Weekly Sermons

Divine Appointments             Acts 8:26-40

Back in the 1930’s in the South of Wales there was a man known for being a hopeless drunk. His nickname was “Staffordshire Bill.”

Moments of rejection should not keep us from keeping our eyes open for the activity of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those He is _________. Today we’ll see God bring a Christian and a lost man together in a divine appointment.

Philip accepts a divine assignment                                       V. 26-27a

Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve those who are going to inherit salvation?                   -Hebrews 1:14

The secret of victory in the Christian life is saying ‘______________’ to God the Holy Spirit, one decision at a time.

An Ethiopian Official is being drawn unto _____________________                                                                                             V. 27b-28

Ambassadors will come from Egypt; Cush will stretch out its hands to God. Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord, to Him who rides in the ancient, highest heavens.       -Psalms 68:31-33

Eunuch – a male servant of a royal household in Bible times. Such servants were often emasculated by castration as a precautionary measure, especially if they served among the wives in a ruler’s harem (2 Kings 9:32).                           -Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary

The king was considered as a god and retired from public view, so that active government devolved on the queen mother, who always bore the title of Candice. Her ministers would be eunuchs and among them the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Secretary of the Treasury) would be one of the most important.                 –E.H. Trenchard

Philip __________________ a divine appointment             V. 29-35

The Ethiopian couldn’t understand the Scripture he was reading, because the scriptures don’t make sense without ______________!

Isaiah 53:7-8               Isaiah 52:13-53:12.

Philip is doing what Jesus Himself had modeled in Luke 24:27.

The Ethiopian believes and ___________________!           V. 36-39

He was ready to follow the Lord in believer’s baptism by immersion! Baptism is the ________ act of obedience new believers are called to.

Isaiah 56:3-8              

Philip gets carried away                                                        V. 39-40

He is taken to Azotus – this was another of the 5 Philistine cites, previously called Ashdod. It’s 20 miles North of Gaza! Philip joins Elijah and Enoch in sky-surfing!

It is well that it was in the South that this man was sought, found and washed clean. Burning with devotion in his breast he deserved to be consecrated to God as, so to speak, the firstfruits of the Gentiles. In him especially was fulfilled that saying of the psalmist, ‘Ethiopia will stretch out its hands to God.’ -Bede (673-735), Ancient Ch. Comm., 97

This passage shows us that God _____________ to use all kinds of Christians to reach all kinds of Non-Christians in all kinds of places!

“The old man’s face was transformed, alight, radiant. He sat up eagerly with outstretched arms and a beautiful smile on his face, as though welcoming his best of friends, and with that he was gone to that land of pure delight where saints immortal reign.”