Old sermon

I found this in my Bible when I was reading through it. Just flicking through the pages to remind me that I have not been given a spirit of fear and fear does not come from God. All in the context of obedience though.

As much as I am getting to know people at my new church, my past experience of Christians from both church and CU have really hurt me and I only realised a couple of days ago that, though the anger and bitterness are gone and God has helped me to forgive them, I am still hurt. I was thinking about this because of the church picnic that is happening today and how it is fear that is preventing me from going. Fear of opening up and letting these people into my life and having them hurt me as what happened before. But I have to remember that:

1. I am part of a body and so I can't function on my own. I need the other parts of the body with me to work as I'm meant to.

2. God has commanded us - me - to love my neighbour as I love myself. Not only those who are nice to me and don't hurt me and love me as much as I love them. There were no other conditions. Just love because He loves us.

(John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.")

The third point is obedience regardless of what the end result is. And this is what the notes from this old sermon talks about and what I really wanted to share with you. The context is Acts 8:26-40, the story of Philip and the Ethiopian. I am just going let you read it yourself and type up the sermon. Sorry this is going to be a long post.

Without further ado:

- Philip started evangelising in Samaria in the North and told then to go down to where the Gaza strip is now.

- He went in obedience despite the fact he didn't know all the details.

1. A radical obeying

- He had been successful in evangelism in Samaria, but when he got God's instruction, he just left!

- The Angel didn't elaborate, but it was enough for him to leave.

- God's guidance doesn't always come this way, but we should obey this way in every area of our lives.

2. A providential meeting

- He met the Ethiopian - who quite possibly was the start of the Coptic Church.

- Providence - the way God works to bring things together in His will and in His timing.

- Here Philip understand that he is to explain to the Ethiopian about Jesus.

- This shows the significance of our obedience to God.

- God brings things together that will lead us to more of Jesus.

- Jer 29:13-14a

3. A biblical explaining

- Philip used the scriptures to tell the Ethiopian about Jesus.

- The Ethiopian was obviously already seeking God and that's why he was searching the scriptures.

- Philip's obedience meant that the Ethiopian could be saved.

4. A total committing

- As a result of Philip's obedience, the Ethiopian became a Christian.

- Because he trusted in God and obeyed, someone was saved.

- He didn't know that was going to happen when he was told to leave Samaria.

- He trusted that God would work it out and carry out His will.

- He didn't need to know the end result - he just trusted that whatever God had in mind was good.

- It was enough that God asked him to go - he just did it - obeyed without question.

I hope God has blessed you as He blessed me through it. Amen.