Acts 8:26-40

PASTOR’S SERMON NOTES

GET IN ON WHAT GOD IS DOING

June 9, 2019

Scripture:  Acts 8:26-40

Background:  Acts is the story of the first Christians.  In this story we meet Philip. He was a respected member of the Jerusalem church and one of the first Deacons.  He had four daughters. He ministers in Samaria prior to this story. The Story takes place on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza.  This is the Gaza strip which is desert. It is the last watering place from Jerusalem to Egypt. The Ethiopian Kingdom was the ancient Kingdom of Meroe and it flushed between 8BC & 4BC.  Powerful queens known as Candace administered this nation. The ethnicity of the Kingdom was African. The Eunuch would have been a God fearing Gentile. This was often the title for a treasurer-a trusted royal servant.  He would have been equal to secretary of the Treasury. He would have been barred from the inner courts of the temple. Reading aloud was a practice of the East. The scroll of Isaiah he has probably was purchased in Jerusalem and was  the Greek version of the Old Testament.

1.    GOD IS AT WORK ALL ______________________US

The angel commands Philip to go over and “join” be glued to “the chariot.  God is trying to get us in the middle of what he is doing. God will get specific.  He has placed under our “nose” what he is doing. We must listen. He understands we don’t have the wisdom to grasp his work.  He makes it easy. We make it difficult.

God sent Philip to the desert.  He told him to “rise and go”. This is specific direction with a purpose.  God always has a purpose. Told him to go to the desert. God is going to send you to some deserts.  The Desert will be a place that appears nothing is happening. Just because we do not see or understand what God is doing does not mean he is not at work.  My understanding does not determine God’s activity. God does some of his greatest work in the desert. We are all going to have to pull some desert time. God eliminates the options and the distractions in the desert.  

In the East they ask, “Who is at work?  And what is God doing?” In the West we ask, “Why is God doing this?”  This question gets us all messed up.

PASTOR’S SERMON NOTES

GET IN ON WHAT GOD IS DOING

June 9, 2019

Scripture:  Acts: 8:26-40

Background:  Acts is the story of the first Christians.  In this story we meet Philip. He was a respected member of the Jerusalem church and one of the first Deacons.  He had four daughters. He ministers in Samaria prior to this story. The Story takes place on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza.  This is the Gaza strip which is desert. It is the last watering place from Jerusalem to Egypt. The Ethiopian Kingdom was the ancient Kingdom of Meroe and it flushed between 8BC & 4BC.  Powerful queens known as Candace administered this nation. The ethnicity of the Kingdom was African. The Eunuch would have been a God fearing Gentile. This was often the title for a treasurer-a trusted royal servant.  He would have been equal to secretary of the Treasury. He would have been barred from the inner courts of the temple. Reading aloud was a practice of the East. The scroll of Isaiah he has probably was purchased in Jerusalem and was  the Greek version of the Old Testament.

1.    GOD IS AT WORK ALL ______________________US

The angel commands Philip to go over and “join” be glued to “the chariot.  God is trying to get us in the middle of what he is doing. God will get specific.  He has placed under our “nose” what he is doing. We must listen. He understands we don’t have the wisdom to grasp his work.  He makes it easy. We make it difficult.

God sent Philip to the desert.  He told him to “rise and go”. This is specific direction with a purpose.  God always has a purpose. Told him to go to the desert. God is going to send you to some deserts.  The Desert will be a place that appears nothing is happening. Just because we do not see or understand what God is doing does not mean he is not at work.  My understanding does not determine God’s activity. God does some of his greatest work in the desert. We are all going to have to pull some desert time. God eliminates the options and the distractions in the desert.  

In the East they ask, “Who is at work?  And what is God doing?” In the West we ask, “Why is God doing this?”  This question gets us all messed up.

II.    WE JOIN GOD BY _________________________________

Philip ran.  Philip kept hearing from God because he kept obeying.  Vs. 30 Ask the question. “Do you understand?” God was preparing his heart.  Vs. 35 Philip was able to tell the Eunuch about Jesus because he knew the scripture.  Study of the Bible will lead to opportunities to share Jesus. It is Good News.

The question,  “Any reason I should not be baptized?”  Wondered: He was a Eunuch, Gentile, and black.  Philip is obedient and breaks with cultural norms.  This will be required of us. Vs. 39 The Eunuch was rejoicing.  Our obedience causes others to rejoice. Philip continues to be used of God.  When we are obedient it never gets boring. A disobedient faith is a boring faith.