Witnessing And Baptism

(Acts 8:26 NKJV) Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert.

(Acts 8:27 NKJV) So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,

(Acts 8:28 NKJV) was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.

This man had come to worship, though ignorantly. It is something how God prepares the hearts of those who would trust Christ as Savior.

(Acts 8:29 NKJV) Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot."

(Acts 8:30 NKJV) So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

Philip’s response to the Holy Spirit’s urging should be an example to Christians today. Philip ran to meet up with this man.

(Acts 8:31 NKJV) And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.

(Acts 8:32 NKJV) The place in the Scripture which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

(Acts 8:33 NKJV) In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth."

The Bible says, “no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." How true this is…Jesus could be right in front of your face and you will not recognize Him unless He reveals Himself.

This eunuch had the very passage of Scripture that spoke of Jesus and he wasn’t aware of it.

(Acts 8:34 NKJV) So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?"

Philip does something here that many of us find it hard to do when it comes to the things of the Lord.

(Acts 8:35 NKJV) Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.

“He opened his mouth…”

Psalm 119:46, “I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings, And will not be ashamed.”

Psalm 22:22, “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.”

Psalm 9:1, “I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.”

“Beginning at this Scripture…”

Philip met the eunuch where he was.

Sometimes the person you are witnessing to doesn’t believe in the Scriptures at all. You need to meet this person at this place.

Sometimes a person is hungry or has some other need; you and I need to meet them at their point of need and then work our way to Christ.

“He preached Jesus”

Here is where we need to get. If your witnessing doesn’t include Jesus, you haven’t witnessed. You can talk about how “God is good all the time” but if you haven’t brought up or made the connection to Jesus; your witnessing is in vain.

Philip preached Jesus. Not opinions; not social gospel; not the “love” gospel; not politics…Jesus

(Acts 8:36 NKJV) Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?"

(Acts 8:37 NKJV) Then Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

Notice the progression in verses 36-37. Believe first; baptize second.

(Acts 8:38 NKJV) So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.

Key in on the phrase, “down into the water…”

(Acts 8:39 NKJV) Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.

Notice how the eunuch left…”he went on his way rejoicing…”