INTRODUCTION:
A. Aim: To discuss the theme: "In search of a man."
B. Pro: To establish that God is always in search of faithful men to go for him unto others who are seeking his will and way.
C. Text: Isa 6:8; Acts 8:25ff
D. Outline:
1. God Sought For A Man - Found Philip:
2. Philip Sought For A Man - Found the Eunuch:
3. Eunuch Sought For A Man - Found Jesus:
E. Remarks:
1. In our scripture lesson a call went out, "God was in search for a man to go south for him." The voice of the Lord asked: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, here I am, send me." Isa 6:8, God is always looking for some one to send; some one to go. As heaven was searched for someone to go; and some one to send. We will discuss this day a man who answered this call; a man who was willing to go, and willing to help out. This is not a lesson on how to find a husband, sisters! Laughter.
2. Our lesson is built upon the account of a prominent conversion in the book of Acts, Chapter 8. That is the call of the eunuch; the treasurer of Candace Queen of the Ethiopians. As you recall a man was summoned to go south in search of a resent worshipper and searcher of truth. But this lesson goes far deeper than it appears on the surface. As we look closer, God sought for a man and found Philip.
3. Secondly, Philip was in search of a man, the treasurer. Truly, there is a great need for men to go south, into the desert. To travel away from the affluence and materialism of the world, from intellectualism and pride. To a rebirth of a simple concern for doing, rather than just talking. Philip found this out in the dessert. His highways and byways were barren and dusty fields. For it was there in the dessert he found a man in search of the Master. God has found and prepared many sincere and dedicated men in the dessert.
4. Finally, the eunuch was in search of a man, and found Jesus. While inquiring of Evangelist Philip he asked: "of who speaketh the prophet this, of himself of some other man?" "Philip began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus." It should be understood that only in the scripture could we find out about the real Jesus. Jehovah himself said: "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jer 29:13 Search where? Jn 5:39 Truly, the treasurer found the greatest treasurer, when he learned of Christ, who has brought eternal salvation for all who would find him as he was privilege to do in the dessert. Our first thought - God sought for a man.
BODY OF LESSON
I. GOD SOUGHT FOR A MAN:
A. Brethren, God is always in search of a man to go for him. In our lesson, God sought for a man to go down to the desert to accomplish his will. The scripture says: "And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the sought unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert." Verse 25. God is always in search of men to go for him; and to accomplish his will and purpose. Philip had just concluded his tent meeting in Samaria. Acts 8:5-8 "And there was great joy in that city." God’s call is one of urgency! Notice Paul’s call into Macedonia. Acts 16:9-10 "Come over into Macedonia and help us..." A call to help, a call to serve. Service which might bring about great hardships if one goes.
B. Philip’s response. "And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship. Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet." Verse 26 Here was a man who had just finished worship, was reading his bible. Probably attempting to obtain an understanding of Rabbi’s message in the temple regarding the Messiah?
C. Philip the preacher. Philip was a great preacher. He was one of the seven deacons in the church at Jerusalem, Acts 6:1-7. He had just concluded a tent meeting in Samaria and did a great work. Verse 5; also in Acts 8:12 "And when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women." Luke says "And there was great joy in that city." Acts 8:8
D. God sought for a man to encourage his people and found Isaiah. Jehovah asked: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, here I am, send me." Isa 6:8, God needed a man to speak to his people at a time of its most moral decline. Isaiah is said to have made more prophetic utterances to the redemptive work of Christ than any other prophet. It would be one of his prophecies Philip would refer to while discussing the death and resurrection of the Messiah to the eunuch. Illustrate: God has found and prepared many great men in the desert. Moses, Ex 3; Elijah, 1 Kings 18:19-46; John the Baptist, Mt 3:1-12; and even Jesus, Mt 4:1-10. Each were divinely sustain by God, many for 40 days in the wilderness. Ex 24:18; 34:28; Deu 9:9, 18; and 1 Kings 19:8
E. Jehovah, also sought for a man to encourage his people while in Babylonian captivity; and found Ezekiel. Ezekiel prophesied to the people at a time when: the prophets preyed upon the people; the priest had profane the law of God; the princes had perverted his justice; and the people were a polluted nation. Jehovah said: "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none." Eze 22:30, Does Jehovah have one man in this city? Who will go for him; who would respond to his will? Or, are we a polluted and perverse people also?
II. PHILIP SOUGHT FOR A MAN:
A. Philip found a man searching. I trust we’ll find many searching this week; who are as noble as this man. "Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and Join thyself to this chariot." Philip found a man from Ethiopia; riding in a chariot, and reading his bible. He found a religious man. Who had just returned from worship in Jerusalem. He was interested in eternal things. A man of study, education and intelligence. Yet, a devout man who was in search of heavenly things, a leader who could be divinely instructed. "A wise, and might man who could listen. A noble man who could be called!"
B. The eunuch a noble man. Paul says: "For ye see your calling brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called." 1 Cor 1:26 Because they are not able to be taught. Jn 6:45 "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me."
Some examples of other noble responses.
