The Prospect Philip Found
Acts 8:26-40

I.	INTRODUCTION.
	A.	Soul winning entails finding the best candidates to receive the Gospel.
		1.	Jesus has told us to share the Gospel with the entire world.
			a.	Acts 1:8.
			b.	We are to miss no one when sharing the Gospel.
		2.	However, certain individuals make better prospects than others.
			a.	Some people will not be open-minded because their parents did things a certain way.
			b.	Some people will not be open-minded because they have a wonderful feeling.
			c.	In the parable of the Sower, only one soil brings forth a harvest (Mt 13).
	B.	Just who is a good prospect?  Let's study the episode of the Ethiopian eunuch to find out.
	C.	One person is valuable to God, v 26.
		1.	An angel told Philip to go from Samaria to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza.  This was desert.
			a.	"Desert" describes a place that is desolate & empty.
			b.	Multitudes lived in Samaria (Acts 8:6), but God had Philip leave the multitudes to
				go to one person.
		2.	This shows that God cares about individuals.
			a.	God is not willing that any should perish (2 Pt 3:9).
			b.	Lk 15:10.
		3.	Each person we encounter has a soul, and God wants that soul to be saved; the
			responsibility of sharing the gospel remains with us.
			a.	Mt 4:19.
			b.	Mt 22:9.
		4.	Are we doing all that we can to ensure that those souls will not be lost?

 II.	THE EUNUCH WAS A WORSHIPER, v 27.
	A.	Philip encountered a man from Ethiopia.
		1.	This man was a eunuch with great authority under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians.
			a.	Eunuchs often served close to royalty.
			b.	Candace was a dynastic name for the queen of the Ethiopians.
				1)	The king of Ethiopia was considered too holy to be involved in the affairs
					of the state.
				2)	The king's mother took care of the country.
		2.	This man was a foreigner to Philip.
			a.	Without a doubt, this man from Africa was black.
			b.	Of course, Philip knew that skin color & nationality did not matter.
				1)	Jn 7:37.
				2)	Rm 10:12.
		3.	This man was more than like a proselyte, a convert to Judaism.
			a.	The first conversion of a Gentile takes place in Acts 10.
			b.	Although this man was a Gentile by birth, he was circumcised & became as
				though he were a Jew by birth.
			c.	Exodus 12:48 says that proselytes would be "as a native of the land."
	B.	This eunuch was a worshiper of God.
		1.	That he traveled all the way from Ethiopia to Jerusalem to worship shows his dedication.
		2.	Because he was a eunuch, he could not enter the assembly of the Lord (Deut 23:1).
			He had to worship from afar.
	C.	This was a man who was earnestly trying to do right.
		1.	He worshiped God the best he knew how.
		2.	Those who worship make good prospects.

III.	THE EUNUCH WAS A BIBLE READER, v 28.
	A.	The eunuch was reading from Isaiah the prophet.
		1.	This was a man who was sincerely looking for God.
		2.	This was a man who was hungry to know what God wanted him to do.
	B.	Good prospects hunger for God's Word.
		1.	Mt 5:6.
		2.	Ps 42:2.
		3.	Ps 63:1.
	C.	Do you know someone hungering for God's Word?

 IV.	THE EUNUCH WAS TEACHABLE, vv 29-35.
	A.	The Spirit told Philip to overtake the chariot where the Ethiopian was reading, v 29.
	B.	Philip ran to the eunuch & asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" v 30.
	C.	The eunuch replied, "How can I unless someone guides me?" v 31.
		1.	The eunuch realized his need to be taught.
			a.	The eunuch didn't pretend to have all the answers.
			b.	Many individuals-whether they say it or not-believe they have all the answers;
				one lady once told me that she knew all about the Bible.
		2.	Those who are teachable can learn the Gospel.
		3.	Prov 9:9.
		4.	The eunuch asked Philip to come up & sit in the chariot, v 31.
	D.	The eunuch was reading concerning Jesus' sufferings in Isaiah, vv 32-33.
	E.	The eunuch asked Philip, "Of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some
		other man?" v 34.
	F.	Philip began with that Scripture & preached Jesus to the eunuch, v 35.
	G.	The eunuch sincerely wanted to know what the Bible taught.
		1.	The Bereans searched the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul & Silas were
			saying was true (Acts 17:11).
		2.	Prov 18:15.
	H.	Do you know someone wanting to know the truth?

  V.	THE EUNUCH WAS OBEDIENT, vv 36-39.
  		A.	As Philip & the eunuch traveled, they came to some water.  The eunuch asked,
			"What hinders me from being baptized?" v 36.
		B.	The eunuch commanded the chariot to stop, v 38.
			1.	Philip and the eunuch went down into the water.
			2.	Philip baptized the eunuch.
		C.	The eunuch was willing to obey God.  Good prospects are willing to obey God.
			1.	Mt 7:21.
			2.	2 Jn 6.
		D.	Do you know someone willing to obey God?

 VI.	CONCLUSION.
	A.	After his baptism, the eunuch went on his way rejoicing, v 39.
	B.	If you obey god, you can leave here rejoicing.  Will you obey God?