Philip And The Eunuch

CREDIT:

The opening illustration is from a Jeff Strite sermon.

The bulk of the sermon has been edited from https://executableoutlines.com/ by Mark A. Copeland. I am not claiming originality on this sermon. Mark A. Copelands sermon is 80% of this sermon. It was just so good I wanted to share it here.

Philip and the Eunuch

Acts 8:26-40

There was an antique collector:

o passing through a small village

o when he saw an old man

o chopping wood with an ancient ax.

“That’s a mighty old ax you have there,” he remarked.

? “Yep,” said the villager, “it once belonged to George Washington.”

? “George Washington??? Not really!" gasped the collector

? “That’s hard to believe!”

The old man grinned and said:

o “Yep! It belonged to George Washington alright.

o But, of course, it’s had three new handles and two new heads –

o but this is his ax.”

Now, did that ax actually belong to George Washington?

? No!

? When you change the handles 3 times and the heads twice…

? well, it’s no longer the same ax.

And over the years…

? people have done the same thing with Baptism.

? Folks have changed the handles and heads

? so often that it no longer looks the same.

They may call it by the name “baptism” but it’s not anymore.

I could make cases against all the “alterations” men have made to baptism:

- I could prove that for the FIRST 1,500 years of Christianity it was always connected to salvation. Men have changed that not God.

- I could quote Catholic books that acknowledge for the first 1,300 years of the faith baptism was primarily by immersion. Men changed that not God.

- I could show you Romans 6 where Baptism is called a burial. You are buried in baptism not sprinkled. Men have changed that not God.

What I would rather do is show you:

- a clear and consistent

- pattern of salvation from the Book of Acts

Before we go into Acts Chapter 8:

- we can note 3 events

- where large numbers of conversions took place

1. The 3,000 at Pentecost - Acts 2:1-41

2. The 2,000 on Solomon's Porch - Acts 3:1-4:4

3. The multitudes in Samaria - Acts 8:5-13

If you were to study each of those 3 events:

- you would see this pattern

- Christ is preached and the

- Response called for included faith, repentance, and baptism

Turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 8 verse 26…hold that spot

In Acts 8 we’re told the story of an Ethiopian Eunuch

? Where we read about a Christian named Philip

? who shared Jesus with a Eunuch

? as they’re traveling along in a chariot.

The Eunuch was so convinced by what Philip told him that…

“… as they were going along the road they came to some water… the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

And then we’re told…

“(the Eunuch) commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down INTO the water… and (Philip) baptized him. 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.”

- Acts 8:36; 38-39

If sprinkling is what Baptism means:

- then WHY did both Philip and the Eunuch

- go DOWN INTO the water and COME UP OUT of the water?

The Biblical method of Baptism is:

- described as a burial in scripture

- defined as “to plunge, dunk or submerge” in the original language

- is by immersion

Let us back up and notice the details of the Eunuch’s conversion…

“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.”

- Acts 8:26-29 (ESV)

1. PHILIP IS SENT TO THE EUNUCH...

God, through an ANGEL, tells Philip:

- leave Jerusalem and GO toward Gaza

- there is no argument from Philip, he goes where God sends him

- that is 50–60-mile walk

When God directs us:

- do we act immediately? or do delay?

- do we make haste or make excuses?

- Philip does not delay…but acts immediately on God’s instruction

On the way towards Gaza:

- there is a man sitting in his chariot