The Ethiopian Eunuch

I have recently taken up the practice of running. 

All my life I have hated running because most of the time I have had a coach that made me run so when I got older I just didn’t want to run.

This last week I had to go to a conference at Auburn University for AP teachers.  I don’t know the campus at Auburn and so I decided to go for a run around the campus. 

Allison will not shocked by this but I got lost as I was running – there is nothing worse than running and not knowing where you are.

The combination of being tired, heaving and breathing hard, and having to finally stop and ask someone how to get back to our hotel. 

It is bad to not know where you are going and have no direction.

There is nothing worse than the frustration of not knowing how to go – not knowing how to get to your destination.

This morning we are going to meet a man that needed guidance – he wanted to know the truth – he was a seeker of truth and he needed someone to show him what to do.

This man is known as the Ethiopian Eunuch.  He was searching for truth which is evident from his story in Acts 8 but there is more to this story.

This man I believe was part of OT prophecy. 

Many of the OT prophets foresaw a day when all men would have access to God and access to the truth.

We have seen in Acts that the truth of the Gospel starts literally at Mount Zion in Jerusalem.

We see that God’s truth is going to go out to all the nations.

One particular nation that had history with Israel was Ethiopia.

It was a queen from Ethiopia that visited King Solomon and many scholars believe that there was a connection between those two countries because of that.

Many Ethiopians would learn of the wisdom of Israel’s God and worship Yahweh.

One prophet prophesied of a day that an Ethiopian worshiper will call on God’s name.

I believe this prophecy is about our passage today.

Zephaniah 3: 9-10

9 "For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, That all of them may call on the name of the LORD, To serve Him shoulder to shoulder. 10 "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed ones, Will bring My offerings

We find the fulfillment of this prophecy in Acts 8 – so far in Acts 8 we have seen the Gospel go into Samaria by the preaching of Philip the Evangelist but now Philip will be called to a new task.

Philip will be called to preach to a strange man from Ethiopia.

Acts 8: 26-40

26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road. ) 27So he got up and went ; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure ; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." 30Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading ?" 31 And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this : "HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER ; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. 33 "IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY ; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION ? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH." 34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this ? Of himself or of someone else ?" 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they went along the road they came to some water ; and the eunuch said, "Look ! Water ! What prevents me from being baptized ?" 37 [And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop ; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away ; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

There a few points this morning that we can learn from the Ethiopian in this story today:

1)    This man from Ethiopia was searching for truth -  This man wanted to know What God’s word said.

The Ethiopian had an intense desire to learn truth – that is not evident on the face of this story but we can learn this from the background to this story.

We have a promise from Jesus in Matthew 5:6, where Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger

and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

This man from Ethiopia was hungry and thirsty for God.

We remember the words of Hebrews 11:6, where the Bible says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

The man from Ethiopia was earnestly seeking God.

As evidence of this, we are told in verse 27 that he had been to Jerusalem to worship and he is now reading the Scriptures on the way back home.

 But as we look at this man’s interest in the scriptures, we are especially impressed because of how this man is described.

We are never given his name (which is rather strange for such a long account), but he is identified as a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians.

We find that he is in charge of all of her treasure, and we also discover that he is identified at least five times in this passage as a eunuch.

 That right there is just a little weird to most of us.

 But we know from history that court officials were often made eunuchs because the rulers did not want any of their officials coming in and taking over and setting up their own royal family.

Beyond that, let’s just say that there would never be a Father’s Day celebration in the eunuch’s household.

But in spite of his condition, we find that this man had traveled close to a thousand miles in order to worship God in Jerusalem.

According to Deuteronomy 23:1, however, “No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the LORD.”

 So here was a man who had traveled close to a thousand miles knowing that he would not be able to actually enter the temple.

How many of us here this morning would travel from here to Boston, on horseback, knowing that when we got there we would have to stand outside on the sidewalk because of our physical condition? And yet that is what this man did.

And on the way home, he continues his search for truth by reading from the word of God. He was reading from a scroll, and he was reading from what we now know as the book of Isaiah, chapter 53.

