Just yesterday I had the privilege of going out to the Pathfinder Camperee out at Cahuda
Springs working on a project for camp meeting for the conference and while I was out there
I was able to see, expectedly, some former pastoral colleagues that were there with their
churches and their clubs, some former church members from different churches, some old
college roommate that I roomed with that was there with his club, and so it was kind of
neat.
I even saw some of our own church members there.
Are you back there?
I don't know if you can see that or not, but a wife and one child I saw, the boy too, but
I didn't get a picture of him.
But what was unexpected was in this vast crowd of people as I was making my way through,
walking around, I was there several hours, two or three different times just walking
along, I heard Pastor Greg, and as I turned it was a former student from GCA, and now
one of them is the director of the Brazilian Atlanta Pathfinder Group and another one is
a staff member for another Pathfinder Group, and so I was not expecting to see these former
students who I was able to teach about God, and Derek and Bridget back there were able
to teach about God, some former GCA fellow staff members back there, but now they're
passing that on and sharing and teaching other people about God, and that was unexpected,
and I really appreciated that.
Have you had any unexpected encounters?
Maybe you heard this story from about ten days ago near Asheville, North Carolina.
Now I've got some family that lives in Asheville and I know that Asheville's in the mountain
and from time to time there are bears in the neighborhoods and close by and even walking
down the center of the city, but about ten days ago there were some people and in their
apartment building they looked out across the parking lot into the woods and they saw
a baby bear, a bear cub, so normally if you see a bear cub I would encourage you take
out your phone, take a picture of it because it's a pretty cool thing, but these folks
didn't just take a picture of it, they went and they picked the bear cub off the branch
across the fence and they gathered together and took pictures holding the bear cub and
getting a selfie with the bear cub and at some point one of them got scratched or something
and dropped the bear cub and the bear went scampering away and limping away and they
had to end up taking it to an animal rescue place that they hope they'll be able to release
it back into the wild.
Don't do that.
That's the inappropriate response to this type of unexpected encounter and I believe
these folks will have an unexpected encounter with a fine in the near future for mishandling
wildlife and I think they're very lucky they didn't have an unexpected encounter with a
mama bear who was going to be there and say let my bear down, let my baby down.
So we're going to dive into Acts chapter 8.
It's been a few weeks since we've been able to be in Acts.
We had our MindFit presentation.
We remembered the cross and the resurrection of Jesus a few weeks before that and you may
be saying, Pastor, why are we still in Acts?
We've been doing this since January and yes we have.
I'm glad you remember that we've been doing this since January, but the reason is because
the book of Acts tells the story of the early church and they are striving to live out their
life and to share their faith in the midst of a society which was totally against what
they were trying to say and I think that as we're living in the last days that that's
what we are as a church trying to live out our lives in a society which at times and
in various ways is antagonistic to what we believe and what we hold dear and what we
look to.
And so we are going to dive into Acts chapter 8 and just a refresher since it's been a little
while when we last left Acts we were studying the story of one of the deacons named Stephen
and Stephen in Acts 6 and 7 was being murdered.
We could say martyred but murdered, rocks thrown at him laying down his life because
he was standing for truth just like we talked about in Sabbath school this morning and there
was someone else there if you remember at the very end of Acts chapter 7 as Stephen
is breathing up his last and he says, Father don't hold this sin against them echoing those
words of Jesus.
But then we see in Acts 8 verse 1 who was there?
Saul.
Now Saul it says was consenting to his death to Stephen's death.
Saul was there with the coats laid at his feet maybe not throwing the rocks himself
but he was there and agreeing with what was happening and that event of ending Stephen's
life set off something in the society against the church and it goes on and says at that
time a great persecution arose against the church which was at where?
Jerusalem and they were all scattered throughout the region of where?
Judea and Samaria except the apostles.
So this was a time of persecution and Saul and others began to fight against the church,
to war against the church, to arrest people, to do whatever needed to be done and look
at verse 4.
It says therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
Now we could look at that first verse and we could see the persecution took place and
we could say that was a tragic thing, that was an awful thing.
But we can look at verse 4 and we can recognize that these early Christians did not run away
simply to hide, simply to be afraid because when they went to a new place they let everybody
know who they were.
They went everywhere continuing to preach the word.
It says they were scattered everywhere preaching the word.
I think sometimes we can see from scripture and from more modern times that as bad as
that thought or that idea of persecution is that sometimes there can be positive results
that come from persecution.
There's an old saying about the dark ages that says the blood of the martyrs watered
the seed of the church because as people were dying for their faith other people saw them
taking a stand and they said you know what I want to take that stand too.
