1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:09,400 Acts chapter 8, verse 26 to 40. This is the story of Philip and 2 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:16,560 the Ethiopian. Now an Angel of the Lord said to 3 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:20,640 Philip, go South to the road, the desert Rd. that goes down 4 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:25,120 from Jerusalem to Gaza. So he started out and on his way 5 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:29,280 he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of 6 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:33,160 all the treasured treasury of the Kandaki, which means Queen 7 00:00:33,160 --> 00:00:36,800 of The Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem 8 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:40,080 to worship and on his way home was sitting in his chariot 9 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:42,120 reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 10 00:00:43,160 --> 00:00:46,560 The Spirit told Philip, go to that chariot and stay near it. 11 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:50,320 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man 12 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,080 reading Isaiah the prophet. Do you understand what you're 13 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:55,320 reading? Philip asked. 14 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:58,320 How can I? He said, unless someone explains 15 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,280 it to me. So he invited Philip to come up 16 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:05,120 and sit with him. This is the passage of scripture 17 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,840 the eunuch was reading. He was led like a sheep to the 18 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,840 slaughter, and as a lamb before it's Shearer is silent, so he 19 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,640 did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was 20 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,920 deprived of justice. Who can speak of his 21 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:23,320 descendants, for his life was taken from the earth. 22 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:28,040 The eunuch asked Philip, tell me please, who is the prophet 23 00:01:28,040 --> 00:01:30,320 talking about? Himself or someone else? 24 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,640 Then Philip began with that very passage of scripture and told 25 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,920 him the good news about Jesus. As they travelled along the 26 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,160 road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, look, here 27 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,840 is water, what can stand in the way of my being baptised? 28 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:48,400 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. 29 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,880 Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and 30 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,760 Philip baptised him. When they came up out of the 31 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:00,800 water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and 32 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,600 the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way 33 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,360 rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at 34 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,639 Azotis and travelled about preaching the gospel in all the 35 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:18,000 towns until he reached Caesarea. This is a very special Sunday 36 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:20,400 for many of us. I always love our baptism 37 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:22,200 Sundays here at Ave. It means we all got to get a bit 38 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:23,600 earlier. The people who are building the 39 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,080 baptistry and the school are very generous to us. 40 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,160 They open up at 8:00 AM and then the whole question is getting 2 41 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:31,880 hoses in there. Not too hot, not too cold. 42 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:35,080 The expectation is the people getting baptized. 43 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,960 Mark and Duke at the end of the service will be lovely and warm. 44 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:41,760 The rest of us less so. So that's just an advance 45 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:43,240 warning. Probably take your coat with you 46 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,280 when you go outside at the end for the baptisms. 47 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,080 But it's a special Sunday. It's a special Sunday for Mark 48 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:52,320 and for Duke. We'll be hearing from them a 49 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,520 little bit later when they share their stories with us of how 50 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:59,520 they have come to put their faith in the Lord Jesus, or more 51 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:04,480 accurately, how Jesus has stepped into their lives, washed 52 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:09,280 them clean, and welcomed them into his family forever. 53 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,440 It's a day of great joy for Mark, for Duke, and for all of 54 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,000 us. And it's fitting then, as Kate 55 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,560 says, that we've reached a passage in this book of Acts 56 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:23,160 where someone gets baptized and experiences great joy as a 57 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,360 result. So the book of Acts is the 58 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:28,560 history of the early church recorded for us in the New 59 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,120 Testament, the history of the earliest followers of Jesus. 60 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,360 And we've been walking slowly through this book of Acts 61 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,760 together as a church over the last few months. 