People Need the Lord!
Acts 8:26-40
May 19, 2002
Intro:
[Preparation: Put a board of some type in front of the sanctuary with a sign on the top that says, "People Need the Lord" and put three post-it notes in each bulletin.
A. [Unbelievably Good Gospel, Citation: Ken Taylor, New Orleans, Louisiana]
A friend of mine serves as a missionary in a restricted access country.
For many years the government of this country has taught the people that there is no God.
My friend had the opportunity to interact on a regular basis with a nonbeliever of that country who is a highly educated professional.
After developing a friendship with the professional, my friend had the opportunity to share the gospel story with him.
My friend was taken aback by the man’s response: "What you have told me cannot be true. If it were true, it is such good news that someone would have told this to me before."
B. Yes, we do have unbelievably good news to share with the world!
C. Today we come to the last story in Acts 8 where Philip shares this unbelievable good news with a foreign traveler and the man gets saved!
I. Philip was willing.
Acts 8:26-29, Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road--the desert road--that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 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. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."
A. An angel spoke to Philip.
1. The angel didn’t tell Philip anything except where to go.
2. The angel just told Philip to start walking south.
3. The angel just told Philip to take the desert road south out of town that went from Jerusalem to Gaza.
4. The angel didn’t tell Philip why, he just told him where to go.
B. So he started out.
1. Philip did what the angel told him to do.
2. Philip didn’t know why he was going other than God had sent an angel to tell him to go.
3. Evidently, the fact that God wanted him to go was enough.
4. He didn’t need to know why he was going or what he was supposed to do.
5. He was willing to do what God wanted him to do-no matter what it was.
6. He was willing to do what God wanted him to do-even though he had no idea what it was.
7. He was willing to do what God wanted him to do-although he could not prepare for it.
8. Philip was simply told to start walking south on a certain road and he willingly went.
C. On the road, Philip encountered a traveler.
1. Philip encountered a man from Ethiopia.
a. The Ethiopian had been to Jerusalem to worship and was now headed back to Ethiopia.
b. Philip was walking down the road south from Jerusalem and the Ethiopian was headed south as well, headed for home.
2. The man was an important dignitary.
a. He was a governmentally distinguished official from Ethiopia.
b. He was in charge of the queen’s treasury.
c. He was the Treasurer for the Queen of Ethiopia.
d. And this man was a personal confidante of the queen.
e. He attended to her in private.
f. He had access to Queen Candice (and possibly other royal women) in private and intimate times and had therefore been castrated in order to insure that there would be no question of impropriety when he was in private with the queen.
g. That is what is meant by the term "eunuch."
3. The man was a religious man, but he wasn’t saved.
a. We know he believed in God for two reasons: 1) He traveled from Ethiopia to Jerusalem to go to the temple to worship, and 2) He was reading Scripture as he was riding in the chariot.
b. Philip could hear the Ethiopian reading from the OT book of Isaiah.
c. He was religious; he believed in God, but he was not saved.
d. It is possible to go to church and still not be saved.
e. It is possible to believe in God and still not be saved.
f. It is possible to read the Bible and still not be saved.
D. Then the Spirit of God spoke to Philip.
1. Philip, up till this point did not know what God was asking him to do.
2. Up till this point Philip didn’t know why God had sent the angel to tell him to go walk down this road.
3. Philip was simply being obedient, even though he did not understand the whole story.
4. But the Spirit spoke to Philip and he heard.
5. Philip was in tune with God enough to know when the Spirit of God was speaking to him.
6. The Spirit of God told Philip to go to the chariot and stay near it.
7. Philip was willing.
II. Philip was eager.
Acts 8:30-31, Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. 31 "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
