Acts: Spirit-Led Missions

If you have your Bible, it's turned with me to the to about the

Gospel, turned to the Book of Acts. If you will Acts chapter eight

this morning. I'm so excited to be back with you in the Word of

God today. The title of my message is spirit led mission. Spirit led

Mission. Now, if you ever you ever had a mission, you ever

been given a mission. Maybe it was by your employee, maybe by a

parent, maybe it was by a friend. And maybe I had a mission

that you wereld accomplished a certain task. I tell you, when I was

growing up, I had a mission every day. It was assigned by my

mom and it was to take out the trash. Now, every day,

before she came home from work, my mission of the day was to take

out the trash that was in the house. Well, I don't know about

you, but as a young man, I wasn't always committed to the mission.

It's not a mission I really wanted. I didn't really a mission I

even asked for, because a mission that was given. And so sometimes you

know, I just procrastinate. I'd wait the last minute. I really wouldn't

do it. And I remember we would out in our house. You could

look outside the kitchen window and you could look down the road and there was

a little curve and my mom drove an eagle, some type of eagle car.

It was white. Can I remember. I would wait the last minute,

maybe playing video games, watching TV, watching G I. J's,

whatever it may be, and I'd look out that windo every once in a

while just to see if I saw that white car come. Now, when

that white car came and I looked out the window and I saw it coming,

it was like I had mission on possible music. If I would go

grab the trash and I'd run out the back door, and I'd sneak around

the back of the house and i'd lay on the side in the back of

the house, and I'd see that white car pull in the parking line,

and I would run to the next tree and hide behind the tree, and

then I'd run to the trash can and throw it in the trash can and

run all the way back to the house as fast as I could jump on

the couch. And just as she walked in the door, Jonathan, you

done the track. Oh yeah, long time ago. Mom, I've completed

the mission a long time. And I say all that because you know,

my mom gave me a mission. I was supposed to accomplish the mission.

And we all have been given missions. And can I tell you, as

a believer in Jesus Christ to day, you've been given a mission by Jesus,

not just by a mom or by a parent, by a boss.

Scripture tells us Jesus Christ has given you a mission. If you're a believer

today, you know what that mission is. Well, Matthew twenty eight he

gave that mission just before he departed, And this is what he said in

Matthew twenty eight eighteen. And Jesus came and said to them, all authority

and heaven on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples

of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the

Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I've commanded

you. And behold, I am with you to the end of the age.

You know Christ has given you a mission, and that mission is that

every one of us, as believers in Jesus Christ, should go on missions,

and that we should go and teach others what Jesus has taught us,

and we should go to try to lead people. Jesus Christ, we should

lead them to baptism. That's what this mission tells us. The good news

about this mission is he says that you will not be alone. He'll be

with you even to the end of the age. You know, not only

do you have a mission as a as a believer in Jesus Christ. If

you're a member, but that's a bati church, you've been given a mission

by the church. You know. Part of why our constitution and by laws

we have a mission statement and part of our mission statement you can see it

there on a screen. If we have a mission to evangelize and missions,

and this is what says this. The church also exists to communicate God's word,

and thus our mission is to share the good news of Jesus with all

people all over the world. Each of the Gospels and Acts captures the great

commission and mandates all Christians for all time the urgency of proclaiming the person and

message of Jesus Christ. This church shall seek to make disciples and establish church

plants both home and abroad, as the Lord gives us opportunity. You know,

God only Jesus not only commissions. You gives you a mission that you

might go to all the nations and tell him, tell others about Jesus and

baptizing them. He'll be with you. But not only is this church as

a member of that about church, this church also sends you on missions to

share the gospel and lead other people to the Lord. So I ask you

today, how are you? How are you doing filling the mission that God's

given you? Now here's the trouble. I don't know about you, but

as I was a teenager, a young person or a young man, I

failed my mom many times of not getting the trash taken out. And the

reason why simply is, as I told you before, I procrastinated. Different

things caused me to fail. But a lot of times I fail because I'm

a sinner. You know, I'm always going to do things perfectly. I

don't always do things perfectly, as you're a pastor, and any time I

rely on my strength, I'm going to fail. But the same thing can

be said about not only completing task or missions in this world, but also

the same can be said about us completing the mission that God's and Jesus has

called you to. This church has called you too. If you do it

on your strength, you're going to fail. You know what you and I

both need in order for completing the mission that God's called us to. Jesus

caused the Church calls you to, is we must do it in the power

of the Holy Spirit. And that's why this morning, as we walked through

this passage of scripture, we're going to see how the early Church completed the

mission that Jesus had called them to, but how they did not do it

in their power, but they did it in the power of the Holy Spirit.