62 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:40,400 And this morning we reach Acts chapter 8 and looking at verses 63 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:44,240 38 to 39 of that chapter, towards the end, we read these 64 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,520 words. Philip baptized him and he went 65 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:52,400 on his way rejoicing. This baptism was a day of great 66 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:56,520 joy for the Ethiopian man. And so we want to think in the 67 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,040 next few minutes, what do we learn about this man that Philip 68 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:00,840 baptizes? What do you learn about the 69 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:04,680 message Philip shares with this man that gives him so much joy? 70 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,240 And what do we learn about baptism and why it is we still 71 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,560 baptize people today? So first of all, then the story 72 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:14,840 so far in Acts, if you've not been with us. 73 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:19,800 So Acts begins soon after Jesus, the Son of God, has come into 74 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,760 the world, and Jesus has lived the life we could not live. 75 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:28,000 He's died the death we deserve to die, and he's risen again 76 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,600 from the dead, all to win eternal life for us so that we 77 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:36,040 can be reconciled to the God who made us. 78 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:38,520 And at the beginning of Acts, Jesus ascends into heaven. 79 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:42,440 He leaves the scene, and from there he sends his Holy Spirit 80 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:46,080 to come and live with his followers and empower them to 81 00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,440 tell other people about Jesus in this world. 82 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:51,840 And the early Christians start out in the city of Jerusalem, 83 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,400 and many people put their faith in Jesus. 84 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,520 But at this point in Acts, Acts chapter 8, most of Jesus 85 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,080 followers have been driven out of Jerusalem. 86 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:05,280 They're scattered across Judea and Samaria, the land around 87 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,000 Jerusalem. And one of these followers of 88 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,800 Jesus is a man called Philip, and he's the one we meet in this 89 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:14,680 passage. Later in Acts, Philip is 90 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,200 described as Philip the evangelist. 91 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:21,880 Philip is someone who breaks new ground for Jesus. 92 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,280 He reaches out to people who previously would have had 93 00:05:25,280 --> 00:05:28,600 nothing to do with the gods of Israel. 94 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:32,440 So if you were here with us last week, earlier in Acts 8, Philip 95 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:35,840 travelled into Samaria and shared the good news of Jesus 96 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,960 with Samaritan people. And Samaritan people were hated 97 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:44,280 by Jewish people like Philip. But Philip had come to realize 98 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,640 something. And it's the truth that stands 99 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:50,680 at the hearts of our passage this morning. 100 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:55,120 Philip had come to realize that Jesus had suffered, died and 101 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:59,680 risen again so the people who used to be outsiders can be 102 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:04,400 washed clean by God and welcomed into his family. 103 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,480 That was Philip's message to this Ethiopian man. 104 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,160 And that's the message of this bit of axiate to all of us 105 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:10,960 today. Actually. 106 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:13,320 Jesus suffered, died, and rose again. 107 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:17,640 So the people who used to be outsiders can be washed clean 108 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:22,320 and welcomed into his people. That's what baptism points us 109 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:27,320 to, being washed clean and welcomed by the living God. 110 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:31,840 So first of all, who is this man that Philip encounters and 111 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:34,760 shares the message of Jesus with in this passage? 112 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:38,840 Well, first verse 27, we learn that he is an Ethiopian eunuch. 113 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,600 So that's verses 27 to 20. Let me read that for us. 114 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:46,240 So Philip started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian 115 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:49,600 eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of 116 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:52,320 the kandaki, which means Queen of The Ethiopians. 117 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,760 This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship and on his way home 118 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:59,360 was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the 119 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:03,200 prophet. So we learn about this man here. 120 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,840 Well, first of all, we learn that he is an important man. 121 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:10,000 We're not told his name, but we're told he's an important 122 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:13,440 official in charge of the treasury of the Queen, or maybe 123 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,320 the Queen Mother of The Ethiopians. 