Jesus In My Place

Jesus In My Place

Introduction

Today we are going to look at the story about the first African who met Jesus.  We don’t know his name, but we know he is a powerful guy.  He was the secretary/treasurer for the entire southern kingdom of Africa.  On the outside he is a guy who has it all together.  He has money, Power, Fame.  But despite all that, on the inside, he doesn’t know God and he is Searching.

• And he doesn’t know Jesus but he is about to. And I want us to 
  • I ask people all the time, “do you have a relationship with Jesus?”
    • “sometimes I feel like I do, I try hard”  So your  not sure that you know God? “Not totally”
      • That doesn’t make any sense.
    • If you know Jesus you have a story about how you came to know Jesus. We call that a testimony. You can talk about how you know him.
      • But on the other hand, If you don’t know that you know Him, and you cant talk about how you came to know him, you probably don’t know Him.
      • On a scale of 1 to 10 how sure are you that you are married?
    • Do you know that you know him? If you don’t, you need to listen up because we are going to give you the same opportunity that this Ethiopian Eunuch had.

Acts 8:26-40

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth.  33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation?  For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Context/Story 

• At the beginning of Acts 8, Christianity literally explodes in Samaria.   Philip was just used to bring a revival to Samaria.  Thousands were saved, God was moving in amazing ways.  But at what seems to be the most exciting moment of ministry for Philip in Samaria, the Spirit of God moves him on without explanation. And he is moved to a small town called Gaza.
• Give the map…
• Gaza – Should sound familiar… Same location as biblical times.  The Land of the philistines… (even if you didn’t grow up in church, We all know the philistines are the bad guys.  Most famous philistine – Goliath)
  • If you were a Jew, how would you respond to being told you should go to the land of the philistines?  Poorly. “You mean the guys who have been trying to kill us for thousands of years? No way.  
    • First Samaria, then the philistines.  Do you see what is happening? Jesus is breaking down the dividing wall of hostility between peoples.   
      • The church is the one place in the world where people of all different races and nationalities and socioeconomic classes.  Normally enemies come together through the power of God.  
        • They have a common enemy, (sin) and a common solution, (Jesus)
  • Philip just went north, Now he is going southwest of Jerusalem. He walked about 165 miles on a difficult and dangerous road through the desert to get there.
• Ethiopia – In our day… In that day, Ethiopia was basically everything in Africa south of the Nile river.  This guy was the treasurer for the entire region.
• Eunuch – An important official to the queen of Ethiopia.  Now in that day, Kings did not like their wives interacting with any men.  They would go off to war, or be busy running the kingdom, and the king wanted to make sure that the queen would remain faithful to Him.  So to make sure this happened the King would castrate every man that his wife would interact with. 
  • If you want to know more about that whole process, you can ask your celebration group leader.  They all volunteered to explain.
  • But to take this job meant that you would be highly esteemed in your own country but lowly esteemed by God’s people. 
• Deuteronomy 23:1 Says that any man who has been castrated can’t even enter into the worship assembly of God’s people.  Why?  Because God wanted his people to value reproduction and procreation.  Those are gifts from God.  He called his people to be fruitful and multiply, and to fill the earth.  This eunuch did the opposite. 
  • But he obviously was a religious man.  There were lots of religions in Ethiopia
    • Worshiped the perceived universe.
    • This eunuch had an inkling that there was something more out there than the sun and the moon and the ocean.  A God behind creation and larger than creation.  So he went to Jerusalem to learn about him.  
      • Which was a long Journey – 1200 miles.

