Text: Acts 6:1-6; Acts 8:1-40Text: Acts 6:1-6; Acts 8:1-40

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Every minute 156 people die around the world

without Christ and without hope. 224,640 per day. 81,993,600 per year.

Survey of 184 churches with memberships exceeding 300. 5% of the annual membership is baptized—if you

remove the children of the members this figure is 2%. Elders, deacons, preachers, and teachers and members

averaged only one visit per week per church! Members gave less than 4% of their estimated income

to the local church. Less than 5% of all members converted a soul to Christ.

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F.R. Yeakley writes... “the church is baptizing

only one convert per year for every 80 members of the church and about 50% of these converts drop out of the church with in 5 years after their baptism.” He goes on to say that ..”The survey work that I have continued to do has clearly demonstrated that in 1980 the church of Christ in the USA did stop increasing and started decreasing in total membership. It is clear that if this tend continues the church of Christ as we know it today will cease to exist in the USA in less than 50 years.” (WHY CHURCHES GROW”)

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In 1945 the church of Christ was the

fastest growing religious order in the USA.

By 1965 it slipped back to 12th position. By 1980 it did not even register as

growing at all. (US Census Bureau)

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Andrew brought Peter ...John 1:40-42. Philip brought Nathaniel...John 1:43-51 Christ our Perfect Example:

Taught Nicodemus at mid-night...John 3. Taught the woman at the well...John 4. Taught at Zaccheus’s home...Luke 19.

Philip Taught one on a chariot...Acts 8:26-28.

The early Christians worked from door to door...Acts 5:42 ; 8:4 ; 18:24-28 ; 20:20.

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Biblical Examples of Personal Workers

PHILIP POSSESSED MANY QUALITIES

NECESSARY TO BE A SUCCESSFUL PERSONAL WORKER. Acts 6:3— Therefore, brothers,2 pick out

from among you seven men nof good repute, ofull of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.

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LESSONS FROM PHILIP THE EVANGELIST

Of Good Report Good reputation Consistency between faith and conduct

Some Christians possessed a less than favorable reputation before conversion. 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Tim. 1:12-15;

After conversion they were instruments of righteousness. Romans 6:11-14;

Having a good reputation will not make us a good personal worker, but having a bad one can prevent us from being effective.

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Qualities Philip Possessed

Full of the Spirit Spiritual gifts? (Acts 6:8)

A Christ-like spirit Homer Hailey: “The spirit of Christ expresses itself

in unselfish sacrifice, humility, reverence for sacred things, readiness to follow where the Lord leads and directs.” (Let’s Go Fishing for Men, page 18)

These men possessed Humility Reverence Readiness

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Qualities Philip Possessed

Full of Wisdom This is the skill in making practical application

of the knowledge one has acquired. In the realm of personal work it speaks of the

ability to use the knowledge we have in Christ in the most effective to win others.

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Qualities Philip Possessed

We too must possess these qualities:

Of Good ReportFull of the SpiritFull of Wisdom

The apostles would not stop their apostolic mission to serve tables. (Acts 6:2)

Philip was not content with serving tables, instead he sought to evangelize.

There are good works that we all can do Mowing the yard Cleaning the building Taking food to the sick

Do we desire to do more? 1 Peter 2:1; Hebrews 5:11-14

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Philip Desired to Grow Beyond Serving

Tables

PHILIP POSSESSED MANY QUALITIES

NECESSARY TO BE A SUCCESSFUL PERSONAL WORKER.

PHILIP TOOK CHRIST’S COMMAND TO “GO” PERSONALLY. Philip went:

To Samaria (Acts 8:1-13) To Gaza (Acts 8:26-40)

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LESSONS FROM PHILIP THE EVANGELIST

Matthew 28:18-20--And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

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The Great Commission

This means instructing others

to “GO”

Preach to the lost.

Matthew 28:18-20 Restore the erring

Gal. 6:1-2

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Responsibilities Seen as “The Preacher’s Responsibility”

These are the preacher’s responsibility and they are

yours and mine as individual Christians too!

“This is the story about four people named

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that everybody would not do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody, when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.”

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PHILIP POSSESSED MANY QUALITIES NECESSARY TO BE A SUCCESSFUL PERSONAL WORKER.

PHILIP TOOK CHRIST’S COMMAND TO “GO” PERSONALLY.

PHILIP USED TIMES OF DISTRESS AND HARDSHIP AS OPPORTUNITY TO EVANGELIZE.

