Acts 8:26

And the angel of the Lord spoke unto Philip, saying, "Arise, and go to the south unto the way that goes down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert." And he arose and went. Behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge over all her treasure, had come to Jerusalem to worship. He was returning and sitting in his chariot, reading Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit of the Lord said to Philip, "Go near and join thyself to this chariot."

Philip ran thither, and he heard him read the prophet Isaiah. He said, "Do you understand what you read?" The eunuch replied, "How can I, except some man should guide me?"

Let's pray. Father, as we look into your word, we thank you, Lord, this morning that you have given us your peace. As we just sang, it is well with our soul, having received your peace, Lord, your peace which surpasses understanding. Your peace, Lord, this morning that you promised to your disciples there in John 16, that though in the world we will have trouble, we know that in you we might have peace, and we thank you.

We thank you also, Lord, that you have given us your word and that you have revealed yourself to us. I pray that you would speak to us this morning, that you would continue to teach us by your Spirit and transform us. We ask it in the mighty and precious name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

You can be seated. I might be biased, but I think that's the cutest kid in the world. Okay, I'm a little biased. My mom agrees. My wife agrees. The mouth of two or three witnesses.

As you'll remember earlier in the book of Acts, in Acts chapter 8, we saw how there was a persecution that arose among the church there in Jerusalem.

We read in Acts chapter 8, verse 1, that Saul was consenting unto the death of Stephen. At that time, a great persecution arose against the church, which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. In verse 3, it says, "As for Saul, he made havoc of the church." Entering into every house and hauling men and women out, he committed them unto prison. Therefore, they were scattered abroad and went everywhere preaching the word.

In the beginning of Acts chapter 8, we see that Philip, one of the seven ordained by the early church in Acts chapter 6, is now sent out by God to take the gospel into regions that had not yet been reached. The Lord had clearly told His disciples that they were to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that He had commanded us. And lo, He said, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19-20).

It was God's plan, desire, and purpose from the beginning that His disciples would not stay in Jerusalem, but that they would go out into all the world and bring the gospel, the good news. He told His disciples in Luke chapter 24, verse 49, just after that great commission, "But you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses." He spoke to them of this power, this promise of the Father. He said, "Wait in Jerusalem, in the city until you be endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49).

They were to stay in Jerusalem, but only until they had received the power that Jesus would go on to tell His disciples about in Acts chapter 1, where He said, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth." It was God's desire, His plan, and His intent that His disciples would leave, that they would go out and take the gospel. It was never God's intent that we would stay in one place.

If they stayed in Jerusalem, they would stagnate, and the work would not continue. But God had a work here on earth that He desired to go forward. If they would go, they would grow. This same truth applies to you and me as well. If we stay in one spot in our walk with the Lord, always receiving and never giving out into this world, we find that we stagnate. However, as we get going, we get growing. It is God's desire that we would grow and become mature in Christ.

It is never His desire that we would remain babes in Christ. That is why we here at Calvary Chapel are so committed to discipleship and teaching you the Word of God, verse by verse, line upon line, week in and week out. Whether it's on a Sunday morning, Saturday night, or a Monday night in the School of Discipleship, or Tuesday morning and evening with the women's ministry, or Wednesday night in our midweek Bible study, or Thursday night for the men's ministry, we are constantly in the Word of God, desiring that God's Word would get into us.

As you have studied God's Word, you have seen that His Word is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is able to cut deep and transform our lives. But God desires that His Word would go out into the world. We are given a promise in Isaiah chapter 55 that where the Lord's Word goes, it will not return void. It will accomplish the purpose He sent it forth to do. The prophet Isaiah also said in that very same passage that as the clouds go out over the earth, they water the earth, and the earth brings forth plants and ultimately brings forth food for those who eat it. In the same way, God's Word will go forth; it will not return to Him void. The Word of God is like the rain, and we are like those clouds that need to take that Word out into the world.

We see the disciples beginning to do that here in Acts. Philip went into the region of Samaria, and there he preached the gospel. The people received it with great excitement. John and Peter, two of the apostles, came down from Jerusalem and prayed for them that they would receive the baptism, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and they did.

