Discipleship Matters: Sharing the Gospel Boldly
Acts 8:5-40
Pastor Jefferson M. Williams
Chenoa Baptist Church
05-23-2021
I Just Wanted to Play Basketball
When I was a teenager, I used to go to youth group with my brother. I wasn’t interested in Jesus. I just wanted to meet girls and play basketball.
We would have to sit through the youth pastor’s lesson and then we would get to play basketball the rest of the time.
One night when we arrived, it was obvious this lesson would be different. We were informed that we would be going to a strip mall and getting the opportunity to share our faith with others.
I didn’t have a faith and I just wanted to play basketball but I ended up in a van headed toward a local grocery store.
We were dropped off with the instructions to share our faith, whatever that meant, with three people, and be ready to give the group a report of how it went.
I got out of the van and my brother headed off to save the poor people that needed bread and milk, and I hid behind the store until the adult came back to get us.
He asked me how it went and I lied and said that I shared my faith, whatever that meant, with three people.
I rarely went back to that youth group, even though my brother assured me that it had gone back to normal and they were playing basketball again.
The experience was bewildering, confusing, and terrifying. Interestingly, these are the same feelings that some of you have when we talk about the word evangelism.
A Disciple…So Far
We continue this morning with our Discipleship Matters series. We’ve learned that a follower of Jesus:
[Slide] Is a disciple who makes disciples who makes disciples
[Slide] Is passionately devoted to Jesus
[Slide] Is someone who loves people with extraordinary love
[Slide] Is someone who handles conflict in a Biblical, Christ-honoring way.
[Slide] is someone who understands the Gospel clearly.
Last week, we learned how understand the gospel in 6 words:
God. Our. Sin. Paying. Everyone. Life
God created us to be with Him
Our sins separate us from God
Sins cannot be undone by good deeds
Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again
Everyone who trusts in Him alone, has eternal life
Eternal life starts now and last forever
This week and the next, we are going to learn that a disciple shares the Gospel boldly.
A Command to Share
Hudson Taylor wrote these powerful words nearly a century ago:
“The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed.”
Interestingly, we are never commanded to read our Bibles, pray, or even go to church. But, as Jesus was getting ready to ascend into Heaven, He gave this clear command to his disciples and those who come after them:
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)
We are told to “go and make disciples of al the nations.”
If we truly know the joy of living in forgiveness,
if we understand that lost people matter to God,
if we are burdened with the knowledge that people without a relationship with Jesus will be forever separated from Him in a place the Bible calls hell,
if we truly believe we have the answer to life’s problems and the cure for spiritual deadness -doesn’t it follow that we should be ready, willing, and able to share this GREAT NEWS with anyone who will listen?
My favorite definition of evangelism is “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”
Turn with me to Acts 8.
Prayer
Philip - a Little Background
As the early church started growing at an astounding rate, it became apparent that many of the widows were being neglected. There were only twelve apostles and the number of needy members continued to rise. There was a meeting and it was decided that seven men would be chosen that were “full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3). These men would take over the responsibility of the daily distribution of food to the widows while the apostles concentrated their efforts on “prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).
Seven men were chosen and one of those men was Philip. This was not the Apostle Philip but a layman who had been one of the larger crowd that followed Jesus. He was a deacon - a waiter of tables. He served the needs of the growing flock just as our deacon board so ably does in this church.
One of the deacons chosen that day was Stephen who was described as “a man full of God’s grace and power” (Acts 6:8). He was preaching powerfully and performed many signs and wonders. Stephen was seized and taken before the ruling council and gave one of the most convincing and strongest sermons in the book of Acts (see Acts 7:1-53). As a result, the mob stoned him with a Pharisee named Saul was there giving his approval.
After Stephen’s death, a great persecution broke out against the church and all but the apostles were scattered.
Philip ends up WHERE?!
Look at Acts 8:5 with me:
[Slide] “Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowd heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:5-8)
Philip travels to Samaria to share the good news of Jesus.
SAMARIA? WHAT’S HE DOING IN SAMARIA?
Exactly what Jesus commanded - he “proclaimed the Christ there.”
Jewish people hated Samaritans and considered them “half-breeds.”
Some six hundred years before Christ, the Assyrians had conquered northern Israel and deported all but the poorest Jewish people. These Jewish people intermarried with the Assyrians creating a race known as the Samaritans.
