Lesson From Losses Part IV: You're in Desert Micaiah Irmler Acts 8:4-8, 26-40 NKJV 4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. 6 And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed; and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city. 26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” 34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” 37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea. Question: How many of you like the desert? Note: There is a distinct beauty to the desert. Note: Deserts aren’t the place you expect to see great things happen. Key Thought: What happens when God uses unlikely people in unlikely places? Desert Destinations vs. 26 26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. Note: When I think of destination spots the last place I think of is the desert. Question: When you look at the desert what do you see? Deserts are difficult . Deserts are dry places. Deserts are often dead places. Note: Most people don’t desire the desert. Note: We often don’t the desert we endure the desert. Question: What am I doing in the desert? What am I doing in San Jose? What am I doing in this job? What am I doing in this neighborhood? Deserts are a place of development. Note: Deserts are where we develop. Note: It’s in tough places that we become tougher. Moses spent 40 years in the desert. Children of Israel spent 40 years in the desert. John the Baptist ministry was in the desert. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert. The apostle Paul spent 3 years in the deserts of Arabia. Desert Decisions vs. 26-27 26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship. Note: There are no details, no , and no reason given. Question: Why is it that we need all the details before we decide? Quote: The only part of the scripture you believe is the part you obey. Remember: Your desert season doesn’t always make sense right away. When faith is involved is not required. Say yes to the desert. The Decisions You Make in the Desert Will Change the Desert vs. 27-35 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. 33 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” 34 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Note: The Ethiopian was but being spiritual is not enough. Note: He preached Jesus. Not self help. Not . Not . Not humanism. Remember: It’s just Jesus. You don’t need to add anything to it. Remember: All the world needs is . Desert Discoveries vs. 36-39 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” 37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. God uses the difficult places of our lives to make a great difference in the lives of others. Note: Deserts are not the place we think of making a . God can delight you even in the desert. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 8 And there was great joy in that city. Note: The same joy that was in the city is the same joy in the desert. Note: In deserts we see that if something happens there then it can happen anywhere. Note: Sometimes we think that God doesn’t do big things in the desert. Remember: If God did it there he can do it here. God Sees the Differently Than we Do. God saw the Ethiopian in the desert. 36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Note: He asked is there anything that keeps me from joining? Note: In Jerusalem you could not have any deformity to be allowed to enter or join Judaism. Note: He wanted to know would Jesus accept him? 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. Note: The Ethiopian had to pass Egypt with its many gods and the Ethiopian passed by those, he passed by the gods of Philistines, and he went to Egypt and saw that Judaism failed him. Isaiah 54:1-3 NKJV 1 “Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman,” says the Lord. 2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes. 3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited. Isaiah 56:1-5 NKJV 1 Thus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come, And My righteousness to be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who lays hold on it; Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil.” 3 Do not let the son of the foreigner Who has joined himself to the Lord Speak, saying, “The Lord has utterly separated me from His people”; Nor let the eunuch say, “Here I am, a dry tree.” 4 For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, 5 Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place and a name Better than that of sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off. Do you see people in their desert? The desert will never be different until you see it differently. Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. Go Make a Difference in Your Desert. However it all started because one man was willing to go to the desert. Remember: Unlikely people in unlikely places will get to see God unleash His power. Remember: It’s just God. Note: It’s not lights, cameras, buildings, crowds, songs, sermons, clothes, money. It’s just God. Question: What do you do when plans come to an end. When things don’t work out. When you hit a dead end. Uncertainty / Unexplained / Unexplainable. Are you okay with God doing the impossible in your unexplainable situation? When you look at it differently it will begin to be different. Your desert is a place of decision. The decisions you make in the desert will change the desert. Can I make you forgot for a moment that you have ever heard of Moses? When the obvious choice is still wrong. Moses made a choice 40 year prior and it landed him in exile in the desert. He when from the palace to being poor. Now he is confronted by another choice a very similar choice. Can he will he still trust God? Your one decision will lead to more people making a decision and that for Moses meant 2 million people making a decision. It's starts as a burning bush call then command then crowd commits. Mount Horeb or Mount Sinai. Question: What do you think you need right now? All you need is His and His . What if all you need is all you have. The greatest assets to us is often available but not utilized. When you don’t have proof you must rely on God’s promises. Your description is your disguise for the getting the gospel to that place. God loves to use the ordinary to do the extraordinary. There’s a great drama that God wants to unfold in the desert places of your life. Dueteronmy 32:10 Its not about isolation but identification. God does not forget. God does not forsake. God does not Go Make a Difference in Your Desert. The only part of the scripture you believe is the part you obey. Note: The chapter starts bad gets good then told to go to somewhere you don’t want to go. God said go, God didn’t say why. can operate without an explanation. When given a command a reason is not required. The reason I am telling you this is because… Key Thought: The goal of school is to graduate. Note: People who say to me I’m spiritual isn’t that enough? Or you are here this morning and you think when I am a spiritual person isn’t that enough for God and to get into Heaven. My dear friend we are all spiritual we are more spiritual than we are physical. This Ethiopian travelled 200 miles to find the answers and still he was left as dry and the desert he was passing through. It’s amazing to me that he was a desert in a desert and someone was going to introduce Him to a well. Sitting in my garage won’t turn me into a car. Philip started serving widows, then went to Samaria, then went to the . The desert doesn’t make sense. Remember: History records that this Ethiopian Eunuch Deserts Come with Desert .