Philip: Preacher Of Christ part 3

This is the third message in which we have dealt with Philip and his preaching. Unfortunately all of these messages have been separated by several weeks. Allow me to recap where we are and what all we have discussed.

The Gospel has taken hold in Jerusalem and is now spreading through Judea and Samaria. Philip is God’s instrument chosen to take the Gospel to a nation hated by the Jews. He arrives in Samaria and they receive the Gospel! They trust Christ and are baptized. Peter and John come down from Jerusalem and through prayer and the laying on of hands, the Samaritans receive the Holy Spirit. You might think Philip’s work is done. He has brought the Gospel to Samaria! But God still has work for him to do. What we are about to see is what I consider the strength of Philip. He is always ready to preach the gospel anytime and anywhere.

Philip’s example challenges us to seize ever opportunity to preach the gospel.

However, we cannot seize what we do not recognize.

Therefore, we must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to recognize the opportunities He provides.

As we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit, He will direct us where to plant and water the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As we begin, let me share a very personal story. There is a person connected to our church who does not know the Lord. I have been praying for this person for a number of years. A few months ago God provided a perfect opportunity to interact with this person and possibly share the gospel. I have to be very honest with you, I completely blew it. I didn’t recognize the opportunity and I missed it! Later on it dawned on me and I was very frustrated with myself. My failure to recognize the opportunity and act also wounded someone connected to the situation because they had every right to expect and hope that I would take advantage of this opportunity.

I share this for two reasons. 1 - I want you all to know that I am not perfect. I am not up here sharing these things because I already have it all worked out. 2 - I want to go on public record with my failure to help motivate me to never let that happen again!

I believe that what we are looking at this morning is something all of us need to be challenged with. With that in mind, let’s get into the Word. We left our story with Peter and John returning to Jersualem preaching the gospel the whole way back. Leaving them, our narrative refocuses on Philip and we find him…

2. Preaching Christ In A Chariot vv. 26-39

We are not told how long after the previous events this is. The time frame doesn’t really matter. What I want to focus in on is Philip’s heart. In this portion of Scripture we get a glimpse into the heart conditions necessary to both share and receive the gospel message. As Philip is being called to go and preach we see…

a. The sensitivity of a heart to Christ vv. 26-29

What we are going to see in this passage is an incredible commitment to obedience. Philip’s heart is tuned to God’s and when he is called to go, he does so without hesitation. Philip is…

i. Sensitive to the Angel’s call vv. 26-27a

This angel is under the direction of Christ. This is emphasized by the fact that this angel is called “an angel of the Lord”. I have always imagined this scene with Philip asleep. The angel wakes him up and he just goes. That’s a Jonism, but it appeals to me. Whatever his activity, an angel speaks to Philip giving him incredibly specific direction. He is to get up and follow a particular road (S). In the end of v. 26 a little factoid is thrown in there for us, “this is desert”. Why did Luke, operating under the inspiration of the HS, feel it was necessary to reveal this little fact? I believe it is because we need to understand that What Philip is being called to do is not a simple, easy task. Philip can’t jump into his air conditioned SUV and drive down the hot, dry, desert road! Also remember that he is being called away from a very successful ministry in Samaria. What does Philip do?

When we are called by God to take action, from the moment He calls us, there are only three options (stoplight S). 1 - Say No (S). When we tell God no, fellowship is broken, growth stops, discipline begins. Philip could say no, but he doesn’t. 2 - Procrastinate (S). Give God excuses about how you need to do this or that or how you have to prepare. When we procrastinate, the opportunity is often lost. What God wants to accomplish through us is done through someone else and we miss the blessing. Reminds me of Esther when Mordecai tells her that God will deliver them no matter what, she can choose whether or not it will be through her. Philip could procrastinate, tell God he needs more time to prepare, but he doesn’t. 3 -Say Yes (S). When we say yes, it doesn’t mean the way will be easy, but there will be blessing, fellowship, and growth in Christ. Phillip says yes. Kent Hughes writes

Preaching the Word: Acts—The Church Afire In Touch with the Spirit (Vv. 26–29)

Humble submission to the Spirit of God is essential for joyful living and effective service.

