SPEAKER_01: A charge I have to keep, a God to glorify, a never dying soul to save and fit it for the sky.
SPEAKER_01: To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, may it in all my power engage to do my master's will.
SPEAKER_01: Do it, Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Your servant is listening.
SPEAKER_01: In Jesus' name we pray.
SPEAKER_01: So I heard uh ugly rumor.
SPEAKER_01: I don't know how true it is that there were like bets uh going around the congregation on how quickly I would trip up the stairs again, like I did a couple of weeks ago.
SPEAKER_01: And if anybody has has uh uh won that bet that I did not make sure that I get half of that before this is all over.
SPEAKER_01: Because it's on it's on me.
SPEAKER_01: So we're here today.
SPEAKER_01: One of the hardest things, and if we're honest about it, one of the hardest and most awkward things that we can do is actually have a conversation or talk about Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And I know you're looking at me now.
SPEAKER_01: Don't look at me now.
SPEAKER_01: Again, yeah, it's too late.
SPEAKER_01: They about to lock the doors.
SPEAKER_01: Uh, so it's too late.
SPEAKER_01: Don't look at me like that.
SPEAKER_01: It is it's awkward.
SPEAKER_01: If you think about it, it's really awkward to talk about Jesus because in here we get a little bold.
SPEAKER_01: We're bolder than we would be outside of these doors.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, when we're in here, we can shout hallelujah, we can shout glory to God, and we say all of these wonderful things.
SPEAKER_01: But then when we have the opportunity, when we come to work, like uh uh uh you go to church?
SPEAKER_01: What church do you go to?
SPEAKER_01: You you know what I'm talking about.
SPEAKER_01: You've done it before.
SPEAKER_01: Uh matter of fact, okay, okay, okay.
SPEAKER_01: I don't want y'all to think that it's just you all, it's me too.
SPEAKER_01: There was a time that I can recall that I was going to witness to somebody.
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I had prepared myself mentally.
SPEAKER_01: I had all the things going.
SPEAKER_01: It was so wonderful.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, I had my scriptures lined up and I could give you uh both uh the address and the number to the address.
SPEAKER_01: I mean, I had it all together.
SPEAKER_01: I had my Easter speech ready, I was ready to go.
SPEAKER_01: I mean, in about 15, 20 minutes, I was gonna save the world.
SPEAKER_01: And I was like, okay, I got it.
SPEAKER_01: But before I could even get going, the whole conversation went sideways.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, I want to say it sounded something like this.
SPEAKER_01: Hey, let me be uh I remember I walked me walk the feeling of having all of this stuff and having prepared and had been ready.
SPEAKER_01: I walked away.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, I just messed up.
SPEAKER_01: That Lord, I I could have done better.
SPEAKER_01: But God showed me something.
SPEAKER_01: Y'all want to know what he showed me?
SPEAKER_01: I know you do because y'all nosy.
SPEAKER_01: I know you wanted to.
SPEAKER_01: I figured that.
SPEAKER_01: What he showed me was that you do not need to be perfect or even have a perfect witness, but you do need to be willing.
SPEAKER_01: You don't have to be perfect, you have to be willing.
SPEAKER_01: And the good news is that God will always use ordinary people.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, if you roll through scripture all throughout scripture, God has used ordinary people to press his way forward in this world.
SPEAKER_01: There's never a time that he's used the perfect people, the smartest people, the right people, the good-looking people, even though I mean y'all see it.
SPEAKER_01: I don't need to say nothing.
SPEAKER_01: Y'all see it.
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I'm an exception.
SPEAKER_01: Uh, he does use good-looking people sometimes.
SPEAKER_01: So here it is.
SPEAKER_01: God uses people, not perfect people, just those who are simply available, those who can make themselves available, those who are made available through whatever life brings.
SPEAKER_01: And this is where we're at.
SPEAKER_01: We're in Acts chapter 8, and what Acts chapter 8 is trying to show us here is what happens when God uses ordinary people.
SPEAKER_01: He can do it.
SPEAKER_01: The text really is ultimately not about Philip.