This tells us something about Philip, doesn’t it? He crossed racial and ethnic boundaries in order to tell them how to have a relationship with God. This is a bold move. And...
it pays off!
People understood the Gospel story and placed their trust in Jesus. Not just a few, but many people. Some are healed physically and others are healed spiritually. It’s what every preacher prays for - revival has come to Samaria!
That’s where we begin today. Philip is enjoying great success in this town. Things are clicking. His sermons are being raved about. His ability to heal is making him famous.
And then an angel shows up and that’s when things start getting really interesting.
An Angel with a message
[Slide] “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road - the desert road- that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. (v. 26)
I’ve never actually seen an angel, except the one I married nearly twenty-nine years ago!
In Old Testament times, angels were one of the ways God communicated His will to people. Skip down to verse 29 for a second. Notice, “the Spirit told him...”
In this passage we see the Old Testament medium of angels and the New Testament medium of the Spirit coming together to clearly guide Philip.
The angel’s message must have seemed confusing. Philip is told to go south to the desert road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza. There were actually two roads that connected these two areas. Philip is told to take the “one less traveled” to put it mildly. He is literally directed to stand in the middle of the desert. In the Greek it is implied that where he is going is really HOT! Dangerously hot!
Notice what Philip doesn’t do. He doesn’t check his calendar and tell God that he has more pressing matters. He doesn’t ask God why. In fact, God doesn’t tell him why! He doesn’t pout and worry that the revival will fall apart with him.
Look at the first four words of verse 27. In fact, read them with me:
“So he started out...”
He just did what God told him to do. No questions asked. What are some words we can use to describe Philip?
Obedient. Available. Humble. [Congregational response]
The story is told of a young man who attended a Wednesday night Bible study on God speaking to Samuel. (see I Samuel 3). As he got into his car he wondered aloud if God still really does speak to people today. Then he said a dangerous prayer, “If you do speak to me, I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”
On the way home, as he passed a grocery store, he heard a voice in his head tell him to buy a gallon of milk. He bought the milk and started home when the he heard the voice again. It said turn down that street and stop. He thought he was going crazy but turned and stopped. He felt lead to take the milk to a small row house. The house was dark and it appeared that all the occupants were asleep.
He sheepishly knocked on the door and said, “I don’t know why but I felt like I should bring you some milk.” The man who answered the door ran down the hall shouting in Spanish. A women carrying a young baby came to the door with tears streaming down her face. She explained in broken English, “We had no money to buy milk for our baby, so I prayed and asked God to send an angel with some milk? Are you an angel?” [as told by Tom Lovorn]
Point to Ponder:
Are you like Philip? Can God count on you to do what He asks? Even if it is hard? Are you available to drop everything and go stand in a desert if He asks you to?
Out of Africa
Let’s continue in verse 27:
[Slide] “So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candice, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way back home was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.” (Acts 8: 27-28)
Philip is standing in the middle of nowhere, sweating and praying, when all of a sudden on the horizon there is movement. It becomes apparent that a fairly large entourage is headed his way. He was about to discover why God had brought him to this lonely stretch of road.
A high ranking official in the Ethiopian government is about to pass by. He is the queen’s personal financial advisor and probably a eunuch. Men with access to the queen were often neutered, for lack of a better term, to ensure their submissiveness.
He served queen Candice. This was not her actually name but her title, like the Pharaohs of Egypt. The king of Ethiopia was considered a god so he didn’t do much. The queen was the ruler of the land and this man was in her inner circle.
There was more to him that his job though. He was a “God-fearer.”
Ethiopians were familiar with Israel’s one true God because of the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Solomon hundreds of years earlier. He was returning from a trip to Jerusalem - a twelve hundred mile round trip! What he saw in Jerusalem must have shocked and disappointed him.
Jerusalem was a mess. The temple was a place to go through the religious motions. Empty, repetitious rituals were the norm and Jerusalem seemed lost amidst a sea of uncertainty. Surely he would have heard talk of the young Jewish rabbi/carpenter that was crucified and many claimed to have seen risen from the dead. As he stood outside the temple, he could not go in because he was a foreigner and eunuch, he must have wondered why he even bothered to make the trip.
On his way out of town, he stopped and bought a scroll of the book of Isaiah. This would have been a very expensive purchase but he had the money at his disposal. He begins the long journey home by reading the scroll, hoping to find the answers to what he is looking for.