And persecution can also force a church to connect with each other better because they
recognize that we don't have anybody else.
It can force the members of a church to connect with God on a deeper level because they recognize
we don't have there's nobody else we can turn to there's no other direction that we can
turn and sometimes as in this case it can allow the gospel to be spread and in fact
in this case it's actually fulfilling a prophecy or a command that Jesus made.
We're not going to put it on the screen but in Acts chapter 1 verse 8 I'm sure you remember
when we talked about that a few months ago it says you shall receive power so we're going
to have power the followers of God are going to have power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you not going to be our own power but it's going to be the power of God and there's
a purpose for this power it says you shall be witnesses to me so we're going to receive
power from God for a purpose to be witnesses and then it gives some locations it says in
Jerusalem well they've been doing that they've been doing that pretty well for you know the
day of Pentecost Acts 1 2 3 4 5 6 and 7 they're tracking along but then it says Judea and
Samaria they hadn't done that yet and it was only because of this persecution that it reminded
or perhaps forced the Christians to leave Jerusalem and to begin to fulfill that statement
that they would go from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and from there a stepping stone
eventually to the ends of the earth and so that's what's happening in verse 4 it says
those who were scattered went everywhere not to hide but to preach the word and then even
though it's a multitude that go it names one of them it says then Philip went down to the
city of Samaria and preached Christ to them now there's kind of two main people in the
Bible named Philip one is one of the twelve disciples and one was one of the seven deacons
who was chosen along with Stephen who do you think this is is this the disciple or the
deacon I would say it's the deacon because what we just read in verse 1 it says they
were all scattered except for the apostles and so this Philip which I think is Philip
the deacon is one of those who is scattered and just like we saw Stephen standing up and
proclaiming in the power of the Holy Spirit so Philip is now going to the city of Samaria
and he's preaching in the name of Jesus and he's preaching the salvation of Christ and
he's preaching about this man that he was following that he was serving that he was
being persecuted for and he went to Samaria now think about that a land of animosity often
the Jews and the Samaritans notoriously did not get along with each other and the Jews
would avoid the people of Samaria at all costs they would like nope we're not going to go
there we don't want to be with those people we don't want to see those people in fact
two of the disciples James and John while Jesus was in his ministry they said let's
call fire down from heaven upon these people of Samaria they disrespected us let's Jesus
call fire down on these people and yet here now we see Philip going to this land of animosity
not calling fire down but preaching Christ to them calling down the fire of the Holy
Spirit you know so often I think we want to put up barriers in our society whether it's
education levels whether it's economic levels or our racial divisions or ethnic backgrounds
or political divisions have mercy whatever it is we want to put up a barrier between
different groups of people but I think we see here that this reminds us that the message
of the cross is stronger than the differences of the culture the message of Jesus is stronger
than any kind of barrier that we want to put up between us and someone else and we can
look for opportunities when we can share the gospel and share the message of Jesus with
other people a few weeks ago my wife came home and she was talking to one of her friends
and this other lady said that she had been at the doctor's office and she asked my wife
she's like aren't you guys at Ringgold and Rossville yes well she said I think one of
your members tried to give me a book she had been at the doctor's office there's a gentleman
named Tony who's a member of the Rossville church he had tried to give her a great controversy
and she said well thank you but I'm a pastor's wife so I already have that book but she was
just impressed that someone was reaching out just this week at our prayer meeting Wednesday
night at 630 just a little advertisement for that one of our church members who lives in
Michigan Lenny and Jan still church members here maybe they're watching I don't know if
they are not but they Lenny mentioned that his wife had gone to the doctor's office and
had a steps to Christ to share with someone and someone in the doctor's office was so
excited to get this book are we looking for opportunities when we can share Christ with
people because the message of the cross is stronger than the differences of culture but
let's go on and see what happened here verse 6 it says the multitudes with one accord he
did the things spoken by Philip so he's teaching them he's preaching to them and seeing the
miracles which he did and so he's also in the power of the spirit working different
miracles different things are taking place and it says oops it says in verse 8 that there
was great joy in that land so as Philip was preaching Christ as he was doing wonders in
the name of Jesus people were listening people were excited and there was great joy in the
land so Philip was preaching in the power of the spirit just as Stephen had done but
I think that Philip was also reaping a harvest of seeds that had already been planted because
if you go back to say John chapter 4 it tells the story of Jesus and it says that Jesus
had to go to Samaria and we know that most Jews did not go to Samaria and would go a
few extra miles to avoid that but Jesus had to go there because he had someone that he
