'Hey Holy Spirit'
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This morning we are picking back up in our study of the book of Acts.
If you’re new to our church, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a from of preaching called “Expository Preaching”. What that means is, we believe the Bible is best taught by taking book of the Bible and then studying them from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in order to better understand what it means in our lives today.
With that said, we are currently doing that through the NT book of Acts. A book written by man named Luke, for the purpose of giving us a history of how the church started, and to give us a template of how God intends for us to accomplish the mission of taking the Gospel to the entire world.
So, if you are new too MCF, I would encourage you to go online to mcf.life where you can listen to past messages.
Today as we come back to our study, we find ourselves at the end of as Luke finishes telling us about a man named Philip.
You may recall, Philip was one of the first Christians to be selected by the Apostles for Christian service back in Acts 6. His service involved ministering to the needs of a group of widows who had been neglected within the Jerusalem church.
And while we don’t know how long Philip served in that capacity, we do know a couple of important details about the ministry and life of Philip.
First, we know when persecution broke out against the church following the stoning and murder of Stephen, instead of hiding, Philip took up a new ministry initiative as he traveled to the city of Samaria and proclaimed the gospel there. Luke writes:
4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.
And this is significant because from the beginning, this is what Jesus wanted to the church to do. You might recall in , Jesus gave the disciples specific instructions. In reference to proclaiming the gospel, Jesus says to them:
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus wants his followers to be witnesses. And to be his witnesses the gospel can’t just stay in Jerusalem. It has to go out too Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. So Philip goes to Samaria.
And what was true then, is true today. As Christ’s witnesses, we have to take the gospel beyond the comfort zone of our own church and a select group of friends. We have to be willing to take it into the world we live and work in.
So, Philip goes to Samaria, and it’s in Samaria that God begins to use Philip in a significant way as he leads the first Samaritan village to faith in Jesus. And so significant is his impact, that it leads to the salvation of several more Samaritan villages.
Luke writes:
It begins as Philip
25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
So, that’s the first thing we know about Philip. Philip was a faithful witness for Jesus.
Second, we know that Philip didn’t witness in his own power. Because while he went to Samaria to witness, he didn’t go there in his own power, but in the power of the Spirit. Again, this is something Jesus promised and said would be necessary for witness. Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses...” (ESV)
As we’ve discussed the last couple of weeks, this is the second work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The first work is the work of regeneration. A work that takes place when we put our faith in Jesus. In that moment of faith, the Holy Spirit enters us and begins a work of spiritual transformation as He begins to turn us into a different person. Jesus referred to it as being born again. In , Jesus puts it like this:
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
And Paul writes:
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
So, that’s the first work of the Spirit.
But there is a second work, a work of empowerment. Again, it’s what Jesus was talking about in acts 1 when He said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you...” (ESV)
In a nutshell, the empowerment of the Spirit gives you the ability to share your faith with boldness, understanding, clarity, and power.
11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
Concerning understanding and clarity, Jesus puts it like this in :
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 14:
So, a good question might be, “Why do we need the Holy Spirit’s help to remember?” The answer is, “Because Jesus knew there would be moments in our life where our witness would put us in challenging circumstances
11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
Jesus knew our witness would put us in situations where we wouldn’t know what to do or say. But He says, “In those situations don’t worry. Don’t be anxious. Because the Holy Spirit will speak through you.”
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
But not only will the Holy Spirit teach you what to say, He’ll help you to say it with boldness and power. We saw this in as the disciples were brought before the religious council of their day to explain their actions. Luke writes:
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
Acts 4:
In that moment, not only did Peter and John know what to say, but they said it with such boldness and power that the religious leaders were astonished.
But it didn’t stop there. Because this empowerment wasn’t a one time event, but something early Christians continued to seek. Because after their encounter with the religious leaders, the disciples took the time to pray that God would continue to empower and embolden them. Luke writes:
31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:
Once again, they are empowered and filled with a fresh filling of the Spirit.
And just like they needed the empowerment, we do as well. But like the disciples, we can’t stop with one moment of empowerment. This is something we should continually pray for and seek.
It’s like a car that needs to be fueled and refueled. As witnesses, we need a continual filling of the Spirit in our lives to go where God wants us to go.