God is at work in his heart.
He is drawing him to Himself. There is something sovereignly mysterious going on here. He thought he would find the answers in Jerusalem. He was probably praying that God would somehow help him understand.
What he didn’t know was that his answer was standing in the road ahead.
One afternoon, I was working in my office when I felt very strongly I was suppose to go to the school. I was busy and tried to shake it off but I couldn’t so I jumped on the scooter and headed over to PTHS. When I got there, I didn’t know what to do. I went and stood in front of the rec center. I felt a bit like a goof, but prayed that whatever God wanted me to do I would do.
The bell rang and students started pouring out of the school and toward their cars. I said hello to many of these students but felt like I was to stand my ground. Then I saw her. It was one of our students and her eyes were as wide as saucers. She asked me what I was doing there. I answered honestly and told her I didn’t have a clue. I will never forget what she said next:
“I was just sitting in my last class praying that somehow you would be standing outside the rec center this afternoon so I could talk to you.”
The hair stood up on my arms and I said a quick thank you to God for helping me to be obedient and answering this struggling student’s prayer.
Point to Ponder
Are you like the Ethiopian official? Are you seeking after answers?
Know this - if you are seeking it is living proof that God is at work in your life.
Humans do not seek God on their own. We only seek after Him when He is in the process of drawing us to His side. Jesus said,
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44)
I love the way Eugene Peterson paraphrase Jeremiah 29:13:
“When you get seriously about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” (Jeremiah 29:13, The Message)
A Bold Move
Let’s keep going...
[Slide] “The Spirit told Philip, ’Go to that chariot and stay near it.” Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I, he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” (Acts 8:29-31)
Again we see the quick-trigger obedience of Philip. We are told he ran to the chariot. He had a holy anticipation that God was doing something amazing and he wanted to make sure to get in on it. What’s not so apparent in these verses is that this was a very bold move.
This chariot probably had guards around it, much like the secret service of today. God tells Phil to run beside the chariot. I’m sure these guards must have taken notice this and reached for their swords. A Jewish man standing in the middle of the desert does not just walk up to an important official’s chariot unannounced. Unless, God is orchestrated this whole event.
Think about it from the official’s point of view. He is reading Isaiah and has some questions. Out of the blue, this guy, who is obviously Jewish from his accent and dress, comes running up asking if he understands what he’s reading. He had been reading out loud, which was the custom of the day. The official could have him executed but considers that this guy could be the answer to his prayers. Humbly, he invites Philip to join him on the chariot.
There are a couple of important points to make here. First, the official was reading the Bible but was confused and didn’t understand. How many of you have had the same thing happen to you?
The Bible is a long read and, in many places, very difficult to understand. There is nothing wrong with asking someone if they understand what they are reading.
And there is nothing wrong with admitting that you do not understand what you are reading. The Ethiopian official was intelligent, educated, and a world traveler. It would have been easy for his pride to get in the way and hinder his search for answers. But, he admits he is stumped and asks for help. Isn’t that a sign of a good student?
Remember, there are no dumb questions, except to question the genius of Barry Manilow!
It’s been said that butterflies wander all over the garden, but bees dig deep into the flower and come away satisfied.
Point to Ponder
Are you humble enough to admit that you sometimes get confused by the Bible? Do you seek out older, wiser, Christians to ask questions to help you grow? Are you a butterfly or a bee?
Perfect Timing!
Now things are getting interesting.
[Slide] “The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.’
The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’
Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”(Acts 8:32-35)
Talk about perfect timing! The official had read fifty two chapters of Isaiah on his journey so far and he starts chapter fifty-three right has he encounters Philip!
This passage confused the rabbis. Some held that Isaiah was talking about himself, others said that he was talking about the nation of Israel, and still others theorized he was talking about the coming Messiah.
There was just one problem with that theory. The Messiah the Jews were waiting on was a coming, conquering King that would shatter the Roman occupation and establish His Kingdom. There wasn’t much room for a Messiah who would suffer humiliation and be offered like a sacrificial lamb.
Now Philip begins to understand. It is all coming together. God directed him to the desert at the same time he directed the Ethiopian official to take the desert road. This is a total God moment and he wouldn’t miss out on this for the world.