He was reading from the Servant Song found in Isaiah chapters 52 through 53

This had been a hotly debated Scripture passage in Judaism – no one really had a good feel for what the prophet Isaiah was talking about.

Who was this servant that would be crushed for our sin?

Who would be this Servant of God that would be pierced through for us?

Who would be this Servant that would be like a lamb lead to the slaughter?

Who would be this Servant that would be given stripes and by those stripes we would be healed?

We all know that these prophecies made some 700 years before Christ fit a description of Jesus and His work for us.

Jesus would be the one crushed for our sins

Jesus would be the one pierced for us and would be like a silent lamb before those that would slaughter him.

Just like the lambs killed at Passover Jesus would be killed bloodily for our sins.

Remember when John the Baptist saw Jesus coming in the Gospel of John he cried out Behold the Lamb of God that comes to take away the sins of the world.

This is who Jesus is – the Lamb of God  - He is the Servant.

This Ethiopian did not know how to understand this passage but he started in the right place – He started with Scripture. 

That is the place to always start in your search for truth – the Bible – that is the fount and source for truth.

Later in Acts we will once again meet people like this Ethiopian Eunuch that wanted to examine the Scripture.

Paul and Silas must go by night to a place called Berea because the people at Thessalonica would not seek truth.

The Bereans were like the Ethiopian in that they wanted to know truth.

In Acts 17: 10-11 we learn this about the Bereans:

10The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so

These people listened to Paul’s teaching but Examined the Scripture daily to check out if he was telling the truth.

This truth seeking always begins with Scripture and we see the same thing in this story- the truth seeking starts with scripture.

Let me take this opportunity to tell you why this is so important.

We as Christians must fortify ourselves in truth and fortify our children in truth.

This last week I attended a conference like I said earlier that included educators in AP English, Math, and Science from all over the South East.

Advanced Placement boards are run by a board of College professors and other folks.

The people in charge of this system have a radical agenda. 

1^st of all Evolution is the emphasis of the Biology AP Exam and is becoming the driving force behind all Biology.

When Cell theory was once the bedrock of Biology now it is Evolution. 

As a matter fact one of main objectives that will be covered in Biology is an experiment that has been debunked 15 years ago and it is still used to prove evolution in the newest textbooks. 

IN English the newest readings and pieces of literature come from the most radical sources and the vast majority of the readings are now antagonistic to our faith.

People like Rousseau are read who were totally against faith and specifically Christianity.

To say the chickens have come home to roost is an understatement.  This is the future of American education.

The crazies are driving the car – it is the radical atheists that are now writing the curriculum that our children will use in schools.

To say I was troubled by what I saw this week is an understatement.  People with younger children really need to start paying attention to what is coming.

You may have good Christian teachers in your local schools but what is really ominous is the people in charge on a regional and national level.

The newest methods of education coming out of education schools is to create little brain boxes that have no faith or emotion.

Part of this new method is to have kids read this radical stuff but not allow them to respond with their own personal convictions.

In other words accept it and be quiet.  Teachers don’t want to allow religious convictions to come out in class because it causes problems.

I just want to share that with you because it is on us. 

We cannot retreat and throw up the white flag to radical atheism. 

We need to immerse ourselves in truth and battle back.  The reason this stuff is happening is churches our anemic and are not teaching truth.

Starting tonight with our adult class in VBS we are starting the truth project.  I want you to please come if you can to watch these videos that show how God’s truth from the Bible applies to all things.

This makes your life a lot easier.  The work has been done – how does the Bible answer these things – I want you to come and soak this stuff up and learn. 

I cant tell you how important it is that you learn how to defend truth in the face of radical unbelief.

But our story doesn’t end here with the text this morning.

I now want to focus on Philip the Evangelist:  Philip was one of the seven deacons that we met in Acts 6

When I think of Philip I think about Evangelism – an evangelist that has a heart for the gospel.

In this story we see that Philip had just had a successful campaign in Samaria and now was sent to this man in the chariot.

The Ethiopian is traveling the common root from Jerusalem back to Africa – this way known as the Via Maris or the Kings Highway near GAZA.

