Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #24442 - Helping Others See Jesus - Acts 8:26-40

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#24442 - Helping Others See Jesus - Acts 8:26-40 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's word with pastor and author.
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Ed, Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora,
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Colorado to learn more about the many resources available,
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through abounding Grace, Media, or to tune into our live stream
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Services. Visit us online at Calvary,
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co.'s Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now, here's Pastor Ed to take us
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into our study. Amen.
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Amen open your Bibles to Acts chapter 8, would you please?
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And we're going to pick up where we left off last time and verse
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26? And I've entitled our Bible
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study helping others to see Jesus.
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It's one of the things that we learn studying the life of
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Philip here is the need to help others.
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See Jesus, and Philip is on his way from Samaria to Gaza.
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You'll remember that the early church, Given a mandate to be
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faithful in Jerusalem, Judea Samaria to the uttermost parts
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of the earth. They were faithful in Jerusalem
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until persecution arose. After the stoning of Stephen.
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Saul came personally against the church and Scattered them and
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everywhere they were scattered, they were preaching the gospel
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and one of the places they were scattered was Philip going to
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Samaria. When he got there, he preached
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the gospel and a Revival broke out, and Lies were changed and
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families were rescued and it was an amazing time, but it was in
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the middle of that Revival, that an Angelic messenger was sent to
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him. Notice in verse 26.
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Now, an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, arise and go.
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And if you haven't already marked, those words, arise and
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go, it was in the middle of something great, that God gave
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Direction. He said, go toward south along
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the road which goes down from Come to Gaza.
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So he arose and went and there's just no other viable acceptable
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response to the command to arise and go.
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Then he arose and went and we learned that that phrase
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represents immediate. Obedience immediate obedience is
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the only acceptable response to the direction of God.
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You do not want to delay your obedience because in that delay
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you can talk yourself. Yourself out of the will of God.
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You can talk yourself out of Steps of Faith.
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You can talk yourself out of the dynamic life of Living by faith.
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Because all your questions aren't answered or all your
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concerns aren't met. So when God speaks, we want to
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respond immediately and by faith allow him to deal with all of
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our concerns. So for Philip he arose and went
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and notice and behold. Now, I want to pause there for a
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second because on the other side of obedience, The revelation of
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God's will like until you obey God, you're not going to find
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out what he has for you. You just won't ya on the other
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side. On the other side of obedience
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was this revelation of God and so many, I find are waiting for
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God to reveal it all to you, but you won't obey.
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You won't step out. But on the other side of
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obedience as Revelation, notice Behold, a man of Ethiopia, a
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eunuch of great Authority. Under Candace, the queen of the
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Ethiopians who had charge of all her Treasury and had come to
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Jerusalem to worship. He was returning sitting in his
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Chariot verse, 28 reading, Isaiah the prophet, then the
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spirit said to Philip go near and overtake this Chariot, so
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Philip ran to him and heard him reading the prophet.
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Isaiah and said, do you understand what you're reading?
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And he said, how can I unless someone guides me and Ask Philip
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to come up and sit with him and the place in the scripture which
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he read was this. He was led as a sheep to the
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slaughter and like a lamb silent before it's Shearer.
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So he opened not his mouth in his humiliation is Justice, was
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taken away and who will declare his generation for his life is
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taken from the earth. What an exciting time in the
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life of Philip, he received the visit from the FBI.
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Angel. He got the direction he
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responded to it and they're in the middle of nowhere.
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Was a man that needed clarification of what he was
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reading in the Bible. Imagine that God setting it all
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up but he would have never experienced it.
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Philip would have never experienced it unless he was
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faithful in his obedience. So first of all, number one, who
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is this eunuch? Who is this eunuch?
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Well, he's like many in our lives.
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Today, history tells us Us, first of all, Ethiopia was a
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large Kingdom saw in the south of Egypt and they believed that
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they were the Incarnation of the sun gods.
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And again, we're reminded what we believe dictates how we
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behave. So important because even these
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in Ethiopia believing, they were the Incarnation of the sun gods.
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That they were little Gods, it affected their behavior, and
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their belief made them believe and behave.
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That regular governmental work was beneath the men.
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So women were enlisted to serve in most positions in the
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government and because of that, when a man was in a high-level
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place in governmental service like this eunuch here, they were
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emasculated so that they would not be tempted to take.
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Vantage of the women that are all around them and they also
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would not be a threat to those, in leadership.
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This man was a very important high up government, official.
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That was given great responsibility.
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You could say that this man was very wealthy and influential, or
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what we might say today, is he had everything you would want,
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he had everything a person would strive for and yet he was still
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empty. Though World in which he lived
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in the country, which he lived in all the false Pagan beliefs
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was not enough for him. And so many people believe this
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eunuch was probably a convert to Judaism and we learn that
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because he went to Jerusalem for what to worship.
