Acts 8:26–40 | The Word, The Spirit, and Belonging
Levi Stuckey
Easter | The Transformative Power of Belonging • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 47:23
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Show of hands? Anyone ever been confused and in need of some guidance in here this morning? Just this past week I was feeling the need for some guidance, our Church is growing faster than anyone of us here can keep up. We’ve been preaching about the importance of being in community and pumping our Connect Groups and to be honest with you all, we don’t have enough groups available for everyone to join one or enough leaders who are willing to start new groups and multiply the ones we have.
Along with that, our “process” to get people connected into our groups isn’t the most clear or simple at this point either. So I’ve been praying to the Lord asking Him for some guidance on these issues.
On a more personal note, I’ve recently joined the car hunt. Old blue is on her last leg and I’m in the hunt for a new car and I could really use some guidance from the Lord on what to get and how much to spend.
That’s me and that’s just in the last week and I know I’m not alone in my need for guidance because in my men’s group, again just his last week, one of my guys was asking our group how he should respond to a co-worker about some spiritual stuff. He needed some guidance about evangelism and offering godly counsel. And another one of my guys had several management situations at work where he could really use some guidance. Another was asking about how to deal with a bad boss and another was thinking through how much of a course load to take at school. All of us were in serious need of some guidance this past week.
And I know you all can relate. Each and ever day, you and I are presented with any number of decisions and issues in life where we could all use some serious guidance.
We’ve been talking a lot about the transformative power of belonging over the last few weeks and focusing that mostly on the power of belonging to a community of faith, this morning I want to shift that focus slightly and remind us all that when we’re in Jesus we don’t just belong to His family, but we also belong to His Spirit and this belonging, our belonging to Christ grounds in the word and offers guidance for life by the Spirit.
And I’m going to show you this truth from the book of Acts in chapter 8 vv. 26-40.
As you’re turning or swiping there I want to set the context for you. In Acts 1, Luke records for us that Jesus had commanded His followers to stay put in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes upon them and they receive empowerment for the mission. Acts 1:8 specifically is important here to keep in view.
It states Acts 1:8 “8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.””
In Acts 2 then, this happens. The disciples are hiding in fear for their lives and then the Holy Spirit comes upon them looking like tongues of fire and then instantly they are encouraged or injected with courage and they start preaching to anyone who will listen out in the streets about Jesus! And people start getting saved left and right! It’s crazy! The Church is growing at a blazing speed, but things are not all honky dory. As the Spirit gives birth to the Church through the preaching of the gospel, the same Jewish religious leaders who murdered Jesus don’t seem to happy about people leaving their (Jewish synagogues) to join the new Christian Churches and so they start imprisoning and even killing people!
One incredibly bold believer named Stephen preaches a crazy good sermon about Jesus and then the crowd stones him to death for it.
This sends these new believers scattering. Which is not hard to understand. Everything is fine and we can handle a lot as far as persecution goes that is until they start throwing stones at people till they die.
The beginning of Acts starts on this crazy high note. The Spirit enters the scene and empowers awesome ministry and then the world pushes back and persecution and hardship happen and the Church scatters.
Which isn’t this just about how it goes in our lives. We get excited about a new work of God in our own lives and then the world crashes in on us, rains on our parade, brings us back to reality, we’re not yet living in Heaven and all things here are not yet as they should be!
Well this roller coaster of emotions we call life, it ain’t new to us. The early Church was on the same ride as you and I. They saw God do awesome ministry and grow the Church. They face persecution for their faith. They saw division in their own ranks (Acts 5). They struggled to keep up with the growth and get the right people in the right leadership positions to keep the discipleship process rolling (Acts 6). Along with that, they had to learn to spot fake Christians (Acts 8). Just before our text this morning, there’s a guy name Simon, he happened to be a sorcerer who decides to “give his life to Jesus”, but as the story goes on, the reveal is, he’s only in the Church for personal gain. He sees the power of the Spirit and the crowds there and he sees dollar signs.
Well the Apostle Peter has strong words for him. The dude needs to repent or God’s going to deal with him and his greedy jealousy heart.
Even while this Simon guy is in it for all the wrong reasons though, the ministry is booming. People are legitimately turning to God and joining the family of faith.
The gospel is going out from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria (which is where Simon the Sorcerer is at) to the ends of the earth which is where our story picks up this morning.
Let’s read it together: Acts 8:26-40 and as we do, be on the look our for how you can see that our belonging to Christ grounds us in the Word and guides us for life by the Spirit.