I love the beginning of v. 27. “So he arose and went.” For Philip, it was just that simple. God calls, he says yes, and he goes! This is what a sensitive heart looks like! This is what obedience looks like! After being sensitive to the angel’s call we find Philip…

ii. Sensitive to the Father’s knowledge vv. 27b-28

“Behold” is an interjection. Its purpose is to grab our attention and make us focus. What are we to focus on? The incredible omniscience and sovereignty of God! Consider the knowledge of God revealed in these verses. I came up with ten ways in which we see the omniscience of God here. There may be more. First, God knows the route this man would take. He had sent Philip on that same route. Second, God knew who this man was. An Ethiopian eunuch with great authority. This is an interesting word. “Great authority” is the Greek word δυνάστης (dynastēs) meaning ruler; sovereign. Powerful ruler. A person who rules or commands; especially understood as having great controlling influence.

Great authority – δυνάστης (dynastēs)

This is a very important man! You know what I have noticed about important men? They need Jesus just like the rest of us. God knows just how important and powerful this man is, that doesn’t change his need at all.

Third, God knew who this man served. Candace the queen-mother of Ethiopia. Fourth, God knew this man’s job. He was in charge of her treasury. Fifth, God knew this man’s mission. He had come to Jerusalem to worship. Sixth, God knew this man’s destination. He was returning. Seventh, God knew this man’s location. He was sitting in the chariot on the road. Eighth, God knew this man’s activity. He was reading in the chariot. Interestingly enough, this word for reading specifically indicates that he was reading out loud. This is important in v. 30. Ninth, God knew what this man was reading. Isaiah. Tenth, God knew this man’s heart. We are going to see that in just a second. First I want to emphasize two things.

God knows everything. He knows all about you, all about me, and all about those He wants us to minister to. More than that, He is orchestrating the events and affairs of life to provide us with opportunities like this one. It is powerful to know that when we share the gospel with someone, our God knows exactly who they are, where they are, and everything else about them! He has divinely guided events to place us right there to share the gospel with that person!

God is omniscient, He knows everything. God is sovereign, He is in control.

What we are presented with here is a very religious man, a devout man, a man who is even reading the Bible! This is the kind of guy that some would assume is okay. He is religious, devout, willing to travel to honor God, honest, dependable, trustworthy. He is a good man! We sometimes look at “good people” and find it difficult to admit they need Jesus. We need to understand that Jesus came to save us from a sin nature, not from mere acts of sin. This man is devout, yet his devotion does not make him any less lost! People can follow a false religion with complete sincerity and devotion and still be absolutely lost! We live in a culture that wants us to believe that Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, and others are all Christians. Some of them may be, but many, if not most of them, are not. Don’t take anything for granted. If you have opportunity to share the gospel, share it. Maybe you will end up sharing it with a few people who are already believers. Awesome! I get so excited when someone shares the gospel with me. We get to have sweet fellowship! Spiritually speaking, there is never a down side to sharing the gospel.

8:27-28 – This is the kind of guy that some would assume is ok. He is religious and devout. We sometimes look at “good people” and find it difficult to admit they need Jesus. We need to understand that Jesus came to save us from a sin nature, not from mere acts of sin. This man is devout, yet his devotion does not make him any less lost! People can follow a false religion with sincerity and still be completely lost!

“Behold” is an interjection. Its purpose is to grab our attention and make us go, “wow!”

Philip comes up on the Chariot knowing none of the things we are told here. All Philip knows is that he was commanded to come out here, and there is a chariot. What we see next is Philip being…

iii. Sensitive to the Spirit’s command v. 29

Philip has come out here at the command of an angel, he has seen this chariot and probably realized that God has His hand on this whole situation. Now he is spoken to directly by the Holy Spirit. On a side note, this is evidence that the HS is a person, not just a force or influence like the wind. The wind does talk to us and give us commands. Or at least it shouldn’t. If it does, come talk to me. :)

The Spirit speaks to Philip and gives him a command. “Overtake the chariot”. Either the chariot was going really slow, or God gave Philip some supernatural sprinting power. Either way, we are going to see Philip catch this chariot in the next verse. What I wanted to focus on here is the sensitivity of Philip to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Tom Constable writes

Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible 2. Philip’s ministry to the Ethiopian eunuch 8:26–40

Philip felt compelled by the Holy Spirit’s leading to approach the wagon (cf. v. 26). The Spirit’s leading is essential in evangelism; He sometimes directs us to people whom He has prepared to trust in Jesus Christ.