Phillip shows that he is so excited about sharing with this guy that He Runs.

You realize that in this society running for an adult mail in public was shameful.  You just didn’t run in public like this.

Philip didn’t care – he wanted to share the Gospel with this guy. 

Evangelism is about Excitement:

Excitement for the Gospel:

It was the true story by a mom who wrote that she her husband had spent the day moving from their farmhouse into their new house in town.

Early the next morning, their 3 1/2-year old ran into their bedroom to wake them up. “I dressed him and told him to play in the yard and to quit bothering us.”

About 20 minutes later, he came running back into the house all excited: “Mommy, Mommy,” he cried, “everybody has doorbells and they all work.”

I know that when I have been on door knocking campaigns I would get sick in my stomach to knock on a door and try to set up a Bible study.

The walk from the car to the door of a house seemed like 18 miles.  I was petrified.

But Philip in this story is running to the Chariot – he wants to share this guy. 

Also Philip shows that he cares.  Philip has  a heart for the lost.

Think about the fact that Philip was put in charge of the neglected Grecian widows and he also took the gospel to the Samaritans.

Now he is going to teach this African man that looks much different than he looks.

Philip doesn’t care about racial or ethnic boundaries.  He cares about this person.  He cares about a person that needs to be saved.

Evangelism is about caring:

Does anyone know who Jerry Rice is?

Jerry Rice, has been a longtime star for the San Francisco 49ers football team (among others), and he’s considered one of the greatest receivers in the history of football.

 In fact, his talent was obvious even when he was in High School – drawing many big league colleges to approach him with scholarships.

Once in an interview Jerry Rice as asked, “Why did you attend a small, obscure university like Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Benna, Mississippi?”

Now I have been to Itta Benna MS.  In college I played a game against this school and let me tell you there is not much in Itta Benna MS.

Rice responded, “Out of all the big-time schools (such as UCLA) to recruit me, MVSU was the only school to come to my house and give me a personal visit.”

Jerry Rice was won to a small college, because that college was THERE when he was looking. That college’s people made themselves available to give him attention.

They cared about Jerry Rice is all that mattered.

The best form of evangelism is from someone that cares.

People don’t care about what you know until they know how much you care.

We must build relationships with people to share the gospel with them.  The best form of growing a church and teaching is through friendship.

I challenge all of us here to invite a friend to Church – make an effort to invite your friends

Evangelism is about Preparation:

Philip was prepared to teach.  He was able to take a complex passage like Isaiah 53 and teach it.

He knew what to say and what to preach.

He was prepared for a response to the Gospel.

We see that He is prepared to Baptize this convert. 

The passage doesn’t tell us that Philip preached that the response to this Gospel is baptism in water but obviously he told him this because the Ethiopian replies to Philip

, "Look ! Water ! What prevents me from being baptized ?" 37 [And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop ; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

We see that proper response is faith.

One must believe in Christ – this is imperative.  That is the beginning for Philip.

Next we see that the Ethiopian confesses this belief to Philip.

Many people think this has to happen in a church assembly but that is a false belief because Philip and Eunuch are in the wilderness. 

And proper response to the gospel is immediate baptism into Christ in water.

Many people put off baptism for weeks or even months after long periods of instruction but this is not the way of the bible. 

The way of Scripture is to immediately baptize in a faith response to the Gospel.

So in this example we see a great synopsis on how a person responds to the Gospel of Christ.

We must always be prepared to be evangelists:

In 1839, after years of service in South Africa, the famous missionary Robert Moffat returned to Scotland to recruit helpers.

When he arrived at the church one cold wintry night, he was dismayed that only a small group had come out to hear him.

 What bothered him even more was that the only people in attendance were ladies.

 Although he was grateful for their interest, he had hoped to challenge men.

 He had chosen as his text Proverbs 8:4, “Unto you, O men I call.” Moffat had one stirring challenge in his message: “I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages, where no missionary has ever been.”

Moffat felt frustrated as he gave the message, for he realized that very few women could be expected to undergo the rigorous life in undeveloped jungles.