1. Felix, never found his "convenient season." Acts 24:24-27
2. King Agrippa, never "became fully persuaded" to become a Christian. Acts 26:27-28
C. Philip’s inquiry. Now that’s what you do, brethren. Ask them: "do you understand what you are reading?" "And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him." Verse 30-31 Isa 28:9 "Whom shall we teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breast." Also Neh 8:8. Illustrate: To many bottle babies. Heb 5:12-14
Brethren notice the divine hands in this conversion:
1. The angel of the Lord’s work. Verse 26 "Go south unto Gaza, which is desert."
2. The Spirit of the Lord’s work. Verse 29 "Go near and join thyself to this chariot."
3. The preacher’s work. Verse 31 "Understandeth what thou readeth?....How can I, except some man should guide me?"
4. Conclusion: No angel or Spirit was involved in the teaching or preaching. They just brought the man and preacher together. God has left preaching into the hands of men! "How can they hear without a preacher?" Rom 10:13-17
D. The place of the scripture. "The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth." Verse 32-33; Isa 53:1ff
E. The prophet Isaiah. Isa 53:1ff, Review verses 5-6 "But he was wounded for our transgression, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Notice also, Isa 55: 6-9. Philip unfolded the Christ and his redemptive work at Calvary for the people; from the prophet Isaiah. Christ was the man of Isaiah’s writing the eunuch sought for and now would find through Philip’s preaching. Herein is our work. To cut out Christ from the Old Testament, to enable men and women to see his love and compassion for all people. God is not respecter of persons. Each must come the same way. Each must hear and obey the same thing. "One Lord, one faith, and one baptism." Eph 4:4-5 Phillip now opens the eunuch’s understanding of the scripture.
III. THE EUNUCH SOUGHT FOR A MAN:
A. The eunuch inquiry. "And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of Himself, or of some other man?" Verse 34
B. Philip’s sermon. "Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus." Notice that when one preaches Christ he must preach:
1. His Sonship. "He is the Son of God." verse 37 Philip discussed the relationship Jesus shares with the Father. Jn 1:1-3, 14 "In the beginning was the Word ...was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." "I and my Father are one." Also, "...He that hath seen me hath seen the Father..." Jn 10:30; and 14:9. No wonder Paul would write in Phil 2:5-8, "Let this mind be in you...Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
Mt 1:23 "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with US." Jn 5:18, Jn 20:28 "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God."
2. His death and suffering. "Who shall declare his generation? for his life was taken from the earth?" Acts 8:33, See also: Isa 53:7-9; Lk 23:50-53; Jn 19:38-42 "He was number with the transgressors and he made his grave with the wicked and the rich in his death." Illustrate: "I am innocent of the blood of this just person" Mt 27:24
3. His resurrection. "I believe that Jesus Christ is..." Verse 37; Just like David: "The Lord is...my shepherd." Psm 23:1, Psm 14:1 At the cross the centurion commented: "Truly this was the Son of God." Mt 27:54 Wrong tense on the verb! Not "was" but "is." Also, Heb 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." See also, Isa 53:9-10. Lk 24:44-47 "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you..." Also Acts 1:1-5
4. Faith in him. "I believe that Jesus Christ...." Verse 37; See also Jn 8:24 "Except ye believe that I am he..." Rom 10:17 "So faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." Faith in Jesus is necessary for salvation. But it is not faith alone. Jam 2:24; Faith must be active, obedient, "and worketh through love." Gal 5:6 Notice, also Heb 11:1ff
5. Confession of faith in Christ’s Sonship. "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." Mt 10:32-33; Rom 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
6. Baptism. "...And the eunuch said, see here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?" Notice it was the eunuch that suggested baptism. What would a reasonable person conclude? That somewhere in the preaching Philip made mention of its necessity in salvation. Impossible to preach Christ without preaching baptism! Some of our prominent ministers ought to read this text. llustrate: Mt 28:19-20, Some claim one must be "baptize in the name of Jesus Only!" What did Jesus tell them to say when they baptize? Get over there some one, and tell me what Jesus told them to say as they were baptizing. Acts 2:38; Acts 19:5 "In the name of the Lord Jesus." Means: "By the authority of Jesus." And if you were to say something. Shouldn’t you say what your are doing?
C. The eunuch sought for Jesus and found him. It was Philip that helped him find the Lord. God will always send a man to help guide you in your understanding of his will, if you seek him out of a pure heart. "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." Jer 29:13 "Seek ye out of the book." Isa 34:16; Jn 5:39; Acts 17:11; and 2 Tim 2:15
D. Philip was the medium by which the eunuch found the Lord. When you are sincere; God will sent a man to help you too. That truly your eyes might be opened. Illustrate: Woman in Oakland, CA. "I knew there had to be something better for my life."
E. Went on his way rejoicing. The rejoicing came after the preaching and baptism. He learned of his need for Christ; his sinful condition; and the terms of his salvation. Without hesitation; he confessed his faith in Christ; and was baptized. He left the presence of Philip rejoicing in God. But heaven also rejoices when one repenteth. "...Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance." Lk 15:7 Also 1 Cor 2:9 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, ..." Rejoicing because he found Jesus, the man he sought for, and found; which granted him forgiveness of sins, and joy unspeakable. He had found the greatest of all treasures - Jesus Christ. No wonder Jesus said: "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls; who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it." Jesus can do the same for you today. He can bring into your life unspeakable joy. Have you been searching for a man - Christ?
CONCLUSION:
A. Summarize main points.
B. Invitation, review the preaching of Philip.
C. Motivation. Don’t know all of what Philip preached when he proclaimed Jesus; but clear it was an effective sermon which encouraged the nobleman to respond to God. I’m sure there is someone today who needs to respond to the gospel of Christ.
D. Persuade. Acts 2:41; 38-40; 2 Cor 5:10
E. Today, is the day of salvation. Can’t live it, someone said. Welcome to the club. Who can? That’s why we have help along the way. Can you life it the rest of tonight? And then one day at a time? Jesus said: "Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Mt 6:34 Let’s get by today; and let tomorrow take care of itself.
