LIVING WITH ONE FOOT IN ETERNITY
Acts 8:5-17
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A boy had a heated argument with his sister about who was going to get the last brownie. Their mother overheard the fuss and decided to teach them a deeper truth. She said, "What would Jesus do?"
2. The girl immediately answered, "That's easy. Jesus would just pray over the brownie and make 5000 more!"
B. TEXT
5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed Christ there. 6When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8So there was great joy in that city. 9Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. 12But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. 14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them….15 [to] pray for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16because the Holy Spirit had not yet come [Gr. “fallen”] upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:5-9, 12-17
C. THESIS: PHILIP’S AWESOME LIFE
1. Philip was one of the seven deacons of the Church at Jerusalem. He was specially chosen to serve the church at Jerusalem because he was “a man full of wisdom, faith, and full of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:3,5).
2. When the persecution broke out against the Church, Philip didn’t just go into hiding, He became a preacher in a tremendous revival in Samaria with 1,000s saved and many miracles.
3. Later an angel appeared to him to send him to a desert road to convert the Ethiopian Treasurer. Then the Spirit supernaturally transported him 20 miles away to Azotus.
4. Philip’s life also produced four daughters who were all prophetesses and the apostle Paul received prophecies at his home (Acts 21:8).
5. Philip is an example of a person “Living With One Foot in Eternity.” I want us to look at four characteristics of a person who’s ‘living with one foot in eternity.’ First…
I. THEY LIFT UP JESUS
A. WHAT ARE YOU LIFTING UP?
1. Many people’s lives centers on themselves. If you talk to them, you hear what they think or what they’re doing; it’s all about them. But Philip, as a person with one foot in eternity, centered his life on Jesus!
2. He didn’t waste time talking about the latest sports team or the political situation. He didn’t get caught up in theology or focusing on certain sins. Instead, he pointed people straight to the answer – to Jesus!
3. It’s only lifting up Jesus that can set men & women free; it is only the preaching of Christ that can revolutionize a person’s life and change their base nature, making them desire to live for God.
B. WHAT DO WE TALK ABOUT?
1. The Bible says that Philip “proclaimed” Christ. He determined to know nothing but Christ, and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2).
2. The Word “proclaim” (vs. 5; kerusso) isn’t the word for evangelize, but “to be a herald,” to announce the Kingship of Christ! He’s King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
3. Jesus is eternal, co-existence w/ the Father, Creator, born of a Virgin. We need to make known His sinless life, His miracles, His atoning death, His resurrection & ascension!
4. ILLUSTRATION: He’s the ONLY SAVIOR-Acts 4:12; Jn. 14:6.
a. David Platt told about going to a Hindu temple and asking the Hindus how they get to heaven. David summarized their view for them in asking if they thought it was like a mountain with many paths that led to God.
b. They said, “Yes, that is what we think.” Then David said, “What if I told you that we can’t get to Him by any of those paths, but instead, God came down the mountain to get us!”
c. That is what Christianity is. All other religions are our attempts to get to God. Christianity is God coming to get us!
5. Jesus overthrew the powers of hell, took our transgressions away, nailing them to His cross, made peace between us and the Father!
6. The 2nd thing about people who “live with one foot in eternity” is that…
II. THEY INSPIRE HUNGER FOR GOD
A. THEY ARE THEMSELVES HUNGRY FOR GOD
1. Spiritual growth, like physical growth, only occurs where spiritual food is taken in. As Peter said, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation” (1 P. 2:2).
2. Philip didn’t get full of the Spirit, wisdom, and faith by accident; he got “full” because he was voraciously hungry and the only way you can stay full is to keep being filled – seeking God in His Word and seeking to be full of God’s Spirit in prayer, continuously.
3. HUMOR
a. I remember the story of the husband & wife who went to the altar. They’d been fighting. The man was praying, “Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit!” But his wife interrupted, “Don’t do it Lord; he leaks!”
b. The truth is, we ALL leak! So the only way to stay full is to continuously be filled. That’s what Philip was doing.
B. PHILIP INSPIRED SPIRITUAL HUNGER
1. We read in verse 6 how large crowds came to hear Philip and “paid close attention to what he said.”
2. Not only did they listen, but they responded and were saved and baptized. They didn’t stop there; they went on to seek and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. They say, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” Not true. If you get salt into his mouth, that horse will take out for the water trough.
4. That’s what Philip was -- he was “salt & light” to the Samaritans – just being around him made them want God. That’s what we should be like to the people around us. Passion begets passion!
5. Third, people who live with one foot in eternity…
III. THEY’RE CONNECTED TO THE SUPERNATURAL
A. THE BIBLICAL PATTERN
1. Wherever Lord Jesus was, there was a convergence, an intersection, between heaven and earth; the kingdom of God was manifested among humans. Anything was possible!
2. As Jesus Himself described it “The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them” Matt. 11:5. These are some of the signs that the sphere of influence, of the rule of God’s Spirit, has come among you Luke 10:9.