As you just think back with me. Over the last few months,

we've been walking through the Book of Acts and we have seen how Jesus commissioned

and Acts one eight. You remember the commission that Jesus said to his disciple

is an Acts one eight. He says this, you will see power when

the Holy spirits come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,

in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

It was a promise by God's commission by God was a promise that you'll be

my witnesses. And this is what God Jesus said to them, You'll be

my witnesses where in Jerusalem and over the first few books. As we look

through the Book of Acts showed us how jesus promise in jesus commission disciple was

fulfilled. We saw Pentecosts thousands of Jews come to the Lord. That was

a sign of Jesus fulfilling his word. In Acts one eight we also seen

how the gospel and not only spread in Jerusalem, but that last week we

saw how the gospel has spreading also nationally. You can't I tell you just

in great commission, there is a commission to go locally. There's also a

commission to go nationally, and there's a commission to go to the ends of

the earth. And we see that in one eight they've gone nationally and that

they shared the gospel and the people who received the gospel in Jerusalem, but

I mean locally, and then it spread nationally. Judea and Sumerian in one

eight is a vision that they're gonna be witnesses nationally in their country Judee in

Samaria. And last week in one eight, we saw a Philip fulfilled that

mission. He went to the people of Samerian shared the gospel. And last

week we saw how Samaritans had received the Gospel and are saved. But as

we finished today as we continue in Acts eight, today we see how God's

promise of Jesus's promise in one Ate is fulfilled. How not only the Gospel

had gone in Jerusalem, it had gone in nationally in Samaria, but it's

going internationally to the ends of the earth. In today's passage. And today,

as we see the mission fulfilled, we're seeing how the power of the

Holy Spirit led in this mission. And so today I want to ask us

as we think about, how are we fulfilling the mission that God has given

us. I want us to see this morning how the Spirit led this mission.

And I want to ask the question what is spirit led missions? And

I hope today as we look at this the answer to this question, you'll

think about how is the Spirit leading me on mission. Let's stand together and

let's read God's word Acts one, Acts Chapter eight this morning. Verse twenty

six is where we're going to start. We through verse forty, so Follo

along with me, Acts eight, Starting in verse twenty six, and now

the Angel of the Lord said to Philip, rise, go towards the south

to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is the desert

place. And he rose and went and there was an Ethiopian, a unit,

a court official of Candace and all a queen of Ethiopians, who was

in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and

was returning seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

And the spirit said to Philip, go over and join this chariot. So

Philip ran to him, and he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and

asked, do you understand what you're reading? And he said, how can

I unless someone guides me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit

with him. Now the passage of scripture that he was reading was this,

like a sheep, he was led to the slaughter like a lamb. Before

it shears is silent. So he opens not his mouth, and in his

humiliation and justice was denied him. Who can describe this generation? For his

life is taken away from the earth. And the eunuch said to Philip about

whom I ask you? Does this prophet say this about himself or about someone

else? Then Philip opened his mouth, and, beginning with the scripture,

he told them the good news about Jesus. 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. And he commanded

his cherity to stop. And they both went down into the water, and

Philip and the eunuch and he baptized him. And when they came up out

of the water, the spear of the Lord carried Philip away, and the

eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing. But

Philip found himself in Astus, and he passed through and he preached the gospel

to all the towns until he came to cesarea. Let's pray together. Would

you pray about every eye close? I asked you today the Lord, Lord's

spirit spoke to Phillip, and today would you just say, Spirit, the

Lord, would you speak to my heart just as you spoke to Philip.

Will you lead me just as you let him? God? Would you give

me clarity on the mission that you have for me? And God, may

I respond and obedience to you? Today? Would you pray that right where

you are, God, we to clear today as a believers, as a

body of believers, today, Lord, that we ask your spirit to speak

to us. Lord, your Spirit speaking to us is not something that we

can create or manufacture on our own. God, It's only something that you

give. So Lord, we pray today that your spirit would fall upon us,

fall upon your word today. And God and only will you speak today.

But God, may you give us a boldness to respond, to obey,

to follow. Lord, You're leading in our lives, leading in our

church. Lord, we pray, Lord, pray that today that you know

the things that I've prepared. Lord, I believe without a shadow of the

doubt, Lord, that this message is for today, for the hearers that

are here. And so Lord, I pray that Lord, may you empower

me with your spirit, that you pour me out, that you give me

clarity, thought, clarity, speech. And Lord, today Lord, that

people would hear Lord, not my voice, but they would hear yours today.

So speak Father today in your name, we pray, Amen, you

may be seated. So what is a spirit led mission? First, a

spirit led mission the Holy Spirit calls individuals to the mission. A spirit led

mission is first the Holy Spirit calls individuals to the mini As you come to

chapter eight, as you we have seen that Philip God is using Philip.