Now we come to verse 26, which says that as Philip was there in Samaria, the angel of the Lord spoke to him and said, "Arise and go." These are the words that God speaks to you and me as well. He wants us to go into all the nations and make disciples. Yes, we need to wait until we are equipped and empowered with the Spirit, but once empowered and equipped, we go. We do not just continue to stay in one place; otherwise, we will not grow.

Notice in verse 27 we read, "And he arose and went." You see, the call of God is great, but obedience to the call is much more important. I have met dozens of people over the years who had the call of God in their lives. Perhaps they even knew that God had called them, yet they had not been obedient to what God had called them to do.

Nor had they even begun to prepare for that calling. I knew when I was in high school that the Lord was calling me to serve Him in full-time ministry. So, I started to prepare for that as best as I knew how, which was to get involved with our school of ministry at the time, the School of Discipleship that we had here. I went through just about every class that I could. I knew that one day the Lord would use me to teach His word, which scared me to death to stand in front of people. I thought, well, I'll take a speech class in high school to prepare. That didn't really help. In fact, all it proved was that I wasn't a public speaker.

But the Lord had called. When the call of the Lord comes—and His call has come to every single one of you—we need to prepare to fulfill that call. Ultimately, we need to be obedient to the call. In Acts chapter 26, the Apostle Paul is standing before King Agrippa, declaring his testimony. He tells the king about how he came to know the Lord and how he began to serve Him. Paul says in Acts 26, verse 16, that God spoke to him. Jesus said to him, "Rise. Rise and stand upon your feet." This was after Saul got knocked off his donkey, which we will read about next week. He said, "Rise and stand upon your feet. For I have appeared unto you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen and of those things in the which I will appear unto you, delivering thee from people and from Gentiles, unto whom I now send thee, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to the power of God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me."

Notice what Paul says in the next verse, verse 19. "Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but I showed first unto them in Damascus and at Jerusalem and throughout all the coasts of Judea and then to the Gentiles that they should repent and turn to God and do the works meet for repentance." Paul says, "I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. I did what God had told me to do." Are we? Are we fulfilling what God has called us to? Fulfilling and making full proof of the ministry?

He has given to each of us individually. You see, the ministry is not just for the ministers, pastors, or elders of the church. The ministry, the service of God, is for the entire body of Christ, the entire church. Every single one of you here this morning is called by God to serve Him, to glorify Him, and to magnify Him here in this life and on this earth.

Philip, we see here in this passage in Acts chapter 8, verse 26, arose when the Lord called. He was obedient to the heavenly vision, just as Paul was. So, he went down into the area that God had told him to go to. Behold, he saw a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship. As he was returning, he was sitting in his chariot, reading Isaiah, the prophet.

As Philip went and did what the Lord had called him to do, he was obedient to go. Then he saw an open door. There was an Ethiopian eunuch, a man of great authority, one who had great rule. He very likely had an entourage with him; it was not just him in his chariot. There was probably a whole group of people traveling with him at this time. He was of very high regard. In one sense, he was like the prime minister of Ethiopia, having been given all the authority of the queen.

But he went up to Jerusalem, as we read, to worship. It appears that this Ethiopian eunuch had some knowledge of God. He knew about the Scriptures. He understood that there was one true God, and he knew that this one true God was to be worshiped and sought after in Jerusalem. So, he had gone to Jerusalem. While there, it appears that he acquired the scroll of Isaiah.

Now, a scroll in that day was a precious commodity. It was not something that was lightly regarded. In fact, he probably held it in high esteem. When he was in Jerusalem, he likely acquired it for a great sum of money because they didn't have Xerox back then. There wasn't a Kinko's on Joppa Street in Jerusalem. They had scribes, copyists, who wrote down letter for letter, word for word, the entire Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah that they have in Jerusalem at the Dead Sea Scrolls Museum is 11 feet long.

And this man had the scroll of Isaiah in his possession. Very likely, most of the people in Israel during that day had never seen a full scroll of the prophet Isaiah. But this man, the Ethiopian eunuch, had given some sum of money to have it. There he was in his chariot, reading from the prophet Isaiah on his way back to his home country, on his way back to Ethiopia.