SPEAKER_01: And though Philip is intertwined in the text, he's he's kind of heavy in the text, and it's not about him being impressive.
SPEAKER_01: It has nothing about Philip being impressive whatsoever.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, the text is all about Jesus and how he pursues his people.
SPEAKER_01: Before Philip ever even made it to the desert road, Jesus was already working.
SPEAKER_01: I'll line it out for you.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, Jesus prepared the road.
SPEAKER_01: Would you agree with me?
SPEAKER_01: Jesus prepared the heart.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, Jesus prepared the scripture and the precise moment.
SPEAKER_01: And Philip is not the savior in this entire story.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus is.
SPEAKER_01: And somebody ought to thank God.
SPEAKER_01: If I can get this about four or five people in here, to thank God because salvation is not dependent on our perfection.
SPEAKER_01: And I don't know who needs to hear that, but it's really good to meet that it is not uh dependent on me because I'm gonna tell you right now, if it was dependent on me, y'all in trouble.
SPEAKER_01: Because I'm imperfect, I'm flawed, I'm frail.
SPEAKER_01: Well, here it is.
SPEAKER_01: The beauty of God's grace is that God uses imperfect people.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, God works through imperfect people, He uses nervous people, He uses interrupted people, He uses distracted people, He uses tired people, He uses weary people, He uses all kinds of people just because He can.
SPEAKER_01: And I'm glad about it because some of us still stumble through our witness, even right now.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, there are some times that I get tongue-tied.
SPEAKER_01: Believe it or not, I know I can talk a lot.
SPEAKER_01: If you ever talk to me, you know I talk a lot, but sometimes I go.
SPEAKER_01: But here it is.
SPEAKER_01: Even in those times, God in a still small voice is saying, If you make yourself available, I'll make myself known.
SPEAKER_01: You available.
SPEAKER_01: He'll do all the other work.
SPEAKER_01: But here it is.
SPEAKER_01: Our problem is, and this is it.
SPEAKER_01: Are you are we sure that the doors are locked?
SPEAKER_01: Just want to make sure.
SPEAKER_01: Because you're in here with me now.
SPEAKER_01: Our problem is that we do not want God.
SPEAKER_01: It's not that we don't want God to use us.
SPEAKER_01: Our problem really comes is that we want God to use us conveniently.
SPEAKER_01: You know, I can do it.
SPEAKER_01: I should be able to do it.
SPEAKER_01: I get off about five o'clock.
SPEAKER_01: You shouldn't mess with anything I got going on.
SPEAKER_01: We we we we want God to create no discomfort in our lives when we're getting ready to move forward with whatever it is, as long as we're comfortable.
SPEAKER_01: But we want what we want is ministry without interruption.
SPEAKER_01: We want purpose without discomfort, we want impact without awkwardness.
SPEAKER_01: We we want all of these things, but God has a habit of disrupting ordinary life.
SPEAKER_01: Would you agree with me?
SPEAKER_01: And he fills that ordinary life with divine moments all the time.
SPEAKER_01: Many times we ignore the nuds.
SPEAKER_01: We resist the interruption because you know, once we're on track, we like to stay on track.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, we avoid the conversation.
SPEAKER_01: Sometimes we won't even.
SPEAKER_01: What about this one?
SPEAKER_01: This one.
SPEAKER_01: We talk ourselves out of obedience.
SPEAKER_01: And if you are, I can identify with Philip, just like Philip, we also, if God, if you're gonna use me, tell me the whole plan before we get started, because I need to make sure that your work is correct.
SPEAKER_01: How dare we?
SPEAKER_01: We have to know God's plan.
SPEAKER_01: We want him to explain himself, the sovereign one, to explain himself to us so that we know how to move accordingly.
SPEAKER_01: What?
SPEAKER_01: But here it is.
SPEAKER_01: If you know God, like I know God, God does not give you the entire plan.
SPEAKER_01: What he will do is give you step by step.
SPEAKER_01: He'll give you one step at a time.
SPEAKER_01: And here it is.
