Our summer series is entitled JOURNEY with the FAITHFUL. We are looking at the lives of a number of men and women in the Bible. Each of them chose to leave their comfort zone to follow God and do what He wanted them to do. Each person had to GET UP and GO; they had to move from HERE to THERE.

Today we're looking at a man named Philip. We could also call him "Philip the Evangelist". We first learn about him in Acts 6:1-6 [NLT]

Later on in Acts 8 there is a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem and the people are scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
Acts 8:4
Philip went down to a city in Samaria. He peached the Good News of Jesus Christ and performed signs and miracles. He drove out evil spirits and healed people.
Philip is best known for converting the Ethiopian eunuch.
Acts 8:26-40

In the beginning of this passage we see that Philip is chosen and prompted by the Spirit. In verse 26 an angel tells Philip where to go so he can encounter the eunuch. In verse 29, the Spirit tells him to go stay near the chariot.
Philip doesn't know exactly what he's supposed to do, but as he hears the man reading from the book of Isaiah, it starts to become clear.
Isaiah 53:7-8

Philip tells the man about Jesus, the man accepts his testimony and desires to be baptized.
Philip did not know at the time that by witnessing to this man, he was orchestrating the evangelization of Ethiopia.
Secular history records suggest that the Ethiopian became a missionary among his people and went out to spread the Gospel to Africa.

Did Philip plan on evangelizing Ethiopia or Africa?
Probably not.
All he was trying to do was be obedient, listen to the Spirit, and focus on the salvation of one man.
We are called to do the same thing!

One of the things that is clear in Scripture is that people are saved by actually hearing the Good News about Jesus Christ.
God uses people to reach other people. He wants to use you and me.
Romans 10:14, 17

When Jesus gave the Great Commission, it was a command. A command to be obeyed by everyone who calls themselves a follower of Christ.
Matthew 28:19-20
It is our job to share our story and God's Story.

What can we do to be better at sharing our faith?
Here are 5 things we need to know to share our faith well:

1. If you are a follower of Christ, you have the RESPONSIBILITY to tell others about Jesus.

2. In order to have opportunities to share our faith, we have to make the effort to INTENTIONALLY get to know non-believers.

3. When sharing our faith, we need to understand that we may not see IMMEDIATE RESULTS.

4. We need to accept that evangelism will be COSTLY, but that's ok.
Philippians 1:29 [NLT]
2 Corinthians 2:15-16 [NLT]

5. When sharing our faith, we need to be CLEAR on the message.

We should always look for opportunities to share our faith whenever we can.
1 Peter 3:15
Don't shove Jesus down their throats but speak to them with gentleness and respect.

We can note several character qualities of Philip that made him a great evangelist. Each of us could and should develop these qualities as we mature in our Christian faith.

1. He had a desire to be obedient to GOD'S COMMANDS.

2. He was in touch with and listened to the HOLY SPIRIT.

3. He had a love for GOD and for the LOST.

Here at Grace Church we offer Grace U classes to get better at sharing our faith. Frontline will begin tomorrow (Monday evening/online) and is a great class on how to creatively share your faith with others. There is also Purpose Driven Life and Big Faith offered on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am at the church.

Success in evangelism is really faithfulness. The conversion of the other person is in God's hands.
God just asks us to cross over from here to there, to step out of our comfort zone and share. If we love God and love others, we should disregard our fears and whatever is holding us back and do our best to share our story and God's Story. That is our job and God will handle the rest!

Application and Discussion Questions:

1. Tell about a time that the Holy Spirit prompted you to share your faith with someone. Were you obedient? If so, how did the other person react?

2. Read Romans 10:13-17. Share some things that stuck out to you in these verses. How does this passage align with Matthew 28:19-20 (the Great Commission)?

3. Look at the five things you need to know to share your faith well. Which of these is easiest for you? Which of them is more difficult?

4. Take a look at the 3 character qualities of Philip. Which character quality do you most need to work on? What will you do this week to grow in this area?

Birthdays and Anniversaries this week:

Sunday, August 2 - Kyle Booher, Kayli Hansen, Alli Brandon, Cadence Byers
Tuesday, August 4 - Chris DePyper
Thursday, August 6 - Linda Erb, Kathy Sears
Friday, August 7 - Dominik Squires, Hudson Carpenter
Saturday, August 8 - Dillon Walker