A little boy visited Sunday school and returned home to tell his parents that the teacher must of been Jesus’ grandma. When asked why he replied, “Because that’s all that lady talks about!”
Philip starts “with that very passage of Scripture” and shares the Gospel (good news) of Jesus. That’s all Phillip wanted to talk about. Philip probably pointed out the verses that preceded these as well.
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, 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 has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6)
Philip explained, as he had done in Samaria, that Jesus was the perfect sacrificial lamb that Isaiah prophesied about nearly seven hundred years before the cross. Jesus was offered on the cross, in our place, to pay the penalty for our sins. Because of His death on the cross we can have access to God through trusting in His finished work. Because of His resurrection, we can have the hope and joy of heaven.
Point to Ponder
If someone asked you to explain the way to heaven, could you? Could you start anywhere in the Bible and “head straight for the cross?
A Eunuch is Made Whole
Are you ready for the “rest of the story?”
[Slide] “As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look here is some water why shouldn’t I be baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. (Acts 8:36-40)
Philip explained the gospel and answered the eunuch’s questions and somewhere on the desert road leading to Gaza, the Ethiopian official surrendered his life to Christ. How do we know that? Because in the New Testament, baptism is always a response of faith after conversion.
The official sees something pretty rare in the middle of the desert - water. Isn’t it interesting that he just happened to be going down that road, and Philip just happened to be standing there, he just happened to be reading Isaiah 53, and there just happens to be an oasis! Amazing!
Verse 37 is not in most of your translations, although it might be in the footnotes. Most commentators believe this verse was added later on by an editor. Even if that is true, it does sound very much like what the Ethiopian official might have said. Philip tells him that he will baptize him if he believes with “all his heart.”
The reply is one of saving faith:
“I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Upon this confession, Philip baptizes him and then something really weird happens. Philip disappears. Poof! Beam me up Scotty! Some commentators try to say that this was just a figure of speech but the word for “suddenly took” is the same word for which we get “snatched up” or “raptured” in I Thessalonians 4:17.
It really didn’t matter. The eunuch had found Jesus and it says he “went on his way rejoicing.” Church tradition tells us that the first Christian church in Africa was in...Ethiopia! And our friend, the eunuch, might have even ended up being the bishop of that church!
Philip shows up in Azotus and continues doing what he had been doing - telling people about Jesus.
Point to Ponder
Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? If you are a Christian, have you be baptized?
Let’s Apply it!
I want to end this morning with four action steps that will help you seek to be like Philip and share the good news of Jesus Christ. We’ll use the word BOLD.
1. [Slide] Be consistent in prayer
A. Consistent prayer creates consistent opportunities.
When we pray, we become much more aware of opportunities around us. Because of Philip’s constant awareness of God’s leading, he got to experience having a part in the Ethiopian’s salvation story. Prayer helped him to remember that it was not about him and gave him the boldness to be obedient to God’s call.
B. God doesn’t need your ability but your availability
You do not have to have the gift of evangelism to be effective in this area. Remember, Philip was a layman. He wasn’t a pastor. He wasn’t Billy Graham. He was just a normal guy who was not afraid to cross racial, ethnic, and religious boundaries to get the word out about Jesus. Philip didn’t want to see people go to hell. His heart burned with the love of Christ for lost people.
Does yours?
The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome:
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.” (Romans 10:1)
The word “prayer” in that verse literally means “to beg.” When’s the last time you literally cried out and begged for someone’s salvation? When’s the last time you stood in the gap between them and hell and begged the Father to invade their lives?
A pastor once wrote, “We have never locked eyes with someone who does not matter to God.”
Do you care that your neighbor, father, daughter, coworker, teammate, or boss is headed for a Christless eternity?
I worked at a large psychiatric hospital and most of the staff were born again Christians, except for the CEO, who we will call Phil.
Phil had a secretary who built a relationship with him over the years and he respected her work and her faith.
What he didn’t know was that every morning before he got there, she would go into his office, anoint his desk with oil, and pray for his day and his salvation. She did that for over a decade.
The hospital was bought out and Phil found himself out of job and struggled with the transition. She had invited Phil to church multiple times but he finally decided to come and at the end of that service he came down front and gave his life to Jesus!
Don’t give up! Maxine prayed for her father for 30 years before he came to Christ.
