Unknown: Our text this morning is in Acts. As we've been making our way through. We are in Acts, chapter eight, verse 26 and we'll be reading to the end of the chapter, Acts Eight, beginning in verse 26 before we read, let's go to the Lord in prayer, Father, as we come to your word, there are many Lord who have read your word and maybe even come to affirm it, even as the demons believe and they tremble but do not have saving faith. And so, Lord, I pray that by the power of your Spirit, you would not only open up our eyes that we might understand and see how we are directed towards Christ and salvation, but that we might embrace it, that you will make us a new creation, that you will give us new hearts, that you will justify us and sanctify us and draw us near to you, Lord, I pray that you will bless your people and that you will continue to gather us as you have promised to do. And it's in Jesus's name we pray. Amen.
Unknown: People of God, hear God's word for us this morning from Acts chapter eight, beginning in verse 26.
Unknown: Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, Rise and go toward the south, to the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert place. And he rose and went and there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, Queen of Ethiopians, of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet, Isaiah.
Unknown: And the Spirit said to Philip, go over and join this chariot.
Unknown: So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah, the prophet, and asked, Do you understand what you are reading. And he said, How can I unless someone guides me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Unknown: 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. In his humiliation, Justice was denied him, who can describe his generation for his life is taken away from the earth. And the eunuch said to Philip, about whom I ask you, does the Prophet say this about himself or about someone else? Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus.
Unknown: 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? And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they were both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him, and when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away from the eunuch, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way, rejoicing. But Philip found himself at azostas, and as he passed through the he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea, He who has ears let him hear the Word of God. Please be seated.
Unknown: The church so far in the book of Acts, early on, has had lying, and it's had deception. We saw that in Ananias and Sapphira.
Unknown: It's also had racism, and in fighting, you recall the Greeks were claiming and complaining that their widows were not being taken care of like the Hebrew widows were.
Unknown: We also have recently seen the murder of Stephen in Rome looking the other way. So now that great persecution is coming upon the church, and we will shortly then see even Rome, no longer turning a blind eye, but setting its gaze upon the church and setting its full power to destroy the church. And this church is being led by a group of men who are simple fishermen.
Unknown: It's an.
Unknown: Not that hopeful of a picture for the early church and for Jesus's commission to his apostles to go therefore and baptize and make this, make disciples of all nations and baptize them.
Unknown: But thankfully, the church is not alone. They are not alone, and neither are we, because Jesus is still with his people, and Jesus is still at work by the power of His Spirit. Jesus isn't passive and watching from afar, but he is active then, as we will see, and he is still active now ruling and reigning.
Unknown: He continues to correct and discipline his church, and we saw that in Ananias and Sapphira. He continues to wisely establish leaders, as he saw the rise of this office of Deacon, and he has enabled men to boldly preach Christ through all of Scripture. And it is not a work so much of the disciples or even the early church. It is a work of Christ Himself by His Spirit.
Unknown: And I think that's really what we see in this text, is Christ ensuring that his commission is being fulfilled.
Unknown: He doesn't give his commission to the apostles and to his church, and then say, well, I hope these guys figure it out. I wish them the best, and we'll just see what happens next. It's a 5050, I give it to him.
Unknown: That's not it at all. God is determined to keep his promises, that his promise that he made to Abraham will not fail. And what was the promise that he gave to Abraham? Abraham, through you, all the nations, will be blessed. And that is what we see happening here in this text, God is keeping his promise and his word once again, as he always does, and he is going to bless the nations through the gospel of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and Christ here in our text, is allowing the gospel now to burst forth out of Jerusalem, not only to go to Samaria, but now even beyond Samaria, to the ends of the world, as Jesus told His apostles, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. And this text is, it's kind of, it's concluding that statement in many ways of Christ, and we'll see a transition point then next week, as the focus then really is no longer so much on the 12 Apostles or Stephen and Philip, but then on Paul, the missionary to the Gentile world.
Unknown: So there's a few things just to consider in this text. We're going to see a problem, we're going to see the solution, and then we're going to see the outcome. I think that's how our text is. There's a there's a problem that's presented, there's a solution that's presented, and then we see the out, the outcome, the result.
