PHILIP AND THE EHIOPIAN EUNUCH – ACTS 8

3-17-2024

Reminder:

Philip & the Ethiopian Eunuch

Acts 8: 26-40

Introduction:

1. Who was Philip?
   • one of 12
   • One of
   • “The Evangelist”
2. Who was the Eunuch?

• Treasurer/Servant to Candace (or The Kandake), Queen of Ethiopia
• Seeker of
• But…an still!

²⁶ As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” ₂₇ So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸ and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. ²⁹ The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” ³⁰ Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” ³¹ The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. ³² The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. ³³ He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” ³⁴ The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” ³⁵ So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. ³⁶ As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” ³⁸ He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.

• This story is a shining example of how the disciples of Jesus were to His Great Commission

Acts 1:8

• God wanted to show Philip (& everyone) the power of . 

Isaiah 53

Isaiah 56:3-7

 HOLY SPIRIT

We must learn to HEAR God…to develop our listening muscles.

We must learn to TRUST God…to believe that

He is speaking and directing.

• God moved Philip from a successful ministry to the  in order to have him to one.

Divine Appointments:  The Universal Presence of God + Receptivity

• God is
• Our can increase

Our relationship with God just can’t have the transforming power it is supposed to if we stop at

• We must put what we hear into …into PRACTICE…TRUSTING and .

OBEDIENCE

Luke 6:46-49 (NLT)

⁴⁶ “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? ⁴⁷ I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. ⁴⁸ It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. ⁴⁹ But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

• You may not know what God is going to do with your obedience YOU OBEY.

COMMUNITY

• We each other!
• God existed in with before anything was created in the heavens or on the earth.

John 1:1-5

Genesis 1:1-2

• doesn’t exist outside of community!

Matthew 7:21-23

²¹ “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. ²² On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ ²³ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

• The verb in Hebrew for “KNOW” is …it is

God brought Philip and the Ethiopian together…in COMMUNITY, on MISSION!

Romans 12

It may not look the same for any two people here today, but still… MATTERS.

The SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE

 “What the sufficiency of Scripture means biblically is that Scripture gives us all we need for two things:

1. It gives all the authoritative truth we need in order to be and grow spiritually, and
2. It gives all the authoritative truth we need in order to make good about what is right and wrong.

• While Scripture IS SUFFICIENT, God decides to use Philip –

with His Word – to minister to the Ethiopian.

• God desires to with us!
• All our decisions in should be able to stand up to Scripture.

BAPTISM

1. A mandate, never simply a suggestion.

Acts 2:38, Mt 28:19, Acts 22:16

1. REQUIRED?

Luke 23 vs. Mark 16:16

1 Pet 3:18-22

1. An issue of the heart?  Obedience?

Get Baptized on Easter!!

Scan this to sign up to be baptized