Philip: Overcoming Fear
Acts 8
So what are you afraid of? Is it the economy? Expenses, taxes, and prices increase while the value and quantity received decreases. Is it war? North Korea, Syria, Russia, and terrorism at home and abroad are on our minds. What about our nation's stability? Democrat or Republican, no one is happy and few are even civil about it. Perhaps you fear health care reform and changes in social security benefits. Will things stay the same or worsen? Truly we live in an unsettled nation and world and uncertain times. There are many things that we can fear, if we so choose.
There is only one absolute constant in our uncertain and fear-filled world. The love of God for us is constant and certain in Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16 KJV). God’s love is always good news no matter what is going on around us. Often God’s love and promise to never leave nor forsake us may be all we have to hold onto. His love for us and for others can help us overcome a multitude of fears, even the fear of witnessing.
We Must Share the Good News of Jesus (1-8)
First, we must know how to share. In Acts 6-7, Stephen, the first Christian martyr, provided a great example. Stephen was a faithful witness in action. He was a righteous man and the first named deacon. Stephen was a faithful witness in word. He shared the truth about Jesus boldly with Jewish leaders. Stephen was a faithful witness always. He remained faithful to Jesus unto death and encourages us. We must be faithful witnesses in action and word in every situation.
Second, we must overcome our fear of sharing the gospel with others. In Acts 8, Philip provided a great example of overcoming our fears. Unlike Stephen most of us will not be called on to die for Christ but to live faithfully for him. Often we are afraid to share the good news especially in our own words. Christians in Acts had many things to fear as well.
1 And Saul approved of their killing [Stephen]. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:1-8 NIV).
After Stephen’s stoning, a great persecution of Christians began under the leadership of Saul/Paul. Philip and the other believer did not let fear of persecution inhibit their sharing the good news. We must not allow our fears to inhibit our sharing of the good news. We must overcome our fears.
Overcoming the Top Seven Fears About Sharing Jesus (26-39)
#7 - Fear of people not wanting to listen (5-8) - Do people really need this message anyway? Yes! The good news of Jesus Christ is still the best breaking news in the world today. People are desperate for good news, especially today.
#6 - Fear of not knowing who to tell (5,27) - Tell everyone who comes your way that needs to hear the good news. God loves everyone. Don’t exclude anyone, especially those who are different or unlovely. Philip, a Jew, shared with Samaritans (i.e., half-Jewish outcasts) and an Ethiopian eunuch (5,27).
#5 - Fear of not knowing what to say (1,4) - Isn’t this what we pay ministers to do? I’m not trained/qualified. Note in Acts 8, laypersons preached/shared (Gk., euaggelidzo) the good news not the Apostles. We need to study the basics (i.e., Roman Road); Share our personal experience; Trust the Spirit.
#4 - Fear of knocking on doors (26) - You don’t have to knock on doors. Some have the gift of evangelism for this, but all must share. God will give us opportunities, divine appointments, in the normal course of life. Sharing is best done through relationships, both old and new ones. We must allow God’s Spirit to direct us to the person, the place, and the time as did Philip.
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”
34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37 Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 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 (Acts 8:26-39 NIV).
#3 - Fear of offending or intruding on privacy (29-31) - The Holy Spirit directed Philip to the eunuch. Much prayer and waiting on the Lord precedes our witness. The Ethiopian wanted to understand spiritual things but needed help. There are many people like this around us today. They want to know the truth. God was already at work in the Ethiopian’s heart, and God is at work preceding your witness too.
#2 - Fear of failure, rejection, or rebuke (6,26) - God is the only one who can save someone. You and I cannot save anyone and are not responsible for the response of those with whom we share. We are responsible for our witness. God can use a genuine word falteringly shared because of the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. God draws people to himself. He is not dependent on our particular words or approach. Throughout Acts 8 the Spirit was the one at work, Philip was only the instrument. Those who reject the good news are not rejecting us but are rejecting God. By the way, God knows all about rejection and rebuke—just ask Jesus who suffered the “failure, rejection, and rebuke” of the cross for your sins and mine. Jesus was willing to suffer that time of so-called failure, rejection, and rebuke in the hope that some of those for whom he died would come to faith in him. The message may be rejected this time, but a seed may have been planted or watered for future harvest.
#1 - Fear of not really caring enough for others (8,39) - This is not a fear as much as an obstacle of our own bad attitudes. Philip lived his life with a burden of concern and care for others. He wanted them to know Jesus. Have we become complacent in our faith? Satisfied with our salvation? Bored with the good news? The old saying goes, “Some bring joy to a room when they enter, and some bring it when they leave.” Philip was a joy bringer (8,39). Like Philip, we should be joy-bringers who appropriately share the good news as God’s Spirit directs and enables us to do so.
In a nutshell, we can overcome all fear with the love that God’s Spirit places within us. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Tim 1:7 NIV). God loves you. Don’t let fear stand in the way of your loving him and loving others in his name by sharing the good news of Jesus.
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