SPEAKER_01: Since people matter to God, we must learn to respond when the Holy Spirit may be leading us to help someone find their way to him or find their way back to him.
SPEAKER_01: But here, how do we do that?
SPEAKER_01: Well, I'm glad you asked me because you all are wonderful students and you always have wonderful questions for me.
SPEAKER_01: It brings me to my first point.
SPEAKER_01: We follow the Holy Spirit boldly.
SPEAKER_01: Now, here it is.
SPEAKER_01: Acts chapter 8 really opens up at the death of Stephen, who was the first martyr who was stoned.
SPEAKER_01: It starts out very beautifully that Paul approved of all of the things that were happening.
SPEAKER_01: As a matter of fact, persecution was breaking out in the church.
SPEAKER_01: They were killing people, they were running people off, and they did all of these things.
SPEAKER_01: And what really looked like destruction was actually what I would call divine deployment, because God was doing all of these things to move his church forward.
SPEAKER_01: There was no accident that the church would then scatter.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, let's look at scripture because the Bible says in Acts uh the fourth, uh, Acts, the eighth chapter, the fourth verse.
SPEAKER_01: Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.
SPEAKER_01: Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them.
SPEAKER_01: Now, notice this.
SPEAKER_01: The church, the pressure of the pressure of what was going on scattered them.
SPEAKER_01: It forced the gospel to spread.
SPEAKER_01: And the enemy thought that he was crushing the church.
SPEAKER_01: But what he did was he actually pushed the church into its purpose.
SPEAKER_01: Can I put a nickel in a meter right here?
SPEAKER_01: Because this is a very preachy moment for me.
SPEAKER_01: We are creatures of comfort.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, we love being comfortable, and we do all we can to maintain that comfortable status, but here it is.
SPEAKER_01: I have a truth bomb for you.
SPEAKER_01: In order to move and to grow, this comfort is necessary.
SPEAKER_01: The uncomfortable is necessary.
SPEAKER_01: We can't be comfortable all the time, and sometimes it is that very thing that made you uncomfortable.
SPEAKER_01: That very thing God used to move you into his assignment for you.
SPEAKER_01: Some of us, if you're like me, some of us would never move if we were not made to be uncomfortable.
SPEAKER_01: But God allows pressure.
SPEAKER_01: So here it is.
SPEAKER_01: Now Philip goes down to Samaria and revival breaks out.
SPEAKER_01: You know, people are being delivered, there are miracles going on, miracles are happening everywhere.
SPEAKER_01: You get a miracle, and you get a miracle, and you get a miracle.
SPEAKER_01: Everybody gets a miracle, and lives are changing.
SPEAKER_01: But then here comes God.
SPEAKER_01: Saying, Philip, look at what Acts uh 8 and 26 say.
SPEAKER_01: It says, But the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.
SPEAKER_01: And then in parentheses, you'll notice this is a desert road.
SPEAKER_01: Now I have a problem here because hold on, God.
SPEAKER_01: Now you said revival is going on and all of the wonderful things are happening.
SPEAKER_01: I mean, lives are changing, people being delivered, souls are being saved, everybody in there shouting and falling out and passing out over the place.
SPEAKER_01: And you mean to tell me you want me to trade all of this to go out to the desert?
SPEAKER_01: Well, why would I do that when I got it so good right here?
SPEAKER_01: Why would I why would I go out to the desert when all of this is going on?
SPEAKER_01: This is a good time for me.
SPEAKER_01: But the intentionality of the desert road is very important, and I want for us to hold on to it because where God is leading us sometimes does not always look as fruitful as where we've been.
SPEAKER_01: Some of us become frustrated in our dry seasons, some of us become uh uh upset when we have dry seasons, but there is divine appointment even on desert roads.
SPEAKER_01: Now, what is a desert road?
SPEAKER_01: A desert road can mean anything to you.
SPEAKER_01: Sometimes it's a classroom, sometimes it could be your own house, sometimes it's a convenience store where you just feel the urge but don't know how to properly communicate the love of Christ to someone and speak to them.
SPEAKER_01: And here it is: God gives direction to Philip, but no details, no explanation, no outcome, and no full plan.