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He went to Jerusalem to worship the one true God.
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And he was met on his way home by this man, by the name of
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Philip, which to, me is a Divine appointment.
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And I noticed here, when the direction would came first, the
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Angelic vision camera, they Angelic visitation came, then
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the very next thing, he receives is the visual understanding
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that's there, was someone out in the middle of the desert.
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Now, he kind of gets an idea that maybe he sees, the reason
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why he was called, it was on unveiled little by little.
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And then the It of God, then God spoke directly to him and I want
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you to go near now. Notice the response in verse 30,
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Philip ran to him. Now, I don't want you to think
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of Philip running to him because the Chariot was Goin like, 80
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miles an hour. It wasn't many believe that
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these entourages would go at the pace of walking and the only
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Advantage. This guy had is he didn't have
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to walk. He was pulled by in The Chariot
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with wheels under him. So, This moving chair on the way
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back is going at a slow pace. And yes I think that he was
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running to to shorten the distance and catching up with
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him. But also I think there was
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something in there that he wasn't just running to catch up
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to the traveler, he was also running inspired by the Holy
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Spirit to arrive at just the right time and God has a perfect
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timing for everything. And when he impresses upon you
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something to do or somewhere to go for goodness sake, obey him
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because he is set something up on the other side.
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And I know you don't understand why and I know you don't know
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what's going to happen and I know you might be a little
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fearful and a little anxious and on, and on the list goes, but
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the only valid response to the direction of God is obedience.
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So here, this eunuch is leaving Jerusalem and he's reading In a
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scroll of Isaiah it's probably not the false grow scroll
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because Scrolls were very rare and very expensive, that's why
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we believe he's wealthy in the position.
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We know he's wealthy from his position but also he was able to
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get his hands on a portion of the scroll of Isaiah, which also
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happens to be a very interesting place that speaks very directly
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of Messiah and he's reading it at just the right time.
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This point in our Bible study, I want you to pause for a second
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with me and let's use our holy imagination.
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I'm going to help you with this, but I want to use our holy
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imagination for a moment to consider how this eunuch might
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be feeling on his way home from Jerusalem.
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Now, heading to Jerusalem is desirous to worship the one true
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God. Jerusalem is the holy city.
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Jerusalem has the temple of God. We're on the day of atonement.
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The priest would come in and offer that offering of blood.
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On The Mercy Seat, where the presence of God, the Shekinah
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Glory would come down. It represents the very presence
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of God in Jerusalem, he's coming, but he's not met with
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the kind of environment of worship that you would expect.
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First of all, what was he met with?
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Well, in Deuteronomy chapter 23 and verse 1.
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We learn that a eunuch was not allowed full access to the
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temple, so he couldn't actually get in to where he wanted to
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get. Strike number one, Not only was
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he a eunuch, but he was a gentile.
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That's strike number two, because as a gentile, he was
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also limited on how far he could get.
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Now, Not only was he limited, but he was also faced with
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face-to-face, you know, you know how you you have these High
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Hopes where you want to go somewhere, and you have all
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these Great Expectations and you can't wait to get there.
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And then when you finally arrive, you're discouraged and
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bummed out because it's not, What you thought it would be?
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Well, that's what he's feeling, think of that.
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Not only on a vacation or something.
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But I want you to think of that spiritually, that the greatest
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emotion, I think he would be feeling on his way back is
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disillusionment. Do you know, you're surrounded
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by a lot of people that are disillusioned with the church,
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disillusioned with God because we as Believers have
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misrepresented God to them, they might even come into a place
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like this with high hopes. And unfortunately be met with
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coldness or religious religiosity or, you know, being
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ignored or you just all into yourself.
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And so you're not recognizing the God, put somebody new next
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to you, or, like, whatever it might be.
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And they get disillusioned or you ignore someone on the
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streets or somebody's new in your office.
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You don't pay any attention to them.
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Or you have brand new neighbors in town and you never even met
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them and talk to. But you can think of how many
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times a Believer is misrepresented, God.
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And people are disillusioned and bummed out.
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Not only that. I mean, you could say, for this
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guide strike one, two, three, four, five.
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I mean, he's really beat up on his way home.
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He's really beat up because his trip to Jerusalem.
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Took him into the middle of cold rituals, cold religion.
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He was surrounded by materialism hypocrisy and tolerance empty
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ceremonies of Judaism. I mean, if you really want to
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know what he faced, he faced exactly what Jesus.
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Condemned throughout his ministry.
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He faced all of the the whitewashed tombs.
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And and all of the things that the religious leaders continue.
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After they killed Jesus and murder him, they continue to
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misrepresent God. So, he's on his way home, no
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doubt discouraged and empty, and still spiritually Baron deeply
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wanting to experience. God personally and powerfully
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and you how all that. He thought would happen, didn't
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happen. And he's leaving more empty than
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when he came except that he did. He was very wise here, even as
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an unbeliever, even as someone close, but not quite close, but,
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not quite a lot of those of surrounding us as well.
