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The Peace ChroniclesPart VIII: The Pathways To Peace – True Conversion

Pastor Joe Pursch

Chinese Grace Bible Church

Sunday, August 12, 2012

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

25  Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

26  Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

27  And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

28  and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

29  And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

30  So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

31  And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

32  Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter    and like a lamb before its shearer

is silent,    so he opens not his mouth.

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

33  In his humiliation justice was denied him.    Who can describe his generation?

For his life is taken away from the earth.”

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

34  And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”

35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

36  And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

38  And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

39  And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

40  But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

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What Are The Crucial Steps In true Christian Conversion?

I. A Perfectly Timed ______ of the Spirit

Work

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Acts 8:25-26 (ESV)

25  Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

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Acts 8:25-26 (ESV)

26  Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.

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Acts 1:8 (ESV)

8  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

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What Are The Crucial Steps In true Christian Conversion?

II. A Fully Available ________ of GodServant

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Acts 8:27 (ESV)

27  And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship

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Isaiah 6:8 (ESV)

8  And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

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What Are The Crucial Steps In true Christian Conversion?

III. A Truly Sincere ________ of GodSeeker

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Acts 8:27-34 (ESV)

27  And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship

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Acts 8:27-34 (ESV)

28  and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

29  And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”

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Acts 8:27-34 (ESV)

30  So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

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Acts 8:27-34 (ESV)

31  And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

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Acts 8:27-34 (ESV)

32  Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter    and like a lamb before its shearer

is silent,    so he opens not his mouth.

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Acts 8:27-34 (ESV)

33  In his humiliation justice was denied him.    Who can describe his generation?

For his life is taken away from the earth.”

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Acts 8:27-34 (ESV)

34  And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”

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Isaiah 56:3-8 (ESV)

3  Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,    “The Lord will surely separate me

from his people”;and let not the eunuch say,    “Behold, I am a dry tree.”

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Isaiah 56:3-8 (ESV)

4  For thus says the Lord:“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,    who choose the things that please

me    and hold fast my covenant,

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Isaiah 56:3-8 (ESV)

5  I will give in my house and within my walls    a monument and a name    better than sons and daughters;I will give them an everlasting name    that shall not be cut off.

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Isaiah 56:3-8 (ESV)

6  “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord,    to minister to him, to love the

name of the Lord,    and to be his servants,everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it,    and holds fast my covenant—

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Isaiah 56:3-8 (ESV)

7  these I will bring to my holy mountain,    and make them joyful in my house

of prayer;their burnt offerings and their sacrifices    will be accepted on my altar;

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Isaiah 56:3-8 (ESV)

for my house shall be called a house of prayer    for all peoples.”

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Isaiah 56:3-8 (ESV)

8  The Lord God,     who gathers the outcasts of Israel, declares,“I will gather yet others to him    besides those already gathered.”

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Jeremiah 29:13 (ESV)

13  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

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What Are The Crucial Steps In true Christian Conversion?

IV. A Clear Explanation of the ______ of God

Word

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Acts 8:35 (ESV)

35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

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Romans 10:17 (ESV)

17  So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

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Luke 24:27 (ESV)

27  And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

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Genesis 3:21 (ESV)

21  And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

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Exodus 12:13 (ESV)

13  The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

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John 1:29 (ESV)

29  The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

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Revelation 5:8-12 (ESV)

8  And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

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Revelation 5:8-12 (ESV)

9  And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll    and to open its seals,for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God    from every tribe and language

and people and nation,

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Revelation 5:8-12 (ESV)

10  and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,    and they shall reign on the earth.”

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Revelation 5:8-12 (ESV)

11  Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,

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Revelation 5:8-12 (ESV)

12  saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,to receive power and wealth and wisdom and mightand honor and glory and blessing!”

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What Are The Crucial Steps In true Christian Conversion?

V. A Full Preaching of the _______ of God

Christ

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Acts 8:35 (ESV)

35  Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

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What Are The Crucial Steps In true Christian Conversion?

VI. A ___________ Heart in the Gospel of God

Believing

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Acts 8:25-40 (ESV)

36  And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

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What Are The Crucial Steps In true Christian Conversion?

VII. An ___________ Heart to the Gospel of God

Obedient

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Acts 8:38 (ESV)

38  And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

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What Are The Crucial Steps In true Christian Conversion?

VIII. A _______________ Soul by the Gospel of God

Transformed

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Acts 8:39-40 (ESV)

39  And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

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Acts 8:39-40 (ESV)

40  But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

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