Philip is fulfilling the mission of Acts one eight. He had been one of

the ones who had been part of the mission in Jerusalem. He's one of

the ones that were called out to serve when their knees came and Acts chapter

six, he had been part of that mission. And now God through the

persecution that spread the Christians out of Jerusalem, and Philip is part of that

group. And he's being let out and being spread out from Jerusalem. Philip

goes Samaria. So he's part of the commission, not only to go to

Jerusalem, but now Philip is one of the ones that God has used on

the individual level to bring salvation to those nationally, to those of Sameria.

And we saw that last week. We saw how when Philip preached, and

if you go to Versus, let's look here verse seven. The power of

God has seen on Philip verse having a Chapter eight says for unclean spirits crying

out with loud voice, came out of many who had had in them,

and many were who were paralyzed, were lame, were healed. Here Philip

is preaching and Sameria. And not only is he preaching, but the power

of God is seen in Philip. He's casting out demons. He's healing the

week. Scripture tells us that upon this and as we look at verse fourteen,

we see salvation had come. In verse twelve, I'm sorry, but

when they believe Philip as he preached the good news about the King of God

and the name of Jesus, they were baptized, both men and women.

See Philip go out, and he's faithful to preach the word of God,

and the word of God is spreading. Scripture tells us that people of Samaria

are being saved. We saw that last week. How there was some questions

about those in Jerusalm whether these Samaritans really received Jesus Christ. And so they

sent Peter John to Samaria. And Peter and John laid the hands as a

way to authorize this as the spirits the Holy Spirit's doing. And when they

laid hands and pray, the Holy Spirit came upon those Samaritans. Hey,

the salvation had come to the Samaritans. Has she come to this passage of

scripture? Here God is blessing Philip. God is using him as Amara.

People are getting saved. The power of God is on him. He's casting

out demon, he's healing the sick. Scripture says, as we looked that

last verse, we looked that last week, that they continue to go out

different places of different villages, as Maria continue to preach the good news.

And then as we come to verse twenty six, now an angel the Lord

came to said the Philip, rise and go towards the south to the road

that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza. Scriptures even describes and this passage or Luke

tells us at the end of verse twenty six, this is a desert place

the road to Gaza. Gazza was a city had been destroyed about ninety six

and ninety eight BC, and it was rebuilt. And so Scripture tells him

to go there was a ro that led from Jerusalem to Gaza. And he

tells the spirit tells angel Lord. The spirit of the Lord tells Philip,

leave Samaria, where people are getting saved, where the power of God is

upon you. Leave that place and go to a road, go to the

desert. You ever remember, you've ever heard of the Bible study that was

done many years ago, in the eighties and nineties. It's called it Expirits

in God. You ever heard of that? Henry Backerby wrote that study and

It was one of the most famous parts or teachings that he taught in this

is he had a quote It says, watch and see where God is working

and join him in this work. You ever heard of that statement. The

idea is, try to find out where God is working. Where God is

working, that's where you go. Well, if you think about that principle,

Philip did the exact opposite. I mean, God was working in Samaria,

the power of God was on him, people were getting saved, and

the Holy Spirit tells Philip leave that and actually go from where I'm not working

to a desert place. You have to understand, as we're reading this passage

where you said, well, pastor there was an ethioptial Philip didn't know that.

All that Philip knew was that God told him to go, and Philip

went. Scripture tells us in verse twenty seven, this is a desert place.

And he arose and he went. That's it. Period. He even

though God was blessing, even though God was working, even the power of

God was on Philip and Samaria, God called him to go, and he

followed the spirits leading to go. Can I tell you spirit led missions begins

when the Holy spirit calls individuals to the mission. Can I tell you when

God begins working on you, God begins calling you to be a part of

His mission to go and sometimes listen to me today as believers, that that

doesn't always make sense. Sometimes that mean God calling you to go share the

gospel with the neighbor, and you feel that are urging in your spirit,

I need to go share with that person, a family member, a coworker.

And some of you say, you know, I don't why would God

want me to do that? I don't see and you may not understand all

the details. But God simply calls you to go and listen. The first

step for you and I is simply to answer the calling to go. Doesn't

mean that he's going to give you all the details, doesn't mean that he's

going to explain it exactly what he's doing. He first calls you to go,

and your first step is to answer the call. I remember, I'll

give you a quick story. I remember Brandy and I were or pastoring.