So, a good question might be, “Where does God want us to go?”
Well, it’s going to be different for all of us. Because while we’re all on the same journey of faith, God tends to take us down different paths of opportunity for witness. Paths that are directed by the Holy Spirit.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what being empowered is all about. It’s about the Holy Spirit leading and guiding our witness for Jesus on a daily basis.
Because as we’re going to see today, that’s how Philip lived out his life. Because not only was Philip empowered for witness, he was Spirit led for witness. In other words, Philip shared his faith as the Holy Spirit directed and guided him, which is the most powerful and effective way to witness.
Think of if like this. Like a car, not only do we need continual refillings of the empowerment of the Spirit, but we also need to be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to be our GPS or navigator on the road of faith. In other words, we need to be willing to let Him guide us and take us where we need to go.
And to be honest, I’m not sure to many Christians live this way. I think for the most part, most Christians kind of float through life. Wandering aimlessly down the road of faith. Never truly considering how God might want to use them on a daily basis.
And I don’t say that to be negative. I just think few Christians give much thought to being Spirit led. To allowing the Holy Spirit to direct and guide their daily life.
But what we’re going to learn today is, if you want to be a witness for Jesus, not only do you need to be empowered, you have to be Spirit led and directed as well.
So, a good question might be, “How do you become a spirit led Witness?”
That’s the question we’re going to answer today.
So, to get us started, let me give you an analogy to help build some framework for where we are going today.
Question - How many of you are familiar with Siri or Alexa? If you’re not familiar with Siri or Alexa, both are virtual assistants that can be found on an iPhone or Android devices.
For example, on the iPhone it’s Siri. And what’s so great about Siri is, if you don’t know where to go or you need information about something, all you have to do is say, “Hey Siri”, and Siri will come to your aid.
So, let’s say you need directions to your favorite restaurant. All you’d have to do is say, “Hey Siri, where’s the closest Andy’s Frozen Custard, and how do I get there?” And within a few seconds, Siri will locate where the closest Andy’s is from your location, along with driving directions on how to get there.
Or you could say, “Hey Siri, whose the Pretty amazing, right?
Or if you have an android phone, you might say something like, “Hey Alexa, what’s the weather forecast for today?” And within a few seconds Alexa will tell you what the daily forecast is. Pretty amazing, right?
Well, in a way, that’s how you have to start viewing the Holy Spirit, and that’s what it means to be Spirit led. Because from a spiritual perspective, the Holy Spirit is your Siri or your Alexa.
Meaning, when you start your day, the Holy Spirit is the one you call on for direction. In that moment you should say, ‘Hey Holy Spirit’.
When your sharing your faith and you don’t know what to say, the Holy Spirit is the one you call on for answers. So you say, “Hey Holy Spirit, help me share my faith with confidence and boldness.”
Jesus puts it like this:
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
You see, the Holy Spirit is your spiritual assistant for all that God has called you to do, especially for when you witness.
But here’s the deal, if you don’t call on the Holy Spirit, if you don’t ask for His help, if you don’t seek His assistance, then you’re on your own. Once again functioning in your own power, trying to figure out where to go, what to say, and unprepared to witness in the power of the Spirit.
So, to help us become Spirit led witnesses, I have three goals this morning.
So, a good question might be, “What does it mean to be a spirit led witness? What does that look like? And how do you
First, we’re going to read through the passage in order to get some context for Spirit led witnessing.
Second, we’re going to walk back through the passage and discover how Philip was Spirit led.
Finally, as we walk through the passage, we are going to identify three daily questions we need to ask the Holy Spirit in order to be Spirit led witnesses.
So, to get us started, let’s pick back up in as Philip gets ready to leave Samaria. Beginning in verse 26, Luke writes:
And what I want to suggest to you is that if you
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Acts 8:26-
In my opinion, this passage is a classic example of how the Holy Spirit operates in our life when it comes to witnessing. And from this passage we are going to discover three questions we need to ask the Holy Spirit in order to become Spirit led witnesses. Here’s the first question
Question #1 - ‘Hey Holy Spirit, what’s your plan for me today?’
Listen again to what Luke tells us:
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”
Luke says as Philip finishes out his work in Samaria, an angel of the Lord speaks too Philip and prepares him for his next mission.
