Seven Secrets To Successful Witnessing

Philip, The Evangelist - Seven Secrets to Successful Witnessing

a) Introduction - The Commission (Acts 8:26-40)

Praise God, Church!

Tonight I wanna talk about our comission as Christians.

In Mark 16:15 The Bible says... And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

How many in here tonight know that this is the great commission,

And that it still applies to the Church today?

See, we have all been called to a ministry.

Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

The Bible doesn’t say that He called all to pastor,

Or that He called all to prophecy.

This scripture, though often misinterpreted, doesn’t even say that He called all Christians to

walk in one of these five offices.

He’s called some to other offices or areas in the ministry,

And He makes that evident to them, either by speaking it to them,

Or by a vision, or through a word from someone with the gift of prophecy,

And He also communicates His will for us through our circumstances. Amen!

But tonight I don’t want to go into depth on each individual ministry,

But rather to expound on the ministry that He has called us all to.

And that is the great commission. Amen!

He has called each and everyone of us to be a witness.

To be a light in the darkness.

To reach souls for the Kingdom of God!

So tonight as we look at the life of Philip,

Let’s learn what God expects from those who press toward the mark

for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus as witnesses for Christ.

Act 8:26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

Act 8:27 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,

Act 8:28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Isaiah the prophet.

Act 8:29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

Act 8:30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?

Act 8:31 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.

Act 8:32 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:

Act 8:33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

Act 8:34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

Act 8:35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Act 8:36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

Act 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Act 8:38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

Act 8:39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

Act 8:40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.

Philip was not a man to act on his own authority,

Nor one who sought to carry out a mission in his own power.

He was a God-sent servant,

And a spirit controlled worker.

When the "Spirit of the Lord" directed Philip to go to a certain place he arose and went.

When the "Spirit of the Lord" told Philip to speak to a certain person he obeyed with alacrity,

And when the "Spirit of the Lord" caught the evangelist away,

he submissively allowed himself to be taken,

In Philip’s complete surrender to the Lord we see the secrets of his success in Labor.