Philip hears the still small voice! Joseph got walkies-talkies for Christmas and one of the first lessons they had to learn was that you couldn’t hear them unless they pressed the button. Someone had to be listening. We tested them out by me taking one with me to the store. We could hear each other, but it was pretty fuzzy. The Christian life is similar. Here is an earth-shattering revelation. Ready? You can only hear when you are listening. Astounding right? But here’s the larger point. We have to be listening to the Holy Spirit, we have to be tuned in without the static of sin if we are going to hear when the Holy Spirit speaks!

For us today He will speak through His Word, or through promptings in our spirits that coincide with His Word. It is my prayer that we will all develop this kind of sensitivity to the HS and His prompting. That we would hear when He speaks because we are listening, desiring for Him to communicate with us. A big part of that is being in the Word of God! We have a plan for that on the insert in your bulletin!

It is my prayer that we will all develop this kind of sensitivity to the HS and His prompting.

It is my prayer htat we will all develop this kind of sensitivity to the HS and His prompting.

We need to have hearts that are tuned to Christ. We need to be sensitive to His call, recognizing that He is all knowing and we are not, therefore, we go where He leads and do what He says. We need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He leads us and commands us. As we are sensitive to the heart of Christ, we enjoy the wonderful experience of seeing and being a part of…

b. The preparation of a heart for Christ vv. 30-35

When you are preaching the gospel to someone, you don’t know where they are at! You don’t know what work the HS has already done in drawing them and preparing them to hear the gospel message. This is why we are simply to be faithful messengers. It is not up to us to determine who is and is not ready for the gospel.

What we are going to see here is not a cookie cutter template for how people get saved. This is simply the story of how an Ethiopian eunuch came to Christ! But from this story we see a general method of how God prepares, draws, and works in people’s lives to bring them to Himself. We first find the Ethiopian eunuch…

i. Prepared through seeking vv. 30-31

In v. 30, after having been told to join the chariot, Philip runs to obey. This is how we are to obey. We run to do what God has commanded! Philip doesn’t offer excuses about how hot and dry it is in the desert. He doesn’t complain that he has already been walking today. Philip hears what God has said, and he runs!

As we go through life, God initiates something in our lives. He begins to draw us and we begin to seek. For those seeking, God provides. What we see in these verses is a divine set up. The Ethiopian is reading Isaiah, as Philip runs up to the chariot, he hears him reading from . This man is seeking. Seeking the Lord through His Word and seeking to understand. I love Philips question, “Do you understand?” Have you ever wondered what the Ethiopian thought of a random stranger running up to his chariot and asking if he understand the book he is reading? I sure have! All we are told is the Ethiopian’s reaction as he seeks guidance in v. 31.

Notice the humility of this man. How can I understand? I need guidance! We need to be this humble. When we don’t understand, ask. Seek guidance and direction. reveals why this guidance is necessary (S).

1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

This man cannot understand on his own. If you want a rationale for sharing the gospel, here it is.

2. Seeking guidance v. 31

Unbelievers need someone to share the gospel with them in order to understand and be saved.

reminds us that God has chosen to save those who believe through the foolishness of the message we preach (S).

1 Corinthians 1:21 NKJV

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

It is through the foolishness of preaching that people believe and are saved! And so we must share the gospel. Along with the expression of his need, the Ethiopian invites Philip into his chariot. God has awakened this man’s awareness of need, he has begun seeking the Lord. As he is seeking he reads the Word and so we have him…

ii. Prepared through scripture vv. 32-33

The fact that the Ethiopian eunuch is reading is an incredible testimony to the sovereignty and omniscience of God! I mean really, what are the odds of Philip showing up right as the man is reading this part? What are the odds of the Ethiopian choosing this section to read as he is bumping down the road? This is no mere coincidence! This is a sovereign set up, orchestrated by an omniscient and omnipotent God who works all things according to the good pleasure of His will!

