SPEAKER_00 0:00

Good morning. My name is Oli. The Old Testament reading is found in Isaiah 56, 3 through 5. Don't let the immigrant who has joined with the Lord say, The Lord will exclude me from the people. And don't let the eunuch say, I'm just a dry just a dry tree. The Lord says to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, choose what I desire and remain loyal to my covenant. In my temple and courts, I will give them a monument and a name better than sons and daughters. I will give to them an enduring name that won't be removed. The word of the Lord.

SPEAKER_03 0:45

And the New Testament reading is found in Acts 8, 26 through 31. An angel from the Lord spoke to Philip. At noon, take the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert road. So he did. Meanwhile, an Ethiopian man was on his way home from Jerusalem where he had come to worship. He was a eunuch and an official responsible for the entire treasury of Candace. Candace is the title given to the Ethiopian queen. He was reading the prophet Isaiah while sitting in his carriage. The spirit told Philip, Approach this carriage and stay with it. Running up to the carriage, Philip heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, Do you really understand what you were reading? The man replied, Without someone to guide me, how could I? Then he invited Philip to climb up and set with him the word of the Lord.

SPEAKER_01 2:02

Hello, my name is Savannah. If you are able, please stand for the gospel reading found in Luke 15, 29 through 30. People will come from east and west, north and south, and sit down to eat in God's kingdom. Look, those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last. The gospel of the Lord.

SPEAKER_02 2:39

I pray that you would open our eyes to see what you want us to see in the scripture today. I pray that you would open our ears to hear what your spirit needs us to hear, God. I pray you would open up our hearts to just long for you more and more, God. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. You guys can grab a seat. Good morning. It's me again. Um again, my name's Stephanie. And if you're joining us online, I just want to say welcome. We're so glad you are here. Um over the next couple weeks as we transition to Mitchell. If you are one of our online watchers, next week when we are at church in the park, we will not have our live stream streamed. Um, it's just not possible with the technology next week, but we will be streaming from Mitchell. And so we'll be back online um on June 14th. And on June 14th, we are going to have quite the party. You guys, Mitchell is a great, a great situation. Our kids are gonna have gyms, they're gonna have classrooms rather than hallways. Um, the sanctuary will look very similar to this. And as you can see, if you walk down the hallway, we're like one step away from being in a construction zone. Um, they are just uh ready for us to be out so they can cut the power in here and do what they need to do over the summer. And so um I think moving moving to Mitchell is gonna be a good thing for our community, right? We we are not the people that of God just because of this building at Palmer High School. We are the people of God wherever we go, whether we meet in a in a park next week, whether we meet in Mitchell, whether we meet wherever's next. Um, and so we're just continuing to pray for the Lord to lead us and um for him to just protect us in everything that's coming in the future. So that's what's happening over the next couple weeks. Um, I just need to ask for grace today. I am on the tail end of um uh a cold. And so I have like those random, like one cough. This is just the the, you know, the the lingering cough. So if I cough, all is well. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Um, and I have my water bottles. I'll just be like this all day. Um one more thing about June 14th is that Pastor Glenn will be with us our first week at Mitchell. So it'll be great to have him. He'll be preaching that day. And then um after service, we're gonna have pizza and popsicles and just really kick off summer that way. So it's gonna be it's gonna be a really good day. Well, let's start this morning. We're gonna be in Acts chapter eight. If you have a Bible or phone, you can turn there. I grew up in the early 90s on the sunny streets of San Diego. And when I was five years old, this was my earliest memory of really feeling excluded. I had an older brother, Brandon. He was two years older. And in my mind, Brandon and his friend Joe Spano were like everything I wanted to be. I think we have a picture of me and my brother when we were younger. And look at his face. He's like, I have to sit with my sister on this rock to take this picture. And I'm just so sweet. I had to dig in a scrapbook to find that picture. Um, I just looked up to my brother, I looked up to his friends. They had more freedom than me. And I really wanted to be part of their bike gang. And at seven years old, Brandon and his friends that he they lived in this world that just felt impossibly far. They rode faster, his