So, maybe a good first question would be, “Who is this angel and what’s the mission he’s sending him on?”
Now, a good question would be, “Who is this angel?” Well, as we’re going to see in the context of this story, the angel is the voice of the Spirit.
Let’s start with who this angel is. And what we’re going to discover in the context of this story is, while the angel could be a physical being, more than likely the angel of the Lord represents the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to Philip.
We see an example of this in with the prophet Elijah. In the Lord passes before Elijah in order to deliver a message to him. Listen to how the writer describes the encounter.
In other words, as Philip finishes his work in Samaria, and prepares to depart, he hears the Spirit speak to him.
11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
Notice when the Lord appears to Elijah, he appears as a still small voice that speaks to him like a low whisper. Meaning, the communication between God and Elijah comes through a voice that Elijah hears. And more than likely, It’s the same for Philip.
Next question, “Is it an audible voice?” We don’t know. in the case of , all we know is it’s a voice that Elijah can hear. And in Philip’s case one that he can hear as well. And honestly, whether it’s an audible or internal voice, it doesn’t really matter. The point is, the voice of the Spirit spoke both too Elijah and Philip in a way they could hear it.
This leads us to the first question we need to be willing to ask if we want to be Spirit led in our witness.
So, what does the Spirit say? Why is He speaking to Philip? Luke says the Spirit gives him specific instructions to get up and go to a certain place. Luke writes:
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.
Acts 8:26-
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship
So along with the spirit speaking, the spirit gives Philip instructions for a new mission. Couple things I want you to notice about these instructions.
First, notice in giving the instructions, the first thing the Spirit tells Philip to do is, “Rise and go...”
Interesting statement. So, why does he tell Philip too rise and go? Is Philip is sitting down not doing anything? Is he laying on his bed taking a nap? Is he sitting at the kitchen table eating dinner? Is sitting in his recliner watching television? Is he in the bathroom browsing Facebook? Don’t tell me some of you don’t do that. What is Philip doing that would cause the voice of the Spirit to say, “Rise and go...”?
What I’d like to suggest to you is that the angel says “Rise Up and go” in response to a specific posture that Stephen has taken. What I want to suggest to you is the instructions from the Spirit come as Stephen is on his face before the Lord praying, and his prayer might have gone something like this, “Hey Holy Spirit, what’s your mission and plan for me today?”
How do we know that was his prayer? We know because of how the Holy Spirit directs him. Listen again to how the Holy Spirit responds:
That being the case, let’s talk about the instructions.
Notice, the instructions involve Philip taking a certain road towards a certain city called Gaza.
The voice says, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.” (ESV)
In response to Philip’s prayer, the Holy Spirit responds by giving Philip specific instructions to go down a certain road towards a certain city called Gaza.
Next Question, “Why this specific road and why Gaza?” A great question, and I’m sure Philip was wondering the same thing because in the 1st century, Gaza was a deserted city out in the middle of nowhere. A ghost town so to speak. And Luke confirms this because Luke adds, “This is a desert place.” In other words, this is a place out in the boonies. Honestly an odd place for the Spirit to send a man like Philip who had just led an entire village to faith in Jesus.
So, why this specific road and why Gaza? A great question, and I’m sure Philip was wondering the same thing because in the 1st century, Gaza was a deserted city out in the middle of nowhere. A ghost town so to speak. And Luke confirms this because Luke adds, “This is a desert place.” In other words, this is a place out in the boonies. Honestly an odd place for the Spirit to send a man like Philip who had just led an entire village to faith in Jesus.
So, what’s going on here? After seeking the Lord for direction, why is the Lord now sending Philip on a road to nowhere? We’ll get to that in a moment, but first, let’s talk about how this applies to us.
Here’s the first way it applies. The fact of the matter is, becoming a Spirit led witness begins with a conversation and a question. With you talking to the Holy Spirit. With you asking the question, “Hey Holy Spirit, what’s your mission and plan for me today? Hey Holy Spirit what path do you want me to take today? Hey Holy Spirit, where do you want me to go today?”
And the only way that can happen is if you put yourself in a position where you can ask, where the Spirit can respond, and where you can hear His voice. And the only place that can happen is in a posture of prayer.
