Sermon Tone Analysis

Philip the Personal Worker (8:26–40)

Any Christian would enjoy a revival such as that which God gave in Samaria, but not everyone would leave such a meeting to lead one soul to Christ!

Philip obeyed the Lord and found an Ethiopian, undoubtedly a proselyte to the Jewish faith, a man who was a high officer in his land.

We see in this event the factors necessary for effective personal work and soul-winning.

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A.     The man of God.

1.       Philip was in close fellowship with the Lord

a.

He knew Christ as his own Savior.

b.      Vs 26 & 29

c.

The Lord was speaking and Philip was listening.

d.      1 Kings 19:11-12 "And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD.

And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake 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: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice."

e.      Philip was obedient to the Spirit, going where God led him.

2.       He was available to the Lord

a.       God uses people—dedicated men and women who will obey the Spirit.

b.      Acts 8:5-8 "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.

And there was great joy in that city."

i.

He did not lean unto his own understanding.

ii.

Contrast Philips reaction to Jonah’s

c.

He was ready.

Notice vs. 26-27; 29-30

d.

He obeyed immediately

3.       Philip was the kind of evangelist who was willing to leave the public meeting with its excitement to help a soul find peace* in a private place where only God could see*.

a.        /Evangelism is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread./—D.

T. Niles

b.      /Our great object of glorifying God is to be mainly achieved by the winning of souls./—Charles

Spurgeon

c.       /I’m just a nobody telling everybody about somebody who can save anybody./—elevator

operator at a hospital in Nashville

d.

One man said, “/Although I have shared Christ personally with many thousands of people through the years, I am a rather reserved person and I do not always find it easy to witness.

\\ But I have made this my practice, and I urge you to do the same: Assume that whenever you are alone with another person for more than a few moments, you are there by divine appointment to explain to that person the love and forgiveness he can know through faith in Jesus Christ./”

e.

He continued to show a heart to reach others.

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

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B.     The Spirit of God.

1.

The Holy Spirit is the Lord of the Harvest, and it’s through Him that we have the power to witness (Acts 1:8).

2.       The Spirit opened the way for Philip to come to the man

3.

He opened the Scriptures to the seeking sinner

4.       He opened the sinner’s heart to the Savior.

5.       A man cannot be saved who does not understand what he is doing, and only the Spirit can teach the sinner the truths of the Gospel.

6.

When the Spirit brings a prepared servant and a contrite sinner together, there will be a harvest.

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C.     The Word of God.

1.       Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

2.       There can be no real conversion apart from the Word of God.

a.        John 5:24 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that *heareth my word*, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

b.      Ephesians 1:12-14 "That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard *the word of truth*, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."

c.       1 Thessalonians 2:1-6 "For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ."

d.      2 Thessalonians 3:1 "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that *the word of the Lord* may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:"

e.      2 Timothy 4:1-5 "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; *Preach the word*; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry."

f.        Titus 1:3 "But hath in due times manifested his *word through preaching*, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;"

g.       1 Peter 1:23 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

3.       Isaiah 53 (vs.

32–33)

a.       Isaiah 53 describes the life and ministry of Jesus Christ (vv.

1–4), His death (vv.

5–8) and burial (v.

9), and His resurrection and exaltation (vv.

10–12).

b.

The theme “/the innocent Servant died in the place of the guilty”/ When theologians speak about “the vicarious atonement,” that is what they mean.

We cannot explain everything about the cross, but this much seems clear: Jesus took the place of guilty sinners and paid the price for their salvation.

c.

There is quite a contrast between “the arm of the Lord,” which speaks of mighty power, and “a root out of a dry ground,” which is an image of humiliation and weakness.

d.

Israel was not a paradise when Jesus was born; politically and spiritually, it was a wilderness of dry ground.

He did not come as a great tree but as a “tender plant.”

e.

They were ashamed of Him /because He did not represent the things that were important to them, /things like wealth (Luke 16:14), social prestige (14:7–14; 15:1–2), reputation (18:9–14), being served by others (22:24–27), and pampering yourself (Matt.

16:21–28).

He is rejected today for the same reasons.

f.         Matthew 8:14-17 "And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.

And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

applies Isaiah 53:4 to our Lord’s /healing ministry /and not to His atoning death.

g.       plural pronouns: /our /griefs and sorrows, /our /iniquities, /our /transgressions.

h.

He died not for anything he had done, but because of what we have done.

i.

He was “wounded,” which means “pierced through.”

His hands and feet were pierced by nails (Ps.

22:16; Luke 24:39–40) and His side by a spear (John 19:31–37; Zech.

12:10; Rev. 1:7).

He was crucified, which was not a Jewish form of execution (John 12:32–33; 18:31–32).

Capital punishment to the Jews meant stoning (Lev.

24:14; Num.

15:35–36).

If they wanted to further humiliate the victim, they could publicly expose the corpse (Deut.

21:22–23), a practice that Peter related to the Crucifixion (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 1 Peter 2:24).

j.

On the cross, Jesus Christ was “bruised,” which means “crushed under the weight of a burden.”

What was the burden?