IT IS GOD’S POWER THAT SAVES (Outline)
January 8, 2023 – Epiphany 1 – ACTS 8:26-39
INTRO: Our eternal salvation completely rests with the divine authority of God. Only the Lord God of Armies possesses the perfect power to save sinners. We are saved by grace. Not by works. So that no one can boast. “(God) saved us—not by righteous works that we did ourselves, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior…” (TITUS 3:5, 6). IT IS GOD’S POWER THAT SAVES.
I. Divine direction II. Gospel preaching III. Baptismal washing
I. DIVINE DIRECTION
A. Verse 26. An angel, God’s messenger, directed Philip to go south to a desolate area.
1. Verse 27. Philip, a man of God, listened. Got up. Went south as the Lord directed.
2. Once there he meets an Ethiopian royal official. Ethiopia was a large country in Africa.
a. This official important. b. Head of treasury. c. Wealthy. d. Educated. e. Religious.
B. Verse 28. Ethiopian reading from Isaiah. Coming back from worship in Jerusalem.
1. Verse 29. Philip directed to go over to that chariot. Philip listened to this divine direction.
2. Verse 30. Philip went to the chariot and asked the man if he understands what he is reading.
C. Our loving, heavenly Father still speaks to us today. We are given divine direction for this life. For eternity. The Lord does not send angels to speak to us today. The Lord uses the Bible to tell us what we need to know. God’s Word in the Scriptures is living + active + powerful. Here is where we find the divine direction to live according to God’s will. “We also have the completely reliable prophetic word. You do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the Morning Star rises in your hearts” (2 PETER 1:19). God’s Word is the light that shines into our dark hearts. God’s Word scatters the darkness deeply buried in our souls. We pay attention. The Morning Star rises…
D. The living, active, and powerful Word of God is our Joy. Hope. Strength. It can be a challenge in our society to discover truth. Satan, the father of lies, works overtime to make the lie seem to be the truth. The truth seeming to be a lie. God’s Word is Truth. Absolute truth. Unchanging truth. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you in all truth. For he will not speak on his own, but whatever he hears he will speak. He will also declare to you what is to come” (JOHN 16:13). We are given the truth about what is yet to come. The Lord Jesus will return on the Last Day. Truth. Divine direction.
II. GOSPEL PREACHING
A. Verse 31. Philip asked, “Do you understand?” Ethiopian did not. Invited Philip to join him.
1. Verses 32, 33. The treasury official was reading from Isaiah 53 verses 7 and 8.
2. Verse 34. He asked Philip whom the prophet was speaking about. Himself? Someone else?
B. Verse 35. “Starting with that very passage of Scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus.”
1. Good news = gospel. Philip had much to teach. Silent lamb killed was Messiah, the Christ.
2. Isaiah wrote about the future. Jesus the Savior now had lived, died, rose again. Gospel.
C. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power that saves souls. Gospel preaching is needed as much today as ever. Some shy away from the simple truth of God’s powerful salvation. All too many are looking in all the wrong places for help. Hope. Salvation. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes—to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (ROMANS 1:16). God’s gospel is the only power that can and does change stony hearts into hearts of flesh. Changes lives. Change eternal death and punishment into eternal life and blessing at the Savior’s side. Proclaim boldly.
D. Followers of Christ you are well-equipped with the Good News. God’s Gospel. Notice how Philip began a conversation with the Ethiopian official. Asked a question. The question resulted in an invitation to share the Gospel. No talk about the weather. The road. With Scripture Philip laid out the clear, simple, powerful saving truth of God’s Word. The Gospel. Good News. “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” (1 CORINTHIANS 15:3, 4). This is the Gospel we have grown up with. It is the same Good News people still need.
III. BAPTISMAL WASHING
A. Verse 36. The good news of the Gospel was the light that rose in this official’s heart.
1. The Ethiopian went from not being sure to being certain. Hearing. Believing. Baptism.
2. Philip taught much about God’s gospel. Jesus’ life. Death. Resurrection. Baptism. Truth!
B. Verse 38. Chariot stopped. Philip baptized the Ethiopian official. Washing of water with Word.
1. Verse 39. Philip was gone. Miraculously taken away. Gospel preacher = God’s messenger.
2. The official went on his way rejoicing. Now a child of God filled with joy. No more doubt.
C. God’s Word is the divine direction for our lives. That divine direction from the Lord is to proclaim the Good News. Gospel preaching. Gospel preaching is an integral part of the means of grace. Means of grace involves God’s Word and sacraments. Baptism is God’s sacrament given for our eternal salvation. “Therefore go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and by teaching them to keep all the instructions I have given you…” (MATTHEW 28:19, 20a). We are commissioned to baptize all nations. Who is included in all nations? All nations = all people. No race, tribe, gender or age distinction. Baptism includes infants. They are sinners from the moment of conception [(Psalm 51:5) which is when life begins]. John the baptizer leapt in his mother’s (Elizabeth) womb when he heard Mary’s news that she was chosen to birth the Savior (Luke 1:40, 41). Jesus used little children as an example of the kind of faith to have for entering heaven.
D. Baptism is much more than mere ceremony. Scripture clearly teaches that baptism is a sacrament. A sacrament is a sacred act instituted by God. It is a sacred act that uses earthly elements connected with God’s word. This sacred act offers, gives, and seals to us the forgiveness of sins. Water is the earthly element used with God’s word to seal unto us the forgiveness of sins. “And…baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 PETER 3:21). Through Christ Jesus our sins are forgiven. The washing of water with God’s word assures us of the forgiveness of sins freely provided by our heavenly Father.
CONC.: I am eternally thankful that my eternal destiny does not depend on myself. It is God’s power alone that saves. The power of divine deliverance is discovered in God’s word. Truth. Divine direction. God’s Gospel is the divine truth for the salvation of everyone who believes. Baptismal washing of water with God’s word is the assurance of forgiveness of sins. Where there is forgiveness of sins there is life and salvation. “…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, by cleansing her with the washing of water in connection with the Word” (EPHESIANS 5:25b, 26). For our salvation God has given us divine direction (Word). Gospel preaching (Good news). Baptismal washing (Sacrament). IT IS GOD’S POWER THAT SAVES. For all…for time…for eternity. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
EPIPHANY 1 readings.: ISAIAH 42:1-7; ACTS 10:34-38; MATTHEW 3:13-17; PSALM 45
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