I was a student pastor in rock Hill, South Carolina, and God began

working on my heart to become a senior pastor. I tell you I did

not want to do it. For eighteen months. I fought the Lord,

said no, I will not do it, and the Lord continue to push

and push me that he was calling me to be a senior pastor. Finally

I surrendered to the call. Long story, but we thought we had a

church in Conway that fell through, but I still believe God calling me.

So we decided that we were going to leave a church where I had a

job, had a good church. People. Actually at that church, I

had three students that summer surrendered to ministry. People were getting saved, had

seventy students in my student ministry. And God called me to leave it,

to leave that church and to go back to Conway without a church. So

I didn't have a job, Brandy didn't have a job. God called us

to go, and I remember sitting in her little green Toya to Siena van

and we were headed from Columbia to Conway, South Carolina, and we were

talking about what God was leading us to do. We had pastors and friends

says you should not do that. This was a not a smart move to

leave a church out a church. But God called and Brandie I remember looking

over at me and said, Jonathan, how do we know what if this

is a disaster. We've got two young children. How are we going to

make it? We've got a house payment, We've got payments to make.

How are we going to do this? And I remember looking at Brandy in

the face and said, Brandie, I don't know, but I know God's

calling us. Can I tell you that Sunday when we left the very first

Sunday without a church, I preached in a church and a pull pit committee

heard me, and that church will be call me as pastor. Can't listen

to me today, I would have never seen God's provision in my life into

our first responded to the call to go? Can I ask you today listen

to me today? This morning, some of you, God is calling you

to go again. Maybe that's just going locally in in your neighborhoods or at

a workplace, or maybe a loved one that you have that's not a believer

in God's calling you to go share with them. The first step for you

is it Before God gives you into the details of what He's going to do,

He just wants you to answer to go listen today. We call you

when we remind you we have prayer walks at our church and why do we

go out to the neighborhoods around us and try to do door to door and

do prayer walks and do pray every the neighborhood to try to share the gospel

because God's commanded us to go as a church. And sometimes listen, it

doesn't make sense we're gonna go out in the cold. We may we're gonna

go talk to people we don't know. But listen, God's called us to

go. And some of you God may be leading you to be a part

of that. Some of you God may be calling to go on a mission

trip or to surrender to missions. And you said, Pastor, I don't

know if I have the money, I don't know if I know the language.

I don't know if there's any danger in that. Listen today, God

is not calling you to have it all figured out before you go. God's

simply calling you to go. I want you to see. Secondly, holy

Spirit and only calls the individuals to the Mitch mission. But secondly, the

Holy Spirit guides the mission. The Bible says that here Philip went to he

follows through what God told him to do. In verse twenty seven, he

rose and he went and there Verse twenty seven says, and there was the

Ethiopian eunuch court officier of Candace, the Queen of the Ethiopians, who was

in charge of all her treasure, and he'd come to Jerusalem to worship.

And he was returning, seated on his chariot and was reading the prophet Isaiam

as you co there. Scripture says that Philip goes, he follows the Lord,

and when he gets there there's this He finds this Ethiopian there. And

this Ethiopian is traveling. We know history would tell us where Ethiopian was at

the time, where he would travel from to get Jerusalem. Listen to this.

Imagine how long it took you to think about it today, How long

did take you to get to church? Ten fifteen minutes, five minutes,

whatever, it took him four months to get to Jerusalem. You think you

sacrifice trying to get the church. Four months he travels, He went to

Jerusalem, he worshiped there, and he's only his way back. That's why

he was on that road to on Gaza, headed to Gaza, that was

on his way out to Ethiopia. He sees this Ethiopian and Scripture says,

look at the scripture says, in verse twenty nine, we hear that he's

reading Isaiah. He seating in his chariot. But look at verse twenty nine,

and the spirit said that Philip go over and join this chariot. So

Philip ran to him, and he heard him reading Isaiah the Prophet, and

he asked the question, do you understand what you're reading? He says,

how can I unless someone guides me and invited Philip to come up and sit

with him. Do you see as Philip obeyed God's first call, then as

he went to where God called him, then God began guiding the mission.

Can I tell you today I cannot encourage you enough that if you be faithful

to follow God's call to go, that same spirit that called you will be

the same spirit that will guide you. I tell you I've been on a

number of mission trips in my in my ministry. God's blessed me to be

able to go to Tanzania and to different places in our world. And it's

so funny as we get ready for mission teams that the mission teams that we're

working with will say, okay, what we're going to do, Pastor,

And then we want to have this you know, we're Americans and we want

to have an agenda, right and what we're going to do. You have

an agenda of worship service. You want to think about this is how we're

going to do in the worship service. We do that. We have agendas

that we're going to do at work, and so we want to have an

agenda. Just how is this mission trips going to work? And I always

tell our mission teams listen, we can plan, and we can plan,

and we can plan, but I promise you this, the Holy Spirit is

going to leave this trip and He's going to lead us to do things.