God uses People to Save People

• Here’s what’s curious: An angel wasn’t sent to the Ethiopian eunuch.  God could have just sent the angel into the chariot to appear to the man and explain Isaiah 53 and seal the deal.  But instead God used Philip to save the Ethiopian Eunuch.
• Now, there are lots of people in closed Muslim countries who are getting saved because they’re having dreams about Jesus or an angel shows up because God will jump over any obstacle that is set against the gospel to bring the good news of Jesus to those who don’t know him.  This sometimes happens 
  • Like Saul on the road to Damascus. (2 Weeks)
• • But usually, God works through his people. So, God sends the angel to Philip, and then the angel sends Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch.
    • Romans 10:12-15 – For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
• God is sovereign over the ends (who I will save) and the means (who I will send). And I believe that You are part of God’s sovereign plan for the salvation of someone else
  • “God Doesn’t Need Me”
    • That is true! But He does love you and He wants to involve you so you can share in His joy.  God can save people without you, but he’s invited you and I to be part of his process.
      • What this does is free us up not to worry about the results and only worry about our faithfulness to what God has called us to
• Who has God put in front of you?
  • If you truly embrace the Gospel, and are determined to follow Jesus  you may find yourself going where you never thought you would go, and doing something you never thought you would do. 
    • Compare Philip with Jonah (both were told to “rise and go”)

Do You Understand What You Are Reading?

• • Vs 28-30
  • Here is what you should see. In the midst of all that is going on in Samaria, Big crowds, lots of people coming to Christ, we see that God is intensely concerned with 1 guy.  God loves one person enough that he’d put together an entire plan to go get that one person.  God has been preparing him, planting questions in his heart, Drawing him.  And God sends him a messenger.
    • Maybe this is some of you… Preparing you, Planting questions, Drawing you. And this morning, God has an appointment with you. 
      • Maybe you have been thinking, like this powerful, famous, wealthy Eunuch, “there has to be more to life than this.  (work, home, TV, Friends, Summer Vacation) Something inside you saying, “There is more! And you are missing it!”
        • You being here this morning is not an accident.
    • The Eunuch went to Jerusalem to find God, and left more confused than ever. He tried to find God and couldn’t, so God found Him, and sent a messenger to Him.
      • Isaiah 56:3,5 –  Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” For I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

• Sometimes it is Quick

• • • Usually, evangelism is in stages.  You start with introductions, you invite them over for dinner, you send them a Christmas card, you walk with them through a crisis, you go to their kid’s graduations, until the moment you have invested enough to be able to speak to them on a heart level and effectively share Jesus.  
      • But sometimes evangelism is quick.  This Ethiopian Eunuch thing happened in like 15 minutes.  By the end, Philip baptized the guy, and then He disappeared.  God clearly wanted him saved, and he didn’t have time to wait for 27 Christmas cards to show up.  
      • Sometimes this is true for us as well.  Don’t be afraid of sharing Jesus even when you don’t have a lot of time.  
        • “I want you to know that God loves you. Hell’s hot. Forever is a long time. You need Jesus. Let me talk to you about him. My bus is coming. In or out?
          • Sometimes God has been preparing people for a while before you even get there, and He is going to use you to complete that journey to Christ. 

About Whom Does The Scriptures Speak?

• • Vs 32-33
    • Isaiah 53 – Written 800 years earlier. 
    • Predicted that the messiah would be wrongfully accused of crimes he did not commit.  He would be a lamb led to slaughter, But he would not open his mouth
      • This came true to the letter with Jesus before Pilate. 
        • Why did he not open his mouth and defend himself?
          • I would have! (this is wrong)
        • Silence concedes guilt. And Jesus was admitting Guilt, just not his own.  
          • Behind Pilate, and the Jewish leaders pointing at Him, Jesus saw the hand of God pointing at Him.  Accusing Him of my sin, and your sin. And Jesus kept his mouth shut, not because He was guilty, but because we are guilty.  
        • Like a Lamb 
          • Father of a family, Unblemished lamb, Temple, Altar, Hand on its head, confess all the sins of their family, And the priest would slit the throat of the lamb while this was happening. And the lamb would die in the place of that family, for the sins of that family.  
            • That is what Jesus did for us. The Gospel in 4 words, “Jesus in my place”

• Read Isaiah 53:4 – 7

• • • Christianity is not about Doing, it’s not about working, It’s not about your achievements or your merit.  The Gospel is not about living a better life or earning God’s favor. It is not about a rule book you must follow. The Gospel is not good advice, it is good news.  
      • Do Vs Done

• He made a decision

• • • Salvation is a gift but you have to receive it.  What do you have to do to receive a gift? Reach out and take it. (Bible)
      • New friend this week (chair analogy)

• Invitation (I Repent, I Believe, I Receive)

What Prevents Me From Being Baptized?