needed to meet and he met a lady a woman at the well we call her in Samaria and Jesus
begun with perhaps the most profound statement the most profound question that he could ask
this lady he said give me a drink he was thirsty just like the folks on the 18 mile hike 17
mile hike he was thirsty and he asked this lady for a drink and as his disciples had
gone in to get lunch to get food he begun a conversation with this lady who was not
there at the well at the normal time to draw water and he went from that superficial request
to much deeper spiritual conversation and he revealed himself for one of the very first
times if not the very first time as the messiah to this lady and he said go and get your husband
and she said well I'm not married and Jesus said you're right you're not married in fact
you've had five husbands and the lady you're the man you're with now is not your husband
and so she went into town and she told everybody and she said come and see a man who knows
everything that I have done come and see this guy come and listen to him talk and if you
read down through John chapter 4 sure enough the town of Samaria came out and they listened
to Jesus and they believed and before that event that several-day event was over they
told the lady first we believed because of what you said but now we've heard the words
of Jesus and we believe because of what he said and now here we are several years later
seeds were planted by Jesus himself in Samaria and here comes Philip preaching Christ to
them you think you said hey remember that guy who came and spoke to you well guess what
he did he laid down his life he he died on the cross and he wants to offer forgiveness
to you and sure enough he was able to reap a harvest that Jesus had planted the seeds
and that reminds me that before Philip even arrived the Holy Spirit was already at work
that's right do you think God still works that way do you think God waits for us to
do something before he's trying to impress someone's life I think that before we show
up in a situation God is already active God isn't sitting back and saying come on folks
I've got something for God is already working in someone's life and he's waiting for us
to step into that situation he's waiting for us to connect with someone he's waiting for
us to to meet a divine appointment because that's what Philip is doing here in Samaria
and we see what his message was in verse 12 it says but when they believed Philip as he
preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ both men
and women were baptized so he's telling them about Jesus this guy who had been in their
midst this God who had come down to earth this Savior who had left the glories of heaven
to surrender himself to a cross so that everyone could have eternal life and it says both men
and women were baptized the book Acts of the Apostles said there was a precious harvest
from among those who had once been their bitterest enemies what an incredible success Philip
was having but Philip Philip was not done here there's a whole other story there about
a one of the people that got baptized named Simon who was really just following God because
he wanted attention on himself he even tried to buy the Holy Spirit got severely reprimanded
we're going to skip that story because we want to continue this story of Philip because
Philip has an interesting thing that happens here in the midst of this great success as
many many people are getting baptized Philip is then called to go somewhere else in verse
26 it says 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 and then it says this is desert now
if we think of Gaza today we think of wars and bombs and bombed out buildings maybe you've
seen on the news or whatnot but this was a different time and it clearly says this is
desert so imagine Philip he is in this place of great success he's teaching about Jesus
lots and lots of people are being baptized and then the angel comes to him and says you
know what I want you to go on a wild goose chase I want you to go down this road you
know that that hot dusty road that's the one I want you to go down and it's the desert
and I want you to go in that direction and that's all I'm telling you I'm not giving
you any coordinates I'm not giving you any logistics I just want you to go in that direction
he was having immense success people were following Jesus people were being baptized
and this is where he's supposed to go next notice what he did verse 27 it says so he
arose and went I love that he is willing to leave somewhere where it seems like everything
is going the way it should because it was but he was willing to follow the prompting
of the Holy Spirit seemingly without question he'd left Jerusalem because of persecution
he preached Jesus and now the angel is telling him to go in a different direction and it
says he arose and went and what happened as he went it says behold a man of Ethiopia now
I want to pause here because we can read verse 27 and so we can see what's going on we're
able to kind of get a bird's eye view and see what's happening Philip did not have this
verse Philip was living this Philip was walking down that dusty road so we're able to see
what's about to happen Philip didn't know all this information yet it says behold a
man of Ethiopia a eunuch of great authority under Candace or Candace the queen of the
Ethiopians who had charge of all her treasury had come to Jerusalem to worship so we can
learn some things about this gentleman he's a he's an important figure in the world of
finance because he's a treasurer of a kingdom he's a he's a government official he's not
royalty himself but he's he's close to royalty he hangs out with royalty and that that word
Candace or Candace see that's probably not the Queen's name that's probably the title
in that region like Pharaoh in Egypt and so he was a government guy he was a finance guy
he was a world traveler because from Ethiopia to Jerusalem that's like a 500 mile journey
