Philip & The Ethiopian Eunuch

We love to tell the “before and after” stories. Weight loss - I lost 100 pounds! Before and after for dental cosmetics commercials. Rogaine – I have hair! Or look at this one: meet my wife’s first husband (show picture of younger me) -:). Acts loves to tell “before and after” stories as well. Only they are conversion stories. Acts loves to highlight the changes in our lives that are not physical but spiritual and moral. This morning I want to speak to you about this: Can a Chance Encounter Change Your Life?

“Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.

Mysteriously, God moves Philip from a place of great success to a desert, of all places.

26 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.” (Acts 8:4–8, 26-40)

In Acts 8 we find a man known to us as the “Ethiopian Eunuch” and he is reading the scroll from Isaiah.

1. The Obedience of an Ordinary Guy

Philip is a deacon & was also an evangelist who brings the gospel to the Samaritan people. Every time you see Philip, he is obedient to God. “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south…” (Acts 8:26a). “And he rose and went” (Acts 8:27a). He immediately obeys even the “absurd” command of leaving the really successful ministry in Samaria to come to the desert. Imagine if you are in charge of Apple iPhone sales for the great DFW area. What if your boss directs you to Poolville, TX, about an hour away on Jacksboro Highway where the population is 2,150? Can you imagine what Philip must have been thinking? Yet, Philip did not utter one word of protest: “And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him…” (Acts 8:29-30a). “… the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, … But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea” (Acts 8:39b-40). God says, “Jump!” and Philip says, “How high?” “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Have you seen this billboard as you drive around Texas? Real Christian obey Jesus’ teachings.

1. The Obedience of an Ordinary Guy

2. The Orchestration of a Missionary God