Lessons for Going with the Gospel

Based on Acts 8 (ESV)

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

8 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. ² 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. ⁴ Now those who were scattered went about preaching [euangelizo] the word. (Acts 8:1-4, ESV)

1. God often uses something to bring about something in the accomplishment of his larger purposes.

2. God sometimes transforms those most to the gospel into bold witnesses for Jesus and the gospel.

⁵ Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed [kerusso] to them the Christ. ⁶ And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said [lego] 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. . . .

¹² But when they believed Philip as he preached good news [euangelizo] about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Acts 8:5-8, 12, ESV)

3. Sometimes our witness will be to the (mass evangelism).

4. The New Testament pattern is to ,  and then be .

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. ²⁹And 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. (Acts 8:26-31, ESV)

5. Sometimes our witness will be to at a time (personal evangelism).

6. needs the Lord – even those who are successful, wealthy, educated, and religious.

7. Our personal witness will be most effective when . . .

(1.) We follow the prompting of God’s .
(2.) We get enough to have a conversation.
(3.) We begin with good .
(4.) We are to continue the conversation.

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 [euangelizo] about Jesus. (Acts 8:32-35, ESV)

(5.) It is rooted in .
(6.) It focuses on the person and work of .
(7.) It calls for a response of repentance, faith, and .

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?” 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. ⁴⁰ But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel [euangelizo] to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. (Acts 8:36-40, ESV)

8. Those who respond to our witness by trusting and following Jesus  will experience great .

And when the Gentiles heard this,
they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord,
and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.
(Acts 13:48, ESV)