Sermon for 4/26/98
Philip Fishing
Acts 8:26-39
Introduction:
** My conversion and baptism. Emphasis that I know a lot.
WBTU:
A. Most people in USA have some knowledge about Scripture.
B. Almost everyone owns a Bible. In my high school we could take as an elective, Biblical literature.
C. I meet people every once in a while who have not been to church in 20 years but can talk the talk. “What’s the big deal?” A growing population that knows much but is not obedient. A growing population that knows very little.
D. Fisher of men. Fish that have nibbled at the bait but were not hungry at the time.
E. Fish that have nibbled at the bait but were never caught.
F. Fish that never understood.
G. Fish that were repelled by the bait.
H. A case study is always helpful. Acts contains many case studies of New Testament Fishing for Men.
I. No two stories are the same when telling fishing tales. No two conversions are exactly the same. However, we can look for principles and things that do not change.
Thesis: Philip comes in contact with a person who has smelled the bait but has never been hooked. Let’s examine how Philip fishes?
For instances:
I. Philip goes to the fishing hole. Vs. 26-29
A. An angel will not appear to us. If we wait for this, we will never fish.
B. Maybe angel told Philip not outloud but in his spirit. This will happen to us every once in a while if we are Christian. The Holy Spirit will speak to us. We need to be lead by the Spirit.
C. The best time and place to fish is in ordinary life. God will guide us even during our ordinary lives.
D. There was divine preparation for this event.
E. There was human initiative for this to happen. Philip had to obey.
F. The best context for evangelism to happen is all during our day. In ordinary life.
G. Talk about the Lord and look for openness. Talk about church, etc.
H. Surprise opportunities. My friend Jimmy. Are we ready? 1 Peter 3:15- Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.
I. Sometimes we are asleep at fishing.
J. Scripture background.
1. Ethiopian was in charge of treasury of a flourishing country.
2. He was a God-fearing man. WE come in contact with good people everyday. Probably a convert to Judaism
3. He was a black man.
4. Purchased copy of Isaiah after worshipping in Jerusalem. He was reading out loud.
5. Several questions here.
a. Why would a person travel such a long way to worship (about three months journey) when they know that they will not be allowed to go into the temple?
1) A eunuch was not allowed into the temple on the instructions of Deuteronomy 23:1.
2) Maybe to purchase a scroll of Isaiah. However, why to Jerusalem?
b. Why would anyone spend a common year’s wages to buy the scroll of Isaiah? Why was he reading from Isaiah 53?
II. Philip throws out the bait. Vs. 30-33
A. What an opportunity. Philip knew exactly what kind of bait to use. Philip just threw out the hook.
B. Philip had a great opportunity. However, he still had to figure out how to approach this man.
C. Principle of evangelism- Take person from where he/she is and lead them to Christ.
D. One of the first things to do is to find out where this person is on the road to salvation. Where was the eunuch?
1. Eunuch’s were rejected, cast out, scorned, and mocked. However, they were usually in high level position (in charge of harems) but social outcasts.
2. He could identify with Isaiah 53.
3. This is probably why he bought this scroll.
E. The eunuch was willing to learn. Humble. A lot of people are not quite so easy to approach.
F. This eunuch knew the Old Testament Scriptures. Some people have no knowledge of any Scripture. Skeptics always amaze me. CS Lewis.
G. Luke 24:44-49- Then He said to them, These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me. And he opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. This is what we need to do, make the Scriptures plain to them.
H. Romans 10:14- How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
I. Isaiah 53.
1. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter- He did not fight it. He was slaughtered for us as a Passover Lamb.
2. And as a lamb before its sheerer is silent, so he opened not His mouth. At his trials Jesus did not say a word. This frustrated Pilate. In a courtroom the defense must say something. However, the trials were not fair anyway.
3. In His humiliation His justice was taken away- No justice for Christ, Pilate even declared that he was innocent. He was mocked even on the cross. Humiliation for nothing he did.
4. Who can count His spiritual offspring?
5. A violent death. 1 Peter 2:23-24- Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness- by whose stripes you were healed.
III. Philip sets the hook. Vs. 34-35
A. This was a good question of eunuch. Jewish leaders did not know who to apply this passage to. It seemingly applied to the Messiah but it did not agree with the current thoughts on the Messiah.
B. What is the prospects understanding of the Scripture. Use this understanding as a foundation.
C. Use Scripture as tools of evangelism, fishing.
D. Hebrews 4:12- For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
E. Philip told Ethiopian about the fulfillment of the Scriptures, he was taught the nature of the Messiah’s kingdom and about salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus.