124 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:20,680 This man, he is a respected official and he is a wealthy 125 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:22,520 man. How do we know that? 126 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:24,840 We know that because he's travelling by Chariots. 127 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:28,040 You'll notice Philip is kind of running to keep up, but if you 128 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:31,240 had money, you could then take a load off and be travelling by 129 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:33,960 chariot. He also had the resources to buy 130 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:37,800 expensive scrolls. He's reading a scroll of the 131 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,360 prophet Isaiah. There were no cheap paperbacks 132 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:42,480 back then. This was an expensive thing he 133 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,480 owns. It shows again how wealthy he is 134 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:47,280 on the surface. He's got a lot going for him. 135 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:50,160 And we learn also that he is a eunuch. 136 00:07:50,960 --> 00:07:53,080 And like many government officials in the ancient world, 137 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:57,520 he had been castrated probably at an early age to serve at the 138 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,240 highest level of government. Now, for children and young 139 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,040 people here today, if you want to know what castrated means, 140 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:08,560 ask your parents or responsible adults, because I don't want to 141 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,120 go into it. But basically for us, it sounds 142 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,160 a very strange thing to do. It's a very alien thing to do is 143 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:16,800 I just don't have the idea of it. 144 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,880 But but back then in the ancient world, if you were a eunuch, you 145 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,440 could serve the royal family without being considered a 146 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,160 threat. So you could, you were no longer 147 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,520 a threat to the women in the royal household and you were no 148 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,159 longer a potential rival to the king. 149 00:08:32,799 --> 00:08:36,240 So to be a eunuch in the ancient world was actually a real help 150 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:41,000 socially to a lot of people. But in almost every other way, 151 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:44,920 for a Jewish man like Philip, and for this Ethiopian who has 152 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:49,240 just travelled to Jerusalem, he is an outsider. 153 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:54,360 First of all, he's a foreigner. He's from Ethiopia in Africa, 154 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:57,760 which is the very edge of the known world at that time. 155 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:02,520 He's what the Bible calls a Gentile, someone who is not born 156 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:06,320 Jewish and so seem to be excluded from the people of God 157 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:10,320 and the promises of God. And we've just thought he's a 158 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:15,040 castrated man and as a result, he was excluded from worshipping 159 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:18,640 God in the temple in Jerusalem alongside other people with 160 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:21,880 various physical defects and imperfections. 161 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:25,280 So Deuteronomy 23 verse one makes that clear. 162 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:29,080 No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter 163 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:33,240 the assembly of the Lords. So verse 27, even though this 164 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:37,160 man has gone to Jerusalem to worship, he wouldn't have been 165 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:40,680 allowed into the temple in Jerusalem when he got here. 166 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:45,000 This was a man who, for all his wealth and high social standing, 167 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:50,600 was familiar with being rejected, being excluded from 168 00:09:50,600 --> 00:09:54,440 the people of God. And what made that more painful 169 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,600 for him is he's clearly a seeker. 170 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,880 He's someone who wants to know God. 171 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:03,160 Why did he travelled all the way to Jerusalem from Africa? 172 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:07,720 We are told to worship God. He was a man looking for 173 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:11,640 answers, a man looking for the living God. 174 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:15,440 For all his wealth and social standing, he wasn't satisfied 175 00:10:15,440 --> 00:10:17,760 with what this world had to offer him. 176 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:19,960 He travelled to Jerusalem to worship God. 177 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:24,840 He wanted to know who God is and what it means to follow him. 178 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:28,400 So here he is, an axe sitting in his chariot, reading from the 179 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:30,400 Jewish scriptures, the book of Isaiah. 180 00:10:30,560 --> 00:10:34,680 He is looking for God. He's looking for answers. 181 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:37,880 And I wonder, as we pause for a minute, is that a good 182 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,280 description of anyone sitting here this morning? 