As Philip came there, as he went to where the Lord had told him to go, the Spirit said unto Philip, "Go near and join yourself to this chariot." The Spirit spoke to Philip and told him what to do. I don't know if you've seen this in your life, but I have found that God rarely tells me more than one thing to do at a time. I think this is probably because the Lord knows that I'm slightly unorganized and that I tend to have some spiritual ADD. The Lord tends to give us just one thing to do at a time.

I have further found that the Lord doesn't tell me step two or step three until I fulfill step one. The Lord often tells us, "This is what I want you to do." As we begin to go through that door and do what God has told us to do, He begins to unfold the rest of the plan.

Notice what the Spirit of the Lord told Philip to do: "Go near." You see, the gospel of Jesus Christ is most effectively shared relationally. I know that within the last 60 or so years in our nation, here in the West, it has been popular to give the gospel in big crusades, huge festivals, or large venues with thousands or tens of thousands of people.

In these events, hundreds may come forward to receive Christ or to pray to receive Him. Yet, even the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will tell us that it's about 1% of the people who go forward and pray to receive Christ at an evangelistic event like that; less than 1% actually continue to walk with the Lord a year or two years later. Why is that? Well, because the gospel is most effectively shared relationally.

I know that some may take issue with this, and it might not be the best illustration, but it spreads in the best way almost like chickenpox.

You actually need to come in contact with people to spread the gospel. For us to spread the gospel, we need to step outside of our comfort zone and step into the lives of others. This is a difficult thing for us Americans. We have a hard time with this because we like our space, and we like to have everything just right. We enjoy our own personal space and often don't like to talk with people we don't know. We have a hard enough time talking with people we do know. You can see this on Sundays when we say to turn around and greet those around you; some people don't even come to church until after that.

I'll never forget when Eric, Rick Kierstedt, Mark Cato, and I went to New York City right after 9/11. We were there around Ground Zero and met up with a team of guys from Calvary Chapel over in Carlsbad. There was a young guy on the team, about 18 or 19 years old. I don't even remember his name today, but I do remember him very clearly; he is indelibly marked on my mind.

We were on the subway, and some of you may have been to New York and experienced the subway. You know that when you're on the subway, people read their newspapers, have their iPods on, or play games on their cell phones. They don't talk to anybody; it's as if they're in their own little world. Here was this guy, totally looking like a Californian—blonde surfer, curly hair, cut-off pants, sandals.

We were on this crowded subway car in the middle of New York City around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and it was just packed. He stood up and said, "Can I have everybody's attention?" That's the first problem. Then he said, "We're from California." That's problem number two; that's the last thing you admit when you're in New York City. He continued, "We're from Southern California. We're Christians." That's problem number three. He said, "We'd like to pray for you. We know that you guys have just gone through a terrible crisis. Many of you saw it. We'd like to pray for you."

Right there on the car, while all these people were reacting, I'll never forget Eric's face. Eric grew up in New York, in the Bronx, and when this guy said, "We're Christians. We want to pray for you," Eric just went silent and started to pray.

For those people on that car, it opened up a great opportunity to share with others for the next several minutes while we were on the subway. I was absolutely amazed. I'll never forget that event. It was totally outside the box of the way that we are here in our own country, America. We like our space. We don't like to go outside of our comfort zone.

We kind of hope that in our Christianity and our evangelism, we will be more like flypaper. We expect that people, as they're flying around, will get stuck to us, and then we'll have to share with them about the Lord. Or they'll come to us and say, "I noticed that you're always really happy. You have lots of joy and love in your life, so something's different." We're very hopeful that this event will happen, and yet that's not what the Scriptures reveal. This has been kind of the modus operandi for Christians in America for the last several decades: just wait until someone sees that you have peace and they don't. They might ask, "Where did you get it?"

However, the Scripture reveals that we need to go to them. The Spirit of the Lord said, "Go near and join yourself to this chariot." One of the ministries that I believe the Lord has laid upon my heart, as well as the hearts of several other leaders at our church, is a ministry to the international students here in our area.

Nations from all over the world send their best and brightest to our nation to be educated. While they're here, they attend schools like Cal State or Palomar, or some of the other universities in our area. After their education, they return to their countries and become the leaders in their nations. When they come here, they are completely outside of their culture. They don't have the food they normally eat, they don't have their families, and they are in a new environment, weather-wise. They often feel completely lost and alone, not knowing what to do.