Unknown: The problem is, well, begins in verse 26 not yet the problem, but 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. And if you remember, just recently, Philip has had a very productive missionary trip to Samaria. God, the church is scattered in Jerusalem. God sends Philip to Samaria, and there's a great revival, if you will. That happens there. People are no longer listening to Simon, the magician. They are no longer enslaved to darkness, and they are listening to the Word of God and are seeing Christ as He is presented in His Word, as Philip boldly preaches there.
Unknown: But it's interesting that God doesn't keep Philip there. I think we might be tempted to say, I mean, surely Philip would be needed in Samaria, right? I mean, there's all these new converts there. Why would God take Philip away? Well, this is also important for us to remember that God's wisdom is different than ours, that the gospel isn't a focus so much around one person, the folk. The Gospel is about Christ, and there's going to be other people there in Samaria to continue the work of Philip. The church doesn't need one man like Philip. It needs the one man that is the God man, the Lord Jesus, Christ. And so it's an emphasis that the church in Samaria isn't going to to rally around Philip. The Church of Samaria is not going to be about a one man.
Unknown: Hand ministry who's boldly preaching, God is going to actually take Philip away and send him somewhere else. And we might think, well, where would God send such a powerful evangelist like Philip, who had the successful ministry in Samaria? Surely, the next place God must have for Philip must be the great city of Antioch. I mean, that's the great trading city of the ancient world. And Antioch needs the gospel surely.
Unknown: Let's send Philip there. Well, if not there, maybe Carthage, you know, that's kind of an upcoming, you know, the rival of Rome, if you will, some great city, maybe at least Ephesus somewhere else. Surely God will use Philip in some great city to bring many more people. But we don't see God actually doing that at all. He sends Philip to a desert road to speak with just one man, and if I'm Philip, I get annoyed at this. I get annoyed at God's providence taking me away from revival and Samaria and taking me to a desert place.
Unknown: Well, thankfully, Philip is holier than me, because he doesn't complain at all. There's no hint of that. There's no complaining here. There's no asking God why. I mean, things are going well here in Samaria, but God, I mean, can't you just send someone else? No, he obeys and he entrusts himself to God, not knowing even where he's going or where he's going or whom he's going to talk to. He doesn't know any of that he just obeys.
Unknown: And I think that's as a good reminder for us is that sometimes we just need to obey God, and it might not be taking us out of maybe a more comfortable situation, but obeying God is always the best thing to do.
Unknown: God has everything mapped out.
Unknown: God has all of our needs taken care of. He has everything planned for us. This is a reminder of God's perfect Providence, of His sovereign control over all things, even to take Philip that he might share the gospel with this one man.
Unknown: Now, there are many roads that lead from Jerusalem to Gaza, and you might recall, Gaza is the principal city that was once of the Philistines, the great rival of Jerusalem and the people of Israel. But Gaza really had fallen into ruins during this first century period, and it's being rebuilt by Rome. And there are many roads to get there, and you pretty much have a road that's like 95 that most everyone takes and it's easy, it's well traveled. It's probably a little bit safer, because there's safety in numbers if there's more people.
Unknown: But you also have some other roads, maybe, maybe sometimes you don't take the main highway and you take a more scenic road because it's beautiful and there's some scenery. But here's a scenic road that has no scenery. It is just a desert place. And so here's not many people take it, because why would you there's nothing beautiful, and it's not quicker or faster or safer. But yet there appears to be at least one person who feels like they need a little bit of alone time, some time to reflect, some time to meditate, not be around others.
Unknown: And so here, here we find this one eunuch. We're introduced to this Ethiopian man. Ethiopia would have been beyond the Roman Empire rule, and so it would be considered, at that time, the ends of the earth. The ends of the earth here in the Ethiopian eunuch, the Samaritans, if you remember, who Philip was ministering to, in many ways, the the Jews considered them at least half breeds their, you know, some of their heritage comes from Israel, but they, you know, they've been mixed a little bit with the Assyrians.
Unknown: But here, in this Ethiopian eunuch, this is a real, true Gentile, a real, true outsider.
Unknown: And we're told that this Ethiopian man is a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure.
Unknown: Candice is not a name, but it's a title, kind of like Rome has Caesar is not a name, it's a title Kansas would be the same.
Unknown: So Kansas is the title for the Ethiopians, for Queen, and this man has been, we're told, deliberately mutilated that often.
