How Will They Know HIM Unless We Tell Them? Acts 8:26-40

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1 How Will They Know HIM Unless We Tell Them? Acts 8:26-40 How many of you think you are successful missionaries? Why? Why not? How did you become a member of your church? The Command: Verse 26 What did the angel tell Philip to do? Can you think of other passages where we are told to do the same thing? Why do we have to be told this over and over again? What are some practical ways that you can do this? How will they know him unless we? The Opportunity: Verses When Philip got up and went, what did he find? What do we know about the man in the chariot? How might this have affected Philip? See 8:5. What had Philip s actions proved that he was not? Why would you be happy with an opportunity like this? Identify some practical opportunities you have to share the gospel. How will they know him unless we? The Message: Verses In your own words, what was the message? What did Philip tell the Ethiopian? Is there anyone here who doesn t know that message? Is there anyone here who can t repeat that message to someone else? How will they know him unless we tell them about? The Result: Verses Name some examples of what are considered to be successful churches/ministries today. Why are they considered successful?

2 How does Philip compare with that measure of success? Considering what we have seen above, what is God s definition of success? Now answer the question again: How many of you are successful missionaries? Now how do you feel about the statement: How will they know him unless we tell them?

3 Leader s Guide How Will They Know HIM Unless We Tell Them? Acts 8:26-40 How many of you think you are successful missionaries? Why? Why not? (The expectation is that most will not feel that they are successful missionaries. The purpose of the question is to help people to see that if they have shared and are sharing the Word with their children, grandchildren, friends, neighbors, relatives, etc., they are successful missionaries. Lutheran Women s Missionary Society can mean more than just supporting others in faraway places.) How did you become a member of your church? (Just a question for interest s sake. Statistics show that many who did not grow up in the church came through friends.) The Command: Verse 26 What did the angel tell Philip to do? (The Greek seems stronger than the NIV translation. It says, Get up and go! ) Can you think of other passages where we are told to do the same thing? (Matthew 28, Mark 16) Why do we have to be told this over and over again? (Our sinful nature doesn t want to go, makes excuses.) What are some practical ways that you can do this? (Answers will vary.) How will they know him unless we.? (Get up and go.) (Especially in the South we can t sit back and expect people to just walk in because we are there. They don t even know what Lutheran is.) The Opportunity: Verses When Philip got up and went, what did he find? (The eunuch reading Scripture. An opportunity!) What do we know about the man in the chariot?

4 (An Ethiopian, a eunuch who could not even enter the temple courts, possibly a black man.) How might this have affected Philip? (Philip might have reacted like Jonah.) See 8:5. What had Philip s actions proved that he was not? (He was not prejudiced. He went to Samaria.) Why would you be happy with an opportunity like this? (The Ethiopian was a seeker, already interested in finding the truth.) Identify some practical opportunities you have to share the gospel. How will they know him unless we. (Make use of the opportunities God gives.) The Message: Verses In your own words, what was the message? What did Philip tell the Ethiopian? (The good news about Jesus.) Is there anyone here who doesn t know that message? (No) Is there anyone here who can t repeat that message to someone else? (No, therefore we can be missionaries/witnesses. We know what to say.) How will they know him unless we tell them about? (Jesus) The Result: Verses Name some examples of what are considered to be successful churches/ministries today. Why are they considered successful? (Robert Schuler, etc. Large congregations/ministries with money.) How does Philip compare with that measure of success? (Not very successful) Considering what we have seen above, what is God s definition of success? (Not how big or how much money, simply sharing the good news about Jesus. Stress the fact that even

5 if the Ethiopian would not have been brought to faith, Philip was successful. He got up and went and used the opportunity that presented itself to tell someone the good news about Jesus. That s success.) Now answer the question again: How many of you are successful missionaries? Now how do you feel about the statement: How will they know him unless we tell them? 1. Guilty for not telling more 2. Happy because I know what to tell them 3. Relieved because I know see I am a better missionary than I thought 4. Challenged because there are so many to tell 5.? (Review the main points. They will know him. We will be successful missionaries when we get up and go and make use of the opportunities God provides for us to tell others the good news about Jesus.)