boundaries were farther. And he had decided that I didn't belong in his bike gang. And so I remember all these times standing on the edge of the street, which I wasn't allowed to cross, and watching them ride off. And I'd turn around and go back home and with tears streaming down my face, I would just tell my mom they left me again. All I wanted was to be part of his group. All I wanted was to play, but I was too young, I was too slow, and he didn't want to play with his little sister. Now, decades of research identify that there is this need to belong that is a fundamental human motivation. And it said that this need is as powerful as basic survival motives. And if you've ever been to a playground over the last few years, you've likely seen something called a buddy bench. A little over 10 years ago, there was a second grader named Christian Bucks in Pennsylvania. He brought this idea of the buddy bench to his principal. This idea was that if a child feels excluded or doesn't have anyone to play with, they can sit on the bench. And this signals other children playing on the playground that this person feels excluded. They need someone to play with. And so hopefully encouraging these other kids to grow in their empathy, grow in their inclusion in this process. And so the buddy bench, it represents this practical response to what research shows us that as humans, we have a strong need to belong. And exclusion is very emotionally painful. Um, if you grew up with an older sibling like me, especially an older brother, or if you've ever felt excluded from something, you know that this can be painful to long to be a part of something. And the feeling of wanting to be included when someone tells you you're not. And I wish I could say that we never experience this in church, or that we never experience this with other Christians or followers of Jesus, but that's simply not true. There are also exclusion that happens in those settings. And it's often these places of exclusion that are probably often the most painful or can be. So as we continue today in this series in Acts called Kingdom Movement, we're gonna see how the gospel of Jesus is now pushing on this idea of exclusion and inclusivity in a new way. So at this point in Acts, in chapter eight, the apostles they have seen this rapid spread of the gospel in Jerusalem. There had been conflict, there had been suffering, but this had led to thousands of people recognizing Jesus as the Messiah and being saved. And last week, Jason started in the front half of chapter eight, talking about how the spread of the gospel, it had finally left Jerusalem, like Jesus said it would. See, if Acts was a trilogy, chapter eight would be the start of the second movie. So that's where we're at, last week and this week. And most followers of Jesus at this point, they had scattered, and the gospel was now being heard in other places in Samaria, like we saw last week. And as we go to the second half of chapter eight, when we read this story or look at this story at first glance, it kind of seems unimportant or maybe confusing as to why it's included in the greater story of this church spread and thousands being saved. So let's read it again. Jill did a great job, but we're gonna read this again. Chapter eight, starting in verse 26. It says, An angel from the Lord spoke to Philip, and at noon he said, Take the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza. This was a desert road. So he did. Meanwhile, an Ethiopian man was on his way home from Jerusalem, where he had come to worship. He was a eunuch, he was an official responsible for the entire treasury of Candace. Candace is the title given to an Ethiopian queen. This would have been a similar title, like Pharaoh or Caesar. He was reading the prophet Isaiah while sitting in his carriage, and the spirit told Philip, approach the carriage and stay with it. Okay, let's pause there. First, you might be asking yourself, how does Luke, the author of Acts, even know about this story? Well, we're told that Luke was traveling with Paul, and in Acts 21, it said that they visited Philip and stayed at his house for multiple days. So it's thought that that is probably when Philip told him about this private interaction that had happened, and when Luke learned about this to later write it in his book. So Luke starts this story and he wants to make it clear that this entire interaction is being led by the spirit, not by human planning. It wasn't a coincidence. So we see that God's mission here was guided by divine purpose, not by convenience, not even by crowds. And I think Luke wants the reader, he wants us to see that God's kingdom is advancing by the leading of the Spirit. So the Spirit guides Philip to a place that seems empty, unimportant, towards a person that many people may have overlooked, but God was doing something there. God's work was there. God was already working in this man's heart. And Luke tells us a lot of information about this guy within just a few verses. He says he's an Ethiopian. To Luke's early readers, Ethiopia would have literally represented the ends of