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It's why his life represents so many around us, but he does
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what's right? And a lot of people do the same
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thing. He goes and starts to read the
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Bible. Of all the things to read.
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They've tried all the self-help programs, all the television
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it's like, no, I got this Bible. My grandma gave me, I'm going to
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start to read it for the eunuch. I've got the Scrolls that I
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purchased and I'm going to read it which adds to another thing
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that we can think of what he's going through.
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He's confused, he's reading the Bible doesn't understand it.
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Who's he talking about? What's this?
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All about this is a fascinating passage and you know for
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everyone separated from God you can read the Bible, all you want
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you'll never fully understand it.
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Because only those that are in relationship with God.
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Can understand the Bible, only those that have a relationship
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within the family of God, really understand fully what the Bible
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says. And so he's got all this going
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on and then at just the right time this man Philip shows up in
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the middle of the desert. Now personally I am not a fan of
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the desert, you know, heat and I know it's dry heat.
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Don't tell me, don't email me. I get it, but heat and sand and
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you know, ugly bushes, and cacti everywhere that that's not my
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deal, not a big fan of it. And you know, we often use the
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desert as an illustration of dryness and even death you know,
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and destruction. But you know those that study
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these things know that in the desert.
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It might look like it's dead but it's very much alive.
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And I think the desert here in Gaza on the road to Gaza, even
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though it looks dry and Barren and not alive, God is at work.
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And even you today might be in some kind of desert experience,
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a dryness and a baroness. The Lord is giving me the
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privilege to remind you today that he's very much alive and
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he's very much at work in your life, setting things up so that
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it just the right time. At just the right section.
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It is provoked this eunuch to ask a question and so he sees
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Philip invites him up. And then if Phillip is there, do
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you understand what you're reading?
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And he's drawing out from him and then he says, how can I
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unless someone guides me? And the guide is just shown up
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and so notice in verse 34, the eunuch answered Philip and said,
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I ask you of whom did the prophet Sav this himself or some
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other men. And then focus on verse 35 with
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me, Philip opened his mouth and beginning at this scripture,
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preached, Jesus to him and that is the great need of the day.
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I believe is believe as followers of Christ, we need to
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give good Godly answers to the questions.
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People are asking in our lives and I know sometimes people ask
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questions that are wanting to pick a fight and I know
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sometimes people ask questions that seem silly or but it's not
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silly to the person and even if they're picking a fight, it's
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not our business. We should answer the questions.
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Just answer the questions. Remind people that God is a
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reasonable God. He is a faithful God and their
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questions. You know, when you ask someone's
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question and you don't make fun of them and you don't make a
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big. When you ask someone's
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questions, you validate their Humanity, even if they're trying
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to pick a fight. You don't need to jump into the
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mud and Russell with them in the mud and you know, just where I'm
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going to defend God, how do you dare?
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You ask that question, just answer their question, validate
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their humanity and answer their question and use it as an
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opportunity. To lead them to Jesus, because
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I'll tell you what, if you argue with them or make fun of them,
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you're not headed in the way of Jesus.
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They're not going to go with you.
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You have to earn some kind of credibility and trust with them,
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to answer the question, whether it's sincere or not, whether
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it's genuine or not, that's not our business.
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We don't know what they're dealing with.
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We don't know, like a real popular question today.
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It is a real popular question. It might even be on your mind
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and I've answered this in depth in other places.
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Has and even devoted whole Bible studies to this question.
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But the question is, how could a god of love?
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Let so much evil happen. Some variation of that, so much
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pain happen, it's a very valid question.
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It's a very important question, but if you're not careful you
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might take it as some threat. Like how could your God let.
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So and then you just got to defend God but why don't you
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take into account? Perhaps why they're asking the
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question and just consider that they might be asking the
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question because of the heard in their life.
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Because they're walking around with trauma, or they're walking
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around with a loss at a young age or they're like, maybe
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maybe, just, maybe we don't have to think for them.
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We can just preach Jesus. You know.
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Can you imagine Philip? He's nowhere near that because
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you match. Philip we go, you know, you
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bought this scroll and you're reading it and you don't
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understand it. What's your problem?
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What do you mean? I don't understand it.
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I got just sent me all the way from Samaria and he sent me to
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someone that doesn't understand the Bible, what's your problem?
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But that's not what he does. He draws out for him and
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Embraces the moment to bring a solid answer and he preaches
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Jesus. He doesn't preach his
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philosophy. He doesn't preach his opinion.
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He doesn't preach some rabbis teaching, you know, today, the
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church would loves to quote other people and systems of
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Theology. And, and, you know, sometimes
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there are people that quote men more than they quote God.