Unknown: Happened because the king would take no chances by other men around his queen is going to make sure that there is no one who's going to interfere with the royal line. Now, someone who would enter into this kind of service, like this man by sacrificing now his family or hopes of one, he would also be very wealthy, and he's acquired much wealth. He's in charge of their treasury, and he has a very, very prominent position in the Royal, royal court. In a worldly sense, he's very successful, right? In fact, this eunuch is is much like young people today, willing to just sacrifice family, but for the sake of career and wealth.
Unknown: And that's what this man has done, very permanently. Has done and it's worked out for him in getting what he's wanted that is wealth and power, and he has that now.
Unknown: And he's also probably considered more trustworthy, because this castration showed that he could be trusted, and certainly around the Queen, we also know that he is a well educated man. He is able to read, which would have not been so common, certainly back then, he has money power and even religion. We're told that somehow he's become enamored with Judaism. We don't know exactly how he's heard or exactly how he's that's come about, but he's traveled all the way from Ethiopia to Jerusalem to worship.
Unknown: However, I suspect now, as he is leaving Jerusalem, and I don't know how long his trip to Jerusalem was, if he was there short or a longer period of time, but I suspect his trip to Jerusalem did not turn out, maybe, as he thought it would, it was not such a successful trip as maybe he hoped it would be.
Unknown: If you remember the temple, which is in the heart of Jerusalem, where people would come to worship, it has various courtyards in the temple and each courtyard brought you closer and closer and closer to the presence of God, until you are in the Holy of Holies.
Unknown: Remember the Holy of Holies. The Holy of Holies had the Ark of the Covenant. It was where the presence of God was said to reside, and only once a year and after sacrifice, on the Day of Atonement, where the high priest, only one man after he has made sacrifices for others and even himself, might dare to enter the presence of God, the Holy of Holies, one man, once a year, the inner court. Then outside of that you had another court, and that court was the court of the priests. And only if you were a priest could you enter that court. Was he a priest? Could he enter that court or the Holy of Holies? No, he can't get that far yet, right? So maybe we're going back a little bit after the priest court. There was another court.
Unknown: This was called the courtyard of Israel, and this is the courtyard where the Jewish men could enter. Now, is he a Jewish man?
Unknown: He can't enter that court. Okay?
Unknown: So now we back up. There's another court beyond that. This is the courtyard of women. This is where the women could go.
Unknown: Well, Can he enter that court?
Unknown: No, he's he's not a woman. Now there's one last court, and this is the courtyard of the Gentiles. This is the outer most court that the nations could come and seek to worship Yahweh, Jehovah, the true and living God.
Unknown: At least he could go there, right?
Unknown: You know, there's actually just one more thing, though, that we're told in Deuteronomy, chapter 23 verse one, you can even turn there if you want to write it down. It says no one whose testicles are crushed or whose male organ is cut off shall enter the assembly of the Lord.
Unknown: He can't. He can't come to worship, can he? He's forbidden.
Unknown: There is no way that this man can enter the presence of God there's what Gentile men would do if they truly believed in Yahweh, and what we would even see in the Old Testament is that they would be circumcised and and they would enter and be belonging to the people of God.
Unknown: But can this man be circumcised?
Unknown: He can't. It's impossible for this man.
Unknown: Again to come and worship God.
Unknown: This man's physical condition is symbolic, though, of his spiritual one. He's unable, he's unfit to enter the presence of God.
Unknown: He can't worship he is totally defiled, unclean and an outcast.
Unknown: So how can he come to worship?
Unknown: And this is what we are to wrestle with too. This is what the text is calling us to. It's a picture of our spiritual condition. You and I, who are Gentiles, how can we enter the presence of God? It's impossible. We are unclean. We are defiled. We cannot work our way further in. How is there a way?
Unknown: Is there a way? What is the truth? Is there any possibility of life for me? Well, you know the answer, right the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Unknown: Who is it? Jesus? Good. You guys know the answers. You know. You know this sermon already. Well, this is the solution, isn't it?
Unknown: This is the solution to this great problem of the ability to come into the presence of God, because he can't do it. And really, that's what the temple was all about. The temple was a picture, even to the Jews, of the holiness of God, that even they couldn't come into the presence of God. God had to make a way for them, and that way involved the ceremonial system that had sacrifices and cleansings, and even for them that they too might enter the presence of God. But you know what all that was pointing to?
Unknown: You know what all that was symbolizing and foreshadowing in the Old Testament? And you've already said it Jesus, the whole temple system was a picture pointing to Jesus.