• Vs 36-38
• Baptism as Celebration
  • Having Just come from Jerusalem where the Eunuch was barred from full access to the temple, Now he finds himself fully included in God’s kingdom.  No more barriers to entry. 
    • Personal – This shows us a direct relationship with Jesus ALREADY EXISTS
      • Every baptism in the book of Acts is preceded by repentance of sin and faith in Jesus. (Acts 2:38–41; 8:12; 9:18–19; 10:44–48; 16:14–15, 29–36; 18:8; 19:1–7; 22:16)
    • To Celebrate, The Eunuch seeks baptism.  And that is really what baptism is all about.  It is a celebration of what God has done for us.  Baptism cannot save. Baptism cannot make you right with God. Only Jesus can do that. 
• Baptism as Testimony
  • This Ethiopian Eunuch was in public!!  He likely had a whole entourage following his caravan, and the baptism was a testimony of what Christ had done for Him.
    • Public – This is why we do baptism in a public context.  We want those who love Jesus to be able to celebrate what God has done, and is doing in the lives of those being baptized!
• Baptism as Imitation
  • Baptized into his death. 
    • Bapto and Baptizo – Immerse(transliteration)
      • There’s no such thing as a ceremony of sprinkling in the Bible or pouring or any application of water to the individual.
        • John Calvin, who basically came down on the side of infant sprinkling, or infant baptism, says this, he writes, “The word baptize means to immerse. No linguist can come up with anything else.” Calvin says, “The word baptize means to immerse. It is certain that immersion was the practice of the early church,” end quote.
      • Under the water
        • Colossians 2:12 – having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
        • For those of you who are taking notes, the same symbolism is tied to baptism in Romans 6:1-4
      • Raised out of the water = New life!
• Baptism as Obedience
  •  Baptism is a First act of obedience.  
    • Immediate
      • Acts 2:38 – 3000 people baptized that same day (Peter had cannons for arms afterwards)
      • Acts 8:12 – Samaritans were baptized immediately
      • Acts 9 – Paul gets saved, and is brought to Damascus by hand, Immediately is baptized.
      • Acts 10:47 – Cornelius and his garrison were baptized mere seconds after hearing the gospel.
      • Acts 16:15 – Lydia was baptized on the same day she trusted in Jesus.
      • Acts 18:8 – Corinthians heard and were baptized immediately. 
        • In the new testament, there was never a gap between when you trusted Christ, and when you were baptized. 
          • Why is this? Because Jesus commanded it!
    • Matthew 28:19 – Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
• Apply
  • Baptism Sunday is coming in 2 weeks. March 3rd.
    • People say, Its not that important…
      • If this is in fact the first command of Jesus after salvation, and you reject it, what does that say about future steps?  Postponing what God has told you to do is a terrible way to start out your Christian relationship.  
    • People say, I was baptized as a baby… No offense here, but baptism is presented in the bible as your own profession of faith.  When you were baptized as a baby, that was a statement of your parents faith.  And thank God for that, but now it is time to ratify their decision and declare your own faith in Jesus.
    • People say, I am not ready…  If you have trusted in Christ, you are ready.  Baptism is only a public profession of an inward reality. If you say you have accepted Jesus, but you are not ready to go public with that, then I have to wonder how serious you are about that.  
      • Like dating someone you don’t want anyone to know about.  If you know Jesus, If you love Jesus, it is time. 
• Final word. This morning, if you want to let us know of a decision for christ, come see me after service.  And if you want to follow the lord in baptism, you can sign up at the registration table.  Let’s seek to be obedient now!