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That's not it's not Philip here. He's doing exactly what he needs
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to be doing, giving the giving this eunuch the whole point of
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the bible, let alone the couple verses that speak directly of
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Jesus. Jesus is the point of the entire
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Bible. And I love this because I'm
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reminded that so many times. God will already set up the
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situations for us. All we need to do is walk into
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them. Just be faithful.
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I know, it's scary and I know it's awkward but this is
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something you're going to learn over the years.
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Things are only scary and awkward until they're not
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anymore. They starts out that way for
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sure, but once you step into things that you get over it and
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you're like, man, this is pretty exciting, this is really neat.
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God would send me to someone. God would send someone to me and
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yeah, you might not know all the answers.
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I mean, you think of okay, Ed. I mean I'll try to my best to
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have all these answers. But what happens when I don't
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have the Answer. Well, sometimes the answer to
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someone's question is something like this, you know, that's a
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really, really good question. I'm never heard that before.
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So, I'll tell you what, I don't know the answer to that.
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So, give me a week and I'll look it up and I'll ask some friends
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and I'll get you an answer. And you would be surprised, how
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validating that is? How powerful that is?
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That? I mean, there are times where
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people ask me question. I'm like, man, I've never heard
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that before. I have never thought about that.
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I've never seen it from that angle and it requires me to do a
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little extra research to find Em.
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I'm seeing something real differently Through Your Eyes
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now and that's a really good question.
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That drives me to study Philip is leading this man to Jesus
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because God set it up in the question, is this?
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Have you ever led someone to Jesus?
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Have you ever helped them? See him for who he really is
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both in word, you know, through your words?
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But also through your actions and very clearly giving them the
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gospel God has given to us. Great open doors in wonderful
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opportunities and the church needs to step into them.
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And that's really where God is. Moving on our hearts to take
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advantage of the opportunities. Fill up.
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This regular, man, not a Bible. Students doesn't have a bunch of
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doctorates on his wall, or master's degrees or theological
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degrees. I mean, this is the infancy of
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the church. You could say he's still baby,
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he didn't, there's no Seminary to go to know, Bible college to
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go to because of limitations they did what we all need to be
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doing. Reading a Bible every day, We
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really we already know what happens.
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They continued steadfastly in the apostles Doctrine.
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In Fellowship, the breaking of bread and in prayer.
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That's what the early church did.
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And this is what happens when you do those for simple things.
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God uses you in great ways, in amazing ways, in Dynamic ways,
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for the sake of others lives. You know why?
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Because God loves the Samaritans, he sent Philip
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there. God loves this eunuch.
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He sent Philip there and the people in your life.
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God loves to, and he sends them to you and sends you to them.
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And Philip doesn't preach anything other than Jesus.
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He doesn't preach his church. He doesn't preach water baptism,
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even though it's involved his own philosophy.
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Doesn't say these, okay? You big most noble eunuch are 10
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ways that you can have a happy life following God.
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It just starts telling about the love of God pointing him to
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Messiah. Do you know that Jesus Christ is
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the central theme. All of the Bible and I've asked
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this many times, I'm going to continue to ask you to
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prayerfully, consider rearranging your life, so you
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can join us on our midweek Bible study and Wednesdays.
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I know it might be less sleep and might make the kids, you
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know, kids be a little bit more difficult on Thursday morning
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but it's important for you to add to your life where possible
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like, even just a little step December to be in the
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fellowship. I'm going to be with other
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believers, one more time during the week, especially We in my
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own church and we're in Genesis right now studying through on
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Wednesdays. And when we open Genesis and
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open the Bible to the very first chapter, we learned, the whole
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focus of the Bible is Messiah from the very beginning,
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Messiah. Another word for savior, that
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savior has a name. His name is Jesus Christ, God
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and human flesh. Coming in response to love.
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You know, the scripture God. So loved the world that he gave
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his only begotten. Son, that whosoever would
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believe in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
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The whole Bible points to Jesus. Let me give you a couple of
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scriptures, you can jot them down and Hebrews chapter 10
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verse 7. It says, then I said, behold I
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have come in the volume of the book.
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It is written of me. The volume of the book is Is
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written to point to Jesus, as written of me.
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Another one, John 5:39, he's rebuking the religious rulers of
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the day. You search the scriptures for in
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them, you think you have eternal life.
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But these are, which testify of me.
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I mean, he's a warning you today not just them then but you today
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you can be a Bible student. You can read your Bible
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frontwards and backwards and upside down, but you can also
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Read the Bible and completely miss the point.
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And the point is Jesus. Don't just be a student of the
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Bible. Be a follower of Jesus.
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Let me show you another one. You can turn there.
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You can just go back. A few pages, Luke chapter 24,
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this is from Jesus himself. As he met those two men on the
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road to Emmaus. Remember this is what he did.
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Luke 24 in verse 27. It says beginning at Moses and
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all the prophets he expounded to them in all the scriptures the
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things concerning himself basically Jesus goes back to
24:58
Genesis and gives these guys a summary of The Bible over.
25:03
And over here I am here I am here, I am and no doubt.
25:06
By the time he gets to Isaiah 53, like the eunuch is and there
25:10
I am to the sheep. That was led to the slaughter
25:15
open. Not his mouth and his
25:17
humiliation Justice was taken away.
25:20
And here's Philip to declare his generation.
25:25
And we find in verse 36 as they went down the road, they came to
25:31
some water and the eunuch said, see here is water.
25:35
What hinders me from being baptized and Philip said, if you
25:39
believe with all your heart you made, and he answered and said,
25:43
I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.
25:46
So, we commanded the Chariot to stand still, and both Philip and
25:50
the eunuch went down into the water and he baptized him.
25:54
And when they came up out of the water, the spirit of the lord
25:57
caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more.
26:01
And he went on his way rejoicing, but Philip was
26:04
founded as Otis and passing through, he preached in all the
26:07
cities till he came, finally, to caesarea.
26:12
So unit got saved. And in this section, we have
26:16
Have a couple of insights and reasons for our beliefs related
26:20
to water baptism. I won't develop the Theology of
26:25
water baptism today. I've done that in other studies
26:27
as well but there's two very important things.
26:29
We learn about water baptism here that we can't just pass
26:33
over. Number one, we believe in what's
26:36
known as Believers water baptism, we believe that only
26:40
Believers are water. Baptized we do not believe as
26:44
some would assert falsely that At baptism saves.
26:47
Anybody baptism does not save anyone.
26:50
This is the open door here for that Doctrine to be taught.
26:54
Eunuch says, hey, what's preventing me from being water?
26:56
Baptized, and Philip basically says, you're not saved.
27:00
That's what prevents you, you don't believe.
27:03
So in order to be water, baptism water, baptized you need to be
27:08
saved, and then, secondly, I want you to notice, we also
27:12
believe in full immersion That a Believer is taken down under the
27:19
water and then brought back up out of the water because water
27:23
baptism it for a Believer, is a picture of the life, the death,
27:29
the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
27:33
I mean, we believe in full immersion so much that if all we
27:36
had was two inches of water, we would lay you on your back and
27:40
roll you over till you're all wet because it's the
27:43
identification with Jesus. That he doesn't, you know,
27:47
Phillip doesn't go down and get his hands wet and sprinkle it on
27:50
him, he doesn't get a cup of water and pour it over his head.
27:53
Stop The Chariot, there's water, Let's Get Down in it.
27:57
Let's take you under it and take you out on from it.
28:01
And that you seen just in a couple verses here in the life
28:05
of the early church and hear the Unix appointment with God is
28:12
complete. He is saved.
28:16
It's amazing to me of the faithfulness of God in our lives
28:20
and as we wind down today, I want as we prepare for what God
28:23
has for us individually but also as a church I just hope you
28:29
don't get tired of seeing people get saved and being a part of a
28:33
church. That's filled with the messiness
28:37
of new Believers and the messiness of people checking
28:41
things out. Yeah, I guess you could say that
28:44
the eunuch was a seeker of God. Now the church loves to argue
28:49
about things. Secondarily that bums me out in
28:52
my world as a pastor. There's this phraseology of
28:55
Seeker, sensitive churches and nobody seeks after God.
28:59
And and people love to argue about this, but the eunuch is
29:02
clearly seeking God here. And many, many people are
29:06
seeking God around us. I don't think we need to create
29:09
all kinds of Christian arguments, to try to dismiss
29:11
them. There are people seeking God and
29:15
don't use the Bible to try to explain that away.
29:17
I'll show you of scripture from The Life, just here in the book
29:21
of Acts that will get to soon enough.
29:23
But would you turn over to Acts chapter 17?
29:25
Of course, people are seeking God in one sense.
29:28
It's true. That people can't be saved.
29:31
They can't see God without being drawn by God.
29:33
That's true. But of course, your life is
29:36
surrounded with people that have an emptiness in their life, like
29:39
this eunuch that have a religion about them, like this unit that
29:43
have a desire to Worship in some way even though they don't
29:45
understand like this eunuch, of course, people are seeking God.
29:49
So don't let anyone talk you out of that and try to make some big
29:53
deal about it. Go to Acts chapter 17, and
29:55
listen to part of this Bible study, that Paul was teaching
29:58
there on Mars Hill. He says that God is not worship
30:04
verse. Five.
30:05
He's not worshipped with men's hands as though he needed
30:08
anything since he gives to all life breath and all things.
30:14
Then he says in verse 26 that God has made from one blood
30:18
every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the Earth.
