* The power of words (use examples of powerful words)
* The power of God's words ("God said" is used over 1000 times in Scripture)
- Creation: "And God said" -- "and it was so"
- Jesus raised the dead when he spoke
- Jesus calmed the sea when he spoke
- Jesus drove out evil spirits and healed the sick when he spoke
* John 1:1, 14
* The powerful words Jesus spoke (i.e., Luke 19:10; John 3:16; Mark 2:5)
* When God speaks, it demands attention
* TEXT: Great things happened when God spoke to Philip
* Philip teaches us what we should do when God speaks to our hearts today...
1. When God speaks, we must listen (v. 26-29)
* Before we can act, we must listen
* 1 Sam. 3:10
* How God spoke in the Old and New Testament: direct revelation (Abraham); dreams/visions (Daniel); written words (10 commandments); prophets; circumstances (Gideon); angels (Mary/Joseph)
* Two primary ways God speaks to us today...
A. The Bible (2 Tim. 3:16)
B. The Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21; Luke 12:12)
* Since God speaks to us in these ways, we must stay in the Word and stay in step with the Spirit so we can listen.
2. When God speaks, we must obey (v. 30-31)
* Listening is not enough; must move to obedience
* Philip teaches us a couple of truths about obedience...
A. Obedience to what God says involves us doing exactly what God says.
- The example of Jonah...
- Partial, delayed, or disgruntled obedience is really disobedience
B. Obedience to what God says opens the door for God to work through us
- Philip's obedience led to the opportunity for God to use him
- We will miss out on our chance to be used by God if we fail to obey
3. When God speaks, we must share his message (v. 32-40)
* Listening and obeying naturally leads to sharing
* NOTE: Our obligation is to share the message that God has already spoken, not to dream up a new message or revelation
* As Philip shared the message, he revealed what the content of our message should be...
A. The message is about Jesus Christ (v. 32-34 = Isaiah 53:7-8)
B. The message is about salvation (v. 35 = Mark 16:15)
C. The message is about the family of faith (v. 36-40 = baptism)
CONCLUSION
* Note verse 39
