05 may 1, 2016, acts 8;26-39, obedient

Acts 8:26-39Obedient

May 1, 2016First Baptist ChurchJackson, Mississippi

USA

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What’s the number one thing?

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The Glory of God!

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1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV 31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

May Memory Verse

John 13:34-3534

“A new commandment I give to you;

that you love one another: just as I

have loved you, you also are to love

one another.35

By this all people will

know that you are My disciples, if you

have love for one another.”

Do SomethingMedian Adults Service Day

Where: Mission FirstWhen: Saturday, May 21, 2016 —

8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Why: To be difference makers and

serve our neighbors.

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Sunday

Acts 9:3-9,15-20Converted

May 8, 2016First Baptist ChurchJackson, Mississippi

USA

Today

Acts 8:26-39Obedient

Acts 8:26-39 ESVPhilip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.

27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep He was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opens not His mouth.

33 In His humiliation justice was denied Him.

Who can describe His generation? For His life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Acts 8:26-39 ESV

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Ray Stedman 1917-1992

The verses (Acts 8:1-25) just before the passage that we are studying this morning (Acts 8:26-39), tell of Saul persecuting the early church, Philip leading a revival in Samaria and Simon the Magician who tried to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:1 ESV1 And Saul approved of his execution.

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scatteredthroughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Acts 1:8 ESV 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judeaand Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

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Tribal Allotments of Israel

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Northern and Southern Kingdoms

Samaria = Northern Kingdom was defeated by Assyrian in 722 BC and underwent forced settlement -which led to the Jews to look at the Samaritans as half-breeds.

Judea = Southern Kingdom

Today, the Judea/Samaria region is known as the West Bank territory, the west bank of the Jordan River.

This area is also known as Cisjordan(on this side of the Jordan River) as opposed to Transjordan (on the other side of the Jordan River).

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West Bank

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Cisjordan and Transjordan

Acts 8:2-3 ESV2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

Acts 8:4-9, 14-15, 18-20 ESVPhilip Proclaims Christ in Samaria

4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the Word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.

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6 And the crowds with one accord paid attentionto what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did.

7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.

Simon the Magician

9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.

14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalemheard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,

18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

Acts 8:4-9, 14-15, 18-20 ESV

Simon the Magician got jealous and wanted to purchase the Holy Spirit. • The Holy Spirit can’t be bought with

money or even with devotion. • He is a gift (given at salvation). • As a believers, we ask God daily to fill us

with His Holy Spirit. (we leak)

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Gnosticism is traced back to Simon the Magician who tradition says eventually went insane and buried himself alive.

Acts 8:25 ESV 25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the Gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

Acts 8:25 ESV 25 Now when they (Peter & John) had a) testified and b) spoken the word of the Lord, they

returned to Jerusalem, c) preaching the Gospel to many

villages of the Samaritans.

Three normal, orderly, Spirit filled activities (not extraordinary) that every Christian is to be doing:a) Testifyingb) Prophesyingc) Evangelizing

Testifying – not telling everybody else what they ought to be doing but telling others what God has done for you! You are the world’s leading expert on what God has done in your life. If you don’t tell what God has done in your life, who will?

Ephesians 2:10 ESV10 For we are His workmanship (God’s poem), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

If you don’t give voice to God’s poem (what God has done in your life), who else will?

Who better than you to tell the world what He has done for you and through you?

I am eternally grateful for my eternalsalvation and I am daily thankful for my daily salvation.

He saves me every day from fear, anxiety, depression, boredom and worry!

It is God Who is testifying through you. You just say ordinary things, you just talk about what the Lord means to you – how rich and real and comfortable He has become to you.

That simple witness will be picked up by the power of the Holy Spirit and resurrection power will be added to it and it will begin to do wonderful things – God will do it through you!

That’s what gives boldness!

Peter and John testified about what had happened to them.

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If you feel that you lack authority, then start talking about what God has done in your life. He has gone before you – Deut 31:8.

Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV 8 It is the LORD Who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Three normal, orderly, Spirit filled activities (not extraordinary) that every Christian is to be doing:a) Testifyingb) Prophesyingc) Evangelizing

Prophesying – proclaiming God’s Word!

You must know God’s word in order to proclaim it.

We are told to speak the Truth.

Ephesians 4:15a ESV 15a Rather, speaking the truth in love,

Three normal, orderly, Spirit filled activities (not extraordinary) that every Christian is to be doing:a) Testifyingb) Prophesyingc) Evangelizing

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Evangelizing – reaching lost people for Christ.