We have no thing, and there's not on our agenda, but we have

to trust the Holy Spirit will guide us and what he wants us to do.

I remember one year we win and we were going to go visit the

little village that we were going to be doing door to door in to just

go see a few things and walk up. And it's funny that as I

go to prepare, I'm going to preach, and so I will take out

a few manuscripts of different sermons. I feel like the Lord's leading me to

preach, and I'll tell other team members to get some sermons that they should

get prepared to preach. But I'll tell them many times, you better trust

the Lord because the Lord may tell you to preach something. Do you not

prepared to preach? Well, we went to this little village and we were

going to go door to door there and we walk up and Samuel, the

guy that we work with in Tanzani, and says, hey, we need

to go over this house. And I said, Samuel, why do we

need to go over there? He said, someone just died. I'll say,

WHOA what I mean? This is not just we just need to go

to something's going on. So we go over and they're like forty people outside

the little little house and they're grieving. And Samuel looks at me and says,

Okay, they're ready preach. I'm like, what do he means?

They're ready to preach? And so just in that moment, he says,

you need to preach. I had not prepared. I had not thought about

it. I had not had any time to prepared to preach a message.

But in that moment, listen, God gave me John fourteen, and I

preach like I had never preached before. God guides the mission. So when

we say Lord, I want to go. I want to follow your call.

We also must understand and trust that God will guide you. It's amazing

all ways to see how God does that internationally and locally on trips. But

God, how God does that. I remember God putting in my heart to

go speak to my grandpa one day. He was I'm not sure everybody's salvation

was a college student, and got to put it on my heart. I

was scared to death. I remember going to his house. It was just

me and him, and how God God did our conversation. God, I

encourage you trust that God, the same God that calls you, with the

same God that guides you. He'll guide you on those prayer walks. He'll

guide you. If you go door to door, He'll guide you. If

you talk to that loved one. Whatever God has calling you to do that,

the same God that calls will be the same God that guides. And

only did this Holy Spirit calls individuals to the mission. But the Holy Spirit

guides the mission. But third, the Holy Spirit inspires the message. Scripture

says, as he goes to this Ethiopian. Here, this Ethiopian is on

this chariot, and he's reading Isaiah. If you followed the quote of what

he quotes, and it Luke quotes the passage of scripture that he's reading.

He's actually reading Isaiah fifty three. Now, even as I read this and

I went to school, I've neglected to even think about this until I studied

it. You know that as the Ethiopian was coming back from Gaza, the

Gospels had not been written. Sometimes we take that from granted, So it's

not like he had had a copy of the Gospel or Matthew Mark to know

anything about Jesus. It's too early on at this point. He's actually reading

Isaiah fifty three. And if you know much about the Old Testament, Isaiah

fifty three is probably one of the greatest gospel messages in the entire Old Testament.

It's probably one of the ones that you're most commonly known. Right.

Isaiah fifty three says, but he was pierced for our transgressions, he was

crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was a chastisement that brought us peace.

And with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep, have gone

astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has

laid on him the iniquity of assault. He just finished reading that part,

and as Philip gets on the chariot, he reads the next two verses,

and that was the part that Luke tells us. He reads verses seven and

eight, the seven and eight part of this passage of scripture. He describes

this savior who was piers for our transgressions, and then the seven and eight

kind of leads it open ended of who is this person who died for our

sins? And so the passage of scripture says in verse thirty four, and

the Unich said to Philip, about whom I ask you? Does the prophet

say this about himself or about someone else? The unuch reads this. He

hears about how his piercery his transgressions. He hears that there who is this

person? And so he looks at Philip and says, who is this person?

Is it the Isaiah who said this? Or is it someone else?

And the Bible says this, listen to this. And then Philip opened his

mouth verse thirty five, and beginning with this scripture, he told him the

good news about Jesus. Can I tell you? Scripture says this, Listen

to this. In tewod Timothy three sixteen. Listen to this. All scripture

is breathed out by God, and it's profitable for teaching, for reproof,

for correction, from training in righteousness, that the Man of God might be

complete equipped for every good word. Do you believe that today? Do you

believe every scripture is God breathed? If you believe that, you believe that

every scripture that's written in God's Word is inspired by the Holy Spirit? Right

you? Do you believe that? Can? I tell you? The same

Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of the Word of God is the same Holy

spirit that's in you. And that same Holy Spirit that inspired the Word of

God is the same Holy spirit within you. And that spirit will listen inspire

your message when you proclaim the Word of God. You know, Jesus said

this in Jesus as he's teaching his disciples, as he's preparing the disciples that

after he dies and he's roisen again, they're going to be out on their

own. He says this in Mark thirteen. He says these words, he

says, and the Gospel must be proclaimed to all nations. That reminds you

of the great commission. Right He's given them mission. Hey, you boys,

I'm telling you your job is to proclaim the Gospel to all the nations.

