Acts 23:

Other time we face this is when we start to see all the people around us and we start ot try to fix everyone or when our hearts break for everyone… all the needs become overwhelming

What do you do?

Andy Stanley… who is the son of the late Dr Charles Stanley… has a saying:

Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone

What he means by this is it’s good to see all the needs around us, but we are called to actually do something about them and the reality is we can’t do something about all the needs around us, but we can address them one at a time.

So many people around us need to move into a growing relationship with Jesus… but how do we reach them all? Well Philip is showing us today

Remember Jesus’s directions in 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.””

That’s what we see playing out in our text today. Last week we saw the beginning of the Samaritan witness of the Gospel, and today we see the beginning of the “Ends of the earth” movement.

So what I’d like to do is read the entire passage and then I’ll come back and identify some reminders for us to consider for those around us that we want to see come to a growing relationship with Jesus.

Acts 8:26–40 NIV84

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 Candace, 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 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the 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. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” 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.

Acts 8:26 “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.””

Don’t forget what’s been happening. Philip left Jerusalem, part of a great movement of God. He gave that up because God wanted him to go to Samaria of all places - talk about a demotion…

Yet, God was really moving there. The ministry was exciting, people were responding, things were happening, now God says time to go… to the desert

60 miles

last city between Jerusalem and Egypt

Acts 8:27 “27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,”

A couple things about this man.

It’s most likely that he had been exposed to Judaism before he came to Jerusalem, in fact it’s expected that he made this trip because he had been introduced to the God of heaven. He made what for many would be a once in a lifetime trip to go to the temple for worship. Only when he arrived, he got some bad news because he was a eunuch.

If you don’t know this meant that he had been castrated.

Eunuch - some were born this way, some volunteered for this and some had it forced upon them. Regardless only about the procedure killed about half the men who had it done. It removed their ability to produce testosterone and to have children. which is why they were put in charge of royal harems or the queen’s service as this man was.

Because a Eunuch lost about 98% of their testosterone, they became much more passive, the began to lose their body hair, their voice would change. He looked and sounded different.

He was used to not fitting in, being subject to disregard… combine that with wealth he had accumulated due to his high position, it’s not hard to imagine that he was accustomed to his fair share of prejudice.

When he went to Jerusalem he found more of it as being a eunuch he wasn’t able to go into the temple for worship, but had to remain in the outer courts… Deuteronomy 23:1 “1 No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.” There with the physical effects of being a eunuch and his very dark skin… he clearly didn’t belong… Even though he had traveled a great distance for this moment, even though he was wealthy, his wealth couldn’t buy him what he desperately wanted … acceptance.

Acts 8:28 “28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet.”

We don’t know if this had been a gift or if he had purchased it, but either way it was a sign of his significant wealth to have his own scroll of Isaiah…

He’s reading and the Spirit speaks to Philip again.

Acts 8:29 “29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.””

Acts 8:30 “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.”

We may think wow he was bold… but really it was just that he had been prompted by HS… not only that, but imagine the HS tells you to go to that chariot, then when you get there they are reading about Jesus from the book of Isaiah...

God was putting the ball on a tee for Philip to knock out of the park wasn’t he?

Acts 8:31 “31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.”

You can see this working… it’s as though God had arranged this whole thing...

Acts 8:32–33 “32 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the 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.””

Not only did the Spirit lead Philip, but the Spirit has led this Ethiopian to this text at this moment.

This chapter and the ones following it from Isaiah are called the “suffering servant” chapters… you think this guy could sense that the writer of Isaiah understood him?

Acts 8:34 “34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?””

This man had come to Jerusalem to worship God, to get nearer to God, only to find out that he was permanently seperated from Him.

I am convinced this is why Dr Luke included this account in the book of Acts. Because this the reality for all of us. This is my story, this is your story. Sin… whether done to you -like this man- or you did by you -like me-, separates us from God and there is nothing we can do to draw near to him on our own.

Just before Philip got to the chariot, he had read...

Isaiah 53:2–6 NIV84

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Who is this he asks. He’s probably thinking this man knows how I feel.

Acts 8:35 “35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.”

Philip began right there, used his question to explain the Good News.

Acts 8:36 “36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?””

Great question.

He’s probably asking because of the rules that kept him out of the temple…

Most translations leave out verse 37 because it was not in the earliest manuscripts so while it may not be a reliable as to the original content, it is absolutely in line with our understanding of scripture. It reads

The New International Version

Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

If you have that… then yes be baptized, it’s the duty of every believer.

Acts 8:38 “38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.”

I love the urgency of new Christians. When we discover life we are all in.

Acts 8:39 “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.”

It’s funny that a lot of biblical scholars want to explain this away like there was such confusion and excitement over the baptism that they didn’t notice Philip and he just left… how silly we are… God has been at work here in miraculous ways so let’s just accept that the spirit moved Philip again.

Acts 8:40 “40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.”

Philip will show up again in Caesarea… but as for the Ethiopian, we don’t know exactly what happened to him for sure. But historians record that about this time Christianity began to spread across northern Africa could be due in part to the work of this new evangelist. It was in Ethiopia where the apostle Matthew was killed for correcting sin in the early church.

So that’s the story, now i’d like ot take just a couple of minutes and walk us through some lessons from this exchange that can guide us in sharing our faith with others. I say this because it is our call. It’s your calling to share Christ with people adn while you may not get an opportunity to lead hundreds to faith like Philip, you do know people far from God, people who are searching for meaning in life, people who are dissatisfied with the way things are going, people who are struggling against the current of life.

Philip’s interaction with the Ethiopian is a great model for you

Walk with Jesus before I share Jesus.

Look and pray for open doors.

Be willing to leave my comfort zone.

Start where “they” are, not with what "I” know.

Start where “they” are, not with what "I” know - Walk alongside and earn an invite in.

Start where “they” are, not with what "I” know - Seek to understand, not to be understood.