This presents a great opportunity for a believer in Christ to share the love of Christ in a very practical way. We can simply invite them over to our house for dinner and share the love of God in a tangible way, as well as share the gospel. When they do come to know the Lord, and many of them do, there are a lot of student ministries and foreign student ministries available to support them.

Here in our area, people go back to their country as missionaries. They know their own culture and language. They can live and work there, and God uses them in a powerful way. But for that to happen, we have to go near and join ourselves to these people. They're not just going to get stuck to us. Even though you may try to smile and look like you have the peace of God, hoping that maybe they will come and talk with you, God says to go. Sometimes, in our going, it actually takes some effort.

Look at verse 30. Philip ran to him. Philip was actively ready and willing to do whatever the Lord told him to do. No doubt, he had to run to catch up with this chariot. It took some effort on his part to get to where this man was. I'm sure that the Ethiopian eunuch, as he was reading the prophet Isaiah, did not see Philip and say, "Hey, you! You look like you know what this is about. You look like you've got the peace of God. Will you come talk with me?" No, Philip had to actively pursue him. He had to run up to where the chariot was.

When he did, he heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. He didn't have a plan as he ran alongside the chariot. God didn't even tell him exactly what to do. But when Philip got to where God told him to be, he found that God had given him a wide-open door. The man was reading from the prophet Isaiah. Not only was he coincidentally reading from the book of Isaiah, but he was reading from one of the passages that most clearly talks about the Messiah. The book of Isaiah was written 700 years before Jesus came, and yet in Isaiah chapter 53, it clearly outlines the death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection for our sins.

He was bruised for our iniquities; he was wounded for our transgressions. The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. Philip asked the man, "Do you understand what you're reading?" You see, there are a lot of people in the world today who don't go to church. They don't believe in God, and yet they read the Bible because they think it is supposed to be a good book. I've met people who are not believers, who have never gone to church, and yet they have read the entire Bible, maybe more times than you have. And yet...

In the reading of the Scriptures, many people understand neither the content nor the importance of them. Why is that? Paul says something very interesting in 1 Corinthians chapter 2. In verse 14, he states that the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.

The Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is a spiritual book through which God speaks. He desires that we study it, read it, and understand it. Yet, there are many who read it without grasping either the content or the importance. I would say that one of the biggest compliments I have received over the last ten or so years of teaching the Bible is that I have helped people understand the Scriptures in a way they have never understood before. That is the biggest compliment I think I have received.

However, that is not because I am super smart or richly schooled. I have no formal education in the Bible. It is just as with the disciples of Christ in the early church; they had been with Jesus. As you spend time with the Lord reading His Word, you begin to understand and see what the Scriptures have to say as the Spirit of God guides and directs us through His Word.

There are people that you and I know who have read the Scriptures but do not understand them. The question is, are we able to answer their questions and instruct them in such a way that they would understand? The Ethiopian's response to Philip's question is absolutely right on. He said to him in verse 31, "How can I accept some man should guide me?" How can I understand these things except someone come and teach me, instruct me, and guide me through what it is that I am reading?

What a blessing it is to have older brothers and sisters in the Lord who have spent time studying the Scriptures. They can instruct us, teach us, and give us understanding of these passages. I am so thankful for great men of God like Charles Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, and Andrew Clark. Although those men are no longer alive, there are still some who are. Pastor Chuck and my good friend David Guzik are among them. These are the people I constantly look to and ask questions. Would you help me?

To understand this passage, we have a great promise from our Lord in John chapter 14. If you turn there, it's just one book to the left of the book of Acts. In this chapter, Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure, and they are very concerned about it. For the last three, almost three and a half years, his disciples had a question, a problem, or any sort of need; they came to Jesus. Now, Jesus is saying he will be departing, and understandably, they are worried.

In John chapter 14, verse 26, he says, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." As he prepares them for his departure, Jesus assures his disciples that the Holy Spirit will teach them all things.

Two chapters later, in John chapter 16, verse 13, Jesus speaks again about the Holy Spirit. He says, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you in all truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he shall show you things to come." Jesus tells his disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit, who would teach them all things, bring to remembrance the things that Jesus said, and guide them in all truth.

