Bro Gary Wednesday PM 11/16/11

Bro Gary Wednesday PM 11/16/11

Psa 50:23  Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

Tonight we want to see how God used Phillip in a very difficult time.  Just because we are in difficulty doesn’t mean the Spirit cannot work.  It was a time when Saul was consenting to the death of Stephen.  God’s church was really being persecuted.  Paul made havoc of the attempts of the people of God who were trying to worship God.  He did all sorts of mean things and God’s people were scattered but they went right on preaching. (Acts 8:4)

Phillip went to Samaria and God gave a revival and there was a bad experience of a man that wanted to get saved and didn’t get it together or keep it together and tried to buy the Holy Spirit of God and they had to deal with that.  When He returned to Jerusalem:

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.

This was nothing weird and God never does anything weird.  God chose to speak to Phillip by an angel.

God gave this man of God direction to leave where he was and head over to the desert.  It is beautiful Phillips attitude.  He didn’t want to go to a nicer location or complain about being sent.  He arose and went.

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,

This man had traveled hundreds of miles to worship.  Sometimes we think that asking anyone to come any distance is way too much. 

It depends on what we are offering.  I personally think that people would drive 100’s of miles to eat Karen’s cooking.  Her cooking will only last a lifetime; the gospel will prepare you for eternity and last forever.

This man from Ethiopia had gone to Jerusalem to worship and hadn’t really gotten satisfied.  He had miles to journey to get back to Ethiopia.  Phillip came upon this man as he was sitting in his chariot and reading in the scripture. 

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

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

When Phillip showed up, he saw this man in a chariot. it was probably a pretty nice chariot.  The queen had provided for him. 

Act 8:30  And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, 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.

This man had a spiritual hunger for God.  He had such a hunger for God that he may have traveled 1500 miles to worship.  He hadn’t gained an understanding of salvation.  He’d learned of the Jewish way to worship and had probably gone to the synagogue. 

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.

May God help me and you to stay with the simplicity of the gospel and preach Jesus.  We live in a religious world when sometimes you have to qualify who you are when people ask if you are a Christian.  I want myself to know that I am church of God because of Jesus.  I’m not associated with a certain group from somewhere.  I’m saved because of Jesus. 

Phillip began preaching to him Jesus.  This is really a good topic. 

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.

I imagine they were both rejoicing. 

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

It appears that he went over by the coast and went up the coast preaching. 

There will be times when the outlook looks bleak.  It can be really troubling.  God is still God.  We must go right on preaching; we must go right on letting the river of the Spirit move into our life.  You can let the river of questions with bleak answers move in or you can say “Lord as bleak as the outlook is, I’m going to take the up-look and go right on rejoicing.”

While they were in prison, an angel spoke to Phillip.  As long as you and I are praying and doing what God wants to do, whoever gets a chance to speak to someone and whomever is spoken to, we will go on rejoicing.