Acts 8:26–40 (NIV)
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. 31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” 34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 37 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
Alright so my first question for you is who is this Philip guy? Well, for that we have to go back to Acts 6. There we discover that the Church in Jerusalem was growing so fast that the 12 Apostles couldn’t keep up. And because things were growing faster than these men could lead and serve people were getting grumpy, and the early Church started complaining. Which gives truth to the old adage, more people more problems! Apparently some people weren’t getting their food through a food pantry as fast as they wanted it or were some how getting passed over, not because of apathy, but because there was more work that needed doing than the leaders could do.
The early Church was in need of some guidance and so what did they do? Well they twelve gathered everyone together and said, listen God has called us to preach and pray, we can’t be serving tables but this is an important job that needs doing, so raise up some leaders to oversee these responsibilities. Enter Philip!
Which, Church, don’t miss this. God is doing a similar work here. We are growing faster than your leaders can manage and serve, and guidance from God’s word teaches us here, we need more people to step up and take responsibility for what needs doing around here. And I’m thankful that this is happening. The meal that’s happening on May 19th, that’s something Wes and I would’ve put together and planned 2 years ago, but now we have a hospitality team and they are crushing it! We also have a newly created trustee team who’s helping to do the handy-man type work around our facility. This is happening, so don’t hear this as a rebuke, but also, hear me say, if you’re apart of God’s family of Crossroads, there’s work and responsibility God has for you to be doing! I mentioned at the beginning of this that we don’t have enough small group leaders for the number of people who want to be in groups. Some of you who are in groups are going to have to step up and lead a group of your own next fall. Multiplication isn’t always easy or fun, but praise God, He’s growing our Church! We want heaven to be crowded so step up and take new responsibility here! We need you and your leadership! If you want to lead a group. Come see me after service.
This is who Philip is. He’s a regular dude, who said yes to new responsibility and leadership as God grew His Church. He just finished up a crazy successful preaching tour in Samaria but now when we find him, an angel is telling him to go to a dessert road in the middle of no ware down south or that word for south could be translated as during midday.
Which not only is this a weird place to go, it’s also a weird time to go. A dessert road at the hottest part of the day! Remember our big idea now. Belonging to Christ grounds us in the Word and guides us for life by the Spirit, and remember how we started this thing, we’re looking for guidance in this life.
Well, we see Philip, He belong’s to Christ and the family of Christ. He’s recently stepped up and into new responsibility in God’s Church but now he’s getting some guidance from the Lord and it’s weird. Granted it’s coming from and angel, but still, it’s weird Church. Hey Philip, I see you just wrapped up a church planting preaching trip in the city of Samaria, good work, ok cool, now God needs you out in the dessert on a dirt road at around 3 pm when it’s good and hot out there!
And notice v. 27. And He rose and went.
There’s no argument from Philip. He doesn’t even as a followup question, well what do you want me to do out there? Are you really an angel from God? Why would God send me out to the dessert? Also, it’s hot out there! Peter and John, they’re going back to Jerusalem, I thought I’d maybe hang with them for a bit… He doesn’t do any of that why?
Well because Philip belong’s to Christ and Christ’s Church. His life is not his own and He’s grounded in the word. He knows enough scripture that when God sends angelic messenger, you’re best bet is to follow the message! He knows that God loves obedience and that His word calls us to live by faith not by sight and to trust the Father and His plan. He’s grounded in the Word and He knows the path to life is found by living guided by the Spirit. So He goes.
And wouldn't you know it, someone else is out there on that dirt road in the dessert. And can you believe it, he’s reading the Bible.
Philip finds an Ethiopian Eunuch out in the dessert on a chariot and this guy is reading the prophet Isaiah.
Now here’s a few important details to know about this guy. 1, he’s Ethiopian. Ethiopia is in Africa, this is outside of Jersualem, Judea, and Samaria, one might even say, this is one of the ends of the earth! You see what’s happening? Acts 1:8 is happening!
Also, he’s a Eunuch. This means he’s been emasculated so that he can serve in the Queens high court. This was an unfortunate, but common practice. The royals didn’t want any funny business happening between the Queen and her advisors so they emasculated many of the men in her service.