In Nik Ripken’s book, The Insanity of Obedience, he states that the persecuted Christians in Russian don’t record the miraculous accounts of deliverance by God from persecution because it is a common place, expected, normal activity of God.

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They reserve the term “miracle” for conversion experiences.

The greatest miracle of all is the transformationof a lost sinner into a child of God by the grace of God.

That is the miracle that meets the greatest need, lasts the longest, and costs the greatest price—the blood of God's Son.

Acts 5:12 ESV12 Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles.

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These church members in Acts 5 had seen lame people leaping and hypocritical people dyingand they well knew that these things were very real.

In our church, we have seen people from crippled marriages restored and other folks with crippled businesses get back on their feet.

We have also seen the spiritually dead brought to life, saved and baptized!

That is one miracle we can all participate in as we share the message of the Gospel, "the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes" (Romans 1:16).

We have a very bright future here at FBCJ, our best days are yet to be.

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Acts 5:14 ESV14 And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

Here in Acts we see three symbols of the Holy Spirit: 1. Tongues2. Fire3. Wind

Three symbols of the Holy Spirit in Scripture:

Tongues – proclamation of the truth –revealing God to men.

The filling by the Holy Spirit is always linked to the Word of God.

Acts 2:4 tells us that they were all filled with the Spirit and spoke.

Acts 2:4 ESV 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

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Later in Acts 4, Peter had been called before the Sanhedrin for healing in the name of Jesus the 40-year-old man who had been lame from birth, Peter “filled with the Holy Spirit” – spoke.

Acts 4:8 ESV 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders

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In the same chapter, it says again, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the Word of God.”

Acts 4:31 ESV 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Here in Acts we see three symbols of the Holy Spirit: 1. Tongues 2. Fire3. Wind

Fire – purifying. The judgment of God to keep the church honest, sincere, transparent, relevant and free of hypocrisy. • Acts 5 – Ananias and Sapphira• Acts 8 – Simon the Magician

Don’t pretend that you have it all together.

Those in the world can’t see God healing us if we hide our problems from them and then they say, “What a bunch of hypocrites! I want nothing to do with any of it.”

Allow them to see God at work in your life.

Let them see that all that is wrong in your life is brought under God’s judgment so they see His healing, His purifying, His fire in our midst!

Three symbols of the Holy Spirit in Scripture: 1. Tongues 2. Fire3. Wind

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Wind – His sovereignty to direct our activity.

Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:8;

John 3:8 ESV8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

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No one can predict Him.

He blows where He wants to blow.

No one knows where He comes from nor where He is going.

Dr. Frank Pollard said: We don’t know when nor from where the Spirit blows but we can have our sails set(through instant obedience) so that when He does blow, we can take advantage of His wind!

Leave room for the exciting adventure of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Our worship services should be orderly and well planned but we should also leave room for the unpredictable Holy Spirit in every meeting.

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You can’t plan a tornado –a mighty rushing wind!

Ephesians 3:20-21 ESV20 Now to Him Who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Our planning is limited to what we can askor think, He is not limited as we are so leave room for Him!

Most churches have predictable bulletins, printed in advance and dig channels for the flowing of the river of God and then line those channels with concrete and say, “Come, oh river of God, and flow through this channel we’ve made for You.

Then, to their dismay, there is only a little trickle that comes down and moves through.

Francesca Battistelli’s Song:"Holy Spirit"

There's nothing worth more That could ever come close Nothing can compare You're our living hope Your presence, Lord

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I've tasted and seen Of the sweetest of loves Where my heart becomes free And my shame is undone Your presence, Lord

[Chorus:]Holy Spirit, You are welcome hereCome flood this place and fill the atmosphere.Your glory, God, is what our hearts long forTo be overcome by Your presence, Lord

Your presence, Lord

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Let us become more aware of Your presenceLet us experience the glory of Your Goodness

Francesca Battistelli

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God has the freedom to interfere, the freedom to override, the right to change our agendas.

Go ahead and plan the number of things you expect God to do but put a box at the bottom of that list that says, “NONE OF THE ABOVE” and that is the box that God usually checks.

Church growth experts often do surveys and show what has been successful in the past with methods and techniques and gimmicks; then they put those things in books and sell them for people to study.

The first century church did not have anything like that to guide them in church growth.

But they were so very responsive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Philip was responsive – it says that he arose and went (ran) to something.

Elijah also ran, but he was running away from something (Jezebel).

He ran 100 miles and prayed to die.

The first thing God did for Elijah was to give him a good night’s sleep and two good meals (physical needs).

Then God took him to a place of deep emotional attachment – Mt Sinai – where there were great memories of God’s power and God’s presence.