the earth. It was as far as you could go. He says he was a high-status official. He wasn't a stranger. He wasn't a curious bystander. It says that he was overseeing the treasury of the queen. So he would have been highly educated, highly trusted. And he was reading an Isaiah scroll in his carriage. So literacy in those times would have been rare, but he would have been reading, implying that he had formal training. And just the fact that he had access to this scroll likely meant wealth or privilege. And then Luke uses this word to describe this man, this word eunuch. And we see that in this passage, Luke uses this multiple times so that it's not missed by the reader. He wants us to know that this was part of this man's identity. Now, this term eunuch is found in multiple places in history and scripture, really, even up until a couple hundred years ago. This word in Greek would have primarily meant the guardian of the harem, the women, the wives, the concubines, the unmarried female relatives, they would have been their guard, their protector. In history, this role was normally carried out by a man who had been castrated. So this word eunuch is often understood with that description. So sometimes, though, when this word eunuch is used for a high status official or a high high official of the state, it's no longer necessarily clear in scripture whether we're talking about this physically, whether we're supposed to take that literally or whether it's just become a mere title. So we see in Deuteronomy 23, the law of Moses, that men who were eunuchs, whether purposefully or accidentally, scripture says, they were excluded from the full participation in the assembly of God. So eunuchs held this really unique identity. They carried this public role, this level of trust that they were given, but that didn't erase the fact that they were still likely often called outsiders. They were likely marginalized. They likely lived with this deep tension, honored in some spaces, yet rejected in others, helping care and protect a family, yet likely not having a family of their own, included, but still on the outside. So for many today, this tension of multiple things that are being carried here might feel familiar. We all hold multiple roles, multiple relationships and work and life and social circles with roommates, with family, with family of origin, with families that we're married into. Often people can be affirmed and known in some spaces, yet they can feel misunderstood or unknown in other spaces. But Luke wants us to see here that this Ethiopian man, in all of his circumstances, that he was seen by God. And the reason that this story is included in Acts is to show us that God's kingdom sees and honors individual stories. His story, it gives language to this confusion, this tension, this idea of longing, this dissonance that can come from wanting to be belong or wanting something, wanting to be fully seen or known while still sensing those barriers. Now we also see that Jesus also talks about eunuchs in Matthew 19. He talks about this when answering questions about singleness, marriage, and divorce. And Jesus puts puts eunuchs into three categories. He says, There are eunuchs who have been born that way. There are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others. They've physically been changed by others. And there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. So this third category, this would be someone who is choosing to live a life of singleness, choosing to live a life without children. Paul speaks about the devotion a person can have to Christ and to the kingdom multiple times, specifically in 1 Corinthians 7. He talks about people can choose this for the kingdom of God. So all this information that we're told by Luke, there are still some questions about this man. We're also not told by Luke if this particular eunuch was a scattered Jew or if he was a Gentile. Only we're only told that he was returning from Jerusalem where he was worshiping. So it's mostly thought by scholars that he was a man who had been castrated. And that's why Luke uses this word eunuch multiple times. And it's also thought that he probably wasn't a Jew, but he was a Gentile who had adopted the Jewish practice. This is also called a God fearer. So this story here in Acts, it's training the reader to notice someone who has been on the outside, someone who has been excluded, someone who is holding this tension. And what we're gonna see is this person is now gonna be invited, now is gonna be included. And this is just the beginning as we continue in Acts, we see this more and more. So let's go back to the scripture. The eunuch obviously hadn't gotten enough Bible time when he was worshiping in Jerusalem because he was in his carriage, and it says he was reading the word loud enough for Philip to hear. So jumping into verse 30, it says that running up to his carriage, Philip heard this man reading the prophet Isaiah. And he asked, Do you really understand what you're reading? I think this question was in kindness. It wasn't in rudeless. Like, how rude? How dare you