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TheBookofActspart24TheGreatestEvangelismStrategy:GetPeopleReadingtheBible
Acts8:26-40|LonSolomon–SeniorPastorActs8:1“AgreatpersecutionaroseagainstthechurchwhichwasatJerusalem;andtheywereallscatteredthroughouttheregionsofJudeaandSamaria,excepttheapostles.”
Acts8:4“Thereforethosewhowerescatteredwenteverywherepreachingtheword.”
Acts8:5“ThenPhilip(Acts6:5)wentdowntothecityofSamariaandpreachedChristtothem.”
Acts8:6“AndthemultitudeswithoneaccordheededthosethingswhichPhilipspoke,hearingandseeingthemiracleswhichhedid.”
Acts8:8“Andtherewasgreatjoyinthatcity.”
Acts8:26“AndanangeloftheLordspoketoPhilip,saying,‘AriseandgotowardtheSouth,totheroadwhichgoesdownfromJerusalemtoGaza.’Thisisdesert.”
Acts8:27a“Sohe(Philip)aroseandwent.”Biblicalfaithdoesn’tDEMANDthatGodexplainHimself.
Acts8:27b-28“Andbehold,amanofEthiopia,aeunuchofgreatauthorityunderCandice,thequeenoftheEthiopians,whohadchargeofallhertreasury,hadcometoJerusalemtoworship,andwasreturning.Andsittinginhischariot,hewasreadingIsaiahtheprophet.”
#1–HewasaEUNUCH#2–HewasaWEALTHYMAN#3–HewasaPOWERFULMAN
Acts8:27“...aeunuchOFGREATAUTHORITYunderCandice,thequeenoftheEthiopians,whohadchargeofALLHERTREASURY.”
#4–HewasaRELIGIOUSMANTheBiblesays(1Kings10)thattheQueenofShebavisitedKingSolomonandJesusCONFIRMEDTHISinMatthew12:42.
AccordingtoEthiopianChurchtradition(KEBRANAGAST),shereturnedtheEthiopiaPREGNANTwithSolomon’sfirst-bornson(MELENIK),whoestablishedtheworshipofJehovahGodinEthiopia.
Acts8:29“ThentheSpiritsaidtoPhilip,‘Gonearandovertakethischariot.’”
Acts8:30“AndPhiliprantohim,andheardhimreadingtheprophetIsaiah,andsaid,‘Doyouunderstandwhatyouarereading?’”
Acts8:31“Andhe(eunuch)said,‘HowcanI,unlesssomeoneguidesme?’AndheaskedPhiliptocomeupandsitwithhim.”
Acts8:32-33“TheplaceintheScripturewhichhereadwasthis:‘Hewasledasasheeptotheslaughter, Andlikealambissilentbeforeitsshearer, SoHedidnotopenHismouth. InHishumiliation,justicewasdeniedHim, AndwhocandescribeHisgeneration?ForHislifeistakenupfromtheearth.’”
Acts8:34“AndtheeunuchansweredPhilipandsaid,‘Iaskyou,ofwhomdoestheprophetsaythis,ofhimselforofsomeotherman?’”
Acts8:35“ThenPhilipopenedhismouth,andbeginningatthisScripture,preachedJESUStohim.”
Evenonlyayearortwoafterthecross,theearlybelievershadaCRYSTALCLEARunderstandingofbiblicalCHRISTOLOGY:namely,thatJesuswastheSUFFERINGSERVANTOFISAIAH53.
Luke22:37“ForIsaytoyouthatthiswhichiswrittenmuststillbeaccomplishedINME:‘Andhewasnumberedwiththetransgressors.”(Isaiah53:12)
Acts8:36“Andastheywentdowntheroad,theycametosomewater.Andtheeunuchsaid,‘See,hereiswater.Whathindersmefrombeingbaptized?’”
Acts8:37“AndPhilipsaid,‘Ifyoubelievewithallyourheart,youmay.’Andhe(eunuch)answeredandsaid,‘IbelievethatJesusChrististheSonofGod.’”
Acts8:38“Andhecommandedthechariottostandstill.AndbothPhilipandtheeunuchwentdownintothewater,andhe(Philip)baptizedhim(eunuch).”
Deuteronomy23:1“HewhoisemasculatedbymutilationcannotfullybelongtotheLORD’s(Jewish)people.”Themancouldn’tconverttoJUDAISM–butheCOULDconverttoJESUS!
Acts8:39a“Andwhentheyhadcomeupoutofthewater,theSpiritoftheLordcaughtPhilipaway,sothattheeunuchsawhimnomore...”
Greek“harpazo”=SNATCHAWAY,CATCHUP -TheRapture–1Thessalonians4:17 -ApostlePaulintoheaven–2Corinthians12:2
Philip’sdisappearancewasCLEARLYaSUPERNATURALEVENT.
Acts8:39b“Andhe(eunuch)wentonhiswayrejoicing.”
TheChurchFatherIrenaeus(AGAINSTHERESIES)tellsusthatthiseunuchwenthomeandbecameaMISSIONARYtoallthepeopleofEthiopia.
Whenthefirstforeignmissionary(Frumentius)cametoEthiopiainc.300A.D.,herecordsthattherewasALREADYaSIZABLEChristiancommunitythere.
SOWHAT?
Acts8:39b“...he(theeunuch)wentonhiswayREJOICING.”
“Joy”isa“fruitoftheSpirit”(Galatians5:22)–whichweonlyGET–whenweGETJESUS!
TheeunuchwasREADINGTHEBIBLE–anditwasTHESCRIPTURESthathadSOFTENEDHISHEART,andmadehimRECEPTIVEandREADYtoembraceJesus.
John5:39“YousearchtheScriptures,becauseyouthinkthatinthemyouhaveeternallife;anditistheythatBEARWITNESSTOME.”
IfyouwantpeopletofindJesus,thengetthemintotheScriptures!