SPEAKER_01: God just tells Philip, go.
SPEAKER_01: And if we're honest, it's difficult for us because we love details.
SPEAKER_01: I like to be in the details.
SPEAKER_01: I like to know who all is gonna be there.
SPEAKER_01: I like to know what's going on, I like to know what's happening, what is the point of it all, what are we doing this for?
SPEAKER_01: Uh, and is it gonna pay off?
SPEAKER_01: We like the confirmations, we like the the the we like the guarantees, we like the timeline, we like the backup plan.
SPEAKER_01: If it don't work out, then what we want God to explain everything before we obey anything.
SPEAKER_01: Interesting, interesting.
SPEAKER_01: But you know what I've discovered?
SPEAKER_01: I've discovered that faith doesn't work like that.
SPEAKER_01: You know, faith, the faith is the evidence of things not seen, the substance of things, uh uh, the substance of things hoped for.
SPEAKER_01: That that that's faith.
SPEAKER_01: Faith means that we trust God before all the answers arrive, that you have to take the step even when you can't see the staircase, because that is what faith is all about.
SPEAKER_01: And I know that in our in our in our minds we try to work out, we have all these unanswered questions, and that forces us to shut down our obedience because we're worried about what if somebody rejects me?
SPEAKER_01: What if I look weird?
SPEAKER_01: What if I sound awkward?
SPEAKER_01: What if I say the wrong thing?
SPEAKER_01: But here it is.
SPEAKER_01: Philip moves anyway, and in verse 27, it says, so he got up and went.
SPEAKER_01: Simple sentence, very powerful statement of obedience.
SPEAKER_01: He got up and he went.
SPEAKER_01: Delayed obedience is still disobedience.
SPEAKER_01: I've had to learn that the hard way when God told me to do something, and I just kind of took my time.
SPEAKER_01: And the whole time it got harder and harder and harder.
SPEAKER_01: And this is what, you know, I'm from the country, so this is what my grandfather would say.
SPEAKER_01: My grandfather would say, I don't chew my cabbage twice, which which literally means he only gonna tell me one time, and the next time that's it.
SPEAKER_01: So when God speaks to us, we have to learn how to just trust him and move.
SPEAKER_01: There is a plan that even though we can't see it, we know that he's always, I say it all the time, God is always up to something.
SPEAKER_01: He's always up to something.
SPEAKER_01: Sometimes God wants is waiting on us to move, and somebody in here keeps praying for another sign while God keeps saying, I've already told you what to do.
SPEAKER_01: Text a person, call that friend, have that conversation, invite them to church.
SPEAKER_01: Now, now there okay, so let me break it down.
SPEAKER_01: I have in Robert's world, there's not a lot of people there, but there are a few people that are there.
SPEAKER_01: So in in Robert's world, there are uh three types of people you have Walmartarians, then you have targetarians, and then um there's a hybrid that is the the uh Walgutarians.
SPEAKER_01: They're you know, they go together.
SPEAKER_01: So I don't want anybody in here to get all weird and spooky and walk up to somebody in Walmart, the served the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, uh in today's climate, they a couple of things gonna happen.
SPEAKER_01: They're probably gonna swing on you, or they'll think you're crazy, they're gonna call the police.
SPEAKER_01: So take off running if you do that.
SPEAKER_01: Um lots of things can happen if uh, you know.
SPEAKER_01: But but here's what obedience really sounds like.
SPEAKER_01: Y'all wanna know?
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna give you seek, I'm gonna take a secret real quick.
SPEAKER_01: So, what obedience really is, is sometimes it sounds exactly like this.
SPEAKER_01: How are you really doing?
SPEAKER_01: You've been on my mind lately.
SPEAKER_01: I'm just calling a check on you.
SPEAKER_01: Do you have a moment?
SPEAKER_01: I can pray for you really quick.
SPEAKER_01: That that's that's what it looked like.
SPEAKER_01: So here it is.
SPEAKER_01: We have to follow the spirit boldly, and then we have to listen to people thoroughly.
SPEAKER_01: Listen to people thoroughly.
