Scripture: Acts 8:26-40 (Call to Worship - Psalm 23)
Theme: Meeting at High Noon
Subject: We see how the Holy Spirit is orchestrating the outward movements of the Early Church. We see how the Holy Spirit is bring into reality the New Age of Salvation for everyone.
I. The Holy Spirit Must be the Primary Catalyst
II. When the Holy Spirit leads Amazing Results Happen
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who came to take away the sin(s) of the world!
There are two things that most of us I believe think are both enjoyable to see and be a part of:
1. One is a well-oiled and well running machine - be that well oiled machine our factory, company, school, sports team or church.
2. The second one is knowing that what you are doing and saying is in the will of the LORD.
We all like it when everything around us is working properly. None of us like getting into our vehicles and after going a few miles begin to hear a strange clunking noise. We don't like turning on our washing machines and suddenly hear some kind of strange/odd noise. And we don't like it when the team at the office, the team at the factory or our sports teams seems to be out of whack. We like it when things run smoothly, efficiently and successfully. When that happens life is wonderful.
We also like it when we know that we are walking in the will of the LORD. We like it when we feel like we are in the flow of the Holy Spirit. We like it when we know that where we are going and what we are doing is pleasing to the LORD.
Ms. Helen Temple, this amazing lady who wrote over 60 books for the Nazarene Publishing House and who had a deep passion for global missions made this statement: "If you are looking for adventure, try the will of God. Total commitment is an open door to the impossible, the unbelievable and the unexpected. "
Philip, the deacon turned evangelist would have loved Helen Temple and would wholeheartedly agree that a well oiled machine is a wonder to behold. As we read through our passage this morning and scan over all of Acts chapter eight we are amazed at how well the Early Church is moving and actively doing God's Will. They were in the midst of a golden time of knowing what it meant to pray and actively do all they could to bring God's Kingdom to pass. They knew what it meant to make sure that even as God's Will was being done in Heaven that it was also being done on earth as best as they could accomplish it.
But it was not a solo work by either the Church or by individuals. St. Luke is very careful to point out what caused the Early Church Machine to work so wonderfully. He also is very careful to point out who was leading the adventure of excitement, miracles and anointings that were being experienced by all those around.
All of that is the subject of our message this morning. Who are we to allow to lead the Church and what are some of the results when we do that well? Luke points out to us the following truths:
I. The Holy Spirit Must be the Primary Catalyst
St. Luke is very careful to point out to us the identity of the catalyst that is igniting all of the mission work, the miracles, the anointings and the healings. The Holy Spirit is the One who is working through Philip, the Samaritans and this Ethiopian eunuch. The truth of the matter is everything is working because of God's Holy Spirit. Everything in the Early Church began and ended with the Holy Spirit.
It would be easy for us to get sidetracked reading our passage and the passage before and focus to heavily on the humans that are involved. After all, it took great deal of courage for Philip to reach out to both the Samaritans and to this Ethiopian finance minister. It took him traveling great distances and spending a great deal of time on the road going up and down hills and walking across both deserts and the wilderness.
It would be easy to focus on how Philip was able to hear God's Voice, See God's Angels and Respond to God's calls and direction.
After all, how many people do we know who have experienced such an amazing supernatural encounter? How many people do we know that have had an angel talk to them and directed them to go a certain way? Can you imagine today knowing such a person? Can you imagine how their presence would be in such high demand today across the church?
+They would be greatly encouraged to either write a book or at least hold meetings and conferences on what it means to have an encounter with an angel and be personally led by God's Holy Spirit.
+They would be encouraged to make a movie about their life and encounter.
+Denominations all around would want to make them a District Superintendent or a Bishop at the very least.
+CBN, the 700 Club, the Hillsong Channel and Sid Roth would be doing all they could to have Philip on TV - wanting him to share his testimony, his advice and his encounters with Angels and the Spirit of God.
While St. Luke writes about Philip in chapter six, gives him all of chapter eight we don't hear about him again until chapter 21. In Acts 21 we see that Philip is still living in Caesarea and has these four wonderful daughters who are anointed speakers and prophets in their own right.