The Ethiopian eunuch asked, "How can I understand unless someone guides me?" We do have great brothers and sisters in the Lord who can guide us through the Scriptures, but more than that, we have the Spirit of God. I know that as you read through the Bible, you come to passages you don't understand. I know that because I come to passages I don't understand as well.

Every single week, I receive emails and phone calls from different people here in the church, and so do Josh and Richard, asking questions like, "What does this passage mean?" I'm very thankful that we have the ability to answer those questions. However, I would encourage you, when you come to a passage of Scripture that doesn't fully make sense, the first thing you should do is pray and ask God to show you. "Lord, would you guide me by your Spirit and instruct me? You promised to do so, would you?" I guarantee you'll find that he will.

You'll be blown away by the way that the Lord is able to do that. He has promised to give us the Spirit of Truth to guide us in all truth and to teach us all things.

The Ethiopian eunuch's question was very appropriate: How will I know? How can I understand except someone would guide me? In Romans chapter 10, the Apostle Paul tells the church at Rome this wonderful truth. In verse 13, he writes, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." If you would, circle that word "whosoever" in your neighbor's Bible. Just reach over there and circle it for them. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. What a great truth!

Yet, Paul goes on to say, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent?" As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things."

We need to go, and we need to be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within us. As Peter said, "Sanctify the Lord God in your heart and always be ready to give an answer." A defense, an apologia in the Greek. Always be ready to give a defense for the hope that is within you.

Yes, people will ask you questions that you cannot answer. That's not a terribly bad thing. If someone says, "I got a question for you," and you ask it and you're just blank, don't make something up. Tell them, "I'll get back to you. I'll find the answer." Search the Scriptures and find the answer.

Paul the Apostle speaks of a group in the city of Berea on one of his missionary journeys. He said that those people were more noble than the people of Thessalonica because they listened to...

The things that Paul the Apostle preached unto them led them to search the Scriptures daily to see if those things were so. They wanted to see if it lined up with what the Word of God said, and we need to be those who also study in such a way.

We read in verse 32 of Acts chapter 8 that the place of Scripture the Ethiopian was reading was in the prophet Isaiah, where it says, "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. And like a lamb is dumb before his shearers, so he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away, and who shall declare his generation? For his life was taken from the earth." The eunuch answered Philip and said, "I pray thee, of whom speaks this prophet? Who is he talking about? Himself or some other man?" Talk about a wide open door; you could drive a semi through that door.

Philip opened his mouth in verse 35. The place of the Scripture that he read was right there from Isaiah chapter 53. They didn't have chapter and verse markers at that point in time, but consider that this man had already gotten to chapter 53, almost all the way through the book of Isaiah, by the time Philip had reached him. Only God can make openings like this. God knew that the heart and mind of the eunuch were open and engaged, so He made sure that His servant Philip was right there and ready.

God gives you and me openings and opportunities like this on a regular basis. There is not a day that goes by without an opportunity like this before us. I don't even believe that we need to pray for such opportunities; God is always giving us those opportunities. However, we are often too busy or distracted to see them. When we do see them, not only are we too busy and distracted, but many times we are too afraid to say anything. We worry about stepping out and speaking up.

I will confess to you, even as your pastor, and I know the other pastors would say the same, there have been times in our lives when we see an opportunity and go the other way. Whether out of fear or because we are just too busy or distracted, we often miss these moments. We might think, "I have something I need to do right now." The Lord has set an opportunity before us. Oh God, give us the eyes to see the opportunities and the boldness to take hold of them when they come. But Philip, in verse 35...

He opened his mouth. Yes, we actually need to say something. When the Lord gives an opportunity, we need to speak up. The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 1, verse 21, says, "For in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."

You're not going to find God in the test tube. You're not going to find God in the telescope or the microscope. He is not going to be found in the science laboratory. Why? God is not a part of His creation; He is separate from His creation. He spoke it into being, but He is not a part of His creation. Yes, in Him, the entire creation consists. He holds all things together. However, you won't find Him through the scientific method.

Our society in the West puts a lot of stock in science. They look at science as the answer to all these questions, and so they do not believe in God because science has not proved to them that God exists. There is much evidence in science to prove the existence of God, but science is not sufficient to prove God. God, being outside of His creation, had to reveal Himself to His creation.