SPEAKER_01: And here it is.
SPEAKER_01: Verse 27 continues, and it says, And there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, and he had come to Jerusalem to worship.
SPEAKER_01: Now, watch God.
SPEAKER_01: Philip obeys and discovers that God had already been moving and had prepared somebody already.
SPEAKER_01: I mean, he God did it.
SPEAKER_01: He already baked it.
SPEAKER_01: He already baked the cake.
SPEAKER_01: All you gotta do is slice it.
SPEAKER_01: And then verse 28.
SPEAKER_01: And he was returning and sitting in his chariot and was reading the prophet Isaiah.
SPEAKER_01: Listen at this.
SPEAKER_01: The man was already searching.
SPEAKER_01: He was already reading, he was already hungry, he was already uh wrestling spiritually.
SPEAKER_01: And in verse 29, then the spirit said to Philip, Go up and join this chariot.
SPEAKER_01: Now notice this Philip still did not receive the whole plan.
SPEAKER_01: He received the next step, and when Philip gets there, he does something that many of us forget to do.
SPEAKER_01: He listens.
SPEAKER_01: He said, in verse 30, it says, Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, Do you understand what you're reading?
SPEAKER_01: He asked the question before he gave the speech.
SPEAKER_01: This is where it gets deep here, because some of us are preparing answers before people even finish talking.
SPEAKER_01: And I'm guilty.
SPEAKER_01: I'm guilty of it.
SPEAKER_01: I know what you're saying.
SPEAKER_01: Uh, I'm guilty of that too.
SPEAKER_01: I like to talk and I like to have all of the conversation back and forth.
SPEAKER_01: Some of us uh really don't listen to understand.
SPEAKER_01: Some of us actually listen to reload.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, before somebody even finished saying it, damn, we already ready.
SPEAKER_01: We already know what we're gonna say.
SPEAKER_01: And if you talk to a couple people in the room, they'll already tell you that I am a champion of reloading.
SPEAKER_01: I I do.
SPEAKER_01: Uh I just do have a bit.
SPEAKER_01: Let me.
SPEAKER_01: Some of us don't listen to understand.
SPEAKER_01: We listen to reload.
SPEAKER_01: Now, what my grandmother told me, because y'all know I love my grandparents, but my grandmother told me that you have two ears to listen and one mouth to talk.
SPEAKER_01: But I do, I, you know, smarter me now at this age, at my young age now.
SPEAKER_01: I know that I also have two lips.
SPEAKER_01: But I don't want to be smart at the mouth.
SPEAKER_01: So I'll just leave it alone.
SPEAKER_01: So I'll just leave that.
SPEAKER_01: You know, my grandma was right.
SPEAKER_01: Don't argue with me.
SPEAKER_01: My grandmama was right.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you very much.
SPEAKER_01: But Fierce, this is what I want us to understand is that Philip slowed down just enough to hear the man and hear he was struggling before even speaking into a soul.
SPEAKER_01: So here it is.
SPEAKER_01: And the eunuch says to Philip, Well, how could I unless someone guides me?
SPEAKER_01: Fierce, there are people all around us that are hurting.
SPEAKER_01: And many times they do not need someone to overpower them.
SPEAKER_01: They do not need someone to outtalk them.
SPEAKER_01: They do not need someone to just beat them up.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, they simply need somebody to hear them.
SPEAKER_01: And matter of fact, when you have a fruit tree in my grandparents' garden, we used to have an apple tree, and my grandfather never had to take a jackhammer to the tree to get the apples to come down.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, when the fruit is ripe, all you have to do is pull it off the tree.
SPEAKER_01: And sometimes the Holy Spirit has already been working on somebody before we even arrive, and we don't have to force people.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, witnessing is not forcing.
SPEAKER_01: What it is, is it's cooperating with what God is already doing.
SPEAKER_01: Just like that.
SPEAKER_01: Can I say something else?
SPEAKER_01: Some of us are so busy trying to fix people that we never actually hear what it is that they're trying to say.
SPEAKER_01: What is the problem?
SPEAKER_01: What is the issue?