so this is a well traveled intellectual important person and Philip doesn't know all this and
it goes on and says he was returning from Jerusalem and he was sitting in his chariot
and he was reading Isaiah the prophet so Philip comes up the dusty road the desert he sees
a chariot he that's all he sees he knows it's probably a wealthy guy and then the spirit
talks to him then the spirit said to Philip go near and overtake this chariot and so what
does Philip do he responds what does he do Philip ran he didn't walk he didn't say you
know I've gone 17 miles I don't have enough water I got to get there the spirit said go
overtake this chariot he didn't wait he didn't delay he ran up next to this guy and it says
he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and he said do you understand what you are reading
and so he comes up next to this important looking chariot maybe there's a couple chariots
maybe it's a caravan going together he sees this person he doesn't know he doesn't know
this whole story he sees him he knows he's meeting someone in the place that God sent
him and he hears him reading what's he reading the book of Isaiah and maybe things are starting
to click ding ding ding maybe he realizes this is why God sent me here this is the divine
appointment because I am here at the perfect time in the perfect location not by chance
to happen across someone in the middle of nowhere who happens to be reading something
that I could share something about now he knew why God had sent him and he says do
you understand do you understand what I'm talking about and he said how can I how can
I unless someone I got to find it here how can I unless someone guides me and he asked
Philip to come up and sit with him do you understand what you're reading I don't I
need someone to help me can you help me do you want to help me do you want to ride along
in this chariot or do you want to keep walking this dusty road in the middle of the desert
now he's reading from Isaiah does anybody know any more particular what part of Isaiah
is he reading from he's reading from this book of Isaiah and he's reading from Isaiah
chapter 53 and fifth Isaiah 53 is an incredible passage and your Bible probably mentions something
about a suffering servant in that chapter because it's one of the portions of scripture
that may be more than any other points to the promise of Jesus as the Savior as the
Messiah and not just the Messiah but the one who was going to die for our sins it says
he was wounded for our transgressions the verse right before where he's reading he was
bruised for our iniquities by his wounds or by his stripes we are healed do you understand
what you're reading how can I unless someone guides me and so Philip is able to jump into
the chariot where this man is reading the most vivid Old Testament passage pointing
not just to Jesus but pointing to salvation and not just salvation but salvation through
the cross and I love this next verse verse 30 well I skipped verse verse 35 it says then
Philip opened his mouth and beginning at this scripture preached Jesus to him he started
where this man was he started right there in Isaiah 53 he met this traveling important
wealthy person from an entirely different culture he met them right where he was and
he started to answer the questions and he preached Jesus to them and I wonder do we
ever try to answer questions that people aren't asking do we ever meet someone and they're
over here and we're trying to tell them about something way over here we ever try to change
how somebody eats or dresses or thinks or whatever when they don't care about that right
now they are just desperately in need of someone that they know that cares about them and loves
them and died for their sins and gives them the power to overcome the things in their
life and sometimes we expect them to have already overcome before they've met the overcomer
before they've met Jesus we need to meet people where they are like Philip and preach Jesus
to them because we can't change people but Jesus can and that's what Philip did beginning
at this scripture he preached Christ he met him where he was and he took him to Jesus
now I've been making some points as we go along but I just want to pause here and make
sure we're connecting with them that's right so the first lesson be willing to listen to
the prompting of the Holy Spirit are we listening when the Holy Spirit is prompting us to do
something are we willing to talk or to share with someone new that's the second thing if
the Holy Spirit is prompting us to talk to somebody are we willing to do that several
years ago my in-laws they like to go to a Wisconsin camp meeting they grew up in Wisconsin
and that's a really big camp meeting where people come and camp for 10 days and whatnot
and they always say you know you need to come to camp meeting for vacation and as a pastor
I don't when camp meeting vacation you know don't really tie along there because pastors
usually work during camp meeting but a few years ago we went to camp meeting in Wisconsin
and my wife had gone up a few days earlier with her parents and then me and my kids were
driving up a few days later and I said we're gonna stop and see some sights so we went
to Mammoth Cave we went to Chicago and so we were gonna spend a day in Chicago so we
parked outside of the city we got on a train we rode into Chicago we saw the science museum
we ate some Chicago style pizza and all those good touristy things and we were riding the
train back to where the car was and I wish my daughter could tell this story because
she tells it best but as we were on this elevated train someone stands up in the car the train
car and he says I'm sorry for what I'm about to do and my daughter says I thought this
guy was gonna take out a gun and start shooting us but he did not do that he said I'm sorry
for what I'm about to do and he said I need some money for a bus ticket and could anybody
spare a little money I need a bus ticket to Rockford Illinois to see some family and then