3. This was true of Philip’s ministry. “The crowds…saw the miraculous signs he did….With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed” Acts 8:6-7. The door to the supernatural was opened. Revelation from God came forth.
4. Are ‘all things possible’ with you?
B. EVEN SKEPTICS WERE CONVINCED
1. AMAZING -- Simon the Sorcerer, who was a David Blaine or David Copperfield kind of guy (illusionists with massive followings), was so amazed with the REAL POWER that he saw, that he himself became a believer and was baptized. That’s power! Jannes & Jambres (the magicians of Egypt) became believers of the power of the God of Moses (‘This is the finger of God!’ Ex. 8:19)
2. BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT. The Samarians “heard” (8:6) the Gospel, “believed”(8:12) on Christ, and were baptized(8:12). They were saved, born again.
3. But the Apostles thought they still needed another experience – that the Holy Spirit might “fall” (Gr. epipipto- intensified or hard ‘fall’) on them.
4. When you get saved, the H.S. comes in and does a regenerating work. But there’s another work of the H.S. foretold about by Jesus (Lk. 24:49, Acts 1:4-5): a work of empowering. We still need that!
5. Getting saved is like drinking a glass of water; being “baptized” with the H.S. is like jumping in a swimming pool. This infilling is always accompanied, biblically, with speaking in tongues.
6. We need this same anointing to do works of service and be used in the gifts of the Spirit. Jesus hasn’t changed. The Holy Spirit hasn’t left. He desires to lead us as He did the early church! Invite Him to baptize you in the Holy Spirit today!
7. Lastly, those who “live with one foot in eternity…”
IV. THEY BRING GREAT JOY
Philip did that; “There was great joy in that city” Acts 8:8. WHY?
A. THEY BRING GOOD NEWS
We hear so much bad news, it’s refreshing when Christians have a positive, uplifting message to share. We need to have a word from God to a discouraged, defeated, disillusioned world!
B. THEY TELL OF THE JOY OF SINS FORGIVEN
1. David said, "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered." Ps. 32:1. It feels good to be forgiven.
2. Jesus said not to rejoice that demons are subject to us, but "rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
C. FELLOWSHIP IS RESTORED WITH GOD
“Abide in Me….that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” Jn. 15:7,11. “In His presence is fullness of joy…”
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION: TORTURED INTO CHRIST
In an Asian nation, a believer told Bro. Andrew this story:
1. “My girlfriend deserted me for a richer man. I was very upset and schemed to get revenge, but I became open to God.
2. A friend at my workplace invited me to a house church he attended. There were about 50 people present. I was surprised by the mixture; some wealthy, others not. Some were even nice looking.
3. They were singing and clapping without fear. And then a man began to speak from the Bible about prayer using the words "ask, seek, knock."
4. Then the police burst in: 7 officers. They announced, "This is an illegal meeting, You are all under arrest."
5. They picked five of us (including me), plus the pastor, to haul down to the police station. My friend said, "He’s not one of us." But they paid no attention.
6. As we were riding in the police van, the Pastor (who had one foot in eternity) leaned over and said, "If you get into real trouble, call on Jesus and He will help."
7. At the station we were all placed in separate rooms. "I'm not a Christian;" I said to the two interrogators. They just kept smoking and replied, "Okay, have it your way, but you’re a criminal. Besides, we’ll know soon enough if you’re really a Christian or not."
8. I asked them, "How do you mean'?" He said, "When we beat Christians up, they don't curse like the others."
9. Then his face changed, and he barked orders at me. He made me stand in a half-crouching position with my arms stretched out. After 5 minutes, I was shaking with the effort.
10. At last I collapsed on the floor. At once they both pounced on me, kicking me with their shoes. I could hear the crunch of ribs breaking.
11. The amazing thing was, at that moment, I prayed, "Jesus, if you are God, get me through this." Immediately it was as if a rush of cool water went through my body & I felt a wave of compassion for my interrogators.
12. To be honest, I said to myself, "What a stupid thing to feel for these horrid men who are beating me." I knew this was the force of Jesus within me. The torture was not over. They dislocated my thumbs next.
13. In the morning they let me go with a warning. "Don't you dare go to a Christian meeting again." But I said to them, "Before I go, I want to thank you."
14. They echoed, mystified, "Thank us?" "Yes, Thank you for making me a Christian. Your cruelty forced me to call on Jesus, and to my surprise, He came into me and gave me compassion."
15. They were stunned. Again, so was I. Who was this speaking through me? It was as if a new spirit of boldness as well as love was flowing through me.
16. Now I’m free. I only want to do one thing; tell others about Christ. I expect I will be tortured again. But since I was tortured INTO Christ, I can, with His help, endure being tortured FOR Christ!” Open Doors, B.Andrew
B. THE CALL
1. How many of you want to start “living with one foot in eternity?” Are you hungry for God? Do you want a fresh wind?
2. God’s still healing people & baptizing in the H.S.
3. Do you want the power of Jesus as the tortured man had? Come; let’s seek God for His power on our lives!