Action Step:
Begin praying every day for the next 30 days that God would help you to
- hear His voice directing you and that you would be obedient to whatever He tells you to do
- for opportunities to share your faith with others.
- for just one person who is lost and needs Jesus. Pray every morning that God would move mightily in their lives and that they would sense their need for salvation.
Who is your one person?
2. [Slide] Offer to Tell Your Spiritual Story
Pray for opportunities to build a relationship with people who don’t know Christ yet. But make sure you don’t see them as a project but as a friend no matter what.
Pray for open doors to share the Gospel with them. I often start by simply telling my spiritual story.
I had a chance to do this with a young friend this week. He was talking about his spiritual questions and I simply said, “Well, the story of the prodigal son changed my life.” And I walked him that those verses and how my life was completely rearranged by the realization that God wasn’t mad at me but, like the father in the story, He was standing on tiptoe, looking over the horizon, waiting for me to simply surrender to Christ and come home.
This is why testimonies are so powerful. It’s easy to argue theology. It’s much harder to argue with a changed life!
Action Step:
- You can’t share with others what you’ve never experienced yourself. If you have never been born again, this is your day. This is your time.
- Write your spiritual story (testimony) down this week. If you need help, let me know. Practice with a friend.
- Share your spiritual story with one other person.
3. [Slide] Let your light shine brightly
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said,
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)
You are the light of your world. You have the honor of being the light at work, at the gym, at the grocery store, at the bank, and on social media.
As you live out your Christian walk, not perfectly, people will notice. It’s a dark world, and getting darker, and the light shines brightest when the night is darkest.
Please stop complaining about how dark it is! It’s your time to shine for Jesus. Through our love. Through our servanthood. Through our influence.
My friend Milt was with his wife and two other friends in a house with no furniture smoking weed when they heard the church bell ring at the church at the end of the street.
High as they were, they decided to it would be fun to go to church. So they walked down the street and sat on back pew.
Milt said that the pastor shared the Gospel and, for the first time, he understood it. He said he wanted to walk down the aisle and tell the pastor but he was really high so they went back to the house.
About 15 mins later, two older women knocked on the door. They said that they had noticed them on the back pew and felt strongly that God might have said something to them.
These amazing ladies, in their 60s, sat on the floor with four high hippies for over two hours answering questions. At the end, all four prayed to commit their lives to Christ and 35 years later, all four still love Jesus!
I can’t imagine how scary that may have been for those two sweet saints but their light shined bright enough to light that whole house and four hearts in need of Jesus.
Acton Step:
How can you let your light shine this week in your sphere of influence?
How can you show extraordinary love and extravagant servanthood?
Would those around you see Jesus because of you?
I love the way that Eugene Peterson paraphrases Philippians 2:15-16:
“Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night so I’ll have good cause to be proud of you on the day that Christ returns.” (Phil 2:15-16, The Message)
4. Don’t be weird. Just be yourself.
[How not to evangelize video - YouTube]
We all have know that guy. Sadly, I probably was that guy when I first became a Christian.
Action Point:
don’t be that guy!
Just be yourself.
Woman, Children, and Unsaved First!
John Harper was a 39 years old Scottish preacher who had been invited to preach at Moody Church in Chicago. The year was 1912 and the ship he chose was...the Titanic!
We all know the story, thanks to James Cameron, but do you know the story of John Harper? As the boat was sinking, and the lifeboats were being lowered, it was reported that John Harper was there directing, “Woman, children, and unsaved first!”
When he ended up in the frigid waters of the Atlantic, it was reported that he swam from person to person asking them if they knew Jesus as their Savior. How do we know that? Because several years later, at a meeting of \Titanic survivors, a gentleman told the group he had been saved twice that night. He had been rescued from the waters.
But, he also told the story of John Harper. John swam up to him and pleaded with him to trust Christ. As he went under, his last words were, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” This man reported, “Alone in the night with two miles of ocean under me I believed, I am John Harper’s last convert.”
We live in a culture that is drowning in hopelessness and despair. The ship is sinking and I fear many times we are arguing over how to arrange the deck chairs while lost souls slip away into darkness. We know the LIFE PRESERVER! We must get out of our holy huddles, engage the culture, seek out the lost and hopeless, love them intentionally, extravagantly, and purposefully, and share with them the fact there is hope and healing at the foot of the cross.
[Pray for Opportunities - Keynote]
