ACTS-The DNA of a Prevailing Church God’s Plan for Evangelism: Sharing Our Faith! Acts 8:26-40

Four Possible Barriers to Sharing Our Faith: 1) Ignorance 2) Fear 3) Indifference 4) Bad Experience “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into his wonderful light!” (1 Peter 2:9)

THE BIG IDEA: God’s plan for evangelism is simply that he wants to use HIS people to spread the Good News about Jesus!

“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went “Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:4-8)

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road - the desert road - that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out…” (Acts 8:26-27a)

The Five “Be’s” of Sharing Our Faith: 1) “BE” sensitive and obedient to God’s leading! (vs. 26-27a)

The Five “Be’s” of Sharing Our Faith: 1) “BE” sensitive and obedient to God’s leading! (vs. 26-27a) 2) “BE” open to whom God wants you to share with! (vs. 27b-29)

“…and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.” (Acts 8:27b - 29)

OIKOS!! Concentric Circles of Faith Sharing Opportunities! Person "X" Acquaintances Neighbors Associates Friends Relatives Family OIKOS!! Christ in Me

The Five “Be’s” of Sharing Our Faith: 1) “BE” sensitive and obedient to God’s leading! (vs. 26-27a) 2) “BE” open to whom God wants you to share with! (vs. 27b-29) 3) “BE” people of understanding! (vs. 30-31)

“Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the Prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” (Acts 8:30-31)

The Five “Be’s” of Sharing Our Faith: 1) “BE” sensitive and obedient to God’s leading! (vs. 26-27a) 2) “BE” open to whom God wants you to share with! (vs. 27b-29) 3) “BE” people of understanding! (vs. 30-31) 4) “BE”GIN with Jesus! (vs. 34-35)

“The eunuch asked Philip, ‘Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?’ Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus! (Acts 8:34-35)

The Five “Be’s” of Sharing Our Faith: 1) “BE” sensitive and obedient to God’s leading! (vs. 26-27a) 2) “BE” open to whom God wants you to share with! (vs. 27b-29) 3) “BE” people of understanding! (vs. 30-31) 4) “BE”GIN with Jesus! (vs. 34-35) 5) “BE” ready for a response! (vs. 36-39)

“When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.” (Acts 8: 36-39) “As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, ‘Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?’ And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

The Five “Be’s” of Sharing Our Faith: 1) “BE” sensitive and obedient to God’s leading! (vs. 26-27a) 2) “BE” open to whom God wants you to share with! (vs. 27b-29) 3) “BE” people of understanding! (vs. 30-31) 4) “BE”GIN with Jesus! (vs. 34-35) 5) “BE” ready for a response! (vs. 36-39)

THE BIG IDEA: God’s plan for evangelism is simply that he wants to use HIS people to spread the Good News about Jesus!