And then he says these words of verse eleven, and they'll bring you.

And when they bring you to trial and deliver you, don't be anxious

beforehand what you're about to say, but say whatever is given to you in

that hour. It is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.

Can I tell you today, one of the biggest issues and why we don't

go, it's because we're too afraid that we're going to mess up the Gospel.

We're too afraid that we won't know what to say. Can I tell

you the Word of God tells us that spirit led missions. Not only does

God call you, not only will God guide you, but listen, God

will inspire you. The Holy Spirit will inspire you. Yesterday, I'm a

runner and most of you know that, and I'm trying to prepare for a

full marathon. Pray for me. And I was running thirteen miles. Well,

most people, when I tell people that I'm a runner, and I

tell them they are run thirteen miles, They'll go, I can't believe you

do that. You do those with those legs, Now I do it with

somebody else's I mean, most people are just like they're just can't believe it.

And this is their next response, I can never do that, not

me, never could do that. And here's why I tell you that.

Their first response is I never can do it. Now it doesn't say that.

They never say, you know, I tried it for many years or

I went on a few runs and that. Most of them will say I

never could do that. And you know, most of the time, we

will try something if we believe we can complete it. And most people never

try to run a mile or two miles or three miles because they've already convinced

that they can't complete it. They can't complete the mile, the two miles

of the three miles, so they never try because they believe that they will

not finish it. And I tell you that to tell you that is most

of the time, that's the way we approach missions. I can never do

that. God gave some people the ability to do that share of the gospel,

but I can never do that. I can't go to that loved one,

I can't go to that neighbor, I can't go oh to the ends

of the earth, I can't go. I can never do that because I'll

mess it up, So I'm never gonna try. Can I tell you today,

God is calling you to go. God is going to guide you to

go. But listen today the good news is, or it gets to the

bad news is you're right, you can't do it. The good news is

today the Holy Spirit in you can. And the Spirit says, if you

will go, if you'll trust his guidance, He'll give you what you can

do. He'll give you the message to clear if you'll say, Lord,

I can't, Lord, I need you, and I'll trust your Holy Spirit

to lead me wow to share how to proclaim? In what to say?

Scripture promises Jesus promises that if you go, he'll give you the word to

say, and they will not be your words. Isn't that wonderful to know

that? Lord? When I go, I'm not going to depend upon my

ability. God, I'm going to depend upon your Holy Spirit that's in me.

But you see, Fourthly, the Holy Spirit and only calls. The

Holy Spirit guides, the Holy Spirit and spires. But lastly, the Holy

Spirit provides. The Holy Spirit provides a result of the mission. As you

come to this passion of Scripture, we see from the very beginning this is

a eunuch. Scripture tells us that he's a gentile. He's from Ethiopia maybe

modern days. Some would say modern day Sedan is where he would be from.

That would mind so far to get to. Scripture tells us that he's

a treasure of candace. Candic is a term almost like a treasurer is describing

a lady who would be over charge of the money. Back in the day,

in this time periods of time, there would be for a king to

do kind of administrative task where it was below him, and so he would

then give it to others, and he would therefore he would give it to

the queen to do administrative task because he was just he was too above doing

any of those details. And so the queen would be the one who would

do the treasury, and she would appoint a treasurer to help with that.

And this unuch is is that we know through history most treasurers were eunuchs,

meaning they had been emasculated at some point, either by birth or or in

order to be in that position. As a one who had who had been

a eunuch. Your scripture tell us in Deuteronomy, they're unfit for worship.

They couldn't worship in the Holy of Holies. There was only certain places that

could go to the Temple. So you can imagine this Unich. He's traveled

for four months just to be outside the doors of the church. Could be

inside the Church of worship, just be on the outside. At some point,

this man, this Ethiopi, and this eunuch had probably come into contact

with Judaism, and it's unsure about why, but scripture tells us he's God

fear. It means that he really wanted to know the Lord. He really

wanted to know the God of the Jews, and so that's why he traveled

four months, because he wanted to know the God of the Jews. In

Isaiah fifty six, there was a promise. Isaiah said that Isaiah said that

God would grant eunuchs devout units and heritage. A heritage was better than sons

and daughters. So some would say this unuch heard that truth and felt like

maybe if I was devout, the God of the Jews would have heavily home

for me. But reality is, he traveled four months and he was in

Jerusalem, but never was succepted by the Jews or even accepted for worship.