SPEAKER_01: And we tell a lie that if I can't fix it, then I have nothing to offer.
SPEAKER_01: Well, guess what?
SPEAKER_01: God has never asked us to fix really anything.
SPEAKER_01: He's never asked us for our help, even though I am a fixer and I fix things pretty good.
SPEAKER_01: But God is a much better fixer than me.
SPEAKER_01: My job is not to fix.
SPEAKER_01: My job, even as a filled medical service technician, was to run in the way, get somebody who's hurting, and get them somewhere where somebody could help them.
SPEAKER_01: Are there some people that are willing to run into the line of fire, grab somebody, and get them where they can be helped?
SPEAKER_01: Because that's what this whole thing really is about.
SPEAKER_01: But listening is ministry.
SPEAKER_01: It's not just about talking, and we believe, uh, would you believe me if I told you that some of the deepest wounds that people can carry is from people never listening to them, never having someone listen to them.
SPEAKER_01: And you know, us, we are guilty.
SPEAKER_01: All of us in here, we are guilty because we struggle with silence.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, the minute somebody pauses, we'll say, Well, the Bible says.
SPEAKER_01: Have you done that before?
SPEAKER_01: I've done it before.
SPEAKER_01: And we beat them up with the Bible.
SPEAKER_01: But here it is.
SPEAKER_01: Give me a second.
SPEAKER_01: Hold up.
SPEAKER_01: Wait a minute.
SPEAKER_01: Let them finish bleeding before you start preaching.
SPEAKER_01: Because this ministry that we have is really not just about speaking, it's also about listening.
SPEAKER_01: So, what are we talking about?
SPEAKER_01: I'll give us a quick run through.
SPEAKER_01: We follow the Holy Spirit boldly, that when the Lord speaks, he says, move, we move.
SPEAKER_01: The other part of it is that we want to listen.
SPEAKER_01: We want to open up our ears with a heart of compassion before we start running our mouths.
SPEAKER_01: And then we want to talk about Jesus mostly.
SPEAKER_01: Now here comes the turning point.
SPEAKER_01: And the eunuch asked Philip in verse 34, please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of someone else?
SPEAKER_01: And then verse 34, then Philip opened his then Philip opened his mouth and began from this scripture.
SPEAKER_01: He preached Jesus to him.
SPEAKER_01: And Philip opened his mouth out of out of all of this.
SPEAKER_01: And Philip opened his mouth after the eunuch was finished talking.
SPEAKER_01: And then he started to preach Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: That's the assignment, church.
SPEAKER_01: The assignment really is to preach Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: It's not really about every side of the debate.
SPEAKER_01: It's not about every piece of political commentary.
SPEAKER_01: It's really not about every internet controversy.
SPEAKER_01: We are to preach Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: That is the whole point of what it is that we do.
SPEAKER_01: You know, Jesus, the suffering savior.
SPEAKER_01: You know, Jesus, the crucified Lamb, Jesus, the risen king, Jesus, the forgiver of our sin.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus, the giver of eternal life.
SPEAKER_01: That is what we are called to do.
SPEAKER_01: And Philip didn't get it distracted.
SPEAKER_01: All this other stuff uh uh uh is is distraction.
SPEAKER_01: It says a song, very popular song in the body.
SPEAKER_01: My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness.
SPEAKER_01: I dare not trust the Swedish frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_01: On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.
SPEAKER_01: Don't get distracted.
SPEAKER_01: He didn't bring the man to to to anyone else.
SPEAKER_01: His whole purpose was to get him to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: He brought the man to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: And some of us need the reminder that even though we can become experts at arguing and debating, we do not need to forget to point people to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: I like I like a good argument too.
SPEAKER_01: I can argue.
SPEAKER_01: No, I go, I go there with you if you want me to.
SPEAKER_01: And I'll win too.
SPEAKER_01: But here it is.
SPEAKER_01: Is the win really worth losing the person?
SPEAKER_01: You win the argument, but you just lost the person.
SPEAKER_01: Congratulations.
SPEAKER_01: You won the argument.