Again, I don’t think many Christians think to start their day out like this when it comes too witnessing. I think for the most part we already have our days planned out. For the most part, we have a routine and pattern we follow. I know I do.
I get up, I go to the gym, I go back home, I get ready for work, I make my breakfast, and I go to the church. And for the most part, my day is already planned out. I have a schedule I’m going to follow and I have appointments on the calendar.
And please hear me, I’m not saying we shouldn’t plan and be prepared for our day. But what we can’t forget is that the Holy Spirit might have His own agenda for our day. That the Holy Spirit may have something for us to do or somewhere He wants us to go that isn’t a part of our daily routine or on our calendar. And the only way you’ll ever know that is if you take the time to ask Him. For you to start your day by praying, “Hey Holy Spirit, I know I have my plans for today, but what are your plans for me today? Where do you want me to go?”
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok Pastor, I get that. But where do you think the Holy Spirit is going to send me? “
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—
I don’t know. But here’s what I can tell you, it’ll probably be something or somewhere that doesn’t make sense at first. Because I can tell you, Philip going to a deserted town out in the middle of nowhere didn’t make any sense. But as we’re going to see in a moment, there was a reason he was sent there.
So, for you, as you pray, “Hey Holy Spirit, what’s your plan and mission for me today?” It’s possible the Holy Spirit might say something like:
Instead of taking your normal route to work, take the longer route.
Or, instead of stopping at Casey’s for coffee, stop at CJ’s.
Or, instead of going to Manhattan to shop, I want you to go to Lincoln.
Or, instead of making your lunch today, I want you to eat at Subway.
Who knows how He will direct you, but there’s a good chance it will be to do something or go somewhere or take a route that you typically wouldn’t take.
. Or maybe your routine is to drive from home straight to work, but the Holy Spirit says, “Why don’t you stop at Casey’s this morning and get a coffee.”
And that’s where we have to trust that God has gone before us and is leading us to an opportunity to be used by Him.
This leads us a second question we need to be willing to ask the Holy Spirit. I would phrase it like this:
Question #2 - ‘Hey Holy Spirit, who do you want me to talk too?’
Listen to what happened next as Philip followed the instructions the Spirit had given him:
27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
“And he rose and went...” (ESV)
Acts 8:27-
Luke says after receiving his marching orders, Philip obediently heads to Gaza, on a road he typically wouldn’t take to a place he typically wouldn’t go to. Chances are he’ll be out their all by himself. But Philip knows God doesn’t send us somewhere without a purpose.
Acts 8:27
So, you almost have to imagine as Philip walked along the road, he’s talking to the Holy Spirit, and at some point he says, “Ok Holy Spirit, I’m here. I’m where you sent me. Now who do you want me to witness too? ” And wouldn’t you know it, as he’s walking, he sees a caravan in the distance.
Luke writes:
27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
Luke says as Philip walks, he spots a caravan carrying an Ethiopian eunuch.
So, what’s so significant about this:Two things:
First, Luke says the eunuch is an Ethiopian. Now, when we hear that, it would be natural to think Luke is referring to the country of Ethiopia located in Africa. And to some degree you’d be right. But in the context of the 1st century, the word Ethiopia doesn’t represent a country. It represents a specific area. And in this case it represents the entire continent of Africa south of modern day Egypt. A place that the OT refers to as, are you ready for this, “the ends of the earth.”
In fact, Jesus references this area in as He makes reference to the Queen of Sheba who visited King Solomon from this area in . In Jesus says:
31 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
So, why is this so significant? It’s significant because of what Jesus said in . Remember, he said:
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
So, here is Philip, getting ready to witness to someone who is from “The ends of the earth”. I think that’s significant, don’t you?
Here’s the second reason this is so significant:
Not only is this official from “the ends of the earth”, but he is a court official from one of the largest and most powerful nations located at the ends of the earth. Because from what history tells us, Candace, queen of the Ethiopians was from the ancient kingdom of Meroe, an ancient Nubian empire with considerable power and control over large parts of Africa.
Meaning, if Philip leads this official to Jesus, this official is going to take the message of the gospel back to his queen. And if she puts her faith in Jesus, then imagine the effect that could have.