What in the world is going on? Shouldn't there at least be a Gospel of Philip in the Bible? Shouldn't someone have started a University or at least a school of Philip - the man who spoke to angels and who lead thousands to Jesus. Philip, the man known for healings and anointings that would baffle one's imagination.
The same could be said of the Ethiopian Eunuch. Why didn't Luke tell us more of his story? We have some bits and pieces from tradition but beyond that we don't know a great deal about this man. The only thing we really know is that he was Queen Candace's finance minister and that at some point in his life he had been sexually abused. We know that because we know that eunuchs are men who have been castrated.
It was common for male slaves in certain countries who held high positions in government to be castrated. This prevented them from attempting to seduce the Queen while at the same time prevented them from being able to have a family and bear children. A childless man in that culture was forbidden to rise to the level of royalty. A eunuch was therefore seen as harmless and could be dedicated solely to his office and position.
In all of this and in all of the other writing that St. Luke provides for us it is with the intention that the main player in the Early Church was not Peter, not Paul, not Stephen nor Philip. In fact, it was not any single human being. It was always the Holy Spirit leading, guiding and maneuvering the Church. It was always the Holy Spirit who was convicting, cleansing and commissioning the Church. It was always the Holy Spirit who was in front leading the Church upwards and outwards.
St. Luke doesn't want us to get all caught up in elevating human beings above Our LORD. If you remember in the town of Lystra (Acts 14:8-28) after Paul and Barnabas are involved with healing the lame man the whole town went into a period of religious hysteria. The Lystrians had never witnessed such a miracle and they thought that Barnabas and Paul were two of the ancient gods that had come down to be with them in person - namely, Zeus and Hermes.
Paul and Barnabas took great pains to explain to them that what they were doing and the way they were able to preach with great power, do great miracles and accomplish great things had nothing to do with them. They (Paul and Barnabas) were not gods. They were merely human beings who had been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and had allowed God's Holy Spirit to infill them with His Power and Presence. They pointed to the reality of the true God of Creation, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit being their source of strength.
We live at a time when it is extremely tempting for us to rely on some human being rather than kneeling down and surrendering everything to the will and power of God's Holy Spirit. We are more tempted to pick up a popular book, attend a conference or listen to someone speak about all the great things that they have done. We are more tempted to think that they have all the answers we need than for us to go back to the main source - the Holy Spirit.
It is a temptation today and it was a temptation back in that day as well. The Church of Corinth got caught up in the whole human thing and as a result they experienced all kinds of factions. This one liked Paul, this other one liked Peter while those over there liked Apollos or some other person. They focused a majority of their time and attention on those things below instead of on the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. They forgot they needed to focus on God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The truth is that today some people do not want others to know that the only reason that they have had any kind of success is not through their own abilities but through the power and presence of God's Holy Spirit. They want people to look at them. After all, if people knew the truth then they might try to be the conduits of the Holy Spirit themselves instead of always relying on the wisdom and knowledge of other human beings. They couldn't sell their books or tickets to their conferences. They couldn't feel superior to anyone else. They would just be seen as one among many.
However, St. Luke wanted everyone to know the truth about the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. That is one of the main reasons as you read the Book of Acts you see him reporting on the Acts of the Holy Spirit. Not acts of the Church or certain individuals, but Acts of the Holy Spirit in and through people and churches.
While it does appear that Luke spends a great deal of time with the Apostle Paul the more you read the book the more you see him reporting on a multitude of people who are all doing amazing things through the Holy Spirit. The truth of the matter is Luke is not focusing on individual people but on the presence and power of God's Holy Spirit. It is his desire that we understand that everything begins and ends with God's Holy Spirit.
All the people he does focus on are those who have chosen to do a few simple things:
+They chose to be open to the Holy Spirit.
They have been redeemed by Jesus and are infilled with God's Holy Spirit. They have opened up their hearts, their minds and their souls to God's Holy Spirit.
+They chose to listen to the leadings of the Holy Spirit.
Whether that leading be through the laying on of hands by the Apostles, through a prayer meeting or through the appearance of an angel. The key is that each one of these people mentioned in the Book of Acts learned how to listen keenly to the leading of the Holy Spirit. They passionately desired that God speak into their hearts, minds and souls.
+They chose to be saturated in Prayer and in Bible Study.
Acts chapter three tells us that Peter and John are able to do amazing things on their way to prayer. Stephen's preaching is filled with an amazing convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Luke tells us that Stephen, Peter, John and Philip and others have intently spent hours reading and studying God's Word. Each time one of them is asked about something they are able to respond with God's Holy Word. They were people of prayer and God's Word.
+They chose to be obedient in faith and in action.
Philip doesn't question the Holy Spirit if he is suppose to take some time off at work and walk 50 - 60 miles one way to Gaza. He doesn't question why the Holy Spirit wants him to walk up and down the mountain sides, through the desert and wilderness to the old Philistine city of Gaza. Why the Holy Spirit wanted him to visit the place where Samson of old was blinded and later went to his death didn't matter to Philip. All that mattered was the Holy Spirit told him to get his sandals, his backpack, a few provisions and off he went.
Because Philip was obedient the Holy Spirit orchestrated his walking with the Ethiopian's chariot. When you study this for a moment it is literally mind bending. One man is walking from Jerusalem while the other man is coming down the coast in a chariot. One man is an official with soldiers and body guards all around him. The other man is merely walking and talking to the LORD seeking why in the world the LORD wants him to walk down this certain road. Neither man has any clue as to the identity of the other or that the other even exists.
And then it happens. The Holy Spirit nudges Philip to go and run up beside the chariot. At that same moment the Ethiopian has the scroll of Isaiah out and is doing his best to read it and understand it. None of this happened by accident. It was all orchestrated by the presence and power of God's Holy Spirit. No wonder Helen Temple wrote -
"If you are looking for adventure, try the will of God. Total commitment is an open door to the impossible, the unbelievable and the unexpected. "
+They chose to be flexible and pliable.
Peter and John were led to a lame man who for years had sat outside the temple wanting to get in. Just touching this man would have made them unclean and yet they not only touched him they healed him.
Peter later goes to Cornelius, a Gentile Soldier to lead him to Christ. He enters into his home and eats with him. Once again just being in his home would have rendered Peter unclean.
Stephen and the seven were chosen out of the crowd to be deacons - to wash feet, to feed and do the menial tasks so that the Apostles could spend their time in prayer, reading and teaching. How pliable and flexible do you have to be to serve people basic needs?
Philip goes first to the Samaritans and then to this Ethiopian Eunuch. All of this happened because each one of the individuals were flexible and pliable. They surrendered themselves to the Holy Spirit and were willing to do anything that the Holy Spirit asked them to do.
All of those are things that each and every one of us can do. We can be open, listen, obey, saturate ourselves in prayer, Bible reading and enjoy experiencing God's Holy Spirit. It does not take a Doctor's Degree in Theology nor does it take a person being young and energetic. All it takes is for us to surrender ourselves over to the Holy Spirit. That is something that each and every one of us can do today, tomorrow and for the rest of our lives.
We can wake up each and every morning and give ourselves over to the will of God's Holy Spirit. We can wake up and know that perhaps today the Holy Spirit will lead us to help another person find Christ, experience a miracle or grow as a human being.
Randal Denny in his book, "Where the Action is: A Study of Acts 5 - 8" shares the story of an evangelist named George Watmough. Here is his story:
" I was waiting for a ride in San Jose, California. All of a sudden a car stopped in front of me. A lady sitting there, and she asked, "Would you like a ride?" To put us both at ease, I told her that I was a Christian and that I loved the LORD. I began to talk to her about spiritual matters.
Finally, after about fifteen minutes, she turned to me and said, 'Isn't it strange that I should have picked you up? I don't know how many people I've passed but something seemed to say, 'Pick that man up.' Just this morning I was listening to a preacher on the radio. He was talking just the way you are. When he finished. I wrote something in this book.'
She reached over and took a little red book out of her bag. This is what it said: 'What I need is God. How can I find Him?' I knew then that God had placed me there to bring her the Good News of Salvation.'" (page 103)
Isn't that a great story. It is just one of billions that have happened in the lives of people who have surrendered themselves over to the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is just one of billions that the LORD wants all of His people to be able to experience and enjoy today, tomorrow and for the rest of eternity. It is just one of the billions that we can experience as a church and as individuals.
Everything rests on the Presence and Power of God's Holy Spirit.
II. When the Holy Spirit leads Amazing Results Happen
Luke takes great pains in sharing with us that when the Holy Spirit is the one leading we can expect amazing and miraculous events to occur. In Acts chapter eight and especially in the passage that we are looking at this morning we see all kinds of amazing events transpiring.
Barriers of all kinds were broken through the ministry of Philip.
+He reaches out to those whose pedigree and background was very suspicious to say the least.
The Samaritans were a mixed race. They were half Jewish and half something else. That other half could have been Canaanite, Syrian, Babylonian, Iranian or some other race. Most of the time it was Syrian but over the years many different ethnic groups had assimilated themselves with the Northern Tribes. That is usually the plight of a people who had been conquered many times over a period of 700 years or more.
To the Orthodox Jew, the Samaritans were an anathema and an abomination. For many Jews, the Samaritans were equal to Gentiles at best and lower than Gentiles at worst. And the common thought was that the only reason God had created Gentiles in the first place was so that there would be people in Hell one day. They believed that most if not all Gentiles would be sent to hell after they died.
So, you can see that there was not a great deal of love lost between those who considered themselves to be pure Orthodox Jews and Samaritans. Furthermore, each group considered the other to be heretical. Both the Jews and the Samaritans claimed to be the true children of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The Holy Spirit led Philip to help bring down the barrier that stood between the mixed race of Samaritans and the "orthodox" race of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. This was a barrier that could only have been torn down through the Early Church. Even today there are some hard feelings between the small group of Samaritans left in the Middle East today and the Jews living nearby. Orthodox Jews still keep themselves set apart from such mixed peoples. Many of the old feelings still exist.
But under the power and presence of God's Holy Spirit there are not those feelings in the true Church of Jesus Christ. Those barriers are broken down. And should be broken down. For while we may differ in race and in color the Gospel of Jesus reminds us that there is no color or race when it comes to being a disciple of Jesus. It does not matter if we are blue bloods or come from mixed race or if we are born with a silver spoon in our mouths or across the tracks.
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." - Galatians 3:28
The Holy Spirit reminds us that the ground at the foot of the cross is level so to speak. The Holy Spirit reminds us that when it comes to color, gender or race we hold no color, no gender or any race above that of another. The Holy Spirit reminds us that the doors of the Church are open wide to all human beings.
This morning, we know that Jesus did not die for males only. Jesus did not die for whites only or browns only. He did not die for Americans only or for Africans only. Jesus died for all people - all human beings. God created each and every one of us and wants each and every one of us to be rescued, redeemed and in the process of being transformed into the Image of Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
"So we, being many, are One Body in Christ, and everyone members of one another." - Romans 12:5
+The Holy Spirit reaches out to those who other people have mistreated, abused or marginalized.
There could not be a better example of a person who had been mistreated and/or abused as this Ethiopian eunuch. Even though he held a high position in office the truth of the matter was that he was still a slave and that sometime in his past he had been sexual abused in such a fashion that was barbaric and forever life changing. In many cultures eunuchs were considered to be half-human or non-human. They were considered to be the mules of humanity; fit only to be used as lowly servants and beasts of burden.
To the Orthodox Jew the Ethiopian eunuch would always be seen an outsider. He could read the scrolls, he could view the festivals but he would never be allowed to worship inside the Temple. He could never even be labeled as a true God-fearer due to his physical condition.
And yet, here is the Holy Spirit breaking down yet another barrier. The Holy Spirit not only does not see color or race but does not prevent people who have suffered sexual abuse, been mistreated or marginalized. It did not matter to the Holy Spirit that this man's body had been mutilated or that he was not considered fully human or that he was a slave.
Once again, the Holy Spirit was leading the Early Church to break down barrier after barrier after barrier.
This morning, we are not responsible for the color of our skin, for the family that we were born into or even for the pain and suffering that others may have inflicted upon us. We are not responsible for being born across the tracks or a million other things that have happened to us in this life.
In answer to all of those things the Holy Spirit welcomes us into the grace filled arms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In Christ we can find physical, emotional, social and spiritual healing. In Christ we can find a family that loves us no matter the color of our skin, our historical pedigree or our financial or educational standing.
"That they all may be one; as You, Father are in Me, and I in You; that they also be One in Us: that the world may believe that You have sent Me." - John 17:21
You have to love the way that Philip reaches out to this man. He sits down with him and begins to share the scriptures with him. He takes the time to tell him all about Jesus. And then he opens up his heart and baptizes the man in some water nearby.
Philip was a Jew. He followed the Torah and the Laws of Moses. He very well knew the rules.
+ One you don't communicate with Gentiles as a Good Jew.
+Two, you don't share scripture with a person who is a eunuch - a half-human or non-human.
+Three, you certainly don't take it upon yourself to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit
But Philip knew even greater rules - the Rule of the Holy Spirit. It was the Holy Spirit that led Philip to meet this man in the first place. Finally, he understood why he had to walk some fifty or sixty miles from Jerusalem. He understood why the Holy Spirit had led him and nudge him along the way. God was using him to share the message of Jesus. God was using him to bring another human being to faith. God was using him to bring a man out of darkness into the light. God was using him to break down another barrier and open up the doors of the Early Church.
And then I believe as an extra bonus the LORD just whisked Philip back to Azotus. I am sure that this amazed the Ethiopian that much more. To suddenly be talking to Philip and then for Philip to be removed by the Holy Spirit and taken some 20 - 30 miles north.
All of this sounds impossible and yet when we live in the Holy Spirit we will experience the impossible. After all, how does a man who publicly denied Jesus three times be the same man that just weeks later is able to preach a message that leads 3,000 people to follow Jesus? It is the presence and power of God's Holy Spirit convicting, cleansing and commissioning.
How does a man who has was responsible for killing men, women and children who had decided that Jesus was Savior and LORD turn into the greatest evangelist of the Early Church? How did that happen to Paul? It is the presence and power of God's Holy Spirit convicting, cleansing and commissioning.
How does a young man of mixed heritage (Greek and Hebrew) who suffers from timidity end up being the first Bishop of the region of Ephesus and is courageous enough to die as a martyr for His Lord? How did Timothy do that? It is the presence and power of God's Holy Spirit convicting, cleansing and commissioning.
Everywhere we look in the New Testament we see these amazing conversions of heart, mind and soul. We see people from all walks of life becoming friends, sharing life with one another and doing everything they can for one another. We see people who are rich and poor, educated and uneducated and from every race on earth sitting with one another, sharing with one another and sharing the Lord's Supper with one another. It is the presence and power of God's Holy Spirit convicting, cleansing and commissioning.
Once again we hear the words of Helen Temple:
"If you are looking for adventure, try the will of God. Total commitment is an open door to the impossible, the unbelievable and the unexpected. "
This morning, that Same Holy Spirit is still at work in our world today. God's Holy Spirit seeks to be at work in our churches, in our homes and in our lives. He will guide us and orchestra ways for us to reach out to others to help bring them into the faith. They may not look like us, they may come from very different backgrounds or they may be from our own families and friends. The key is to allow the Holy Spirit to be in control of your life.
This morning as we close how is it with you and the power and presence of God's Holy Spirit? Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to cleanse you and infill your heart, mind and soul? Have you surrendered yourself completely over to the leadership and guidance of God's Holy Spirit?
This morning, as we close we are going to sing that wonderful song - Come, Holy Spirit I Need Thee.
This morning do we need the Holy Spirit in a new and refreshing way in our lives? Do we need to surrender to the will and way of God's Holy Spirit? Would you like to experience what Helen Temple called the impossible, the unbelievable and the unexpected? Would you like to help led people to Jesus and be a conduit of God's Power and Presence?
This morning as we sing our altars are open to come and spend time with the LORD.
Traditional Song - Come Holy Spirit, I Need Thee
Contemporary Song - Holy Spirit / Set a Fire