They didn't stop him. Scripture says, as he leaving there, he's not

discouraged, he's not down. He's reading Isaiah. As he's reading Isaiah,

here he comes upon Philip, and Philip says, when he asks Philip,

who is this person? Philip explains to him who Jesus is. It kind

of gives you. Scripture gives us the imagery here that as they were going

along the road, as they're writing on the chariot, Philip's just preaching.

He's telling you about Jesus. It kind of reminds you of the story of

Scripture of Jesus in the road of Ammaeus. Right, and Jesus is with

the disciples, and he's teaching them as they're walking down the road. Here's

that's what Philip and this unich of doing. He's teaching him about Jesus as

they walk down the road. And then Scripture tells us, and if you

look at with me in this passage Scripture in verse twenty thirty six, 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?

Here this eunuch he's always wanted a relationship with God. And through Philip,

who God sends he's by the way, probably black. And this is

the first time the Gospel has gone to another ethnic group. Here this unit

who's longs for God. Here's that Jesus died for him and that he can

have a relationship with Jesus. He comes across the water, he believes he

comes across this water, and he says, what now will prevent me from

being baptized? What is the result of this? You say, the Holy

Spirit provides the results. What's the results salvation? Listen to this Acts one

eight says you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and

to the ends of the earth. Do you know most scholars says that during

this time, the Jews would have saw Ethiopia listened to this as the ends

of the earth. Here's this Ethiopian who's looking from God, who's from the

ends of the earth, and someone takes the Gospel to him and he receives

salvation, the gospel, the mission is fulfilled. The Gospel has gone to

the ends of the earth. He's baptized. That shows us that someone would

say, how do we know. I know we saw Simon from the last

was baptized, but he was truly said, how do we know he's truly

saved? Many would say of several different ways that we would know he would

save. One when he is baptized. The Bible says in this passage of

scripture in verse thirty nine, and when they came up out of the wall,

their's spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him

no more, and he went on his way rejoicing. Some of the reasons

we know that he's truly saved is one, when the spirit accomplished his works

to save him, he takes Philip out missions complete. Philip, You're no

longer needed in this area. Secondly, he's rejoicing. That gives us the

imagery of Romans, where it says the spirit of the Lord that's within us,

it causes us to rejoice. Another historical evidence listen to this historical evidence

tells us that the Ethiopian eunuch, history would tell us, was a missionary

in Ethiopia. The Gospel goes to the ends of the earth. Salvation goes

to the ends of the earth. Can I tell you just a few things

I think it's important as we look at this passage scripture that tells us some

truths about baptism. Listen. First truth about baptism, Baptism is spirit.

Lad I love the imagery that the spirit leads them along and as they're going

down the road hearing the Gospel, just at the right time, the water

appears. Listen. The spirit leads us to salvation. The spirit leads to

us to be obedient in baptism. The second truth about baptism is baptism is

a step of obedience. I would say to you that baptism is the first

step of obedience. Athew eighteen says, go you to the nations. Right,

all authority has been given in heaven and earth been given. Go therefore

and make disciples of all nations. And then what's the next step, baptizing

them. The first step of obedience if you're a believer in Jesus Christ,

is baptism. Today, some of you today are struggling with where your faith

just seem like it is plateaued. And the reason why your faith is plateaued

is because you've never been obedient to the first command that God called you to,

and that's to be baptized. Can I encourage you today. We're going

to have a baptism service February twenty fifth. Some of you God's calling you

today, And what God's calling you to is the following obedience spirits led you.

He has saved you. Now he's leading you to water. Be obedient.

Third, baptism is an outward expression. Baptism doesn't save us right,

It merely expresses what Jesus has done in our heart. This Ethiopian eunuch,

the first thing he wants to do when he sees that water. He wants

to express what Jesus has done in his heart. Not only was the result

of this mission salvation, but the second result of this mission is the mission

is completed. The Gospel is to the end of the earth. As I

said, he he goes back. He travels back four months rejoicing, and

as it goes he begins telling others about Jesus the Gospel of Acts one eight,

that you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the

end of the earth. Philip completes the mission, and he did it by

following the spirit's lead. I wondered today, as we kind of conclude the

message. What if Philip didn't go, well, you know he's there.

It's Maria and God calls him. He's maybe I just had ate too much

Mexican do last night, just bad indigestion. That's not really what the Lord

wants me to do, because it really doesn't make sense. I'll just stay

right here. You know, there's no good food too there in the desert,

so I'll just stay here. What if he didn't go, just disobeyed

God's voice? You know a scripture says in this passive scripture, and it's

really struck me as I was reading through this. Philip does go, and

he is obedient. He goes to that desert road and he finds that Ethiopian

man, who, by the way, the Spirit has been working on,

who has been preparing. Listen, can I tell you before you go you

never know what the God has done before you even gotten there. He goes

and he gets to that place, and here's this Ethiopian He's reading Isaiah.