All that to say, while it appears to be a road to nowheresville, the Spirit has led Philip to a significant witnessing opportunity.
And it’s at this point the Spirit speaks again. Because as he observes the caravan, Luke writes:
Acts 8:29-
Couple things about that.
29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”
At this point, the Holy Spirit directs Philip to the person He wants Philip to minister too, an Ethiopian eunuch, out in the middle of nowhere, on a path he would have never chosen on his own. The Spirit has led Philip straight to his next ministry opportunity for witness.
First,
Here’s how this applies to us. Life Philip, if we are willing to ask the Holy Spirit not only where to go, but to ask ‘Who do you want me to talk to?’, the Holy Spirit will direct us.
Because who knows, as the Spirit directs you on a different route to work, it could be you might encounter someone with a flat tire, and the Holy Spirit says, “Pull over and help them. I want you to talk to them.”
Or maybe as you break your lunch routine and eat at Subway, it just so happens you to run into a friend who needs to talk. And now your in a position to bring words of encouragement.
I mean who knows who the Lord might lead you to as you travel down a path you typically wouldn’t have taken.
Example - A couple years ago, my wife and I took a trip to San Fransisco. We had a great time. However, when it comes to traveling, especially flying, nothing will aggravate me more than when a flight gets delayed or canceled. And wouldn’t you know it, on our way back from our relaxing vacation, our plane got delayed, and not just for a few minutes, but for an additional 4 hours. I was not a happy camper.
But as we sat there, a young man came and sat down next to us. And so we started talking, and after awhile the young man asked me what I did for a living. So I said, “Well, I’m a pastor”. And all of a sudden, his eyes got really big, and he said, “Your never going to believe this, but right before I sat down by you, I was thinking it would be great if I could talk with someone who could answer some questions I have about God. And here you are.”
And so for the next 3 hours we sat there and talked about God and faith. If I’m honest, it was one of the most challenging and enjoyable conversations I’ve ever had with someone seeking answers. And after 3 hours of conversation, the young man said something I’ll never forget. He said, “Brad, I think our meeting today didn’t happen by chance. I think it was a divine encounter.” And I said, “I think you’re right”.
And I said, “I think you’re right”.
And the truth is, getting stuck at the airport for an additional 4 hours would not have been a path I would have chosen for myself. But God had a mission for me. He had somebody He wanted me to interact with. A young man who was looking for answers. It wasn’t chance. It wasn’t coincidence. It was a divine encounter.
And the same can and will be true for you, if you’re willing to say, ‘Hey Holy Spirit, who do you want me to talk to?’.
This leads us to a third question we need to be willing to ask the Holy Spirit:
Question #3 - ‘Hey Holy Spirit, what do you want me to say?”
Luke writes:
30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
After being instructed by the Holy Spirit to go talk to the Ethiopian official, Luke says Philip ran and approached the caravan.
That probably took a lot of guts, right? I mean here’s Philip, out in the middle of nowhere, and he sees a group of people he doesn’t know making their way down the road, and the Holy Spirit tells him to chase it down and engage them.
It would be like if you were driving down highway 36 somewhere between here and Colorado, and as your driving you come up on a slow moving vehicle, and the Holy Spirit tells you, “Pull up next to them and motion them to pull over.”
How many of you would do that? That’s basically what Philip was doing.
But he knew the HS had told him to do this, so he ran up to the caravan. And no sooner had he reached the caravan, he hears the Ethiopian reading a passage of scripture from . Luke writes:
32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
So, what’s the big deal about this passage? Well, believe it or not, this particular passage from Isaiah just happens to be a messianic prophecy. A prophecy about Jesus, and Philip knows it. Because as the official is reading, Philip says:
“Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” (ESV)
Philip now has an opportunity to explain the passage. Luke goes on to write:
“Worthy is the lamb who was slain” (ESV)
Who was silent and did not fight back. The Apostle Peter writes:
23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
9 And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
(ESV)
Luke writes:
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
Acts 8:35
Luke says using the prophecy from Isaiah as his foundation, Philip began to tell the man about Jesus. And the reason he was able to do that is because he was familiar with God’s Word. And because he was familiar with God’s Word, the Spirit helped him to recall what he knew and explain it to this man. It’s exactly what Jesus was talking about in . Concerning sharing our faith Jesus says:
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
Philip was ab
Here’s what this is saying to us.