he sat back down I think he circled the car and then he sat back down and in my head I'm
thinking this is a good teaching moment here I got my kids here I can show them how we
can help those that are less fortunate and so I discreetly went to find where my wallet
was you know tucked away so nobody could take it you know in the big city or whatever so
I pulled out my wallet I opened it all I had was a 20 I wasn't sure that this was that
much of a teaching moment a few bucks five bucks but a 20 so I put my wallet back in
my pocket a little bit later the guy stands up again he says I just want you to let you
know I've got two exits so I have to get off if anybody has anything to spare and so I
just okay I pulled out the 20 I walked over to him he's gonna get something you know that
he shouldn't get but I said here do something good with this and I went back and sat down
it was less than 30 seconds later when this guy's right leaning over me and he's got my
20 and he says do you know you gave me a 20 he says I only needed $16 for the bus ticket
can I give you some change I've got I've got a little bit of change that I could I could
give you something back I was shocked I was touched there was a learning experience I
don't know about for my children but it was a learning experience for me but I shouldn't
judge someone and I said no just keep it do something good with it see your family or
whatever do we listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit are we willing to talk and
share with someone else then the third lesson we need to start where someone is we need
to meet them where they are at and finally and most importantly we need to point them
to Jesus the one who has the power to change their life that's what Philip did it had worked
in Samaria and here in this random divine appointment as he has an unexpected encounter
he responds in an appropriate way and notice what happens in verse 36 it says verse 36
it says now they went down the road and there came they came to some water and the eunuch
said see look here is water what hinders me from being baptized is there anything that
stops me from being baptized and Philip said if you believe with all your heart you may
and he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God if you believe with
all your heart so the question for today is are you letting anything hinder you from coming
to Jesus whether it's hindering you from being baptized from joining a church or simply from
living out the truth that God has shown you in your life are you letting anything hinder
you from walking fully with Jesus and it says they went down verse 38 he commanded the chariots
to stand still and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and he baptized him
and I wonder where are you in this story which one of these characters today do you perhaps
resonate with the most maybe you're feeling Philip today because I think we all need to
listen a little closer to the Holy Spirit and we need to be on the lookout for for those
divine appointments we need to expect something unexpected and be willing and ready to share
and talk and point someone to Jesus or maybe today you're more like the man from Ethiopia
maybe today is your divine appointment and now you're you're hearing the story of Jesus
or you're being reminded of all his loving grace and maybe it's time for you to to stop
making those excuses time to stand so that everyone can know what you believe and which
side you are on time to declare with your words and your actions that I believe Jesus
Christ is the Son of God and nothing can stop me if that's you man I just take out one of
those cards in front of you and write down I want to join I want to be baptized I want
to do Bible studies whatever it might be I want to close with a story my very first church
district two churches the smaller of the churches there was a lady that was one of the pillar
of the church she was always there always cooked lots of food for potluck an amazing
cook her husband was always there with her Carl but Carl made it very clear from the
first time I met him that he was not a member of the church and he had no intention of being
a member of the church but he was there almost every week he was there to do maintenance
on the church he was there to set up chairs for potluck or whatever needed to be now Carl
was a very elderly gentleman in southern Arkansas so very very southern accent just just an
old I would call him an old codger in the nicest the nicest way you can say that and
so I visited with him shared with him always greeted him at church just appreciated him
and there was one day before church that he's like pastor I'm not going to do the accent
so pastor I need to talk with you so we stepped over to the side and I said what do you need
Carl and he said pastor God's been bugging me and I said okay Carl what's God been bugging
you about he said pastor God wants me to join this church and I said you know what Carl
we can do that we can make that happen he'd been baptized before so we were able to surprise
his family and he was able to stand up and say I am joining this Magnolia Seventh-day
Adventist Church and I want everybody to know it I'm not going to let anybody hinder me
from standing for Jesus anymore where are you at today are you Philip are you needing
to hear the Holy Spirit guide you to a divine appointment this week are you this Ethiopian
official who needs to take a stand needs to take commitment and not let anything hinder
you let's bow our heads for prayer dear God thank you for these stories thank you for
the story of the Spirit guiding thank you for the story of Jesus who can convert a heart
and change a life and Lord I want to pray for each one here that no matter where we
are on this scale that you're going to help us to take the next step with you Lord send
people into our path this week that we can talk to because we know you're already working
there Lord convict our hearts to stand up for you and let nothing hinder us in your
name we pray amen.