ask him if he knows what he's understanding? He was he was being kind. Do you really understand what you're reading? And this man replied, Without someone to guide me, how could I? And then he invited Philip to climb up with him. And it says in this passage that what he was reading was from the prophet Isaiah in chapter 53. Now, this is very specific. If you know this chapter, you know it's often called the chapter of the suffering servant. This is a prophecy about Jesus, the way he suffered, the way he was crucified. And this is what the man is reading. And the eunuch asks Philip, tell me, about whom does the prophet say this? He's asking good questions. Is he talking about himself or is he talking about someone else? And starting with that passage, Philip proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. So the eunuch is asking questions. He's seeking to understand. He wants to know more about the kingdom of God. And Isaiah 53 brings up questions about suffering, innocence, justification. And Philip does such a smart thing. He starts with that passage. He meets the eunuch where he is. He starts explaining about Christ with the questions that this man is already asking. This is so good. This mirrors another story that Luke writes about at the end of his gospel, where Jesus, after his resurrection, he meets two disciples on the road to Emmaus. And Jesus starts asking them questions in response to what the men are sharing about the things that had just happened, about his death, and all of these things that they had just seen in Jerusalem. And then it says this Jesus starts with. Moses and the prophets to explain what the scriptures say about concerning himself. We see a lot of parallels in these two stories. So in both of these stories, there are questions that are being asked, and there is a response of curiosity, more questions, ultimately leading to explaining and teaching these men about Jesus, about the gospel. I remember hearing a story once when my kids were young about a young boy who asked his daddy, Daddy, where do I come from? And the dad immediately went into a panic. He was like, I'm not prepared for this. This is the moment. So he starts talking about how babies are born, how they're conceived, how they're born. And he kind of does his best to stumble through this to answer his son's question. And when he finishes, his son is just wide-eyed. He said, Oh, I thought I was from Chicago. This boy isn't asking about how babies are born and the birds and the bees. He's asking where he was born. And this is just this silly example of when we have curious people around us who are asking questions, friends who are curious about the things we do or the way we live or why we go to church. It's easy to sometimes spin out and not know how to answer their questions, right? Not know where we should go. But Philip shows us in this story: start with where they are. Start with the questions that they're asking. Be curious. Respond with questions of your own. My favorite response to questions is just, I'm curious where that question is coming from. This is another way to say, like, I'm curious what God is already doing in your heart that is leading you to ask this question. This is one of the reasons we love Alpha at our church. This is a place to ask good questions. It's also a place to learn how to respond to questions being asked. So starting where the eunuch is, this allows Philip to share the good news about Jesus. He explains that Jesus is the fulfillment of all of Israel's story and the fulfillment of this prophecy in Isaiah. And this leads the eunuch to this conclusion that he is now invited in. He has heard the gospel. He has heard about Jesus. And so he says, Look, water, what would keep me from being baptized? There's this childlikeness in that, this faith that he says, can I join into this? Can I be included in this? So he orders the carriage to halt, and both Philip and the eunuch, they get down, they get into the water, and Philip baptizes him. And through this baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch, we see that something new is happening. That anyone seeking God's kingdom, seeking the way of Jesus, seeking to understand, seeking to know with a sincerity of heart, is welcomed into this full life with God. See, God's kingdom for those seeking it is relentlessly inclusive. Ben Witherington III, who's a scholar, he says that in this, Luke wants the reader to see this key narrative point, that the gospel here is reaching someone who has previously been excluded from the people of God, demonstrating the inclusivity of the gospel. This man, he was spiritually earnest. He wanted to know God more. And he was not overlooked. He was not minimized. He was not asked to change his ethnicity. He was not asked to change his status, to change his past. This man knew in this moment that God saw him, God knew his story, and it mattered to God. And in fact, we're told that this man was reading from the Isaiah scroll in chapter 53. And if he had those words, then he would have had what was written just three chapters later. And