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LESSONS FROM PHILIP THE EVANGELIST

God can use hardship to His glory. (Acts 8:1-5; Col. 1:23)

God used suffering to bring Israel to repentance. (Judges 10:16)

Christ used illness and disease as opportunities to teach. (Matt. 4:23-25)

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Times of Hardship

“Healing all manner of sickness” refers to the empirical means by which Jesus authenticated His message (11:2-6). The prophets predicted the Messiah would be attended by extraordinary cures (Isaiah 35:5-6; Acts 2:22). While the healings clearly alleviated a great amount of suffering, they were primarily a means to an end—the confirmation of the gospel Christ preached (Mark 16:20; Heb. 2:3-4).” (Kenny Chumbley, Commentary on Matthew, page 79)

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God can use hardship to His glory. (Acts 8:1-5; Col. 1:23)

God used suffering to bring Israel to repentance. (Judges 10:16)

Christ used illness and disease as opportunities to teach. (Matt. 4:23-25)

Paul used his imprisonment to further the cause of Christ. (Phil. 1:12-14)

We can use personal hardship as a time to let our light shine (Matt. 5:13-16), and win others to Christ.

Times of illness and suffering remind man of his frail nature. This may be an opportune time to speak to another about the Gospel.

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Times of Hardship

PHILIP POSSESSED MANY QUALITIES NECESSARY TO BE A SUCCESSFUL PERSONAL WORKER.

PHILIP TOOK CHRIST’S COMMAND TO “GO” PERSONALLY.

PHILIP USED TIMES OF DISTRESS AND HARDSHIP AS OPPORTUNITY TO EVANGELIZE.

PHILIP DID NOT ALLOW SOCIAL BARRIERS TO PROHIBIT HIM FROM TEACHING CHRIST.

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LESSONS FROM PHILIP THE EVANGELIST

There were racial differences. There were religious differences.

The Samaritans had a hybrid religion. It was a mixture of Judaism and idolatry. The Samaritans held that Mt. Gerizim was the

place for worship not Jerusalem The Samaritans held that only the books of Moses

should be held in reverence

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PHILIP WENT TO SAMARIA

She was a Samaritan She was a woman She was immoral Jesus gave her living water

John 4:41—And many more believed because of his word.

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The Woman at the Well

Will We Sow the Seed and Give God the Opportunity to Cause Growth? (1 Cor.

3:6; 1 Sam. 16:7)

PHILIP POSSESSED MANY QUALITIES NECESSARY TO BE A SUCCESSFUL PERSONAL WORKER.

PHILIP TOOK CHRIST’S COMMAND TO “GO” PERSONALLY.

PHILIP USED TIMES OF DISTRESS AND HARDSHIP AS OPPORTUNITY TO EVANGELIZE.

PHILIP DID NOT ALLOW SOCIAL BARRIERS TO PROHIBIT HIM FROM TEACHING CHRIST.

PHILIP COULD EVANGELIZE TO THE MASSES, BUT PHILIP TOOK THE TIME TO EVANGELIZE TO JUST ONE.

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LESSONS FROM PHILIP THE EVANGELIST

Philip demonstrated the ability to preach to the multitudes. (Acts 8:6)

When the Lord instructed him to preach to just one, then Philip went without complaint.

The Priest and the Levite refused to help just one. Luke 10:30-31;

The Lord was willing to leave the ninety-nine to save one. Luke 15:3-7; Luke 19:10

Perhaps most conversions occur from individual teaching. Matthew 16:24

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Philip Was Willing to Engage in Personal Work

Philip gauged the prospect’s understanding at

the beginning. (Acts 8:28-31) Philip gauged the prospect’s knowledge when

he requested baptism. (Acts 8:37)

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Lessons from Philip and the Eunuch

Philip demonstrated the ability to preach to the multitudes. (Acts 8:6)

When the Lord instructed him to preach to just one, then Philip went without complaint.

The Priest and the Levite refused to help just one. Luke 10:30-31;

The Lord was willing to leave the ninety-nine to save one. Luke 15:3-7; Luke 19:10

Perhaps most conversions occur from individual teaching. Matthew 16:24

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Philip Was Willing to Engage in Personal Work

“If I firmly believe as, millions say they do, that the

knowledge and practice of Christianity in this life influences destiny in another world, Christianity would be to me, everything. I would cast aside earthly cares as follies and earthly thoughts and feelings as vanity. Christianity would be my first waking thought, and my last image before sleep sank me into unconsciousness. I would labor in its cause alone. Earthly consequences should never stay my hands or seal my lips. I would esteem one soul gained for heaven worth a lifetime of effort. I would go forth to the world and preach Christ in season and out of season, and my text would be “for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul.”

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“If we work upon marble, it will perish, if we

work upon brass, time will efface it, if we rear temples, they will crumble into dust ; but if we work upon immortal minds, if we imbue them with principles, with the fear of God and the love of fellowman, we will engrave on those tablets something that will brighten to all eternity.” Daniel Webster

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