is not accidental when you take text from Genesis and it winds up on Jesus. Take your text from Exodus, it’ll wind up on Jesus, from Deuteronomy, the prophets, the gospels, it’ll wind up on Jesus. Take your text from, Acts or Romans, the letters of Paul, from Genesis to Revelation, it’ll always wind up on Jesus. This book is about Jesus. If you ever hear about Jesus, it will originate from this book. I don’t know why anybody gets caught up in an argument about the Bible, do you? It’s got to be a miracle book. It took 1600 years to write it, 40 authors to pen it, and there never was a set date for all 40 to set down and see if all 66 books came out right. But all 40 did consort with the Holy Spirit and they wrote by inspiration about the same subject and that subject is Jesus Christ. That makes it a miracle book to me. Somebody had to be in charge of that writing and it just happened to be the Holy Spirit. In the beginning was the word and the word was with God, and the word was God. There never has been a time that he didn’t exist. He was way back yonder, don’t know where, don’t know when, he just is, was, always shall be. Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit I charge of writing this book. I don’t know why we get up and talk about everything else but the Bible, when its such a valuable book, such a miraculous book. Now I’m not qualified to tell preachers anything, but we never do for our people as much as we do when we preach a message hot on our hearts, burning in our souls, and we can’t wait till the song service is over so that we can get up and explode! Notice Philip took the scripture, opened his mouth and preached unto him Jesus. There must be when a hopeful message takes place and exposition of the scripture and exaltation of the Saviour and there:
C. Will be expressions of surrender when this takes place. After the Ethiopian got saved Philip sat down on the chariot seat to talk to him about Jesus and when God did the work, he didn’t immediately leave. They just kept riding along and they came to certain water and the Ethiopian said what does hinder me from being baptized? Who told him that he needed to be baptized? Philip didn’t preach baptism; not a word was said about baptism. I’ll tell you who told him, it was the message he heard. Philip didn’t suddenly jump out of the chariot seat and start screaming, JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, JESUS. But you will notice, Philip took his scriptures about the same place, he went back to the 53rd chapter of Isaiah and began to expound those scriptures, and when you expound that 53rd chapter, you are going to talk about the birth of Jesus, the life of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the burial of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and pardon me folks but you don’t get death, burial, and resurrection, out of dipping and sprinkling. The only way you can get death, burial, and resurrection is by baptism by immersion. Now we Baptist can vote on it till we are blue in the face, but it was a Bible Doctrine before it was a Baptist doctrine. I believe we waste valuable time doting, babbling and making a mountain out of a molehill when it’s all over. God help us to remember that there was an expression of surrender when that man was baptized. Philip said if thou believeth with all thine heart, thou mayest. He said I believe, Philip said whoa to the chariot, and they both entered the water. Philip would have been here if pouring and sprinkling would have been enough. But no both Philip and the Eunuch went down and he was baptized. And when they were come up out of the water the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away that he went away rejoicing. Preacher religion has been a major contributor of people going to hell. History tells us that the Eunuch didn’t follow Philip, but that he returned home, started a church where some 3,000 souls were added. Why? Because a sensitive servant was led to a hungry man, being a helpful messenger, and delivered unto him a hopeful message, One man, ONE MAN!