we just heard this read, but I want to read it again. This is what Isaiah 56 says. It says, and don't let the eunuch say, I am just a dry tree. The Lord says to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbath, to the eunuchs who choose what I desire and remain loyal to my covenant. In other words, those who are seeking me, seeking the kingdom of God. I in my temple and courts, I will give them a monument and a name better than sons and daughters. I will give them an enduring name that won't be removed. The Lord is promising to this man and to so many others a new name, a new identity, an adoption into a new family. To those who are seeking his kingdom, his ways, their holds this everlasting promise that can start now. And though we know that this eunuch would never have children, God says that he will give him a name that is a lasting name, more than a father to sons and daughters. So for those of us that are desiring marriage, desiring kids, not sure if those things will come to fruition, or to those who have chosen a life of singleness for the kingdom of God, like we just heard Jesus talk about, this promise here in Isaiah 56, it might not remove some of that longing, some of that desire, but it is a reminder that God sees you and there is an everlasting legacy in your lineage through the family of God, through our family of God. This is a good promise. And we see that after Philip baptizes this man, it says he comes out of the water, and then the Holy Spirit suddenly took Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again, but he went on his way rejoicing. There are a lot of weird things in the Bible. Weird, supernatural things. This is one of them. The Spirit shows that he was in control yet again. He had led Philip to this moment. He had told him to approach this man, and when he was done, he was teleported away somewhere else. My kids were asking me uh a couple weeks ago about time travel, and I use this as an illustration. So the Bible can be practical in um in real life conversations. So this also parallels that story in Luke about Jesus with those disciples on the road to Emmaus. After Jesus had explained these things, it said he disappeared. And so we see that the spirit was continuing to lead these moments and these men. And it's thought by many that this man, this Ethiopian, he took this gospel. He took what he had learned and what he had received, and he carried it back to Ethiopia. He carried it back to the ends of the earth. His life had been transformed. How could he not have shared and told them of the things that he had heard and the things that had been done to him? Craig Keener, who is another New Testament scholar, he says this the accumulation of divinely orchestrated events here indicates that God wanted this man, this foreigner, to hear this gospel. He will not only be the forerunner of the African mission, but as the first Gentile convert, the forerunner of the Gentile mission in general. And so Luke is giving us a glimpse at this private interaction, this private story to show us how the gospel of Jesus is expanding in radical ways. How God's kingdom doesn't avoid outsiders, but how it moves towards them. As we close, I just want you to remember these things. God's kingdom is constantly being led by the Spirit. We are part of that. We are carriers of that. And so there's this invitation to join in more of what God is doing for all of us. God's kingdom sees individuals, sees you, sees your story, sees your pain, sees those areas that you carry tension. God sees your questions. And he also invites us to see others. Sometimes the best way to show someone Jesus, show someone the gospel of Jesus, is just to see them. And God's kingdom is open to all who are seeking it. Even in the questions, even in the doubt, the word says that those who seek the kingdom of God, those who seek the ways of Jesus will find it. So even though exclusion may still shape our world, inclusion marks us as a people of God. And our calling is to bring more of God's kingdom to earth. So we can continually live into this, this wide welcome of the gospel as we continue to seek the ways of Jesus. So as we come to the table today, I want us to acknowledge that this table, that this table is the feast, the heavenly feast that keeps expanding. The table is never big enough. It can continue to expand. And we can continue to become the people of God who are seeking Him, seeking His kingdom, and who can make room for others. There's always a seat at Jesus' table for one more. Will you pray with me? God, I thank you for this truth. That anyone that is seeking your kingdom will find it, God. Thank you that you are meeting us, that you see us on an individual level, God. I pray that you will continue to move, that your spirit will continue to do things that we read about, God, that we will be mindful enough to pay attention so that we can help continue to carry your gospel, your truth, your kingdom, your ways to anyone who wants to be included in Jesus. We thank you for these truths. We pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen.