REJOICING IN THE TRUTH
Acts 8:26-39
By Cleavon Matthews
November 2004
INTRODUCTION
It was a time of persecution against the church at Jerusalem. Stephen was stoned. The saints were scattered abroad. Saul was making havoc of the church. Those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Philip a man of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom went down to Samaria and preached Christ.
There was great joy in Samaria because the people gave heed to the word and they heard and saw the miracles done by Philip. Philip had a great ministry in Samaria. Numerous men and women were baptized when they believed Philip preaching those precious things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.
But the focus shifts from the metropolitan of the masses to the significance of the singular. During the time when the angel of the Lord spoke directly to men, He said to Philip ‘Arise and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went…’ Why would the Lord call Philip from a successful mega ministry and have him go down to Gaza? The only spiritually intelligent answer is the Lord cares about every lost soul! Peter said, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him for he careth for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). The Lord cares about every lost soul that is …
Burdened with battles
Loaded with loathsomeness
Overcome with obstacles
Crushed with calamities
Mutilated with miseries
Frustrated with failures
Drowning with difficulties
Disgusted with depravity
Disguised with defilement
Chained with corruption
Spoiled with sin
Saturated with shame
Worn with wretchedness
Tormented with temptation
Engulfed with emptiness
Infirmed with iniquity
I.THE PROBLEMS OF THE SINNER
Acts 8:27b-31 “…and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, and eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.”
The Lord arranged a meeting between Philip and a man of Ethiopia. This is not present day Ethiopia. This is the ancient area of Nubia. The Ethiopian was undoubtedly a black man from the continent of Africa. This region represented to both the Greeks and Romans ‘the uttermost parts of the earth.’
He was an eunuch of great authority under Candance queen of the Ethiopians who had the charge of all her treasure. Candance was not her name. Candance was her title. Just as Pharaoh was not his name but his title. There were many Pharaohs and Candances. Furthermore Herod was not a name but a title. Caesar was not a name it was a title. Mr. President is not his name it’s his title.
Candance was the title for the Queen mother who governed their nation. Her son was considered the royal son and he was worshipped by the people because they believed he was the offspring of the Sun. Therefore his time must not be wasted with such trivial things as governing a nation.
This Eunuch was a man with great authority. He was the minister of finance. He had great authority over all her treasure. He was somebody in Ethiopia. He had power, respect, prestige, and influence. He must have been thoroughly equipped, intellectually astute, morally accountable, and trustworthy.
When Philip meets him he is riding in his chariot on his way back home. He has been to Jerusalem to worship. He has traveled a great distance to worship the Lord. He respects the Lord. He values the word of the Lord. He is likely what they called at this time a ‘god-fearer.’ But he had two problems: he was cut off and confused!
He could not become a full Jewish proselyte because he had a problem. He is an eunuch. The Old Testament Law prevented him from gaining access to the Lord. He could worship but he could not come near. He could pray from afar. He could give his money but he must by all means remain on the outside. Deuteronomy 23:1, “He that is wounded in the stones or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.” His physical condition prevented him from entering the congregation of the Lord. The eunuch had been to church but he was still cut off. He had a problem that he could not overcome. There was nothing he could do to change his condition! There are three categories of Eunuchs. “For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it” (Matt 19;12). The Eunuch was cut off! “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Eph 2:12).
The Eunuch was also confused. He was reading aloud from the prophesy of Isaiah which was customary at this time. When Philip obeyed the spirit and joined himself to the chariot he asked the eunuch, ‘do you understand what you are reading?’ The eunuch said, ‘how can I except some man should guide me?’ This man had been to worship at the capital of spiritual knowledge. This man had been to worship where the doctors of the law reside. He had been to church but he left church confused! He left church cut off and confused!
He left cut off and confused because when he went to Jerusalem to worship, he worshipped with the wrong people! He obviously worshipped with those who were hanging on to the law of Moses! He was worshipping with the people who had rejected the only hope of salvation. He didn’t know any better. He was sincere. He was genuine. But he was still cut off and confused! We need to have an understanding of God’s word and will!
• Psalm 47:7, ‘God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.’
• Psalm 119:34 ‘Give me understanding and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.’
• Psalm 119:169 ‘Let my cry come near before thee, O Lord: give me understanding according to thy word.’
• Proverbs 3:5 ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.’
• Proverbs 4:7 ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get an understanding.’
• 1 Corinthians 14:15 ‘What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the Spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.’
• 1 Corinthians 14:20 ‘Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.’
• Luke 24:45 ‘Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures.’
II.THE PLACE OF THE SCRIPTURE
Acts 8:32-35 “The place of the Scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so he opened not his mouth: in his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? Of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”
The eunuch was reading the prophesy of Isaiah fifty-three. He was confused. He didn’t know if Isaiah was talking about himself or some other man. The eunuch identified with the man. He was interested in the man because he could relate to him. This man was rejected just like the eunuch. He was cut off just like the eunuch. He was despised just like the eunuch.
Listen to the prophecy. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken” (Isaiah 53:3-8).
Philip wanted the eunuch to understand what Jesus did for him! You need to understand what Jesus did for you… Jesus was…
Bruised for your benefit
Rejected for your reconciliation
Despised for your deliverance
Shamed for your salvation
Hurt for your healing
Penalized for your pardon
Humiliated for you honor
Grieved for your grace
Tortured for your transformation
Struck for your safety
Pierced for your preservation
Wounded for your welfare
Crucified for your cleansing
Afflicted for your acquittal
Flogged for your forgiveness
Philip Preached Jesus because…
Salvation is in no other name
Jesus destroyed the works of the Devil
Jesus broke down the middle wall of separation
Jesus took the handwriting of ordinances away
Jesus spoiled principalities and powers
Jesus is the Head of the body, the Church
Jesus is the Savior of the body
Jesus is the faithful witness
Jesus is the first begotten of dead
Jesus is the prince of the kings of the earth
Jesus loved us
Jesus washed us in His own blood
Jesus put all things under Him
Jesus snatched the sting out of death
Jesus took the victory from the grave
Jesus brought grace and truth
Jesus stilled the storms of life
Jesus gave water when the wine ran out
Jesus gave sight to the blind
Jesus evicted demons from the possessed
Jesus fed the famished
III.THE PLAN OF SALVATION
Acts 8:36-39 “And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, if thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he be baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”
The eunuch had an urgency! He didn’t delay. The eunuch had an understanding now! He made no excuses. In fact, he made the observation, see here is water! When you have an urgency for Christ you will look for the opportunity to obey Him! When the eunuch heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ he understood there was no longer a barrier cutting him off from the Lord. Jesus made it possible for Him to be accepted by the Lord and receive full access.
The eunuch didn’t allow anything further to ‘hinder him from obeying the Lord.’ He didn’t allow anyone or anything to hinder him. He didn’t allow the queen of Ethiopia to hinder him. He didn’t allow his prestige, power, or wealth to hinder him. He didn’t allow his physical condition to hinder him. He didn’t allow his ethnicity to hinder him. Don’t allow anything or anyone to hinder you from obeying the word of the Lord.
Notice the condition and the confession! Philip said ‘if thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.’ The condition for baptism was ‘believing with all thine heart.’ Believing was essential but it was not the stopping point! If anyone is going to be saved they must believe with all their heart!
• John 3:16 ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
• Acts 4:32 ‘And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.’
• 2 Corinthians 4:13 ‘We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.’
• 2 Timothy 1:12 ‘For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.’
• Hebrews 10:39 ‘But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to thee saving of the soul.’
• Mark 16:16 ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.’
Then the cleansing! After the eunuch confessed his belief in Jesus Christ the text says, ‘he commanded the chariot to stand still.’ He didn’t wait until he talked to his family and friends. He didn’t need to talk to the doctors of the law in Jerusalem. He wasn’t ashamed of getting into the water. He was not too high to come down from the chariot! He wasn’t worried about clothing. Somebody understands the urgency of doing God’s will and you need to stop your chariot! Stop your chariot of excuses. Stop your chariot of procrastination. Stop your chariot of rebellion. Stop your chariot of stubbornness. Stop your chariot of indifference. Stop your chariot and submit yourself to the Lord. Stop your chariot and surrender to the Almighty! Stop your chariot and humble yourself in the sight of God!
The text says, both Philip and the Eunuch went down into the water. Philip didn’t pour water on him. He didn’t sprinkle him. They went down into the water and Philip buried the eunuch in the water. He dipped him. He covered him. He submerged him. In the water the eunuch’s sins were washed away. In the water the eunuch died, buried, and rose again a new creature in Christ!
Baptism saves through belief in doing God’s will!
• 1 Peter 3:21 ‘The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
• Colossians 2:12 ‘Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
• Galatians 3:27 ‘For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.’
• 1 Corinthians 12:13 ‘For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.’
CLOSING
The eunuch went on his way rejoicing because he was saved. He was now in the truth. The eunuch had a reason to rejoice! There was another prophecy in Isaiah 56:3-8.
“Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, the Lord hath utterly separated me from this people: neither let the eunuch say, behold I am a dry tree. For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and daughters: I will give them and everlasting name, that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered to him.”
The eunuch could now rejoice!
He no longer had to travel to Jerusalem to worship!
He was no longer cut off!
He now had an understanding of the truth!
He was now free!
Nobody told him to rejoice!
Nobody suggested he should rejoice!
He rejoiced because of the Lord’s doing!
When God has moved I don’t know about you but I rejoice!
He turned my…
Mourning into laughter
Tears into joy
Now I understand what the Psalmist meant when he said, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” 126:5-6
“For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the mourning.” 30:5
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One Thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.” 27:1-6