How much better could this have been? He's reading Isaiah? And then Philip,

listen to this. I want you to see this in this past scripture.

In verse thirty, he says, so Philip ran to him and he

heard him reading Isaiah and the Prophet, and he says, do you understand

what you're reading? And listen to the response to the Ethiopian unit in verse

thirty one. Listen to this, How can I unless someone guides me?

How can I He's reading Isaiah, but it's not connecting in his mind,

and he says, when Philip ask him, how can I know? He

says, how can I know unless someone guides me. Imagine this Ethiopian who

had a hunger and a fear for God. He travels four months to find

God, can't find God there. He's in his chariot on his way home,

still reading Isaiah, still trying to find God, and no one's there

to guide him. And then here comes a man who has the truth of

the Gospel, who has had the power of God within him. And he

goes to this man, and this man says, how can I understand unless

I guide him? And imagine the Philip says, well, maybe someone in

Gaza will help you. No God had called Philip. You know what Romans

tells us, For if everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will

be saved, But how then will they call upon Him and whom they have

not believed. How are they believe in Him and who they have never heard?

How are they to hear without someone preaching? How can they preach unless

they are sent? As it is written? How beautiful are the feet of

those who preach the good news? Can I ask you today? There's four

billion people in our world who's never heard about Jesus. How will they believe

it that unless a guide is gone, unless a god goes? How can

they believe? Unless you follow in obedience and follow what God cause you to

go? How will they hear unless you say, God, I'll go.

God, I'll trust you, you'll guide me. God, I trust you'll

inspire me. And God, I'll leave the results up to you. There's

millions and billions of people across in our In our city here, one hundred

and thirty thousand people live within the file alreadies of this church. How will

they believe unless we go? There's millions of people who live in the state

of North Carolina. How will they believe unless we go? There's another millions

of people who live in our United How will they know unless we go?

And there's four billion people internationally have never heard the good news of Jesus.

How are they here unless we go? Can I encourage you today accept God's

call to go? We must accept the answer the call. We must trust

the Holy Spirit to God. We must trust the Holy Spirit will inspire us,

and we must leave the results of the Holy Spirit. Will you pray

with me? Lord? I thank you Lord for your word today. Lord,

we all like Philip, we have apprehensions at times and don't understand why

you would call us. We feel ill, equipped feel like it doesn't make

sense. Or I pray there'd be those that said, God, I will

go, or I pray they'd be those today said Lord, I'll trust that

you'll guide me. God, I'll trust you'll guide You're inspire me, and

God, I'll eat the results up to you. Or I pray that you

would raise us up as an individual, as a church to be faithful to

the call you've put upon us, Lord, Or I pray for those that

are the sound of my voice, or I pray there'd be those today,

maybe like the Ethiopian eunuch, and they feel like they're far off from you

God, and the don't feel like they're accepting them. Many times, there's

church people will have been the ones that stand into the way. But today

they heard the call, Lord of You God. Just as you call the

Ethiopian eunuch. Today they hear that you love them God, no matter how

how far they are away from You. God, you love them, that

you died on a cross You appears for them today today, I pray they'd

be those who put their faith in You for salvation. Today, just as

that Ethiopian found a joy in a new relationship with You, God, I

pray they'd be those who are far off from You God, today would put

their trust in You for salvation, for forgiveness of sin and a new life.

And Lord, I pray that every one of us today would not think

this message is for someone else, but today we'd recognize God, you call

us all to be on a part of your mission to go. So Lord,

may we be faithful to surrender to the work of Your Holy Spirit in

us that trust, that Holy Spirit the guide that lead us, inspire us.

So Lord, lead us. Now, Lord, I pray for this

altar. Lord, I pray that as we go to this time of invitation,

there'll be someone that just need to come to this altar and pray for

some loved ones, for some neighbors, for a coworker, for a grandchild,

a child. Lord, however, Lord, do you lead us?

Lord? I pray that we'd give this time to you, Lord, to

respond the Lord of your calling upon us, or pray there be those who

respond to say, Lord, I'm gonna get involved in sharing the gospel.

Wait, start it. Maybe I'll start at the prayer walk or Ord.

Some some be calling and may follow in the call to go to o missions

with us this year as we go to Georgia to share the gospel and reach

people groups. And maybe Lord you today there would be those who answer that

call to go on missions, or however you lead us, I pray we

respond now on your name, we pray Jesus to