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Nobleton Community Church
29084 Sentinel Street PO Box 224
Nobleton, Florida 34661
Rev. Paul V. Lehmann, Pastor
813-389-8683
Nobletoncommunitychurch.org
info@nobletoncommunitychurch.org
OUR VISION IS:
To experience SPIRIT-FILLED WORSHIP AND PRAYER
To be involved in EVANGELISM, DISCIPLINING AND TRAINING PEOPLE
To use our SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To SERVE AND REACH PEOPLE FOR CHRIST, BOTH
“ACROSS THE STREET AND ACROSS THE WORLD”
Nobleton Community Church
Date April 26, 2026
Text Acts 8:4-8; 26-39;
Pastor Paul Lehmann
We sometimes think that we as individuals have no power, not only in the spiritual realm, but in the natural. Who are we anyway? We are always told that there is power in numbers. Sometimes that is true, but we need to recognize that it is usually only one person who starts something, and sometimes that something is spectacular and supernatural.
In our everyday sports world, we have often seen how one person dominates the game. In the NBA years ago, it was Wilt Chamberlain, the 7’ 2’ center, who scored 100 points himself in a game. Then, later, Michael Jordan was known worldwide for his spectacular ability, especially to make clutch shots at the end of games. More recently, it was Lebron James who carried the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship. Then, when he left Cleveland for the LA Lakers, he hasn’t been able to do so well. What is it that has to happen for one person who is strong or skilled to be successful? Well, the answer is, usually, there has to be cooperation from others. In the Spiritual realm, we must cooperate with the Holy Spirit.
You will remember that the early church in Jerusalem suffered great persecution after the first martyr, Stephen, was stoned. The people scattered everywhere, preaching the gospel. These were ordinary people like you and me, doing the ministry that they were taught to do by the apostles, who stayed in Jerusalem.
In our scripture reading today, we see how Phillip had a tremendous healing and deliverance ministry in Samaria, where multitudes were coming to Christ. So let’s look at three significant events in our text.
FIRST, THE JERUSALEM CONGREGATION WAS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT JUDEA AND SAMARIA (verse 1)
Sometimes God has to use force to get us to do what is in His perfect plan. I don’t mean he will force you to do something you don’t want to do, but he uses other people and circumstances to threaten our position of resistance when we are reluctant to move into action. When the church is persecuted, the church always becomes stronger.
He wants us to go out where the people are. Where the unbelievers are. We must get out of our Jerusalem; that is, out of the four walls of our church. Out of our comfort zone, and out of the status quo. When we go, Jesus said, (or as you are going, it is the more accurate rendering of the Greek in Matt. 28:18,19), we are told to make disciples. This presupposes that there is witnessing going on, now that we have the Holy Spirit to give us that power. (Act 1:8). —“After the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power, and you will be my witnesses. In Jerusalem in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” Verse 4 says, “…those who were scattered preached the word wherever they went.” Now I know that what we so often think is that we don’t know what to say to people. Do you suppose that these new converts in that early church were Bible School or seminary-trained people? No, of course not. They were just like you. They had heard the word, responded to Jesus, were born again, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to tell others what had happened to them, because they believed. They simply “preached” what they had heard and what they had experienced.
THE SECOND THING IN OUR TEXT THAT IS SIGNIFICANT IS THAT; SOME ARE CALLED TO “SAMARIA.”
Our Samaria will always be a “stretch” for us. It was for these Jewish disciples, too. These followers of Jesus Christ obeyed and went wherever God told them to go, and God told Phillip to go to the area of Samaria and proclaim Christ there. It was only one person, Phillip, who started the revival that took place there.
It was hard for him because the Samaritans were despised by Orthodox Jews for centuries. When the Israelites from the Northern Kingdom were defeated centuries before by a foreign power, they didn’t hold fast to the One true God. They intermarried with the incoming foreigners, and they lost their racial purity, but worse, they lost much of their zeal for the One true God, and they lost the right to be called Jews at all.
In the course of time, a like invasion and a like defeat happened to the Southern Kingdom whose capital was Jerusalem. Its inhabitants also were carried off to Babylon, but they did not lose their identity; they remained stubbornly and unalterably Jewish. In time, there came the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, and the exiles returned to Jerusalem by the grace of the Persian King. Their Immediate task was to repair and rebuild the shattered temple. The Samaritans came and offered their help in this sacred task. They were contemptuously told that their help was not wanted. They had lost their Jewish heritage, and they had no right to share in the rebuilding of the house of God or the wall that surrounded it. Because of this, they turned bitterly against the Jews of Jerusalem. It was about 450 B.C. when that quarrel took place, and it was as bitter as ever in the days of Jesus. So this was still the situation at the time of this persecution. So going to Samaria was really a cross-cultural effort. They were certainly different, even though they spoke the same language. Have we reacted contemptuously against those of another religion or ethnic group? Thinking they have rejected Christ, so they aren’t interested? —-Who are your Samaritans today?
Our Samaritan ministry may be just someone we are not normally drawn to. Or it may be someone that the (majority) other people despise. It may be someone who is a different nationality or race, but it may be a category like the “homeless” or someone who speaks a different language than you do. Or you don’t know anything about their religion, or they are part of a sect, and that is intimidating.
Philip was aware of what Jesus’ attitude was towards the Samaritans. He was aware of how Jesus talked to the woman at the well. So he didn’t hesitate to hold an evangelistic campaign in a town in Samaria. When the crowds heard Phillip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.
What were the things they SAW? With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. Wow! Would you have been afraid or criticized Phillip for what he was doing? What was the result? There was great joy in that city! We would like to see a revival, but on our terms. We don’t want to be uncomfortable or see anything weird happen. This “great joy” is mentioned in verse 14; when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria (of all places), had accepted the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. They preached the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
THE THIRD SIGNIFICANT EVENT WAS THAT; PHILLIP IS CALLED BY AN ANGEL TO LEAVE A SUCCESSFUL MINISTRY AND GO TO THE DESERT. “GO SOUTH TAKE THE DESERT ROAD TO GAZA,
This is where we see the importance of “The Power of One” person. Don’t think in terms of a mass crusade (like Billy Graham used to have), but rather think about what god is asking you to do, as one person. You can make a difference. The key is obeying the Lord when he shows you what he wants you to do.
What is the first thing that Phillip does? He started out! —He obeyed and went where he was called to go. Verse 20 tells us that, “the Spirit told Phillip to go to that chariot and stay near it.” He had a Divine Appointment. Who did he find? An Ethiopian who maybe was a Jew, but most likely was either a proselyte, or at the very least what they called a “God-Fearer”, one who was searching to know God, and was willing to go to synagogue or to the temple in Jerusalem to worship, but they couldn’t become a proselyte until they were willing to be circumcised and tot take the law completely on themselves and follow everything about Judaism. It isn’t clear who he was, but he certainly was searching the scriptures having to do with the Messiah, and he is reading out loud. Phillip, who was led to “stay near” the chariot, heard him. The word here means literally “be glued” to the chariot so here is Phillip hanging on to the chariot as he runs beside it, close by, and then he is invited to sit with this high-ranking officer of Queen Candice of Ethiopia. Candice was a general term used of many Ethiopian Queens, like the term Pharaoh was used of the Egyptian leaders. It doesn’t seem that Phillip is intimidated; he just goes and sits with him.
The Eunuch accepts the Messiah Jesus and wants to be baptized (verse 36).
Sometimes the Lord wants us to just go to one person whom he has prepared. In the book Power Evangelism, by the late John Wimber (who used to play the guitar with “The Righteous Brothers before he became a Christian and was called to preach the gospel), there is an account which powerfully illustrates the spiritual gift called the “Word of Knowledge.”
A man he calls Kerry Jennings (not his real name), tells how he had just had a long day at the office, full of deadlines and meetings that leave editors eager for only one thing; getting home and relaxing with their families As he navigated across the freeway system towards his suburban home, he began to pray, a habit he had developed to redeem the hours spent in traffic jams. He interceded for his family, co-workers, and friends. He prayed about an article that he was writing. Then he began to ask god to provide opportunities for personal evangelism. Suddenly, strange thoughts entered his mind; the accompanying peace indicated the Lord was responding to his prayers. He had acted on these kinds of thoughts before, almost always seeing God work through him.
God had told Kerry to stop at a familiar restaurant, look for a certain waitress, and tell her that “God had something for her.” Further. God said that what he had for the waitress would be revealed when Kerry talked with her. Though apprehensive, Kerry responded to the inkling, steering his car off the exit towards the restaurant. He did so because he sensed that god had arranged a divine appointment, and appointed time in which God reveals himself to an individual or group through spiritual gifts or other supernatural phenomena. God arranges these encounters. They are meeting, He has ordained to demonstrate His power in developing His Kingdom (Eph. 2:10)
After being seated in the waitress’s section, Kerry began to ponder all the reasons for not delivering the message. While caught up in anxious thoughts, she approached. Before he could say anything, she cheerfully said, “You have something for me, don’t you?” In response (his resistance now gone_, he told her that God had sent him specifically with something, and then two insights regarding her job and a relationship, both areas of trouble for her, were supernaturally revealed to him. Asking God for courage, he told her. She was stunned. She knew that she was encountering god because the only way Kerry could know the things he told her was through supernatural means. (In scripture, this is called a Word of Knowledge)
I Cor. 12:8. At the end of the conversation, they prayed. She cried. Later, Kerry learned that she was the daughter of a pastor now decreased and that she had turned away from God. Soon after the divine appointment, she gave her heart to the Lord.
Divine appointments are an integral part of “power evangelism” (especially one-person evangelism). People who would otherwise resist hearing the gospel are instantly opened to God’s word. Sometimes even the most hostile individuals turn to God when a significant need is met.
We must obey the Lord who says go to all ethic groups (that’s the great commission), and make disciples. Sometimes he forces us (by persecution), or other circumstances. When he says go, we should go, not rationalize or analyze the situation.
Miracles follow those who believe, and then people accept Christ. He demands faithful witnessing and preaching. Sometimes He wants us just to go to one person whom He has prepared. “Go to that chariot and stay near it” (go to a certain restaurant, for instance). Speak to that certain neighbor or friend at the community center.
Perhaps you are more like the Ethiopian this morning? Are you still searching and asking questions about God or Jesus Christ? He wants you to ask, just like he did, in order that you might find out who Jesus really is, and that he truly wants to be your Savior and change your life.
Are you like Philip, willing to obey and follow God’s greater plan for you, even though it might not seem as good? Phillip left a mass evangelism campaign for just one personal encounter. He made a difference in this Ethiopians life, and tradition has it that he went back to the palace and witnessed to who Jesus was, and the church was established there.
THE POWER OF ONE PERSON. Yes, you can make a difference. If each of us just leads one person to Christ, and they do the same, it is astronomical how many can be won to Christ in just one year. How wonderful to see people’s lives changed and they experience life in all its fullness, just as Jesus promised we could have.
D.L Moody said, “We have yet to see what God can do through one person who is totally submitted to Him.”