This is an important fact, because not only is this guy and outsider to Jersualem ethnically because he’s Ethiopian, but also because he’s been emasculated, the Jewish Religious Law actually excluded him from participating fully in worship at the temple. Deuteronomy 23:1
Deuteronomy 23:1 (NIV)
1 No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.
So his situation wasn’t great from the religious stand point, but in actuality, it wasn’t terrible either, which hang with me fellas I know his situation is rough, but hang with me, it’s not as bad as it first appears. Right, he’s the treasurer for the Queen and because we see him traveling in a chariot from Ethiopia to Jerusalem and we see him reading a book we know that this guy is well off and in a position of good fortune and power within the Queens court. Poor people don’t roll in chariots, and also, poor people didn’t have books in these days. Right, no such thing as a Office Max or Copy Machine… books had to be copied by hand and paper didn’t exist as it does today. Because of that books were expensive. All this to say, in some ways this dude had it rough, but in a lot of other ways he was riding large in life. He’s got a freedom to travel by chariot, that’s like first class.... he’s got books to read for entertainment, and even though life had dealt him some series cheap shots below the belt… he still wants to worship God, a God who at least from what he can tell right now, is just content to leave him on the outskirts of things within the Jewish religion.
That’s who the Eunuch is.
Now we’re told the Spirit tells Philip, go over to that chariot! Again, Philip receives the guidance and obeys and rest as they say is history. He hears the Eunuch reading about the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, which is one of the most striking prophecies about Jesus and His crucifixion that exists in the Bible and the guy is like, hey there stranger, I can’t make sense of what this Prophet is on about, do you have any idea what’s going on here?
And Philip is like do I ever and He starts there and then launches into the gospel of Jesus!
And then this foreigner and outcast from Jewish religious life receives Jesus and is baptized into the family of God!
God is declaring through Phillip, that Jesus came for everyone everywhere, there is no longer any dividing wall of hostility that exists between us and God. Anyone, anywhere can belong to Christ!
The Ethiopian is baptized and he goes away rejoicing in God and if there was any doubt in his mind as to who Philip represented or the truth to his teaching, well the Holy Spirit puts an exclamation point on the whole encounter by turning Philip into ninja Philip and transporting him out there mister! Which is I’m pretty sure where Star Trek and Harry Potter both got their ideas for teleportation.
Alright so that’s the story now what do you and I make of of? Hopefully to get the main point from Luke is that God is making good on the promise to take the gospel out to the ends of the earth and grow His Kingdom and Church. That’s the main idea here, but for us today, what do we make of this.
Well God is still about this work and He’s about doing this work through His people like Philip and the Ethiopian and you and me. And by the way, I need you to know, that most people believe, this Ethiopian is the reason there is a Church of Jesus in that country today. Most believe that this guy became a missionary and Church planter of sorts and that he took the good news of Jesus with him back to Ethiopia and started a Church there.
So firstly, God is still about this work today and He wants to use you and me to help him get it done. We need to know and remember this friends. There’s a lot of cares and worries in this life. We all have any number of various responsibilities to work and care for our families but within all of that, each and everyone of us, if we belong to Jesus and His Church, we have a responsibility to tell others about Christ, to be grounded in the word and to live a life guided by His Spirit!
This plays itself out in lots of different ways. Philip wasn’t Peter and Peter wasn’t John and the Ethiopian wasn’t Philip. They all had different roles in God’s plan and in their local church families but here’s what I want you to see, they all responded to the call of God and took ownership and responsibility to lived guided by the Spirit. They did what God told them to do their divine guidance and through leadership within their church and the went where God sent them! They obeyed the guiding and directing of the Holy Spirit. Here’s our application… We need every part doing their part here for our body to be healthy and built up!
In the early Church we see people responding to the Spirit’s call and guidance to fulfill their part. Sometimes this was through subtle promptings and not so subtle angels. Other times it was through directives from their spiritual leaders. Other times it was through preaching and teaching of God’s word! Please notice, the Ethiopian is reading the word for himself, which is awesome, but understanding did not come until a mature believer talk him what in the world was going on. Be grounded in the word doesn’t look like living alone in isolation and reading the bible for ourselves alone. We’re called to work it out in community!
And the Spirit guides on all along on this journey if we will position ourselves to listen and obey.
At the beginning of this, I asked who in here could use some guidance? The world has a lot of gurus out there offering us just that, from experts to spirit guides and mediums, you name it, there’s not a shortage of guides out there, but if you belong to Jesus here’s want I want you to know, you don’t need any of what the world is offering by way of guidance. You’ve got all you need if you’re in Christ because our belonging to Jesus grounds us in the Word and offers guidance for life by the Spirit.
And if you want to learn more to listen to and grow in hearing that guidance, well then sign up for the class we’re offering beginning next Sunday called Hearing God: Learning to Listen
Pray.