In his discouragement Moffat almost failed to notice one young man assisting the organist. That young man was deeply moved by the challenge and heard the call of God.

 The following year, David Livingstone, that young man who had heard Robert Moffat’s challenge and God’s call, sailed to Africa.

 For the next thirty- three years, he ministered in the interior of Africa to villages where no missionary had ever been before.

 Livingstone became a legend of missionary work in Africa – He was ready and prepared to go and do this.

God is continually calling us, often times we are not ready to listen. What is it the Lord is calling you to do? Today in prayer, look to the Lord and seek His voice. Read the Bible and desire to follow the Lord’s leading.

 “The responsible person seeks to make his or her whole life a response to the question and call of God.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

 God’s Word: “To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.” – Proverbs 8:4

Evangelism is not ashamed:

Philip was not ashamed of the Gospel – he didn’t care if the message was going to be rejected – he was ready for that.

When we are filled with the love of Christ- when we know that Jesus is the truth we don’t care what people think.

As a matter of fact we quit thinking like the world thinks:

The CEO was growing old. Choosing a replacement would not come from the directors or present staff.

He would find one in the young executives.

 He called them together and gave each one a seed.

 His instructions were simple. "Plant it, water it, tend to it and come back in one year and I will then judge the plants you bring and from them choose the new CEO.

 The seed in Jim's pot never broke the soil. It just didn't grow!

Others bragged and talked about how beautiful their plants were and how they were looking forward to being the top man in the firm.

 A year went by and all the young executives brought their plants to display before the CEO. Jim told his wife that he was not going to take the empty pot to the meeting.

She begged him to be honest about what happened.

 Jim felt sick at his stomach. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right.

 When Jim arrived he was amazed at the variety of plants displayed by the other executives. They were beautiful in all shapes and sizes.

 Jim put his pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed and a few felt sorry for him.

 When the CEO arrived he surveyed the room and greeted the young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. Today, one of you will be appointed the new CEO.

 All of the sudden the President spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He instructed the financial director to bring him to the front.

Jim was terrified. One look at him and he would know I am a failure. Maybe he will have me demoted or fired!"

 When Jim got to the front the CEO asked him what happened to his seed.

 Jim told the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down, except Jim. He looked at Jim and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive.

His name is Jim. Jim couldn't believe it. He couldn't even grow his seed.

The others mumbled how could he be the next CEO for he has failed to produce anything?

 Then the Chief said, "One year ago today I gave each one of you a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it and bring it back to me today.

 But I gave you all boiled seed; They were dead. It was not possible for any of them to grow. All of you except Jim have brought me plants and beautiful flowers.

But when you found that the seed would not grow you substituted another seed for the one I gave you.

Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me an empty pot with my seed in it. He is the one I have chosen to be the new Chief Executive."

 The apostle Paul wrote,

 "But they who will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts . . . for the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (I Timothy 6:9-10).

We must fight the temptation of Americans to become too comfortable. The Gospel is going to make you uncomfortable and take you out of that comfort zone.

You must get out and spread the Gospel.

 I watched the little kids playing on the beach. They were building their castles in the sand.

You get amused at how meticulous and careful they are with crumbly corners and tiny turrets.

The look on their faces as they screw their mouths around and stick out their tongues in earnest concentration are priceless.

 Then the big wave starts to close in! But the kids don't panic.

 They do the strangest thing. They jump to their feet, scream with excitement and watch the waves wash away their creations.

 There is no hysteria. No sadness. No bitterness. Even little children know the fate that awaits sandcastles. They are neither shocked nor angry when the tide comes in.

 Children know that their creations in the sand are but brief joys destined to be taken away by the incoming tide. So they don't fret as the waves approach.

The waves strikes - no tears are shed. Joy and triumph in the fact that they have built their own castles in the sand.

I think Philip understood this – he didn’t care about the things of this world but had given his life whole-heartedly to the spread of the Gospel.

He was sold out for God. 

Today are you sold out for God – do you care as much for the pursuit for truth as this Ethiopian?

Do you care about Evangelism like Philip? 

Do you love the Lord so much that you would give up the comforts of this life to be radical for Him?