30:22
He's determined their pre appointed times and the
30:25
boundaries of their habitation. Notice verse 27, you should Mark
30:28
this if you don't believe people seek God, so that they should
30:32
seek the Lord, God has set it up so that everyone has a chance to
30:38
believe in the Savior and he's created the whole thing.
30:42
Even the person in the middle, It'll of the Jungle somewhere is
30:46
not going to be not going to have an excuse before God that
30:50
they did not see his creation and did not realize the internal
30:55
witness of their conscience that they refused to respond to that.
30:59
God was leading them to himself. So, of course, people seek after
31:03
God, I believe there are men and women all around us just like
31:07
this eunuch burned-out beat up, but still seeking the Lord
31:13
they're reading. The Bible.
31:15
But not understanding it attending church services like
31:19
this and bored out of their minds because they don't
31:22
understand. They are listening to the radio
31:25
but not telling anybody watching YouTube videos but not really
31:29
responding. They're eager but private and
31:33
frustrated and fearful I mean, if just for a moment you think
31:40
just for a moment, you think how hard it is for you to live in a
31:43
world like this? There is today and you have
31:45
hope. Can you think how hard it is for
31:48
someone to live in the world today with no hope?
31:51
That this is it. And yet they're battling because
31:55
there is an internal witness that God has given to every
31:57
human. Like we read in the scriptures
31:59
today that he knows them, he's with them, he created them,
32:03
they're just resistant and maybe that's you.
32:05
You're here and you're restless and your empty and you're
32:11
seeking but then it you're going back to other familiar things.
32:16
Stuck. Wondering about God, discouraged
32:21
by some Christian along the way or listening to How Christians
32:25
are carry. You know, sometimes it's not
32:26
even Christians that disillusions this world system
32:29
saying that Christians are something that there really
32:31
aren't and just lying about us. You know, lying lying is a
32:35
familiar tool of the devil. Did you know that?
32:39
He's just a liar, Jesus said, and the father of lies and so
32:45
you got to get through all these different barriers to get to the
32:49
route of serving someone and I'm just telling you it's worth it.
32:53
It's worth it to be in the Bible.
32:56
Ever need to pray every day to study to show yourself approved
32:59
to step into, someone's life, to serve them, to love them, to
33:02
care for them. You know, how we used our holy
33:05
imagination about the eunuch earlier, but it wasn't just
33:07
exclusive to him. I want you to consider in your
33:11
own mind, the background of the people that are surrounding your
33:14
life. I want you to consider.
33:17
Why is that guy so angry? You know, I know you have to
33:20
take the full brunt of the anger and that's where it is right
33:22
now, but why begin to pray for them by name the person, that's
33:27
causing you all that grief and all that difficulty, that God
33:30
might give you Insight so that when the door opens or the Call
33:34
Comes, you can step into their life with a sound reason to
33:38
answer. That will preach Jesus.
33:41
I don't want you to thinking preaching Jesus, as you got to
33:44
carry a portable Pulpit with you everywhere and then you go,
33:48
okay, this is my opportunity. Unity.
33:49
And you set the pulpit up and you stand like Pastor, Ed, Jesus
33:53
loves you, you know, like I so silly.
33:56
If you're not you're not like a you don't need to be a pastor to
33:59
live out, your relationship with Jesus and then the familiar
34:04
attitude as well Ed. I don't know what to say, don't
34:07
worry about it, just be yourself.
34:11
And you can share with someone anything that you have learned,
34:17
anything that you've learned. You could share things about
34:20
Philip, man. I read about this guy in the
34:22
Bible. He was like you.
34:24
So great though, I want to be like, Philip and their guy.
34:26
Why don't know anything about Philip?
34:28
Well, let me let's read about him.
34:30
You take out your Bible and you read it with somebody.
34:33
This is a fascinating Story. I mean, the guy was used from
34:37
boom. Boom it all and you know it all
34:39
started With Philips, willingness to serve in an
34:45
uncomfortable place with that difficulty, among the Widow's,
34:49
remember that's where it started.
34:51
He stepped in and helped solve the problem.
34:53
Ministering to these widows that were both hurting and also mad
34:58
at the same time, feeling neglected and it was from there
35:02
when the scattering came. He was sent to that place that
35:05
nobody else wanted to go to. A place that was looked down
35:09
upon by the Jewish people, but not Philip.
35:11
He went to Samaria and it Revival broke out.
35:16
And then it was in the midst of Revival of that.
35:18
Now, he went to the middle of nowhere not knowing anything of
35:22
what was going to happen and when he got there immediate
35:26
obedience he connected with this eunuch that God already set up
35:29
at the same time and now he's saved.
35:33
And it's interesting because history tells us that the
35:36
Ethiopian took the gospel back to the African continent.
35:40
And if you notice back in Acts 8, it says that he ended up
35:46
preaching and all the cities until he came to caesarea.
35:50
Now you guys that read ahead, you know, in Acts chapter 9 and
35:52
verse 38, a woman dies in the city of Joppa and there are
35:57
disciples there in Acts 9, calling for Peter to come and
36:02
help them in Joppa. And many people believe that
36:07
Phillip planted, her help plant, the church by Seeing the gospel
36:11
in Joppa, on his way to caesarea, where he finally
36:15
settles where it says, right here in the Bible.
36:17
And those of you that go on a tour with us to Israel, you will
36:20
see with your own eyes, just how close Java is to caesarea by the
36:25
Sea. It's extremely close and it
36:28
would make a lot of sense that, that would be the place that he
36:30
would come through as he heads through and being used by God,
36:34
from as artists. And by the way before we get to
36:37
the final points, can we just pause for a second and consider
36:41
how Phillips Fleet feeling right now you know people that say
36:44
Christianity's boring. You have never tapped into the
36:47
leading of the Holy Spirit. If you say that because here's a
36:51
guy that goes, yeah, I want to I want to serve widows.
36:53
Okay, go for it, he jumps in and serves widows, and then, boom!
36:56
He's gone to Samaria and then, boom!
36:58
He's gone to the desert and then, boom, he's taken up.
37:01
Like Elijah. I mean, that's really what it
37:03
says he was found in as Otis because He the spirit of God
37:07
caught him up and took him away. Miraculously, can you imagine
37:11
is, like, what is happening in my life?
37:14
That's the life of the spirit of God.
37:16
You just don't know. You can't explain it.
37:18
Someone once said, it might have been aw Tozer that if you can
37:21
explain what God is doing, its nominee, not if you can explain
37:24
what's happening, it's probably not God.
37:25
That's doing it. And so the excitement of
37:29
following the Lord is so amazing.
37:31
I want to end before our time in communion with a few things that
37:34
you can jot down as it relates to sharing the gospel.
37:38
The future of our church is evangelism because you know, the
37:42
past of our churches evangelism And the future of your
37:45
participation in this church is to use what you have to reach
37:51
the lost. If you walk in downstairs
37:53
through the doors, you will find very very prominent on the wall.
37:59
When you walk in what we've adopted of many things that
38:02
we've adopted, but it is on the wall.
38:04
So you to see every time that we will do anything short of sin to
38:07
reach the Lost. It makes for a messy Church, it
38:11
makes for a challenging Church. It means a lot of our resources,
38:15
go to discipleship and building up.
38:17
But it is the lens that we use when we're asking questions.
38:21
How will we reach the Lost how we reach the loss?
38:25
You are not in a church that uses the lens.
38:28
How will we make Believers happy?
38:30
How will we make them comfortable?
38:32
How can we keep them and keep them all happy?
38:35
That's not the lens of this church.
38:36
That might disappoint you. That might frustrate.
38:39
You might even be mad at us. It's like no, we're going after
38:42
a loss, you're already saved. Did you know that you're already
38:45
saved? So my responsibility is to equip
38:47
you for the work of the ministry because one life you're one life
38:52
will soon be passed and only What's Done For Christ will last
38:57
and so you're not in a church that will always coddled and
39:00
cater to all the needs and wants that we have.
39:03
We must learn to die to ourselves and follow Christ.
39:07
That is God's call, geez. Jesus said, if you're going to
39:10
follow me, you need a die to yourself.
39:12
You need to deny yourself and it's my responsibility to remind
39:15
me and you of that continually once you die to yourself, you're
39:20
going to become more alive than you've ever felt in your life
39:23
because your heart will be for others, you will serve others,
39:27
you will think of others, it will be.
39:30
And the future of our church is the pastor of our church because
39:33
it's the calling of our church evangelism.
39:35
Yes we disciple and yes we send but What will happen in Aurora
39:42
and Denver, and Colorado, and the United States and the world
39:47
for that matter. If lives are changed through
39:49
salvation is not what happened to you.
39:51
Didn't your life get turned upside down, didn't your family?
39:54
Well really not upside down right side up.
39:57
God, put things in order, saved your marriage.
40:00
Savior kids. We went only went up.
40:03
Well, you know, not only went in your home, but it went to
40:05
everyone, you're raising your kids.
40:07
Also, some of you like, I did got to lead my parents to the
40:11
Lord, It's a powerful thing of what God is doing Among Us, and
40:16
it's important that you realize that.
40:18
So as we head out, when I give you a few things, you can jot
40:20
them down, as it relates to how you and I can lead others to
40:23
Jesus things. To remember things to pray over.
40:26
Number one, God Saves people. We don't, don't forget that some
40:32
plant, some water, God gives the increase, God prepares a
40:35
person's heart. God sets things up.
40:37
All we need to do is be faithful.
40:39
Be faithful. Number two, God uses people with
40:42
a burden for the lost. So start praying for a burden
40:45
for the lost. And the best way to do that, the
40:49
best way to create a burden for the Lost is for the people that
40:53
are closest to you. Pray for them by name, bring
40:57
their name to the throne room. Don't just say, and although you
41:00
can't got understand, but don't just say, God, I pray for the
41:03
whole world to get saved. Okay, start there.
41:06
But end up praying for a name and a person.
41:09
I'm a mom, a dad, a son, a daughter, a brother or sister
41:13
their people and it starts to personalize them and your heart
41:16
breaks or them. You're going to be effective,
41:19
praise selflessly, be willing number three.
41:22
God uses people that we learn in Philip that are open and
41:26
obedient to the spirit. And we see that in Phillips life
41:30
as he obeys, him one step at a time.
41:34
Number 4, God uses people, who preach the true gospel.
41:39
Don't water it down, don't change it, they preach Jesus.
41:43
There's no other message. There's not two messages, three
41:46
messages, five messages. Jesus said, I am the way, the
41:50
truth and the life. No one comes to the father,
41:53
except through me singularly singularly.
41:57
Sometimes the church will be accused of, you know, you're so
41:59
intolerant and exclusionary of no.
42:02
No, we're not. That's not intolerant to tell
42:04
you the truth. There's only one way and it's
42:07
not your way, it's God's. Way, you guys with me Church,
42:11
you got here, the people online, but louder than you, are you
42:14
here? Why are you with me, right?
42:16
Good. Good number five.
42:18
Number five, God uses people who follow up and you.
42:22
Go ahead, what does that mean? Oh, I don't want you just to
42:25
think that sharing the gospel is transactional.
42:29
It's relational. It's always relational.
42:33
It's not just something to do and have a little Mark eyelid.
42:36
Six people to the well are you a part of their life still, are
42:39
you connected with them or you discipling them?
42:42
Are you pouring into them? You bought them a Bible, but
42:44
now, did you get him a devotional?
42:46
You know, if you called them wants, did you call them twice?
42:49
I mean, with technology today we can stay contact with all kinds
42:52
of people all over the world in an instant.
42:56
And so follow-up is very important here at Calvary.
42:58
We have on Other side of the stage here.
43:01
We have boxes filled these baskets, filled with our new
43:04
believer material, you are welcome to take them.
43:07
If you will use them take them and have them ready for the
43:10
person, put them in your glove compartment, put them in your
43:12
desk at work and have them ready to give away to the people you
43:15
personally to the Lord. If you're listening on the radio
43:19
right now, you can go to Grace FM.com everything we have here
43:23
is available online for free. If you're watching online,
43:26
you've already come through our website Calvary.
43:29
ODOT church at the bottom on the list.
43:32
There it says how to know God. Everything we have here is
43:35
available for you to keep in someone's life, answering their
43:39
questions, discipling them, taking them through the Bible.
43:42
All you have to do is read the question and do it with them.
43:45
All you need to do is be available to answer their
43:47
questions. That's probably what had you
43:49
connect with them in the first place and that's how you're
43:51
going to continue to connect with them.
43:53
But you've got to stay involved. It's not just some transactional
43:56
thing so we can chalk it up. No, we're relational.
43:59
No, it's always going to be relational and it always has
44:02
been and so I want you to know this, the primary way God
44:06
reaches people that don't know him is by sending to them.
44:11
People that do know him. Let me say it again, the primary
44:16
way that God reaches people, that don't know, him is by
44:20
sending to them. People that do know him, God
44:25
chooses to reach people through people.
44:29
And I know sometimes it's discouraging and hard and
44:31
awkward and all that, but God is faithful.
44:34
And when you, when you lead someone to the Lord, It is,
44:39
there's nothing like it. It's just nothing.
44:42
Like it is so beautiful and wonderful when you invite
44:47
someone to church and you see them.
44:49
I mean, it is amazing. How God will use you.
44:51
You don't have to become someone else.
44:53
Just become a surrendered servant.
44:56
Follow God, he'll lead, you exactly where you need to be to
45:00
the people he wants in your life to say what he wants you to say,
45:04
and he gets all the glory for great things, he has done.
45:08
Amen. Amen.
45:09
So father, we thank you. You and praise you today, With
45:13
This Heart of Thanksgiving, thank you for Philip showing us
45:16
so much. May we find our sufficiency and
45:19
you today in Jesus name. Amen.
45:23
We pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible.
45:25
Study delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for
45:29
prayer, call us at 877, 30 Grace.
45:33
That's eight 77304, 2:53 to listen to this message in its
45:40
entirety Or to join us for our live stream Services.
45:43
Visit us online at Calvary Co dot church or download our free
45:49
Calvary Church app be blessed as you worship Jesus this week.
45:41
Or to join us for our live stream Services.
45:43
Visit us online at Calvary Co dot church or download our free
45:49
Calvary Church app be blessed as you worship Jesus this week.