Unknown: Now, this man, when he's in Jerusalem, we are told that he buys a scroll, which also is an indication of his wealth. People did not just walk around with a copy of the scriptures that you and I have, and it really wasn't until the 1500s over much death that you and I have the ability to have the word of God in our hand. But this man is so wealthy that he is able to acquire a scroll of Isaiah for his own private use.
Unknown: And why would he be looking in Isaiah? Why would he be looking into a scroll of the Old Testament. Well, I think he's coming to understand that this is the authority of God in the scriptures. Why else would he be looking there? There's truth there. God's word is there. And he he somehow already by the Spirit. What was the Spirit working in and to show him, this is where I must look to find answers about God.
Unknown: And he's reading. And also note too, he's either reading in Hebrew or in Greek, maybe the Septuagint, a cop, a Greek translation of the Old Testament. He's a smart guy, and he's reading out loud, because if you're learning to read, especially a new language, you're often going to, you know, read out loud. And he's doing that. He's reading out loud. And also, when you you start reading a book, where in the book do you start in the middle, at the end, at the beginning? And especially, it's more true with a scroll, right? Because you're not going to it's just he's starting at the at the beginning of Isaiah, and we're told that he's already in chapter 53 right? This guy's reading. He's reading quickly. He's searching it for answers. But I just want to just maybe, let's just review a little bit about some in the book of Isaiah, of what, what things he might have, he what he would have already have read chapter one in Isaiah, it really begins declaring God, declaring the evil of people, the evil of his people, even the people of Israel, not only the nations which Isaiah will certainly condemn as well, but also there's a condemnation of evil and people. And even Isaiah God through Isaiah saying donkeys have more wisdom than you, because donkeys will at least obey their master, and the people of Israel, you will not obey your God.
Unknown: And then chapter one reminds us that God doesn't delight in the blood of bulls or goats, and it's a call to wash yourselves and be clean. But how?
Unknown: It says, Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow. How? How? Let's keep reading. Though they are red, like crimson, they shall be like well, how Isaiah? How?
Unknown: So he reads on chapter six. You know what's in chapter six, that amazing picture of the holiness of God, where angels are singing, holy, holy. Holy is the Lord God Almighty. And Isaiah says, I am a man undone. Woe is me. I am lost. I'm a man with unclean lips who can approach God.
Unknown: The angel said only those without sin. Who is that? Who could ever, ever, ever do this Isaiah, who Isaiah 52 right before Isaiah, 53 where he's at, talks about the ends of all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord. And again, how?
Unknown: How Isaiah, how? How do we get salvation?
Unknown: And Little does he know that he is about to be that very fulfillment of Isaiah prophecy in Isaiah 52 that the ends of all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord.
Unknown: And here, again, in God's perfect Providence, this Ethiopian eunuch turns to Isaiah 53 and then says, Philip, go. Now.
Unknown: Now, Philip, now, Isaiah 53 and if you would, if you would just turn to Isaiah 53 I think it's just worth reading it, because this is what he would have read. And so you know his mindset as he's asking these questions, how how is one washed? How is one cleansed? How is one saved? And he reads it, and let's just, I'll read it to it's only 12 verses, and I think that's not so long, and I think it's in wonderful chapter, who has believed what he has heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces, He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Unknown: Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions.
Unknown: He was crushed for our iniquities upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes, we are healed. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth, like a lamb that is led to the slaughter and like a sheep that is before its shears is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment, He was taken away. And as for his generation who considered that, he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people, and they gave and they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence and there was no deceit in his mouth, yet it was the will the Lord to crush him. He has put Him to grief. When his soul makes an offering for guilt. He shall see his offering. He shall prolong his days, and the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand out of the anguish of his soul. He shall see and be satisfied by his knowledge.
Unknown: Shall the righteous one My servant, make many to be counted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will divide Him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors, yet he bore the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Unknown: And Philip says, Oh, I'm sorry.
Unknown: The eunuch asks Philip, about whom I ask, does the Prophet say this is about himself or about someone else?
Unknown: And does Philip say? It doesn't really matter, whatever your interpretation, whatever you feel, is right, that just go with that, because, you know, there's just lots of different interpretations, and you're free to have whatever interpretation you feel is best is that it No it's about Christ, and it always is about Christ, and that's what the Scriptures are always telling us about. It.
Unknown: Is about Christ. And Philip opened up his mouth, and beginning with this scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus. Who is this? Who could do this? Why? Why would he do this?