If you want to know what to say when you witness, you have to have God’s Word in you. You have to have spent time learning yourself what the scripture says and means. So that, when the opportunity comes to witness, the Holy Spirit can help you recall, explain, and lead somebody to Jesus.
That’s what happened to me that day in the airport. Because this kid didn’t just have one question, he had several. And they were hard questions. So the entire time I’m sitting there I was praying, “Holy Spirit, give me the right words. Holy Spirit, help me to recall what your Word says.” And amazingly, in that moment, the Holy Spirit quickened my mind to remember things I had read and the words just flowed out of my mouth. To be honest, I was surprised by what I was saying. I was like, “That was really good Brad.” But it wasn’t me. It was the Holy Spirit.
Now, you might be thinking, “Pastor, are you saying I need to memorize the Bible in order to be a witness?” No. What I’m saying is you need to be reading it and you need to be familiar with what the Bible says about Jesus. So that, when the opportunity comes, the Holy Spirit can quicken your mind to share what you’ve learned and read.
That’s how Philip knew what to say. That’s why the Spirit was able to use Him in that moment.
And if you’re willing to do that, it will lead to amazing results. Because listen to what happened as Philip shared the gospel. Luke writes:
36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
Luke says as Philip shared the gospel, the Ethiopian gave his life to Jesus. How do we know? We know because as soon as they came to a body of water, the Ethiopian asked Philip to baptize him. And so Philip baptizes him. Luke writes:
38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
This is what happens when a person is spirit led. This is what happens when a Christian is willing to ask, ‘Hey Holy Spirit, where should I go today, who should I talk to, and what should I say.’ When a Christian does that, people get saved.
And here’s the deal. The more you’re willing to do that, the more God will use you. Because it didn’t stop there for Philip. Luke writes:
39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Luke says from there, the Holy Spirit carried and led Philip into more witnessing opportunities as he preached the gospel and led people more and more people to Jesus.
And what was true for Philip can be true for you. But for it to happen, you can’t start your day blindly. You can’t just get up and say, “What happens happens.” To be a Spirit led witness like Philip, you have to start your day by saying, ‘Hey Holy Spirit’.
As we close this morning, I want to offer a couple of challenges for you to consider when it comes to sharing your faith:
Challenge #1 - Would you be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to lead your day? Would you be willing to ask Him where you need to go, who you need to talk to, and what you need to say? Are you willing to start your day by saying, ‘Hey Holy Spirit’.
Challenge #2 - Are you committed to reading and learning God’s Word? Are you willing to prepare yourself so that when the opportunity comes, there is something for the Holy Spirit to recall in you. Something He’ll remind you of. Something He’ll speak through you to explain, answer questions, and lead somebody to faith in Jesus.
Now, you might be thinking, “Ok Pastor, I like that idea, but I wouldn’t even know where to start.” How about you start with the basics.
In your sermon notes, you’ll find a hand out entitled “Romans Road”. And what it is is a series of scripture from the book of Romans that explains the gospel. Scriptures that the Holy Spirit could help you share in order to lead somebody to Jesus. But to share it, and for the Holy Spirit to use it, you have to be familiar with it.
Now, you might say, “That’s great Pastor, but I’m not good at memorizing stuff.” That’s the great thing about the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t expect you to have it memorized. He just needs you to be familiar with it, and He’ll take care of the rest. So that when the moment comes, you’ll be ready as you regurgitate scriptures and information you didn’t know you knew. You’ll hear yourself speaking and think, “Wow, that’s really good.” But it won’t be you, it will be the Holy Spirit speaking through you, using what you took the time to read and learn.
So, those are my challenges to you today. To be a spirit led Christian. Too willing to start your day saying, “Hey Holy Spirit’. And to be willing to prepare yourself for when the Holy Spirit directs and guides you to a person who needs to hear the Gospel.
Let’s Pray
In order to be a Spirit led witness, you have to be willing to get on your knees and say:
‘Hey Holy Spirit, where do you want me to go today?’
All that to say, as Philip is praying and preparing for his next ministry opportunity, the Lord speaks too Philip and instructs him to go to a place where nobody is living. A place called Gaza.