183 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:46,200 Are the people sitting here here looking for something more out 184 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:48,360 of life? You aren't satisfied with the 185 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:50,440 answers we get from the world around as you go. 186 00:10:50,440 --> 00:10:52,600 Well, maybe there is a God. If so, what? 187 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:55,640 What is he, she it like? What does it mean to know this 188 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:58,600 God? If we're seeking after God, this 189 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:01,160 is the right place to be this morning. 190 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:04,840 And also you, you need to see something that the Ethiopian 191 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:08,240 eunuch discovered here in this passage. 192 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:13,520 See, even as this man was looking for God, he discovers an 193 00:11:13,520 --> 00:11:18,360 amazing truth. God has come looking for him. 194 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:22,680 This man thinks what I'm I'm looking for God, I'm looking for 195 00:11:22,680 --> 00:11:24,560 answers. But actually, he discovers in 196 00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:27,880 the course of his conversation with Philip, God is the one 197 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:32,200 who's made the first move. God comes looking for us through 198 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,800 His Son Jesus and through Jesus followers in this world, 199 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:40,600 empowered by the Holy Spirit. See if you look at the opening 200 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,960 bits of this encounter in Acts 8 that the writer of Acts, a man 201 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:46,520 called Luke, goes to great lengths to show the Lord is 202 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:50,960 clearly leading Philip here. It's not Philip's idea to go to 203 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:53,440 this desert Rd. He's really enjoying life in 204 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:55,640 Samaria. He's having great success there. 205 00:11:55,640 --> 00:12:00,040 But no, it's an Angel of the Lord, verse 26 who told Philip 206 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,920 to go South to the desert Rd., the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, 207 00:12:04,080 --> 00:12:08,880 the main route into Africa. And verse 29 it's the Spirit, 208 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,400 the Holy Spirit who tells Philip to go up to The Ethiopians 209 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:14,920 chariot and stay near it. It is the Lord, the living God 210 00:12:14,920 --> 00:12:18,840 who wants Philip to meet and speak to this Ethiopian man. 211 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:24,120 The reason this meeting happens at all is because God made it 212 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:27,360 happen. God has come looking for this 213 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:29,880 Ethiopian. It's a mind blowing truth for 214 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:35,640 him to grasp, for any of us to grasp again, for Duke and for 215 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:38,520 Mark. Actually in many ways this is 216 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:42,360 the day for your story, for us to hear your story of coming to 217 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:44,200 faith. But actually the reason that 218 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:49,680 you're here today is because God came looking for you, because 219 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,520 Jesus came looking for you, because the Holy Spirit is at 220 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:58,080 work in your life. And maybe if you're a Christian 221 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,520 sitting here today, you can reflect on the same truth. 222 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:06,200 Think back over the events that led you to trust in Jesus, the 223 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,160 people you met who pointed you to Jesus, the little 224 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:14,360 coincidences at key moments in your life that led you to Jesus. 225 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:16,920 It probably felt at the time that you were the 1 seeking 226 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:22,360 after God, but in reality, God is the one who was looking for 227 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:24,880 you. He's the one who made the first 228 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:28,600 move, and He's the one who's brought Mark and Duke to the 229 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:34,120 point of getting baptized today. So back to Acts chapter 8. 230 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:37,320 Once the Lord had LED Philip to the Ethiopian man, what happened 231 00:13:37,320 --> 00:13:38,480 next? We're going to pick up the story 232 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:42,960 in the middle of verse 27. So Luke writes this man had gone 233 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,720 to Jerusalem to worship and on his way home was sitting in his 234 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:48,000 chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 235 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:51,920 The Spirit told Philip, go to that chariot and stay near it. 236 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:54,920 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man 237 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:58,480 reading Isaiah the prophet. Back then in the ancient world, 238 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:00,280 you wouldn't read quietly to yourself. 239 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:03,600 You would read aloud so Philip can hear what he's reading. 240 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:06,880 Do you understand what you're reading? 241 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:09,880 Philip asked. How can I, the Ethiopian said, 242 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:12,120 unless someone explains it to me. 243 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:15,720 So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 244 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:18,920 It's a really interesting little exchange here. 245 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,000 So again, we're we're reminded again of the great wealth of 246 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:23,680 this Ethiopian. He's in his chariot. 247 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:26,160 He's got this massive scroll he's reading from. 248 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:29,360 We're also reminded of a spiritual hunger. 249 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,520 He is hungering after something more. 250 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:35,680 So when Philip runs up to the charity, here's what the man's 251 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:37,800 reading. He says, well, do you understand 252 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,280 what you're reading? And Ethioman's response actually 253 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:43,960 tells us a lot about him. He says, how can I, unless 254 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:46,480 someone explains it to me? And he invites Philip on to the 255 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,320 chariot. I want to see this is a sign of 256 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:52,240 real humility on the part of the Ethiopian. 257 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:55,720 He is humble enough and honest enough to say actually, no, 258 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:58,720 Phil, I don't understand this. And I want to understand it 259 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:02,320 again, for many of us actually maybe do have questions about 260 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:04,280 God, life, the universe, everything. 261 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:06,800 But we're a bit embarrassed to open up about that. 262 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,000 We want to look like we have the answers. 263 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:12,480 And this Ethiopian, he was a wealthy man, a a high-ranking 264 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:14,080 official would be really easy for him to go. 265 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:15,480 Well, I'm in the charity you're running. 266 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:17,160 Why would I listen to you Philip? 267 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:22,680 But no, he's got the humility to say I can, I understand unless 268 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:26,960 someone explains it to me. He wants answers and he's humble 269 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:31,960 enough to ask for them and to listen to the answers he hears. 270 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,600 And what is Philips message to this man? 271 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:37,720 Which a couple of things stand out. 272 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:39,880 I think first part of it is this. 273 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:45,480 Jesus is the key to knowing God. That's what Philip's saying to 274 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:48,640 this guy. Jesus is the key to knowing God. 275 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:52,080 So The Ethiopians reading from a passage in the Old Testament 276 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:56,160 written by the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 53, we'll look at 277 00:15:56,160 --> 00:15:58,880 the content of that passage in a moment, but for now, all we need 278 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,000 to see is the Ethiopian. He is baffled by it. 279 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:05,560 Verse 34 he says, tell me please, who is the prophet 280 00:16:05,560 --> 00:16:08,360 talking about, himself or someone else? 281 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:10,560 And again, I love this about the Ethiopian. 282 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:13,440 He is so honest. Like many of us, he finds the 283 00:16:13,440 --> 00:16:17,800 Bible to be a confusing book. At first he's not sure what the 284 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,240 passage means. He's not sure who Isaiah is 285 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,920 talking about. So Philip agrees to help him 286 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:27,600 understand what he's reading. Verse 35 Then Philip began with 287 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:32,760 that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about 288 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:36,680 Jesus. According to Philip here the key 289 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:40,920 to understanding the book of Isaiah is understanding Jesus. 290 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:46,520 Jesus is the key to unlock the meaning of the Old Testament. 291 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:50,000 To understand the meaning of Isaiah 53, Philip has to point 292 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:54,680 this man to Jesus because Philip knows Jesus is the key to any of 293 00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:58,640 us knowing God. And Philip would have learnt 294 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:03,040 that from the apostles who have been taught it by Jesus himself. 295 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:08,599 After Jesus had risen from the dead, he spent 40 days with his 296 00:17:08,599 --> 00:17:11,119 disciples, opening up the message of the Old Testament 297 00:17:11,119 --> 00:17:13,000 with them. And he said this to them. 298 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:15,319 Everything must be fulfilled. That is written about me in the 299 00:17:15,319 --> 00:17:17,880 Law of Moses, the prophets and the Psalms. 300 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:21,800 Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the 301 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,040 Scriptures. Jesus has all the Old Testament, 302 00:17:24,040 --> 00:17:26,520 Law of Moses, prophets, Psalms, the whole bit. 303 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:31,600 It points forward to me. It's fulfilled in my life, death 304 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:34,560 and resurrection. Jesus says if you want to know 305 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:38,000 what God is like, if you want to know what God means in the Old 306 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:42,480 Testament, you look at me elsewhere in the Gospels. 307 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:46,520 In John verse 14, he says to his disciples, anyone who has seen 308 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:51,600 me has seen the Father. If we want to know what God is 309 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:57,200 like, we look at Jesus or John 18 saying no one's ever seen 310 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:01,200 God, but the one and only Son who is himself God and in the 311 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:05,640 closest relationship with the Father has made him known. 312 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:10,560 Jesus makes the invisible God visible. 313 00:18:11,240 --> 00:18:16,200 Jesus shows us what God is like. Jesus shows us everything that 314 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:20,160 God has done for us. If we're sitting here with 315 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,080 questions about is there a God? If so, what is he like? 316 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:27,880 Philip and the other parts would say, well, look at Jesus. 317 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:32,280 When you look at Jesus, you're looking at the living God. 318 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:37,520 So Philip tells this man, Isaiah 53, it's all about Jesus. 319 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:39,600 And more than that, Isaiah 53, it's one of the clearest 320 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:44,040 pictures anywhere in the Bible of the full extent of God's love 321 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:47,760 for us in Jesus. Because this bit of Isaiah 322 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:52,240 reminds us, teaches us that Jesus suffered and died so we 323 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:56,720 can be washed clean and welcomed in to God's people. 324 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,840 That's the message of Isaiah 53 for the Ethiopian man, and it's 325 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:04,160 the message of Isaiah 53 for all of us here this morning. 326 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:08,360 Let me read that for us again. It's in verse 32 to 33. 327 00:19:08,360 --> 00:19:10,800 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading. 328 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:14,280 He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. 329 00:19:15,120 --> 00:19:19,200 And as a lamb before its Shearer is silent, so he did not open 330 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,520 his mouth. In his humiliation, he was 331 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:26,200 deprived of justice. Who can speak of his 332 00:19:26,200 --> 00:19:30,320 descendants? For his life was taken from the 333 00:19:30,360 --> 00:19:33,600 earth. What does this bit of Isaiah 334 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:38,200 tell us about Jesus? It tells us that Jesus is the 335 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:42,960 Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 336 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:45,920 That's what Philip wants to see. Ethiopian to see. 337 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,600 Jesus was silent before his accusers, the Jewish religious 338 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:52,480 leaders and then the Roman governor Pilot. 339 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,320 He was deprived of justice. He was innocent of the charges. 340 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:00,200 He was convicted of. His life was brutally taken away 341 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,720 at the cross. He experienced hatred and 342 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:05,280 rejection from the people around him. 343 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:10,240 And I wonder if somebody that last bit that really connected 344 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,960 with this Ethiopian, remember this Ethiopian eunuch is used to 345 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:19,680 being rejected, excluded, looked down on even. 346 00:20:21,160 --> 00:20:24,640 And here he reads about Jesus, the one Isaiah is pointing 347 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:29,560 forward to, Rejected, excluded, humiliated. 348 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,600 It's the suffering and humiliation of Jesus that really 349 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:36,760 connects with this Ethiopian man. 350 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:40,760 But but as he hears this, he must be asking the question, 351 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:44,800 well, why? Why did Jesus have to suffer and 352 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:46,160 die? Why did Jesus have to be 353 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:50,120 rejected like this? And Philip almost certainly 354 00:20:50,120 --> 00:20:53,240 would have taken him a little bit earlier in Isaiah 53. 355 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:59,960 These words in verses 4 to 6. Surely He took up our pain and 356 00:20:59,960 --> 00:21:02,880 bore our suffering. Yet we considered Him punished 357 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:04,920 by God, stricken by Him, and afflicted. 358 00:21:05,240 --> 00:21:08,320 But he was pierced for our transgressions. 359 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:10,680 He was crushed for our iniquities. 360 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:14,520 The punishment that brought us peace was on Him and by His 361 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:18,800 wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone 362 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:20,880 astray. Each of us has turned to our own 363 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:26,200 way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 364 00:21:27,360 --> 00:21:30,680 That is the heart of the good news about Jesus that Philip 365 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:34,240 shares with the Ethiopian man. Jesus suffered and died on the 366 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:40,200 cross to wash us clean and welcome us into God's family. 367 00:21:41,600 --> 00:21:43,880 We all, like sheep, have gone astray. 368 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:46,080 None of us has loved God the way we should. 369 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:49,200 None of us have loved the people around us the way we should. 370 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,240 All of us naturally just care about ourselves. 371 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:53,360 We're we're turned in on ourselves. 