Unknown: It's Jesus that He is the one who can wash away your sins, that he bore your sins upon himself, on the cross, that you might enter the presence of God, that you might be saved. It is good news, because there's no salvation. There is no salvation. There is no salvation outside of Christ.
Unknown: That is the truth. Christ is the Way. He is the life. And no man will come into the Father's presence apart from the mediator of Christ.
Unknown: This man couldn't circumcise himself. He couldn't even enter the temple.
Unknown: But you know what the temple has come to him, and it's come to you now, because that's what the temple was all pointing us to.
Unknown: Was Christ, the temple allowing man to then to enter into the presence of God. And the temple comes to this Ethiopian man by the power of the Spirit that He might now be in the very presence of God and a deserted road, he is now with God.
Unknown: Jesus has taken away every obstacle for this man and for you to be saved.
Unknown: Colossians, two says in him, also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands by putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God who raised him from the Dead, and you, who are dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh.
Unknown: God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands this he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
Unknown: And this man, essentially the eunuch, says, I believe this. I believe this.
Unknown: What's stopping me right now from entering the presence of God, and somehow he's heard about baptism. Maybe it was during his time in Jerusalem.
Unknown: And we know, you know, baptism is a sacrament where the washing with water in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit signifies and seals our engrafting into Christ and our partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace and our engagement be the Lord. And that's the visible entry into the covenant community. Like circumcision was, but baptism has replaced it.
Unknown: It's not just for Jews anymore, but it's for all who believe and for their children and all who are afar off.
Unknown: And this the proper response is, he, he gets baptized. They go down to the water. And how wet did he get? I don't know. It doesn't tell us.
Unknown: We don't know how deep the watering hole was, if the water was poured, if immersion happened, it doesn't tell us.
Unknown: And that's really not the point, you know, going down and coming back. It's referring to both men. The point is not how wet he got, though. The point is what was impossible with man is possible with God.
Unknown: Can an Ethiopian change his skin?
Unknown: Can a leopard his spots?
Unknown: Then also you can do good. Who are accustomed to evil, and what Jeremiah was saying there, we can't do anything good. We can't save ourselves, just like a leopard can't change his spot and Ethiopian can't change his skin. We cannot save ourselves. Can a dead man give himself life? No, and we see here the power of Christ coming to fulfill his great commission, I am going to save to the ends of the world, to the ends of the earth. I am going to do it. And we see here down the spirit carries Philip away, and he finds himself preaching, and he all the way in Caesarea. And that's really about the end. We hear the about all we hear about Philip. He's not going to be in the limelight. And again, that's good for us to hear as a church.
Unknown: It's not about particular men or ministers the limelight, as John the Baptist said that we must decrease so that Christ might increase. And in many ways, Philip is taken away, almost like John the Baptist is taken away, that Christ is center fold. You.
Unknown: He is on display here, and His power and His goodness, and now that the gospel would even make it all the way over here to Tampa.
Unknown: And what does the eunuch do as he goes on? What does the gospel make us do? Rejoice? He is rejoicing. You know what I think is also really neat. He's in Isaiah 53 just a chop couple chapters further, he's going to turn to Isaiah 56 and listen to what Isaiah 56 says, 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. For thus says the Lord to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who chose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant I will give in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters and I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.
Unknown: He couldn't enter the temple, but Isaiah promised to him that in Christ, God will give him all things and certainly salvation.
Unknown: And this man, he goes to Africa, and he, you know, he's not going to an established church, but the gospel now is going to spread through Africa, and we're going to the church. Thankfully, we're going to have some good, godly theologians and pastors be raised in Africa, Cyprian and Tertullian, and even Augustine, who said, our hearts are restless until they find rest in thee. And that's really the what happened here in this text, right? Here's a man who wants to be alone, and he's scouring. He's restless, looking for something. How am I made?
Unknown: Right with God? And he finds Christ. And we see rest, we see rejoicing.
Unknown: Christ will have dominion over land and sea. Earth's remotest region shall his empire be?
Unknown: Let's pray Father, we thank You that Christ is not passive, that he is now interceding for us and by the power of His Spirit that He has given to His church, Lord, you are saving sinners like us.
Unknown: Lord, we help us to rejoice that you have saved those who are afar off, just like us, who are unable in any way to save ourselves.
Unknown: Thank you for Jesus, and it's in his name we pray amen.