Sermon Info:

Responsive Reading: Acts 8:26-39
Key Verse: Acts 8:30-31
Background Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Don’t Limit Yourself
– Are you putting forth the effort?
3. God’s Assignment
4. Building Up Each Other
– Philip’s example of carrying out God’s assignment
– Guiding others to the truth
5. Drawing Others to Christ
– Fishers of men

Watch & Listen

Introduction

God has given to us principles and values to live by, and as I said in last week’s sermon – Don’t Hurt Your Soul – those values are certainly that of love and compassion. You have heard me preach and teach about this thought over and over again — helping those that are in need. I preach and teach this because you should know that God has a task for you, and you should know what that task is because helping those that are in need is encouraged through scripture.

Don’t Limit Yourself 

However, many of us act like the rich young ruler whenever we hear God’s word about helping those in need.  What do I mean by that?  Well, some of us will say, “Pastor, I already do that, this message isn’t for me!”  Some proudly say, “if someone asks me for some spare change, I give it to them if I have it.”  

Of course it is good that you have given someone some money out of your pocket or wallet.  However, when the pastor is done nodding their head and asks, what else have you done to help those that are in need?  We look at the pastor strangely because we think money is the only way to help those that are in need.  Understand, this way of thinking is to say that money is the only thing someone needs in life; this is a worldly mindset and not a spiritual one. 

Yet, a prime example of the task that God has for you is shown to us in Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). In this parable, we learn that there’s certainly more ways to help others than the spare change in our pockets.

Let’s remember that the parable shows us a Samaritan helping to bandage the wounds of one that had been left beaten on the side of the road.  After bandaging the man’s wounds, the Samaritan got the man out of the road and then took him to an inn.  Sure, money was involved when the Samaritan gave some to the innkeeper to help care for the wounded but the moral of the parable was the show of love, compassion, and mercy from the Samaritan.  

Not to say that giving away money is easy, because it’s not; our thoughts on whether we give it away or not is the hardest part but the giving of money doesn’t require much effort. Now, don’t think for one second that I am encouraging you not to give what you can spare, because it is certainly good to give what you can. That said, in my key verse for today, we’ll see one ask another, “How can I [understand], unless someone guides me?”

I want you to understand today that you and I are called to help in more ways than one. Peter said to a beggar, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk (Acts 3:6).” We must not limit the ways in which we can help those that are in need. Let us remember from last week’s sermon that in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we are encouraged to walk worthy of the calling with which we were called (Eph. 4:1-2).

Are you putting forth the effort?

I feel I must put emphasis on the use of the word “walk” in that statement from Paul.  The reason why is because walking is an action – it takes some kind of effort to be put forth!

So, for Paul to say “walk worthy,” he is saying that you must put forth an effort to complete the assigned task. When you walk worthy of the calling, Paul wrote to the Colossians, that such an effort will please the Lord because we will be striving to be fruitful in “every good work” (Col. 1:10). You and I should be putting forth the effort to be fruitful in doing the Lord’s work; you cannot be fruitful if you’re sitting down on the task that God has assigned to you.

Are you putting forth the effort?  As I have said quite a bit recently, many believers are either going lukewarm in their hearts where they don’t care to do the task that God has assigned them to do.  While others, on the other hand, are supposedly doing what God has assigned them to do but they do it out of bitterness and not truly completing the task.

God’s Assignment

God has a task for you, do you know what your assignment is?  Don’t think for one second that you completed His task by joining church, being baptized, going to church every Sunday, and bible study every Wednesday.  Don’t you think for one second that you have completed the task by joining a church ministry, choir, usher board, or becoming a deacon.  Doing these things is great, but again, we must not turn these roles into roles of religion, we must serve sincere actions of faith.

You see, if you don’t plan on taking action in your faith, why did you come to God and believe in Him?  Was it truly for some church role, power, and authority?  I hope not!

You and I must remember that when Jesus called the first of His disciples, He called for them to follow Him and in doing so, He would make them “fishers of men” (Matt. 4:18-19). Many of us may think that our assignment is solely to get to heaven, but I’d point out to you that when Jesus called His disciples, He doesn’t even mention heaven in the call!

To be clear, heaven is certainly promised to all who truly believe (John 3:16). However, as a child of God, we must realize that Jesus has a task for us that needs to be done. You see, after His resurrection, Jesus said to the disciples that He fulfilled what was written in the Law of Moses as it was necessary that repentance and remission of sins “should be preached” in His name to all nations (Luke 24:44-49).

Building Up Each Other

God has a task for you and it does not call on you to be selfish.  You and I are tasked with preaching to others to turn away from sin; we are to preach God’s mercy and forgiveness!  God has a task for you and that task calls on you to guide others — to help build them up!  

Philip’s example of carrying out God’s assignment

In Acts 8, Luke recorded a very beautiful example for us to follow when it comes to the task of guiding others. Acts 8 follows Philip, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples as he labors for the Lord. Philip is shown carrying out his assignment of preaching Christ in Samaria where many heeded his words, were healed physically and spiritually; scripture tells us that there was much joy (Acts 8:5-8).

After his laboring in Samaria, we are told that an angel of God spoke to Philip and told him to go toward the south along the road which went down from Jerusalem to Gaza (Acts 8:26). This particular verse makes it a point to point out that Philip was headed to the desert; some of us would say that God was sending Philip to the middle of nowhere.

Why would God send him out to the middle of nowhere? Scripture tells us that there was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch of Candace, the queen of Ethiopia, that was in need of help out in the middle of nowhere (Acts 8:27); this goes to show that God is with you even in the middle of nowhere and can get help to you.

The eunuch had been worshiping in Jerusalem and was on his way back home after worship. While he was returning home, the eunuch was reading a passage of scripture from Isaiah 53 and had gotten stuck on a certain part (Acts 8:32-33). The Holy Spirit, scripture tells us, said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot (Acts 8:29).”

So, again, let’s be clear, God was not merely sending Philip to the middle of nowhere — God had an assignment for him!  Something my dad taught me when I was growing up is that with God, there is no such thing as coincidence and luck.  You see, with God, there is always a reason and a purpose for how He uses you and others!  

Some believers complain or are reluctant to take on God’s assignment and how He chooses to use them.  You see, some seek to do mighty works for God so that they can be praised and glorified by others – don’t you ever think this way.  Some seek to carry out God’s assignment solely for gaining great wealth – don’t you ever think this way.  Sadly, there are many more that think the assignment is too tall for them to handle – don’t think this way, trust the Lord!

I want you to  notice that Philip did not complain one time about his assignment.  Philip did not complain about where the Lord had sent him or that God had sent him to help a Gentile.  Philip simply accepted the task and listened to the Spirit. 

Guiding others to the truth

As Philip ran up to the eunuch, he could hear the man reading from Isaiah, and in our key verse, Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” To which the eunuch responded that he needed some guidance.

The eunuch, I want you to understand, did not need help with reading – he knew how to read.  The eunuch needed help in understanding what he was reading!  God sent Philip to this man to help guide him to know the divine truth of God.  Do you now see what your assignment is from the Lord?

I love the eunuch’s admission to the fact that he needed someone to help guide him to understanding!  You see, in order for anyone to ever truly gain understanding, one must be able to admit when they do not understand.  I especially believe this to be true when it comes to trying to understand the word of God.

As it is said in the book of Proverbs, to understand a proverb and an enigma (wise words), one must attain wise counsel (Prov. 1:5-6). God has a task for you to be that wise counsel and help guide those that lack understanding to an understanding of the divine truth. You see, many find scripture to be nonsensical and will put God’s word down believing that something is wrong with God’s word, when the problem isn’t His word.

For all of us who are now elders in this walk of faith because we have been walking in faith for quite some time, we have an assignment to impart our wisdom. As Paul wrote to Timothy, the believer must be ready at all times to convince, rebuke, exhort with all patience and teaching (2 Tim. 4:2). As we know, the principles that we as believers live by are to impart what is necessary for edification (uplifting) to those who are open to understanding God’s word and growing in it (Eph. 4:29).

Philip could have been like some are today; he could have believed himself to be too big for this task and not taken it on. Yet, in the second of my key verses, we see that Philip chose to sit with the eunuch. Philip conducted himself with a lowly, caring, and tender heart – he was compassionate.

I believe that Philip remembered the day that Jesus was compassionate towards him when he had suggested that Jesus show him and others the Father as proof for who He was (John 14:9-11). Philip could have been like those of the lukewarm church of the Laodiceans and chose not to go to the middle of nowhere or he could have been bitter towards him. What good would that have done for the eunuch and even for Philip? Such an act would have hurt the soul of both the eunuch and Philip.

So Philip, we’ll see, sat with the eunuch and helped him know about the Suffer Servant of Isaiah 53. In taking on the task that God had for him, Philip helped the eunuch come to know his savior (Acts 8:34-35). Scripture tells us that as they went down the road, they saw some water, and with the eunuch desiring to be baptized, Philip baptized him (Acts 8:36-38). Philip completed that task from the Lord, and I want you to take a look at what was accomplished – the eunuch rejoice (Acts 8:39).

Drawing Others to Christ

Again, I repeat to you, God has a task for you and in that task, God desires for you to draw others to His only begotten Son – you are to be fishers of others. This was a task that the collective Church did back in the day. I recall how people like my dad would tell anybody about Christ without any shame, but nowadays, we barely groan in the church for Christ.

Fishers of men

Today, I want you to understand that all believers are to preach repentance; we are to all preach the remission of sins!  I say that and I do not want you to be that believer that looks around the room and says, who me?  Yes, you, as a child of God, are to let others know that they should turn away from wickedness and that the Lord will show them mercy – a second chance – and forgive them when they correct their way! 

Sadly, too many of us have not accepted the task God has given to us which has resulted in many souls still dwelling in the well of sin.  After Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples would have left many souls in the well had they carried about doing what they began to do.  You see, after His death and resurrection, some of the disciples planned on going back to living their old lives out on the sea.

Yet, when Jesus appeared to the disciples by the sea and fed them, He pulled Peter to the side and spoke to him. To Peter, Jesus asked him, “Do you love Me?” Of course, Peter responded that he did love Jesus. Jesus asked him this same question two more times and each time Peter said that he loved Christ. To his responses, Jesus said to Peter, “feed My lambs, tend My sheep, and feed My sheep (John 21:15-17).”

You see, this was Jesus telling Peter that there were souls that needed for him to clock in and do the task that had been assigned to him.  Few of us realize this because we think God’s task falls solely at the feet of the preacher, but we are all supposed to do our part and clock in; we are to help guide others to the Lord.  You see, there are many around you that are in need of someone guiding them to the Lord.

The question that we all must answer is whether or not we are truly helping others?  Yes, we should certainly give to others what we have to give, but let us also consider the greater help we can in guiding others to gain understanding and know the Lord.  

The values and principles of the faith that we live by, is to enlighten and guide others.  So, as Paul encouraged the Philippians, “do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world (Phil. 2:14:15).”