As God ministered to Elijah’s soul, He showed him three great symbols: 1) A great wind2) A great earthquake3) A great fire

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But God was not in the wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire.

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Then God spoke in a still, small voice to Elijah to let him know that He was not intending to work through the things that Elijah expected Him to work through.

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God said, “No, instead I am going to work through an awakened consciousness of this whole land” and that is exactly what He did.

Acts 8 is a hinge of history because it is a turning point in the book of Acts.

Stephen is martyred in chapter 7 and the persecution is so severe in Jerusalem that most all of the Christians left town.

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Although it looked to them as if everything was falling apart; in reality, in God’s perfect plan, everything was falling into place (as we also see happening in our day).

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In Acts 1:8 Jesus had told His followers that “you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The persecution forced them into the areas where Jesus had predicted that they would be His witnesses.

Philip was one of the original seven deacons selected in Acts 6.

Acts 6:2-6 ESV2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.

3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, & Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.

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6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

Acts 6:2-6 ESV

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Jon Courson'sNT Application Commentary

In Acts 8:27 Philip arose and went to Gaza in instant obedience.

He went down to the desert – without saying, “what about the book signing? I’m so influential up here. There’s nothingdown there.”

God often doesn’t give you the full story up front.

He just wants you to do step 1 first.

He may not show you step 2 until you do step 1.

We want Him to show us steps 2,3 and 4; then maybe we will consider doing step 1.

That’s not how it works.

That’s one reason why the Christian life is so exciting.

He doesn’t show you the whole thing at once.

You just have to be obedient.

Dr. Thomas Watson experimented with caterpillars.

He took a large pot full of dirt and plants that caterpillars like to eat and placed lots of caterpillars – one next to the other – all around the rim of the pot and they began to move.

Each caterpillar following the one in front of him and they went around and aroundand around until each one of them finally died of starvation.

They were all within reach of caterpillar goodies to eat but did not partake because they assumed that the caterpillar in front of him knew where he was going.

Each one thought that the one in front of him was the leader.

Just like us (we go round and round and round), life is like a merry-go-round for many without the merry.

You just go round and round in circles.

So, what’s the problem?

Why should I go to the desert?

And you just keep going in circles – year after year after year until you feel like you are dying.

Could it be that the Lord spoke to you at some point and said, “Go to the desert!”

But you didn’t go because it did not make any sense to you at the time.

You didn’t go, you missed the adventureand you ended up going round and round and round, following the caterpillar in front of you.

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The key to the exciting, impacting Christian life is instant obedience.

John 14:21 ESV 21 Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest (disclose) Myself to him.

When you hear the Lord’s voice or feel the pull of the Holy Spirit – you go!

You just do it!

It is not foolishness nor being weird (Freddy).

When you know that God is telling you to share with someone or take on some project or do something practical but then you ask, “How am I going to pay for this?” or “What if this or that happens?”

Philip didn’t do that, he aroseimmediately and went and heard the eunuch reading Isaiah the prophet.

The eunuch was the second most powerful official in Ethiopia.

He was a God-fearer and his heart was still hungry after going to Jerusalem and seeing the ritualism and the traditionalismand people observing the Law.

He still wanted more so God sent Philip and the eunuch took the Gospel to Ethiopia!

God had already been using Philip in Samaria in a powerful way and now called him to go all the way down to Gaza to talk with this lone Ethiopian whom the Father saw was searching and hungering.

God will do whatever it takes to reach a person who is hungering for Him and desires to know Him.

How is God going to reach the unreached people groups?

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If their hearts are hungry – God will reach themand He gives us the opportunity (opportunity) to be involved in His business!

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If God lays someone on your heart – you need to be the one to go and tell them about Him.

This Ethiopian with a hungry heart wanted to know God and the Father prompted him to go to Jerusalem where he saw the vanity and the traditions and hypocrisyand left empty so then God told Philip, “You go down to Gaza.”

Philip goes and it was God’s plan in God’s timingto reach one person, one Ethiopian.

The Spirit told Philip to go near to the man and the Bible says that Philip “ran” to join him.

He did not say, “Oh well, OK.”

No, he ran!

It is wonderful to see someone full of enthusiasm and excited about ministry, service and obedience.

Enthusiasm means full of God.

En Theos = full of God.

An enthusiastic Christian is one who is full of God, full of the Holy Spirit!

2 Timothy 1:6-7 ESV 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 ESV 19 Do not quench the Spirit.

(Quench is the opposite of enthusiastic.)

Philip is a good example of enthusiasm personified.