A. When the Spirit of God told Philip to jump, Philip asked "How high?"
1. When the angel told Philip to start walking south, he walked south.
2. When the Spirit told Philip to go to the chariot, Philip RAN to the chariot.
B. Philip was very eager to do what God asked him to do.
1. Philip didn’t just go to the chariot, he RAN to the chariot!
2. Philip was very eager to do what God wanted him to do.
3. Philip didn’t have to know the details of what God was asking him to do.
4. Philip didn’t have to check his calendar to see if he was free to do what God asked him to do.
5. Philip didn’t have to go home and think about it to see if thought he could really do this.
6. Philip didn’t have to go home to pray about it to try to determine if this really was God speaking to him.
7. Philip didn’t have to prepare what he was going to say ahead of time.
8. Philip didn’t have to ask the Ethiopian to see if the Ethiopian really wanted Philip there or not.
9. Philip showed no sign of hesitance in doing what God asked him to do—he RAN to the chariot.
10. Philip was very eager to do what God asked him to do—he RAN to the chariot.
C. Philip ran to the chariot and asked the man if he understood what he was reading, and…
III. Philip was used.
Acts 8:32-40, The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth." 34 The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?" 37 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
A. Philip said it was Jesus.
1. The Ethiopian read to Philip a portion of the Scripture he’d been reading and said that he didn’t understand if Isaiah was talking about himself in the passage or if he was referring to someone else.
2. And Philip told him that Isaiah was talking about Jesus.
3. Philip started right where the man was and told him about Jesus.
4. So let’s turn back to Isaiah 53 and let’s look briefly at what they were studying that day.
B. Isaiah said Jesus was rejected.
Isaiah 53:1-3, Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
1. Isaiah spoke of Christ being rejected.
2. Isaiah spoke of Christ having normal appearance with nothing special about Him that would attract people to Him.
3. Isaiah spoke of Christ being despised and rejected by people.
4. Isaiah spoke of Christ being accustomed to sorrow and suffering.
5. Isaiah said Jesus was rejected by men.
C. Isaiah said Jesus was sacrificed.
Isaiah 53:4-6, Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
1. Jesus took up our infirmities and sorrows.
2. When Jesus was on the cross He was smitten by God.
3. Jesus was pierced in His hands, feet, and side for our sins.
4. Jesus was crushed and crucified for our sins.
5. Jesus bore our punishment for our sin.
6. And the punishment that Jesus bore for us brought us peace.
7. It is by Christ’s wounds that we are healed.
8. Isaiah said that everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
9. All of us have sinned and turned away from God’s way and gone our own ways.
10. Isaiah was also saying that Jesus’ death is the only way for us to be saved from our sins-trusting Jesus is the only way to be saved.
11. Jesus took the punishment for all our iniquity.
12. Jesus took the punishment for all of us.
D. Isaiah said Jesus was buried.
Isaiah 53:7-9, He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
1. Jesus was oppressed and afflicted in His mock trial.
2. Jesus had a travesty of a trial with false witnesses and yet He did not open His mouth to defend Himself.
3. Jesus was like a silent lamb that was being sent to be sheared.
4. He was judged to be guilty and was lead away to be crucified.
5. And yet He willingly let it happen to pay the price of the sins of the people.
6. He was buried in a rich man’s grave.
7. He was crucified even though he had nothing wrong and had said nothing wrong.
8. Jesus was buried for you and me.
E. Isaiah said Jesus was glorified.
Isaiah 53:10-12, Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied ; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
1. Yet it was God’s will for this to happen.
2. It was God’s will for Christ to be crushed and crucified.
3. It was God’s will for the Savior to suffer. But because of His death, many will live!
4. And because of Christ’s obedience He has been exalted by God.
5. He has been given a name that is above all names.
6. That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow.
7. God has exalted Jesus to the highest place.
8. God has seated Jesus at His own right hand in the great throne room of God.
9. Because of His obedience, Christ was glorified.
F. Philip said there was good news!
1. Philip said this was good news!
2. 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
3. Philip started with this very passage of Scripture and told the Ethiopian the good news about Jesus!
4. Philip told this man that there is GOOD NEWS!
5. Philip told this man that even though he had sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, he could still be saved from his sin.