F. Ethiopian was a genuine searcher after the truth. Many searchers out there looking for the truth. Are we searchers of the truth?
G. Do we know the Bible well enough to answer all of the eunuch’s questions?
H. This is the preacher’s job. No, it is everyone’s. We are all priests. We all testify. Some will never come to church.
IV. Philip reeled in the fish. Vs. 36-38
A. Philip has taught him about Christ, the Messiah, and his mission, How Christ fulfilled the prophesies about the Messiah, How Christ came to save us, the church, etc.
B. Must come to a point when hook is set and its time to reel in the fish.
C. Philip must have asked for a decision.
D. Ethiopian was convicted by the teaching of the Word through Philip and through the Holy Spirit.
E. What must we do to become a Christian, or a disciple of Jesus Christ?
1. Believe in Jesus. Acts 16:31- Believe in the Lord Jesus.
2. Turn from Sin to Jesus. Acts 17:30- In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
3. Confess Jesus as Your Lord and Savior. Matthew 10:32- Whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
4. Be baptized into Jesus. Acts 2:38- Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
F. The eunuch did all of these things. He believes in Jesus. He had a spirit of repentance. He confessed Jesus as Lord. Vs. 37 is disputed but we won’t get into that today, in you footnotes. Then he was baptized.
G. Simple reliance upon Christ for salvation. Obedience to the gospel.
H. Baptism is the culmination of the whole process. The fish is reeled in at baptism. Baptism separates the tire kickers from the car buyers.
V. Ethiopian rejoiced and went out to fish. Vs. 39
A. This is how true salvation is to be. A life of rejoicing. I am so happy.
B. Sins have been forgiven, gift of Holy Spirit. All conditions of obedient faith.
C. O happy day that fixed my choice On thee, my Savior and my God! Well may this glowing heart rejoice, And tell its raptures all abroad. Happy day, happy day, When Jesus washed my sins away! He taught me how to watch and pray, and live rejoicing every day.
D. This Ethiopian evidently became a great missionary to his country. A strong church was formed there not long after this. Christian tradition tells us the eunuch’s first convert was the Queen Mother Candice, herself.
E. ILL. A few years ago Paul Harvey wrote in Guidepost Magazine about his own baptism. He said that even though he had received almost every reward for his broadcasting powers & ability that he still felt empty inside.
Well, one summer he & his wife were vacationing in a place called Cave Creek, AZ. Sunday morning came & they decided to go to church. So they went to this little church, & there were only 12 other people present.
But there was a good spirit about that place, & for some reason he began thinking about John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
He said, "I liked that ‘everlasting life’ part, & I believed in Jesus, but I had never gone forward in a church service. I remembered one night praying in my hotel room & asking Jesus to come into my heart, but I felt that there was still something that was missing."
He said that the preacher got up & announced that his sermon was going to be about baptism. Paul Harvey said, "I yawned. But as he started talking about it I found myself interested. He talked about the symbolism behind it, & how it symbolized the complete surrender of one’s life to Jesus Christ, & how there was nothing really magic in the water. But there was this cleansing inside that took place when you yielded yourself to Jesus."
He went on to say, "Finally, when he came to the end of his sermon he said, ‘If any of you have not been baptized in this way, I invite you to come forward & join me here at the pulpit.’"
Paul Harvey said, "To my surprise, I found myself going forward. The preacher had said there was nothing magic in the water. Yet as I descended into the depths & rose again I knew something life changing had happened - a cleansing inside out. No longer did there seem to be two uncertain contradictory Paul Harvey’s, just one immensely happy one. I felt the fulfilling surge of the Holy Spirit in my life.”
Paul Harvey went on, "The change this simple act made in my life is so immense as to be indescribable. Since totally yielding to Him in baptism, my heart can’t stop singing. Also, perhaps because baptism is such a public act & because one’s dignity gets as drenched as one’s body, I discovered a new freedom in talking about my beliefs."
He closed with these words, "The other evening when on a speaking trip I was flying over west Texas & looking at the beautiful sunset. My heart swelled with joy in my new surrender & I thought, ‘How wonderful, we have all this & heaven, too.’"
F. The eunuch, the slave, the despised and rejected is now numbered with the saints of God. He no longer was rejected at the temple but he had the temple in his heart.
G. Such was the experience of this man up to the moment that the curtain of history drops and hides him from our view. Happily, as we lose sight of him, the sounds that come back to us are notes of joy.
Conclusion:
A. Friend Day, April 13th plug.
B. Whosoever will may come. May come into the church. May come to Jesus Christ. Revelation 22:17- Whosoever will, let him come.