These verses are so clearly Messianic that Jewish synagogues and schools avoid reading them to this day! Here is a man seeking to understand who is being spoken of! God is preparing him through His word with the picture of the sinless lamb, slain for sins not His own. The gospels record that just as Isaiah said, Jesus was silent before His accusers. He went to the Cross in humility and meekness. He was stripped of His clothing and humiliated. His trial was a sham of foolish accusation and false witnesses. There was no justice. He gave His life that we might have life.

This is what the Ethiopian is reading as Philip joins him. As the seeker seeks they encounter God through His Word. As (S).

As the seeker seeks they encounter God through His Word. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God!

Romans 10:17 NKJV

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God! Here we have a man seeking the Lord through His Word and God directs Him to a passage that is explicitly about the Messiah! His heart is prepared through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, it is prepared through the Word. Finally, it is…

2. Scripture and the death v. 33

iii. Prepared through speaking vv. 34-35

The Ethiopian eunuch asks Philip a question. The word “ask” here is the idea of begging for something necessary. This man is desperate to know! This question is a wide open door to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is one of those moments where what we have read and studied in the Bible comes into play. Philip is asked who Isiah is writing about. Would you and I know the answer to this question? Unless we are in the Word for ourselves, coming to church to sit under sound teaching, and being discipled by another believer, the chances are we will miss these kinds of opportunities! Please turn with me to .

Romans 10:8–17 NKJV

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

What I love about this reference in Romans is the emphasis it places on the believer opening their mouths to share the gospel. A person must hear the gospel and believe it to be saved. They cannot hear if we never speak! Let me be very clear.

There comes a moment when we must open our mouths and proclaim Christ!

This word “preach” is not talking about what I am doing right now. This word here in is the Greek word κηρύσσω (kēryssō) meaning to proclaim or herald. It is the responsibility of every believer to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Ethiopian doesn’t understand what Isaiah is talking about and so he speaks his confusion providing Philip the opportunity to speak of Christ!

Here in v. 35 Philip opens his mouth! When he opens his mouth, he preaches Jesus. “Preached” is the Greek word εὐαγγελίζω (euangelizō) meaning proclaim good news. To convey the Gospel v. — to bring the good news concerning the now present reality of Jesus’ divine dominion and way of salvation by His death and resurrection. Finite verb, aorist, middle indicative, third person, singular.

Preached – εὐαγγελίζω (euangelizō)

Here in v. 35 the word is evangelize. Philip evangelizes this man. He proclaims Christ to him! Philip doesn’t get into the chariot and hope the Ethiopian notices his godly life and asks him about it! No! He gets in and he opens his mouth and he tells this lost man about the Savior! Beloved, hear me please.

This is where we get the word evangelize. Philip evangelizes this man. He proclaims Christ to him! Philip doesn’t get into the chariot and hope the Ethiopian notices his godly life and asks him about it! No! He gets in and he opens his mouth and he tells this lost man about the Savior! Warren Wiersbe writes

2. Speaking of Christ v. 35

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Eight: A Church on the Move (Acts 8)

It is every Christian’s business to share the Gospel with others, and to do it without fear or apology.

Beloved, hear me please. While Scripture teaches that living godly lives is an essential part of being a Christian, it also teaches that a godly lifestyle in no way replaces our verbal witness for Christ. If you and I do not open our mouths to speak of Jesus Christ, we are being disobedient. We are sinning. We need to repent of this sin and begin to proclaim Christ as we ought. When we meet people and have opportunity to share the gospel, we don’t know where they are in this process. We don’t know in what ways God has been at work in their hearts and lives. And we don’t need to know. All we do is preach Christ!

While Scripture teaches that living godly lives is an essential part of being a Christian, it also teaches that a godly lifestyle in no way replaces our verbal witness for Christ. If you and I do not open our mouths to speak of Jesus Christ, we are being disobedient. We are sinning. We need to repent of this sin and begin to proclaim Christ as we ought. When we meet people and have opportunity to share the gospel, we don’t know where they are in this process. We don’t know in what was God has been at work in their hearts and lives. And we don’t need to know. All we do is preach Christ!

If you and I do not open our mouths to speak of Jesus Christ, we are being disobedient. We are sinning. We need to repent of this sin and begin to proclaim Christ as we ought.

