Acts Pt. 17 | Sermon Notes
Acts Pt. 17 | Spirit-Led Evangelism
Pastor Chris Pletcher
March 16, 2025
Acts 8:26-40 // Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 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?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
God’s Heart for the Lost
John 3:16-17 // For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Luke 19:10 // And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Matthew 18:10-14 // “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 // First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
2 Peter 3:9 // The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
SO it is GOD’S HEART that is moving throughout the unseen world and pursuing those who don’t yet know Him. This was US at one point! Take a moment to remember how you came to the Lord… who was praying for you? Who loved you, pursued you, or shared the Gospel with you?
Angel of the Lord vs. Spirit of the Lord
Angelos - a messenger, envoy, one who is sent, an angel, a messenger from God; “One who is sent”
“In the Scriptures, both of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, one of that host of heavenly spirits that, according alike to Jewish and Christian opinion, wait upon the monarch of the universe, and are sent by him to earth, now to execute his purposes.” (www.blueletterbible.org)
Scripture mentions angels assigned to individuals, as well as “the angels of the churches” as we see in the Book of Revelation
Hebrews 1:13-14 // to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?
An angel of the Lord said, “RISE AND GO…”
Stand up, rise up, raise up
Ephesians 5:14 // “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
Prayer: Lord, make us ready to GO when you say “GO”
Pneuma - Third person of the Trinity; also “a gentle blast or movement of air; the breath of nostrils or mouth”
“Still, small voice”
The Dove resting upon Jesus
Prayer: Lord, make us sensitive to your voice.
How we can partner with Heaven’s evangelistic agenda?
By obeying His voice (v. 27)
Trust His leading
Pay attention to who He is highlighting
Take a step of faith and cross the line of FEAR! It’s smaller than you think.
By asking great questions (v. 30) - “Do you understand what you are reading?”
First of all, UNDERSTANDING is huge!
Colossians 1:3-6 // We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.
Has anyone told you lately that God loves you?
Has anyone ever explained to you WHY He died on the cross?
By becoming a student of scripture who is READY to share! (v. 35)
“Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Make it a part of your devotional life to study and cherish the Gospel, the GOOD NEWS.
There are so many beautiful and biblical ways to help people understand God’s grace in truth. The Scripture has supplied us with so many illustrations and metaphors. Find the one that you connect with the most, and meditate upon it! Memorize verses, find songs that sing about it… if you get it IN YOU, then when you have an opportunity, it will come OUT.
Jesus loves His enemies, and He offers them an opportunity to be forgiven and reconciled with God (Colossians 1:21-23)
Jesus loves guilty sinners, and He offers His life as a substitute death sentence in heaven’s courtroom (Romans 3:21-26)
Jesus loves those who are spiritually dead, and He offers them resurrection life (Eph. 2:1-8)
Jesus loves those who are in bondage to sin, and He offers His blood as a ransom payment to set the captives free (Romans 6)
But every single Gospel metaphor revolves around one CENTRAL message… CHRIST CRUCIFIED, the Lamb who was slain.
1 Peter 2:24-25 // He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Isaiah 53:2-7 // For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
The Ethiopian was wrestling with the brutal execution of an innocent lamb. And it led him to…
Response //
Ask the Father to give you His heart for the lost.
Is there a step of faith and obedience that God is calling you to take?
Which Gospel illustration do you connect with the most?
Have you been baptized yet? Sign up HERE.
Are there any current areas of your life where you have gone astray from the Lord?