What Are You Reading? Series

I’m going to do something different this morning as we get started. Normally, we read the scripture that is listed up on the screen as we get started, but today I want to read from Colossians 4:2,5-6 and then we’ll focus on the passage in Acts. As I read this, file it in the back of your mind and consider it as we look at the events found in Acts. (Read/Pray)

When you hear the word “evangelism”, what’s your knee jerk reaction? For a few of us who find ourselves gifted that way, we get all excited and eager to go. Most of us, however, react with fear or feeling nervous. “What will I say?” “What if they have questions?” “What if I get stumped and don’t know how to answer?” Let me give you a bit of reassurance- it’s not about what you know, it’s who you know. Evangelism isn’t about you, it’s about helping them get to know Jesus.

We are preparing to host a revival in just a few weeks, so we’re going to preach about evangelism for a few weeks because we want to encourage you to invite people. We actually have an advantage this year because revival is already on the minds of people all over the world. You may have heard reports about a revival starting at Asbury University in Kentucky. I believe we can view it with cautious optimism as we hear from people who have attended. Some friends in ministry that I trust have gone to check it out and they’re saying good things. Now, a revival should have long lasting impact, so we’ll see what comes from this. We aren’t looking to duplicate the events at Asbury, but we are praying that God will move in people as we host our revival.

We’re going to look in the book of Acts for some examples of evangelism. Today, I want to encourage you with the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. I believe we can learn three steps to evangelism based on what we see in this narrative. The first step is to listen. I want to focus on this step today because we often skip over it. We know we have the answer- Jesus- so we jump in without listening and often we end up making a fool of ourselves.

We begin by listening to God. Read Acts 8:26-30. Now, to provide a bit of context for what is happening here and get to know Philip, we need to go back to the beginning of the chapter. Read Acts 8:4-8. Philip was one of the original seven deacons, chosen to serve the needs of widows and needy. When persecution broke out in Jerusalem, he headed to the city of Samaria and began preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. We’re told that the crowds listened because they heard his message and saw the signs he did. Evil spirits were being cast out and the lame and paralyzed were being healed. If this were happening today, I picture something along the lines of a Billy Graham Crusade with thousands of people packing in a stadium so they can hear the message. The text says there was much rejoicing.

And then an angel of God comes to Philip and tells him to go to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. Luke describes it as a desert place. God is telling Philip to leave the crowds, the success that he’s been seeing and go to the middle of nowhere. How often have we seen God tell someone, like Abraham, pack up and go, I’ll let you know when you’ve arrived?

Philip goes, no questions, no hesitation, simply goes. When he gets there, he finds an Ethiopian eunuch, an official under Queen Candace, in his chariot returning from worshiping in Jerusalem as a Jewish proselyte. The Holy Spirit nudges Philip to join the Ethiopian at the chariot and Philip obeys again. Now, the lack of detail leaves a lot to be imagined. We’re not told if the Ethiopian was at a rest stop along the side of the road taking a break and Philip was able to saunter up to him. It’s possible that the chariot was passing by and God supercharged Philip’s legs so he could run alongside the chariot and get the Ethiopian’s attention. Regardless, Philip approached the chariot and was able to ask if he understood what he was reading.

How do we hear God today? We really don’t hear about hearing the actual voice of God speaking to them directly. We can hear Him by reading our Bible. In fact, when Thomas declared he needed to see the risen Jesus to believe, Jesus showed up, and Thomas worshiped, Jesus declared this in John 20:29 (read).

We also can hear God through our times of prayer. There is a lot of noise and distraction in this world today, trying to draw our attention away from God. We often talk about prayer and how we share our hopes, joys, and concerns with concerns, but we also need to remember to take time to pause and listen for how God is responding to us. I think of Elijah, when God told him He’d reveal Himself to him in 1 Kings 19. Elijah went up on the mountain and God sent a roaring wind, but He was not in the wind. Then God sent an earthquake to shake the mountain, but He was not in the earthquake. Then God sent a blazing fire, but He was not in the fire. Then Elijah heard a still, small whisper and he knew it was time to step out and be in the presence of God.