6. Philip told this man that even though he had sinned, he could still go to heaven!
7. Philip told this man that even though he had sinned, he could still have eternal life!
8. Philip told this man that there was good news for him.
9. And that religious Ethiopian was saved and baptized that very day!
G. And don’t forget that Philip had seen the transforming power of God at work in the Samaritan city!
1. Philip had seen the power of the Spirit of God when Simon the Sorcerer was saved!
2. Philip had seen the power of the Spirit of God and its ability to transform someone who was using Satan’s power to perform magic.
3. Philip had seen the power of the Spirit of God and its ability to transform a very egotistical person.
4. Philip had seen the power of the Spirit of God and its ability to transform a very self-centered person.
5. Philip had seen the power of the Spirit of God and its ability to transform public opinion.
6. Philip had seen the power of the Spirit of God to transform a whole city.
7. Philip knew the power of God to transform ANYONE!
8. Philip knew the power of God save the lost!
9. Philip was willing and eager to share the gospel because he knew that God commands us all to do that and he wanted to be obedient to God.
10. Philip was willing and eager to share the gospel because he believed that everyone needs it.
11. Philip was willing and eager to share the gospel because he had seen what the power of the gospel can do in people’s lives!
12. Philip was willing and eager to share the good news of Jesus because he believed that no one is beyond the reach of God’s power!
13. Philip was willing and eager and was used by God to lead someone to Christ.
Conclusion:
A. [illustration]
There is an interesting play on words here in the original Greek.
The Greek word for treasure is "gaza."
Philip was a treasurer in charge of gaza.
He was traveling down the road from Jerusalem to a city called Gaza.
And along the way, he found true gaza.
This Ethiopian was in charge of gaza and went to the town called Gaza, and found a gaza worth more than all others.
This Ethiopian was in charge of treasure and went to the town called treasure and found a treasure worth more than all others.
B. Have you found the treasure worth more than all others?
1. Have you found Jesus?
2. Have you trusted Jesus and His death to save you from sin?
3. Have you asked Jesus to forgive your sin and give you eternal life?
4. Today, I’m offering you the treasure that is worth more than any other!
5. Perhaps you need to come right now and receive Him.
C. Or perhaps you have already received your salvation.
1. Perhaps you have already received your treasure.
2. If you have already found your gaza, Christ is asking you to travel down the road towards Gaza and help others to find their gaza.
3. Christ has commanded us all to share the treasure that we have found with others.
4. But sadly there are too many Christians who have never helped anyone else find gaza.
5. Sadly there are too many Christians who are not willing and eager to give away the treasure they have received and are hoarding it all to themselves.
6. But I believe that most Christians truly want to share their treasure with others.
7. I believe that most Christians know others who they’d really like to see find gaza.
8. Today in your bulletin there are three post-it notes.
9. We are going to sing the chorus, "People Need the Lord."
10. We are going to sing it through several times and as we do, I want you to pray about the names of people that you know who need the Lord.
11. I’m going to ask you to write down three of those names this morning; one on each post-it note.
12. When you have them written down, I want you to bring them up and stick them on this board that we have down front with the sign, "People Need the Lord."
13. Then I want you to either kneel down here in the front or go back to your pew and begin praying for these people to be saved.
14. Pray for God to begin to soften their hearts.
15. Pray for God to help you hear when He speaks to you about sharing your treasure.
16. Pray for God to help you not worry about what you will say, but to trust the Holy Spirit to give you the right words at the right time, just as He did for Philip.
17. Pray for God to make you willing and eager to share with them when He asks you to.
18. We’re going to leave this board here for a few weeks, maybe the whole summer.
19. I’d like to add another board soon, with the heading "People who found the Lord."
20. When someone on the first board gets saved, we’ll move their post-it note over to the second board.
21. What a thrill it would be to see every person here pray for three people to be saved and two of them get saved; that would be about 200 additions to the church in one summer!
D. "People Need the Lord"