SPEAKER_01: We are not called to win the argument.
SPEAKER_01: We are called to win the person, to bring that soul to Christ, to bring that soul into the fold, to bring that soul in here, get them in here so we can love on them and show them the love of Christ.
SPEAKER_01: That's what we are supposed to do.
SPEAKER_01: But Philip, Philip, stay centered on Jesus and hear me.
SPEAKER_01: You don't need to know everything to point somebody to Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Because that's another one that we tell we disqualify ourselves to say, well, I don't know enough Bible.
SPEAKER_01: Y'all, that's a cop out.
SPEAKER_01: Or we say, Well, I can't, I can't answer every question.
SPEAKER_01: Guess what?
SPEAKER_01: Neither I'm standing up here on the stage, and neither can I.
SPEAKER_01: So congratulations.
SPEAKER_01: We're you and me, we the same.
SPEAKER_01: I can't answer every question either.
SPEAKER_01: There's some things that God has not revealed to me or showed me yet that if someone asked me, I'd be like, uh I have no answer for, and that's okay because I can tell you what I do know.
SPEAKER_01: What I do know is Jesus and how he saved me, and how he keeps me.
SPEAKER_01: And if I know nothing else at all, I know for a fact he woke me up this morning, so that's enough.
SPEAKER_01: I can tell him that.
SPEAKER_01: I know that.
SPEAKER_01: But some the only thing that we really have in this place that is of value is our honest testimony.
SPEAKER_01: And what is what is testimony?
SPEAKER_01: Well, to some, testimony might be I was sinking deep in sin, far from a peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more.
SPEAKER_01: But the master of the sea heard my despairing cry and from the waters lifted me.
SPEAKER_01: Somebody's testimony might mean God specializes in things that seem impossible, he can do what no other power but Holy Ghost power can do.
SPEAKER_01: Honest testimony.
SPEAKER_01: What has he done for you?
SPEAKER_01: How he picked me up, he turned me around, he placed my feet on solid ground.
SPEAKER_01: Honest testimony.
SPEAKER_01: I'm not where I want to be, but at least I'm better than I used to be.
SPEAKER_01: I've learned some things in life.
SPEAKER_01: I'm not perfect, I'm imperfect, but God is still working on me.
SPEAKER_01: What is your testimony?
SPEAKER_01: One of the hardest things to do is for us to sit in here and be all perfect and go outside, and they see us in here, and we go out there, and we're all perfect, and they think I got to get myself together.
SPEAKER_01: Before I come in here, before I go to church, I gotta get myself together.
SPEAKER_01: And I'm gonna tell you, I have seen a lot of caskets roll into a church, people trying to get themselves together, that never got themselves together, according to them.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: That's where we want to show them, and the man then believes what Philip is telling him because of his honest testimony, because in verse 36 it says, and they went along the road, they and they came to some water, and the eunuch said, Look, water, what prevents me from being baptized?
SPEAKER_01: The man believes, the chariot stops, and in verse 38 it says, And they went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.
SPEAKER_01: Now, this is this is interesting because when the man is baptized, he comes out of the water, and the Bible says he went on his way rejoicing, not because Philip was so impressive, but because Jesus had changed his life and he had used ordinary Philip to do it.
SPEAKER_01: Now, here's what wrecks me about the text, and I won't be, I'm almost out of your hair, just give me a few minutes.
SPEAKER_01: But Philip thought that he was just going to walk down the desert road.
SPEAKER_01: He just he knew what he what to expect, what to do.
SPEAKER_01: He just knew that he got sent.
SPEAKER_01: But heaven had already put Philip in somebody's salvation story.
SPEAKER_01: Had there been some times when God told you to do something without you even realizing that he's probably already got some things in the works.
SPEAKER_01: Matter of fact, whose salvation story would you be in?
SPEAKER_01: And I and I wonder how many moments have we missed because they didn't look spiritual enough?
SPEAKER_01: We were waiting for you know the right lighting, the the right setting, we have to have the right tone of voice, we have to have all these things.
SPEAKER_01: How many nudges have we ignored?