He runs to this fellow and asks, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

The Ethiopian replies, “How can I except someone guide me?”

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He invites Philip to come sit with him.

The eunuch read, “Led as a sheep before shearers. Who shall declare His generation? His life was taken from the earth.”

The Ethiopian asked Philip, “Who is this talking about?”

Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture and preached unto him, Jesus(from OT).

Not Judaism - but Jesus!

Not denominationalism - but Jesus!

Not water baptism - but Jesus!

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As they went their way he came to some water and said, “See, here is water. What keeps mefrom being baptized?”

Philip replied, “If you believe with all of your heart, you may.”

Simon the magician believed in his head.

Philip says to the Ethiopian, “If you believe with all of your heart. If you really believe, you can be baptized.”

And he said, “I do believe that Jesus is the Son of God” so he commanded the chariot to stand still and they both went down into the water (for full immersion, not a jar full of water to sprinkle with).

Then they came up out of the water.

Immersion is the best way to be baptized.

You are buried and resurrected saying “I am perfectly forgiven.”

Cleansed!

He was ready, having seen Jerusalem and the emptiness there.

Jon Courson was baptizing folks in the Jordan River and some bystanders from Hungary were curiously watching what was happening.

They told one of his friends that your pastor takes this baptism thing very seriously.

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They had seen ceremonial baptisms that did not seem to convey as much meaning.

They had been to Jerusalem and had left somewhat empty and when they saw something real on the faces of the people being baptized, they knew that it was not just something ritualistic nor traditionalbut that it was dynamic and real.

They asked, “Can we be baptized?”

They were introduced to Jon and conversed with him through two different translators.

Jon spoke in English which was translated into Hebrew which was translated into Hungarianbecause Jon wanted to make sure that they knew what they were doing.

He thinks they understood.

Yes, we want to be baptized!

The Ethiopian wanted more than religion.

Religion means - ligate/bind.

He went down into the water and when they came out of the water the Spirit caught away Philip and the eunuch saw him no more and goes on his way rejoicing (not because he would not see Philip any longer.)

He was rejoicing in the fact that his sins are forgiven, he is going to Heaven, he has a reason for living and a fresh start in life.

He was celebrating!

Here he was, struggling in the Scriptures, he was on a pilgrimage to the Holy City, still empty - but now he finds his heart rejoicing.

When a person really understands the Gospel – the Good News – it is thrilling!

So Philip went about preaching (back to his normal routine), then settled in Caesarea and raised four daughters who all became prophetesses - right on the beach.

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Initially Philip was serving tables, then he became a significant evangelist in Samaria.

First he is a deacon, then an evangelist of real effectiveness, then goes on from there and does some personal work – out of the limelight – one on one ministry with the Ethiopian and then he finds himself raising a family.

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You will go through different seasons of ministry at different times in your life.

In your walk with the Lord there will be times when you are serving tables, then God may use you more publicly -dynamically - or it may be a season of private one on one work of hospitality, ministering away from the lime light.

Then God may have you focusing on the family

(good name for a ministry).

Philip found himself flowing – thrilled and enthusiastic at each stage.

Wherever he was – glowing for the Lord –flowing for the Lord.

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No agenda of his own, just growing and flowingand glowing.

Acts 21:8-9 ESV 8 On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied.

If you feel you are not being used as much as you once were or want to be or you ask yourself, “When will I ever have time with my family?” Or find yourself serving obscurely or doing menial tasks – know this – to everything there is a time and a season and a purpose.

There’s a time for ministering.

There’s a time for prioritizing the family.

There’s a time for ministering in the quiet ways.

There’s a time to be used in more radical ways.

You don’t have to be bummed or burdened and find yourself saying, “I should be doing more or I should be doing less.”

You just go with the flow – you walk with the Lord one step at a time and you’ll find yourself where you should be – just obey Him.

John 14:21 ESV21 Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest (show more) Myself to him.”

Don’t set your own agenda.

Don’t be a caterpillar, circling indefinitely, stavring to death!

Just respond to what He is saying to you.

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The Plan of Hope & Salvation

John 3:16 NKJV16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

John 14:6 NKJV6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

Romans 3:23 NKJV23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23a NKJV23 For the wages of sin is death,

• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died

in this life to pay the penalty for our sins. • The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second

death explained in Revelation 21:8.

Revelation 21:8 NKJV8 “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Romans 6:23 NKJV23b but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 5:8 NKJV8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Revelation 21:7 NKJV7 “He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”

• Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how become an overcomer.

Romans 10:9-10 NKJV9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Romans 10:13 NKJV13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”

If you have questions or would like to know more, Please, contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/