When we meet people and have opportunity to share the gospel, we don’t know where they are in this process. And we don’t need to know. All we do is preach Christ!

As we plant the seeds of the gospel, as those seeds are watered by ourselves and others, God will bring the increase. It is such an incredible blessing to be present when God causes those planted and watered seeds to sprout! If you have never experienced that joy, let me give you a comparison. We often use the expression “baby Christian” for someone who just comes to Christ, for those who have had children you know the incredible joy that their birth brings. Seeing someone saved is very similar. If you do not have children then maybe you have felt the sheer euphoric joy of teaching someone something and seeing them get it! If you have never felt any of these things, then it is my desire to pray you into an opportunity to lead someone to Christ.

Faith comes by hearing. No one will ever hear if we never speak.

When someone hears they have the opportunity to believe. Once that person believes we get to see the Holy Spirit work to bring about…

Once that person believes we get to see the Holy Spirit work to bring about…

c. The dedication of a heart to Christ vv. 36-39

Before we begin a detailed examination of these verses I want to speak a little bit about the transmission and translation of the Bible. Why? Because it is very relevant in this text. If you are looking at an NIV or ESV bible you might notice that there is no v. 37. It will probably be in your margin. However, KJV, NKJV, NASB and others include the verse. So what’s going on here? We do not have any complete copies of the NT. What we have are manuscripts (S). We have bits and pieces of texts from a wide range of years and sources. At different points in history these manuscripts were used to create what is refereed to as a text base. Erasmus (S) was one of the first to create one of these and it became known as the textus receptus and is the basis of the KJV and NKJV. However, in the years since he put his text together there have been many manuscript discoveries that enhanced our understanding of the Biblical languages. And so other texts have been formed. Most modern translations are derived from either the Westcott and Hort text or the Unite Bible Society text or the Nestle and Alan text. One of the primary differences between Bible translations depends on what text they base the translation on. The differences in the texts boil down to how much weight is placed on either the majority of manuscripts, or a few older manuscripts. I am personally of the opinion that the majority is typically better. However, here we have a situation where v. 37 does not appear in the majority text, nor does it appear in the older manuscripts. It is in a few newer manuscripts as well as the Latin translation. For this reason many modern versions exclude it. I believe they do so in error. My primary reason for this is that removing v. 37 greatly disrupts the flow of the text. vv. 36 & 38 don’t make as much sense without v. 37. If you are interested in hearing more, come talk to me.

The bottom line is that it doesn’t really alter the story either way. Regardless of the presence of v. 37 we find the Ethiopian desiring to be baptized and then we have Philip baptising him and the man rejoicing in it. All of this reflects the Ethiopian eunuch’s devotion to Christ. This devotion is first…

At this point spend time discussing this? Text and translation

i. Displayed through desire v. 36

Baptism is not an exclusively Christian ideal. It was often used in ancient cultures to signify a change of identification. This man has trusted Christ and now desires to be identified with Him!

ii. Displayed through declaration v. 37

iii. Displayed through decision v. 38

8:38-39 – Baptism involves immersion. It is for believers (v. 37).

iv. Displayed through delight v. 39

3. Preaching Christ In Azotus v. 40

HS teleports Philip. Not normative! V. 40 – Preached where he was.

a. The work of the Spirit v. 40a

b. The work of Philip v. 40b

Conclusion

Preach Christ everywhere, at every opportunity. Doing this requires us to be sensitive to the Lord and to the Holy Spirit. For that sensitivity to be possible, there cannot be any unconfessed sin in our lives. That means that right here, right now is the time to deal with anything in your life hindering communion with the Holy Spirit.

Sensitivity is nothing without obedience. If we hear but do not obey, we fail. Commit with me to hearing and obeying the call of the Holy Spirit.

Right now the Holy Spirit is at work in the hearts, minds, and lives, of people preparing them for the gospel! As He draws them, they are seeking Him. He is using His Word in their lives to plant and water the seeds of the gospel. When the time comes, you and I must open our mouths and proclaim Jesus Christ!

Be sensitive to the Spirit.

Be obedient to the Spirit.

Speak when the Spirit leads.

Acts 8:

Acts 8:26–35 NKJV

Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.

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