372 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:58,280 But he took up our pain and he bore our suffering. 373 00:21:59,160 --> 00:22:02,760 Jesus didn't just stand back or abandoned us to sin and death. 374 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:05,440 No, He entered our world of sin and death. 375 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:09,840 He became one of us, and he suffered and died to save us 376 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:15,000 from sin and death. He was pierced for our 377 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:18,520 transgressions. We're the ones who deserve to be 378 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:22,080 punished by God for the things we've done, the way we refuse to 379 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:25,320 love God or love people. But on the cross, Jesus took 380 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:32,080 that punishment on himself, and by his wounds we are healed. 381 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,000 It's because Jesus went through that rejection, that 382 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:39,000 humiliation, that suffering, that death, that we can be 383 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:43,360 healed, we can be washed clean. It's the very wounds Jesus 384 00:22:43,360 --> 00:22:48,360 received on the cross are the signs of our forgiveness and his 385 00:22:48,360 --> 00:22:54,440 love for us. And how can any of us benefit 386 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:58,400 from what Jesus has done? Well, very simply, we just stop 387 00:22:58,400 --> 00:23:02,040 trying to save ourselves and we come to Jesus. 388 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:05,920 We ask him to wash us clean of our sins. 389 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:08,680 We put our faith in all he's done for us and we receive the 390 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:12,040 new life with God. He died and rose again to win 391 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:14,880 for us. I want to see. 392 00:23:14,880 --> 00:23:19,480 That's exactly what the Ethiopian eunuch does as they 393 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:22,400 travel along the road. Verse 36, They came to some 394 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,880 water and the eunuch said, look, here is water. 395 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:28,040 What can stand in the way of my being baptized? 396 00:23:29,720 --> 00:23:32,000 And I want to say, actually, I think that question might still 397 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,520 come from a slightly anxious and fearful place. 398 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:38,320 For this eunuch can remember, he is used to being rejected by 399 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:41,200 religious people. He's used to barriers being put 400 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,880 in his way, preventing him from approaching God. 401 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:46,600 Maybe he thinks maybe Philip's just got, he's holding something 402 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:48,040 back. He's about to bring out the big 403 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:51,360 reason why baptism doesn't apply to him. 404 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,480 But if that's the case, if the eunuch is still fearful that 405 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:58,160 Philip might tell him there is still a barrier in the way, 406 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:03,920 well, Philip has really good news for this man, his thanks to 407 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,400 Jesus, his saving life, death and resurrection. 408 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,800 There is nothing standing in the way of the Ethiopian unit 409 00:24:09,800 --> 00:24:12,840 getting baptized, nothing standing in the way of him 410 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:17,040 putting his faith in Jesus and being welcomed, washed clean by 411 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:19,840 the living God. Jesus removed every barrier 412 00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:23,600 standing between US and God. That's what Isaiah 53 tells us. 413 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:29,480 As a demonstration of that, Philip baptizes the Ethiopian. 414 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,320 So what is baptism in this passage? 415 00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:38,440 It is a picture of our new life with Jesus. 416 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:42,240 If you look at verse 38, we, we're told that Philip the 417 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:46,400 Ethiopian eunuch went down into the water, Philip baptized and 418 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:50,520 then verse 39, they came up out of the water, going down into 419 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:52,120 the water. In a few moments Mark and Juke 420 00:24:52,120 --> 00:24:53,760 will be doing this. They'll be out in the in the 421 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:57,000 baptistry, in the playground and we will put them under the 422 00:24:57,000 --> 00:24:59,440 water. And that is a sign of them dying 423 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:01,640 with Jesus. Their old way of life, of 424 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:04,440 ignoring Jesus, living for themselves, not trusting him. 425 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:07,720 That is over. That person is no longer here. 426 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:12,080 And then after a very short time, we bring them up out of 427 00:25:12,080 --> 00:25:16,240 the water, and that's a picture of their new life with Jesus, 428 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:22,120 with Jesus as Lord, as loved man, loved by the Son of God and 429 00:25:22,120 --> 00:25:27,560 part of his people forever. Baton is a picture of our new 430 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:31,160 life with Jesus. It's a reminder that we're 431 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:35,760 washed clean by Jesus no matter what we've done, no matter what 432 00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:39,240 our background, our past, our present struggles, no matter 433 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:40,920 what other people might think about us. 434 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:46,320 Jesus died on the cross to wash us clean from our sin, and as a 435 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:52,480 result, we are welcomed into God's family forever because 436 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:56,400 Jesus was rejected. Because Jesus was punished, we 437 00:25:56,640 --> 00:26:00,720 will not be rejected or punished if we put our faith in Him. 438 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:03,960 He is now defeated, sin and death and the devil, and we're 439 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:07,000 now welcomed into God's family, the church, forever. 