SPEAKER_01: How how many conversations have we avoided?
SPEAKER_01: How how many hurting people did we walk past uh while God is asking to use us?
SPEAKER_01: Because sometimes eternity hides in ordinary moments.
SPEAKER_01: I'll say it again, eternity hides in ordinary moments, a text message, a break room conversation, a hospital hallway, late night phone call, meeting at Starbucks, random conversation after church, ordinary moments, maximum impact, and while we're waiting on God to do something dramatic, God just simply says in his still small voice, just go, go talk to them, go pray for them, go invite them, go listen to them, go and tell them about Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: But here it is, and I want us to learn to be a little more careful about this.
SPEAKER_01: We never know what fully hangs on our obedience.
SPEAKER_01: Do you think when Philip heard from God that he really knew that he would not only help this man get to Jesus, but he would further the spread of the gospel?
SPEAKER_01: I I'd imagine that that I'd want to be a part of God's story where I was able to help someone get to him.
SPEAKER_01: And this is what it took: it took one conversation, it took one act of obedience and one willing servant.
SPEAKER_01: Now you don't have to worry about underestimating what God can do through your surrendered moments.
SPEAKER_01: Your conversation might stop somebody from giving up, your prayer may interrupt somebody's darkness, your invitation may reopen somebody's heart to God, your obedience may become part of somebody's eternity, and when fear whispers, what if this gets awkward?
SPEAKER_01: God asks, or faith answers, what if God is already there?
SPEAKER_01: So here it is, and I'm out of here.
SPEAKER_01: Maybe the next person that you almost ignore, that person that doesn't look quite right, that person that doesn't look like you, and that person that are they look like they already have it together.
SPEAKER_01: Just maybe, just maybe.
SPEAKER_01: That person is standing right in the middle of a prayer they prayed last night.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, send somebody to help me.
SPEAKER_01: You never know the power and the impact that you could have by being a true representative of Christ.
SPEAKER_01: Saying hello, whether you know him or not.
SPEAKER_01: Say, hey, how you doing?
SPEAKER_01: You look troubled.
SPEAKER_01: Can I pray for you?
SPEAKER_01: God uses the ordinary to do extraordinary things.
SPEAKER_01: Let us pray.
SPEAKER_01: Gracious God, our Father, Lord, we thank you.
SPEAKER_01: We praise you for this time that we've shared together around your word.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, we ask now that you allow us to be willing servants of you.
SPEAKER_01: We ask you that you open our hearts.
SPEAKER_01: You remove every lie that the enemy has ever told that we're not good enough, we're not bold enough, we're not strong enough, we're not wise enough, God.
SPEAKER_01: We don't need to be.
SPEAKER_01: The only thing we need to do is look to you, and you will be everything that we need.
SPEAKER_01: Let us go out into this world, into the uttermost parts, be witnesses for you, all the great things that you've done, knowing that if you can do it for us, you can do it for them.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, let us be examples of you.
SPEAKER_01: Give us your words, give us your mind, give us your heart.
SPEAKER_01: And we look forward to every ordinary moment being made extraordinary by you.
SPEAKER_01: And we'll be careful to give you praise.
SPEAKER_01: We'll be careful to give you thanks.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for our lowly station.
SPEAKER_01: But thank you, God, that you sit high.
SPEAKER_01: Help us, Father, to be better witnesses of you.
SPEAKER_01: It is in Jesus' name that we do pray.
SPEAKER_01: And the people of God said together, Amen.
SPEAKER_00: All right, folks, that's all the time we have, but thank you so much for listening to this sermon.
SPEAKER_00: If you got a lot out of this, feel free to share this with somebody who might need it.
SPEAKER_00: Also, there's a ton more content on our website, on our YouTube channel, on our Instagram channel, on our TikTok channel.
SPEAKER_00: Feel free to check all that kind of a thing out.
SPEAKER_00: Also, if you're interested in leadership type stuff, go ahead and check out another podcast or any other blogs or videos or anything over at BibleLeadership.com.
SPEAKER_00: And whatever else you do, make sure that you believe God for something big today.