Acts 8 26 40 Disciples Listening and Walking

Acts 8: 26 -40 Disciples: Listening and Walking alongside St Luke’s Church Whitfield Parish 24. 06. 2018

The Lesson • How to Evangelise • This story only tells of three methods: • Dialogic • Didactic • Relationship-based • • • Confrontational: Peter, Acts 2. Intellectual / Philosophical: Paul, Acts 17. Testimonial: Blind Man, John 9 Invitational: Woman at the Well, John 4 Serving: Dorcas (Tabitha), Acts 9: 36 ff Signs and Wonders: First Corinthians 2: 1 -5.

A Story with Three Characters

Who was Philip? • Not to be confused with Philip the Apostle • Philip the evangelist, one of the seven deacons chosen to attend to the mundane affairs of the Christian community. • He was appointed to establish impartiality between the Hebrews and the Hellenists. • He moved to, preached and performed miracles in Samaria. • Samarians/Samaritans : • Are unclean to the Jews. • Are a hybrid of working class Jews and foreigners brought in by the Assyrians. • do not worship in Jerusalem. • only hold to the first five books of the OT.

The Ethiopian • Rich • Powerful • Well connected (worked for Candace) • Educated • A Convert to Judaism/ A Born Jew. • Just completed a pilgrimage. • Still not happy. • Searching for the truth; Reading, but not understanding. • ? Named Simeon, ? Went to Antioch (Acts 11).

Two Simeons Simeon the Sorcerer Simeon the Ethiopian had heard the Gospel Had power Wanted power Needed the Gospel failure success Simony Missionary to Ethiopia.

Potential Barriers to Evangelism Philip • Jews are mostly not black • How do you break through security. • Can you just approach the treasurer of the Candace of Ethiopia? • How do you testify about Christ. The Eunuch • Stranger • Commoner • Self-righteousness • Power.

Listening • Philip listening to • an angel of the Lord v 26 • The Lord V 29 • The Ethiopian V 30 • The Obstetrician, a difficult delivery, and the smart anaesthetist. • The diabetic who wanted her results. • “and ever hearing but never understanding” • Listening is attentive. • Listening is the first step to understanding. • The limping patient and the clever medical student.

Philip Listening to the Holy Spirit • “Go south to the road—the desert road— that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. ” • Unusual request • No clear mission. • Taking the wrong route, the desert route • The Northern/coastal route would have been safer. • The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it. ” • Again, unusual. • The Lord was asking Philip to display socially unacceptable behaviour!

Philip Listening to Simeon The Ethiopian • Listening is more than an audiological reception: The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it. ” 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot. • So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him v 31 Philip complied V 36 • the eunuch asked Philip V 34 Philip answered V 35 Philip began with that very passage of Scripture v 35 • The Eunuch asked to be baptised Philip baptizes him.

Zeal and patience Philip had probably just spent 3 years with Jesus Probably saw the resurrected Christ Spent 40 days learning the scriptures from Him And been charged to go and spread the Gospel and Baptise. • Philip did not rush in. • He waited for the Spirit of the Lord to lead him • The Holy Spirit guided him step by step. • • • Zeal enables us to do things. • Patience enables us to do the right things.

Philip Took The Ethiopian as he Found Him • Most Jews are not black. (impartiality) • Philip “began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus”. When witnessing, • • • We must have an end. A target in mind. It must be Jesus. But where do we start? Where people are How do you find out where people are? By listening. • Paul In Athens (Acts 17: 16 -34) • • He observed: “he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols” v 16 He reasoned with them v 17 He debated with them v 18. He attended a meeting of the Areopagus, to learn more about his audience.

“How can I (understand it) unless someone explains it to me? ” • There are many intelligent people, who are spiritually blind and foolish. • “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1: 22) • “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight”. (1 Corinthians 3: 19) • Spiritual things are spiritually perceived • I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, (Ephesians 1: 18). • Jesus the light of the world is the key to enlightenment.

Philip’s style • • • He listened to the Holy Spirit. He was not a racist. He took the initiative. Then he waited for an invitation from the Ethiopian He started where the Ethiopian was. (NI). He let the Ethiopian ask questions He explained. He told him the good news about Jesus He waited for the Ethiopian to request Baptism. . My father and baptism

Are you an Ethiopian? • Only Jesus satisfies. • The Gospel is for all. • “anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”. (Hebrew 11: 6)

Summary • One story • 3 characters • The Ethiopian: the searcher • Philip: The servant • The Holy Spirit: the Sage. • 3 Lessons: • Temper your zeal with patience and Listen attentively. • To the Holy Spirit • To the Ethiopian • Accept (not agree) people as they are and Start where people are • Explain what the Scriptures say about Jesus.