440 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:12,000 If we put our faith in Jesus. Nothing stands in our way 441 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:16,760 anymore. And just as we bear to leave 442 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:20,280 Acts 8, I hope we can see now why baptism is such a precious 443 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:25,680 gift from Jesus again. In a little while, Mark and Duke 444 00:26:26,120 --> 00:26:29,520 are going to get baptized in that playground, just like the 445 00:26:29,520 --> 00:26:33,360 Ethiopian eunuch here, just like Christians throughout history 446 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:36,200 who follow Jesus and obeyed his command. 447 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:41,720 And when we gather around that baptistry pool, we get to see 448 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:44,560 Jesus love for Duke and for Mark. 449 00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:49,680 We get to celebrate all that Jesus has done for them. 450 00:26:51,040 --> 00:26:55,600 And that's a precious gift from Jesus to remind us that he still 451 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:58,520 saves people today. He still comes looking for 452 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:02,480 people today. He still washes us clean and 453 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:07,880 welcomes us today. So if you're sitting here this 454 00:27:07,880 --> 00:27:10,880 morning and you wouldn't call yourself a Christian, you would 455 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,000 say, I, I, I don't know really much about what Christians 456 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:14,960 believe. It is wonderful you're here 457 00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:17,360 today. I just, let me just invite you, 458 00:27:17,360 --> 00:27:19,840 as you've heard me explain a bit of what this baptism means. 459 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:23,320 And I'd say it as you're about to hear Mark and Duke tell their 460 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,960 stories of coming to faith in Jesus as you stand in the 461 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:28,520 playground a little bit and see them go under the water and come 462 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:31,400 up out of the water. Just I'd invite you to think to 463 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,640 yourself, what do I make of this Jesus? 464 00:27:35,240 --> 00:27:38,200 What I make of the stories I'm hearing about him? 465 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,680 What would it mean for me to know this Jesus to be washed 466 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:47,840 clean and welcomed because of all that Jesus has done for me? 467 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,640 And if you're sitting here today and you're already a follower of 468 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:57,400 Jesus, and this morning you can rejoice in the new life Jesus 469 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:01,720 gives to Mark and Duke and to everyone and anyone who puts 470 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:04,600 their faith in him. You can rejoice that just as you 471 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,200 see them go under the water and come out again, same reality has 472 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,360 happened in your life. You're washed clean. 473 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:15,000 You're welcomed by Jesus into God's family forever. 474 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:20,960 This is a good day. It is a joyful day for Mark and 475 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:25,400 for Duke and for all of us because Jesus came into this 476 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:30,200 world, suffered, died, and rose again to wash us clean and 477 00:28:30,200 --> 00:28:33,120 welcome us into God's family forever. 478 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:37,080 Let me pray for us as we prepare to move on. 479 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:42,720 Let me pray. Lord Jesus, we thank you for 480 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:47,880 this picture of baptism. Thank you, Lord, this morning we 481 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:52,400 have the privilege of witnessing Mark and Duke get baptized. 482 00:28:53,440 --> 00:28:56,080 We thank you, Lord, that you know that we work so much better 483 00:28:56,080 --> 00:28:59,480 with pictures. We need to understand more of 484 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:01,760 what it is you've done for us in Jesus. 485 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:05,920 And Lord, we thank you that baptism shows us that this new 486 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:10,360 beginning, this new life with Jesus, washed, clean, welcomed. 487 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:14,480 I pray for each one of us that as we leave this place, in a 488 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:16,080 little while, we would have met with you. 489 00:29:16,080 --> 00:29:19,520 We would be hungry to know more of you, whether we are a 490 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:23,560 follower of Jesus, whether we're not there yet, Lord, just like 491 00:29:23,560 --> 00:29:25,040 this Ethiopian eunuch discovered. 492 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:28,000 Would we be amazed that you're the God who comes looking for 493 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:30,400 us? You're the God who bears the 494 00:29:30,400 --> 00:29:34,720 whole cost for washing us clean and welcoming us home. 495 00:29:35,560 --> 00:29:39,640 Thank you Lord God, for the love and grace you've shown each one 496 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:42,320 of us. We pray we'd understand more of 497 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:44,760 it as a result of having met together today. 498 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:47,880 In Jesus name we ask it Amen.