God does not use angels to witness to people. He wants to use you. This is a lost world and people need the Lord. Philip goes into the desert to preach. We have the ingredients for salvation.

1 – A prepared sinner (vs. 26-28)

It can surprise you that there are those great or small who seek the Lord and need a soul winner.

• His society status (vs. 27). He was a man of great authority. He was in the cabinet of the Queen of Ethiopia. He had a big car! Not everyone had a chariot.
• His spiritual state (vs. 28) – He was reading Isaiah the prophet. He had purchased a copy of the Scriptures and had been to “church”. He was a god-fearer. He was disappointed by the deadness of religion. He has travelled 1200 miles! He has not found satisfaction for the deep longing in his soul. A church ought to be lively on the outside and the inside. He had found religion but not the Lord. You never know what God is doing in the heart of a sinner. Philip has a prepared sinner. God is coming after this man. It is the sovereign will of God.

2 – A prompt soul winner (vs. 26-29)

There are things that we need to appreciate as the house of God. The people at this time revered the Old Testament saints such as Moses. Jesus is greater than Moses! What should we appreciate?

• His obedience (vs. 27) – He arose and went. He was dealing with many people and in the midst of a revival. God tells him to go into the middle of a desert! Philip does what God says.
• His opportunity (vs29) – What an opportunity! He is reading Isaiah. Philip runs through the door! Philip is running to do God’s will. We need to do this in lives and in Church. How many people have you talked to this week who are unsaved? Have not been around any lost people? Why not? You never know when God will put someone in your path. Why are we so secretive about Jesus? Philip was a prompt soul winner.
• His deity (vs. 5) – Moses was faithful as a servant and testified of Christ to come. See John 5:46 – “He wrote of me”. Moses was a servant but Jesus was a Son. This was stunning news those who heard it. See Matthew 16:16. Jesus was the Son of the Living God. Peter knew who Jesus was.

3 – A powerful scripture (vs. 30-35)

The book of Isaiah is like a compact version of the Bible.

• The text that engaged him (vs. 30) – He is educated but he does not understand the message that he is reading. We think that because we understand it so much that non-Christians will as well. The unsaved do not understand “Christian Talk”. We need to remember when we knew little. We have to think like lost people. Wouldn’t it be great if people came and asked us to explain the Bible to them? He is reading about Jesus but he does.
• The truth that eluded him (vs. 34). He is reading about Jesus but he is unaware. Philip preaches to him about Jesus from this scripture. There is no New Testament. Do you think that Jesus is not in the Old Testament? If you do, you are so wrong! There are pictures of Jesus throughout the Old Testament. For example:-

1. Genesis – The Seed of the Woman.
2. Ruth – Kinsman Redeemer.
3. Psalms – Lord My Shepherd.
4. Isaiah – Prince of Peace.
5. Daniel – Fourth Man in the Fire.

4 – A personal salvation (vs. 36-40)

The ingredients are here for a man to be saved. Philip leads the man to Jesus.

• A faith exercised (vs. 36). Philip had preached the Gospel and now the man wants to be saved and baptised.
• Faith expressed (vs. 37). Faith should be expressed. In the oldest Greek manuscripts this verse is not there.
• Faith exhibited (vs. 38). Baptism is an outward expression of what is on the inside.
• Faith that is exhilarated (vs. 39-40). Philip was called up and taken away by God. It was like a mini rapture. Can you imagine how the man felt? He was on his way home rejoicing! The joy bells ring when someone gets saved. People need the Lord and God wants to use you!

Categories: Acts