How did He do that? He did so through His spoken revelation. The heavens declare the glory of God; the earth shows forth His handiwork. Everything in creation shows that there is a master creator, an intelligent designer. But for man to know the nature, character, and will of God, God had to reveal Himself. He reveals Himself through the prophets in the Old Testament, but He also more personally reveals Himself by fully becoming a man—God incarnate, the man, Jesus Christ.

It's foolishness to the world, and yet it's the power of God unto salvation. The word "foolishness" in 1 Corinthians 1:21 is the word "moros" in Greek. It's where we get our English word "moron." It means dull. I will recognize that, in relation to other things in this world, the preaching of the word may be just that. It might be dull in comparison.

In comparison to the Masters, the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup, or even shows like "Desperate Housewives," or the works of Shakespeare and Beethoven, the Word of God may not be as entertaining. The entertainment value of the Scriptures may not be on the same level as those things. However, the redemptive value of those things is absolutely nil. There is no redeeming power in them. Paul said in Romans chapter 1, verse 16, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of God because it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone that believes." God's Word is powerful and redeeming.

Charles Spurgeon believed it was a sin to make God's Word boring, and I hope that you're not bored as we study through the Scriptures. I recognize that there may be a thousand other things that are more entertaining. The sad thing is that, especially in the last 30 years, the church has tried to make God's Word entertaining by using flashing lights, lasers, smoke, fireworks, and people jumping and screaming. It’s exciting! However, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe.

Listen, all that stuff is not going to save anybody. It doesn't save a soul. It might attract people and get them in the door. I love what Pastor Chuck said a number of years ago: "What you win them with, you win them to." As soon as the concert is over, and the lights are packed away and the smoke machine dies, everybody leaves. But the Word of the Lord endures forever.

It blows my mind that week in and week out, people come here to hear God's Word taught, especially from me. That really amazes me. I don't think we need to do anything to try and make God's Word more entertaining. Have you read the book of Judges? It's gnarly! People are slamming tent pegs through guys' heads and jabbing knives into their sides. It's crazy! Junior highers love that book—junior high guys, in particular.

Junior high girls like Esther. Philip opened his mouth. You've got to open your mouth, and to do that, you need to know what to say. He began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus. We should be able to preach Christ from any passage of the Bible. From any passage.

Now, I'll admit, Philip was given the easiest passage in the world to preach Christ from. But even if you're given Leviticus chapter 19, it may take a little while, but you should be able to bring that back to the Lord Jesus Christ. How? Well, Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 15, to study to show yourself approved unto God, as a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We need to study the scriptures actively and individually. It is not sufficient for your growth in Christ to just go to church and hear somebody talk about the word of God. You actually have to meditate upon the word of God, study it for yourself, and allow it to become a part of your life. We'll teach you how to do that.

You may say, "Well, I don't know how to study the word of God." That's okay; we'll teach you. God has called us as the pastors of this church to equip you for the work of the ministry. Part of that work is studying to show yourself approved unto God.

Philip opened his mouth, and he was able from that same passage of scripture to preach Christ. Now, we don't know how long he was in the chariot with this man sharing the word of God with him. But in verse 36, it says, "As they went on their way, they came to a certain body of water." The eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?"

That's amazing to me because, however long it was—whether it was a short period of time or a long period of time—Philip brought him all the way to the point of baptism. The man asked, "What holds me back? What hinders me from being baptized?" This brings up an important question: What is baptism, and why do we do it?

The first thing I want to consider in answering that question is obedience. Why are we baptized? We are baptized for obedience. Jesus said in Matthew chapter 28, "Go into all the world and make disciples and do what? Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The apostle Peter, on the day of Pentecost, there...

In Acts chapter 2, verse 38, when the people cried out to him and said, "What must we do?" he replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

So the first answer to the question, "Why do we do it?" is that we do it in obedience to the Lord. Secondly, we do it in identification with the Lord. We are identifying with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection. In Romans chapter 6, we read, "Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore, we are buried with Him through baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of life."

Thus, we are baptized in obedience to the Lord, in identification with the Lord, and thirdly, in association with the Lord. In Matthew chapter 3, it says that Jesus was baptized. When He came up out of the water, the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending upon Him like a dove, and a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

We do and continue to be baptized here because of obedience, identification, and association. One more thing on baptism I want to point out that is very interesting is that the most well-known Baptist was John the Baptist.

