Pulpit Speech II                                                KL Paulson
Preacher Silcox                                                   2-9-1999

Philip the Soul- Winner

TEXT: Acts 8:26-40

INTRODUCTION:

   -- RESPONSIBILITY of the Great Commission.
   -- EVERY Christian should have some part in a local church ministry of winning souls to the Lord Jesus Christ.

   -- For Jesus' sake (Luke 19:10) 

  -- the sake of Others 
         We must point them to Christ (John 1:29,36)
         Souls are perishing all around us, dying because of sin, 
           without God & without hope (Ephesians 2:12) 
         There is only ONE REMEDY for sin.
         Our duty is to urge lost souls to apply the free remedy.
         Repentance from sin to God & Faith in Christ (Act 20:21)

  -- Our Own sake 
         WARN sinners (Ezekiel 33:8)
         Rich REWARD in being faithful in trying to win souls (Proverbs 11:30; 
           Daniel 12:3)

   -- Philip was a model soul-winner.
   -- Many of the qualifications he possessed were those which any one of us may possess.

I. Philip had been a faithful layman. Now he was Serving as a Deacon. 

  -- Act 6:3,5 
  -- Deacon = a servant
  -- Philip was not one of the 12 apostles. 
       The apostles remained at Jerusalem (Acts 8:1)
  -- He was used of God in a mighty way.

II. Philip had a great Love for Souls, which is necessary for Christian Witness.

   A. Love for souls is not natural to the human heart, but God can give it to any saved person.

   B. How can we get a love for souls? 

   1. PRAY for such a love

   2. MEDITATE on the worth of a human soul & the fearful condition of the 
      lost.  

      They are under condemnation already.  
      They could drop into Hell at any moment.

III. Philip was in Communion with God, and was under the Guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

  A. He talked with God & knew when God spoke to him (8:26). 
     -- Call to "Arise, and go toward".

  B. We must constantly ask God's GUIDANCE: to WHERE to go
                                            to WHOM to speak
                                            WHEN to speak
                                            WHAT to say

  -- Philip was sensitive to the Lord's leading (vv. 26,29)
     Psalm 37:23

IV. Philip was Obedient.

   A. "he arose and went" (8:27) 

  -- He had been doing a great work in Samaria (see vv. 5-8)
     To human eyes it may have appeared more important to stay there, yet when 
     God ordered him to move to the Gaza desert, he instantly obeyed (see vv. 
     26-27) 

  -- God's ways may not be our ways.  His thoughts may not be our thoughts.

   B. "Go near" (8:29) -- confrontational evangelism 

   "Philip ran thither" (8:30) -- immediate action 

   The King's business requires haste.

V. Philip was a man taught in the Word of God. 

  A. The Ethiopian could not UNDERSTAND the words he read (8:31).
     X-ref: Isaiah Chapter 53: death (4-9) & resurrection (10b-12a)

     The NATURAL man (not born again) needs help to understand the Scriptures 
(I Corinthians 2:14) 

  B. Philip was able to take the Scriptures and show the Ethiopian the WAY of 
     salvation (see v. 35; Hebrews 4:12). 

  -- The Lord Jesus Christ is the Way (John 14:6) 

  -- Can we do that? 
  -- Can we sit down beside a seeking soul and 
       show him from the Bible how to be saved, 
       show him Verses that tell what he must do to be saved? (8:37)

  -- Every Christian ought to be PREPARED to do that. 
  -- (I Peter 3:15) 

  -- Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17) 

  -- Philip was ready to preach (II Timothy 4:2) 
       Whether to multitudes, or to one

   -- Philip consistently preached Christ (Acts 8:5,35)

VI. Philip was a Spirit-filled man.
   -- (Act 6:3-8)
   -- The Spirit had full control of him.

   -- Philip didn't rest after winning the Ethiopian.
   -- "the Spirit of the Lord" moved him on to "Azotus" (near Jerusalem) & later to "Caesarea" (8:39-40; Acts 21:8).

CONCLUSION:

   -- We shouldn't wait for God to send PERSECUTION in order for us to obey the Great Commission --> to go out and win souls, baptize them & equip these to do the same.

   -- We should be doing a good job in Evangelism & Follow-up now.

   -- We should try to reach as many as we are able by the grace of God.