Dear Pastor, Preacher, or Bible Teacher –
You made it through another weekend of serving God, His people, and a world that needs Jesus so much! Here’s a brief word from Acts 8 that might just encourage you today.
Then Philip opened his mouth,
and beginning at this Scripture,
preached Jesus to him. (Acts 8:35)
Philip had a wonderful opportunity to preach. The high official from the court of the Queen of Ethiopia was reading from Isaiah 53 about the Suffering Servant, and he asked Philip to explain what it meant.
Given the opportunity, Philip did what we all should do. He spoke, beginning at this Scripture. When we begin with the Bible, we let the words and themes of Scripture dominate the words and themes of our message.
It wasn’t hard to do, because the Suffering Servant passage from Isaiah 53 powerfully points to Jesus Christ. It was easy to talk about Jesus beginning at this Scripture. Because the whole Bible points to Jesus in one way or another, we really can begin at any passage and find where it leads to Jesus.
How did Philip preach Jesus to him using Isaiah 53? With that passage he could explain who Jesus was (He was “like a lamb”) and what Jesus has done for us (“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter”). Explaining who Jesus is and what He has done for us is the essence of the gospel.
Too many preachers today focus on what we must do for God, but the gospel begins with and is founded upon what God has done for us in Jesus Christ.
The next time you have the opportunity to preach or teach, remember these two things:
– Begin with the Scripture.
– Preach Jesus.
That always makes for a good sermon!
Blessings to you in Jesus’ Name – David Guzik
Click Here to Receive Email from David for Pastors, Preachers, and Bible Teachers
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