In John chapter 1, I want you to notice why John came to baptize. In verse 28, it states, "These things were done in Betharba, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing." The next day, John saw Jesus coming unto him, and he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man which is preferred before me, for he was before me.'"

And I knew Him not, but notice this in verse 31: "I knew Him not, but that He should be made manifest to Israel."

Therefore, did I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and it abode upon him." Again, in verse 33, he states, "I knew him not, but he that sent me," who sent John? God the Father. "He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said to me, upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Spirit." And I saw and bear record that this is the Son of God.

You see, the purpose of John's baptism was first and foremost the revelation of Jesus the Messiah. It was given to reveal the Son of God. Our baptism reveals to the world that we are the sons of God, that we are His possession. It shows the world that we belong to God. That's why we baptize.

Now, when and how do we baptize? In verse 37 of Acts chapter 8, Philip said, "If you believe in your heart, you may." The eunuch asked him, "What hinders me from being baptized?" Philip replied, "If you believe in your heart, you can be baptized." When can an individual be baptized? When they believe.

Believe what? Notice the profession of the Ethiopian eunuch right after Philip said that. He answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." He believed in his heart that God had raised Him from the dead. He confessed with his mouth that He is Lord. So, Philip said, "Nothing hinders you from being baptized."

And how were they baptized? He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they went down, both of them into the water—Philip and the eunuch—and he baptized him. The word "baptized" there is the Greek word "baptizo," which means to be immersed under the water, to be submerged under the water.

Now, baptism does not save you. If baptism were essential for salvation, then the Apostle Paul would not have said, "I didn't come to baptize; I came to preach the gospel." Also, Jesus would not have said to the man on the cross next to Him, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Instead, He would have said, "Hold on, can we get some water?" But He didn't do that.

Not essential for salvation, but it reveals that we are gods. It's an obedience, identification, and association with the Lord. So they went, both of them, down into the water, and he was submerged.

Now, I've had a number of people in the last several weeks ask, "What hinders me from being baptized?" Nothing, except it just wasn't on our schedule. So, on May 31st, we're going to have a baptism at the Welch's house, and we'll have more information about it in a few weeks. I hope to see many of you there. If you have not been baptized and you're a believer in Christ, it is one of the first steps of obedience to Him. I encourage you to do that out of obedience to Him.

Now, in verse 39, when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. He had his own little individual rapture. He caught away Philip, and the eunuch didn't see him anymore. How tripped out would you be? You go down into the water, you come up, and where did that guy go? He's gone. But he went on his way rejoicing.

Some people come up out of the water after baptism and say, "I don't feel anything different." That's okay. It's not about feeling anything different. Rise and walk in newness of life. Go away rejoicing, rejoicing in Him. But Philip was found in Azotus, and passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

Listen, church. God has called you; He's called me to bring the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, into all the world. It's caught like chicken pox. That's probably the only thing you'll remember today. We've actually got to come in personal contact with people to share the good news of the gospel. We've got to step outside of our comfort zone. We are strangers and pilgrims on the earth. God has called us to recognize that this is not our home.

Maybe you say, "Well, I don't know how to share my faith." That's perfectly all right. We'll teach you. We have a class in our school of discipleship to teach you how to share your faith with other people, to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Maybe you say, "But people ask me questions, and I don't know the answers." That's okay. We'll teach you.

Why? Because God wants us to be thoroughly equipped for every good work, ready to go, willing to do whatever He calls us to. As we see here in Philip, in Acts chapter 8, I can't wait to meet Philip one day. What a great evangelist.

Amen. Let's stand and pray together.

Father, I do thank you for Your great Word. As we prepare to go from this place, I ask that You would help us to be those with beautiful feet, carrying the glad tidings of good things to a world that is dead in trespasses and sins. Lord, may we go with that word, which literally means happy feet, ready to go and excited. Give us boldness, Lord. Open our eyes so that we may see the opportunities and grant us the courage to walk through those doors when they come.

Lord, give us Your Spirit that we would know how to answer the questions that people bring. I pray that we would be obedient to Your heavenly calling. For I ask it in Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed, saying, Amen.