Phillip The Evangelist | Greg Ford | One Church
MESSAGE NOTES
Phillip The Evangelist
I can love someone & be frustrated with them simultaneously
I can be frustrated with you and frustrated with myself simultaneously
Dualistic thinking is choosing one side and eliminating the other. Don’t try to eliminate the struggle
Hold the parts together and see things in their wholeness, Including your imperfection
[Ephesians 2:10]
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
[Romans 12:3]
I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
[Philippians 2:3-4]
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
[Acts 1:8]
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
[Acts 2:41]
Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
[Acts 8:1]
A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.
Now the Christians were forced to do what they had been reluctant to do – get the message of Jesus out to the surrounding regions.
[Acts 8:4-6]
But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. 5 Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. 6 Crowds listened intently to Philip…
[Acts 8:12]
…the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized.
[Acts 8:25]
After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News.
[Acts 8:26-27]
As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
We might have thought that Philip would object to leaving the great success of the work in Samaria to go out to the desolate desert, but God had a plan in it all. Philip submitted to God’s plan.
“There were two roads from Jerusalem to Gaza, and the Spirit commands Philip to take the one that was seldom used.”
“We have seen him, from the day of Pentecost on, moving on multitudes; we now trace his motions in the individual, and see him in his individual dealing and leading – observing how he guides one believer and leads one inquirer.”
[Acts 8:27-31]
So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. 29 The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” 30 Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.
[Acts 8:35-38]
…Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. 36 As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” 38 He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
ICEBREAKER
What has been your favorite road trip or vacation during the holiday’s?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What is your honest response to the question, how are you doing?
Can you think of a time in your life that God used adverse circumstances to bring about His will in your life or to draw you closer to Him?
What aspect of your life do you need to be more open to letting God set you on a "different road"?
Have you found that your unexpected circumstance or "different roads" turned out to be exactly where God wanted you?
What are some of the imperfections in your life that has added great value to who you are today?
When you stand back and look at the whole picture of your life, what rises up in you, hope or disappointment?