Why Shouldn t I be Baptized? Acts 8: 26-40; Lord s Day 26 Preached by Rev. Keith Davis at Bethel URC on

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1 Why Shouldn t I be Baptized? Acts 8: 26-40; Lord s Day 26 Preached by Rev. Keith Davis at Bethel URC on Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, over the years the books of Acts has become one of my favorite books of the Bible. I say that partly because it tells the story of the Apostle Paul. He went from being an enemy of Christ and a persecutor of the church to being a believer in Jesus Christ and a missionary who proclaimed the Gospel everywhere he traveled. The other reason Acts is one of my favorites is because it serves as a powerful encouragement to us when it comes to the growth of the church and the spread of the Gospel; it shows us what it means that Christ will build his church; it demonstrates what evangelism looks like up close and personal as the Gospel is preached and shared to thousand at a time and even one person at a time as we see here. It show us how the nations are converted to Christ one soul at a time. And it s probably helpful as well to take a moment to discuss where we are in the book of Acts. This book records how the Gospel spread from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Acts 2 recorded the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the small band of believers. With the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, Peter preached to the crowds in Jerusalem and thousands were saved that day. As the Jerusalem church grew, so too did the needs of the people. In Acts 6, the disciples appointed 7 men to be Deacons to help feed the crowds and tend to the needs of the people. Stephen was among the 7, as was Philip, the man we meet in our text. Obviously these deacons were given a special dispensation of God s grace as they not only helped with the distribution of food, but later on (as we see in our text) these men went forth to preach the Gospel. Then in Acts 7 we read of the stoning of Stephen and the first part of Acts 8 speaks of how the church was persecuted and scattered. Yet, God used the persecution of the church in Jerusalem in a positive way (as only God can) to accomplish his purposes. Look what Acts 8: 4-8 says: Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came 1

2 out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city. The persecution of the church proved to be the catalyst for missions and evangelism. As the believers scattered, they preached the Gospel wherever they went. In this way. the Gospel went forth from Jerusalem, beyond Judea, and now unto Samaria; to the very people whom the Jews hated and despised yet Jesus Christ had a harvest of souls among the Samaritans, and they were the glad and joyful recipients of the Good News of salvation! And now in the passage we read tonight, we see the next part. We see the Gospel going forth beyond Samaria to the end of the earth as Philip evangelizes this Ethiopian eunuch. And we would assume that through the conversion of the Ethiopian, the Gospel would reach the continent of Africa. Irenaeus (who lived in the second century after Christ) wrote that this eunuch returned and became a missionary unto his own people. The promise of Christ was coming to fruition through the fulfillment of the Great Commission. And in our text today as Philip Shares the Gospel with the Ethiopian Eunuch. 1) A Divinely-Arranged Encounter (vv ) 2) A Christ-Centered Explanation (vv ) 3) A Faithful Response (vv ) 1) A Divinely-Arranged Encounter (26-29) People of God, when theologians talk about the person and work of the Holy Spirit (especially in terms of the inter-relationship of the God-Head, the three persons of the Trinity), they often characterize the Spirit as the shy member of the Trinity. That s because the Holy Spirit stays in the background; the Holy Spirit is content to stay in the shadows and give the glory and honor to the Father and the Son. But that is definitely not the case when it comes to the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the spread of the Gospel. There s nothing shy about the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, for example. With Christ ascended into heaven and sitting at God s right Hand, orchestrating and overseeing the 2

3 spread of the Gospel and the growth of the early church, it is the Holy Spirit who is hard at work on earth. He is not only working in the hearts of the unconverted causing them to believe the Gospel and be saved, but the Holy Spirit is also guiding the steps of the Apostles, bringing them exactly where they need to be; at other times He prevents them from entering one nation and He calls them to go to another. And it is the Spirit who gives them the words to speak. Now, the Spirit s activity is certainly evident in the passage we read tonight. First of all we re told that an angel of the Lord came to Philip and this angel told him to go south, to the road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza. As I said in the introduction, Philip had been preaching and doing powerful signs and wonders in Samaria with great success bringing joy to the city. But now he must leave there for his next assignment. By the way, this is same angel of the Lord we meet elsewhere in the book of Acts. It was this angel who freed the Apostles when they were in jail; who would later free Peter from prison; and who would strike down Herod. So we see that even though Christ s ministry on earth is over, the supernatural power of God is still on display. That was evident as Philip and the Apostles were capable of healing diseases and casting out demons and as people were able to speak in tongues after their conversion and prophesy. This is what we refer to as the Apostolic Age; it was the period immediately following Christ s Ascension where God permitted extraordinary signs and wonders in order to confirm the power of the Gospel and the presence of the Holy Spirit. Reformed Christians believe that this age, and the signs that accompanied it, has ended. The power of the Gospel is now demonstrated through the miracle of lives that have been transformed, of people who once lived in darkness but now are walking in the light. So, we no longer believe in or look to the extraordinary signs of speaking of tongues or the gift of prophecy. We believe that the age of extraordinary signs ceases, it ended with the death of the Apostles; and that now the church of Jesus Christ looks to the ordinary signs which Christ gave 3

4 the church the sacraments: baptism and the Lord s Supper. And the Holy Spirit now manifests his power as these signs are exercised among us. Getting back to the text, the angel of the Lord directs Philip to meet this Ethiopian eunuch. This eunuch is from Africa and he served Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. But as servants go, he was a man of some status and importance. He held a very high and honorable position: he was in charge of the treasury of the queen. We re also told that this man had come to Jerusalem to worship. So means that he was either a convert to the Jewish faith, or perhaps he was of Jewish descent. But no matter how he came to be associated with the Jewish faith, the fact is, this man knew the God of Israel; he had come to Jerusalem to worship, to bring his sacrifice; and not only that but he was a man of the Word. He possessed a copy of the scroll of Isaiah which he was reading. He s on his way back home, and that s when the angel of the Lord tells Philip to intercept him. I want us to pause here a moment to reflect on what this means. Here Philip was preaching and evangelizing in the region of Samaria. And as a result of Philip s evangelistic work, we re told that many men and women came to put their faith in Jesus Christ. But now Philip was called away from that work in Samaria (which by human standards was a tremendously successful work where many were converted), and Philip is commanded to travel down this dusty desert road to Gaza, to seek out one individual. Now, what does that tell you about God? What does that tell you about the way God works, and about the plan of salvation? It tells me that God is indeed a personal God. He is a loving Shepherd who knows his sheep and calls them each by name. It tells me that God will seek out his sons and daughters no matter where they are, to bring each of them to their eternal home. God will leave none behind! God will do whatever is necessary to reach out, to seek after the many and the one. I m reminded of what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well: Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 4

5 The Father actively seeks lost; even now, God is seeking out the lost not only out there in the world in mission fields far away, but God is seeking the lost right here in the city of Calgary; on the highways, in the coffee shops, on the trains, in the backyards and alleys and neighborhoods where we live. And as we ll see in a moment God calls his people to go to them; to go find them; to speak to them of the hope that we have so that they too might know the joy of salvation. 2) A Christ-Centered Explanation (vv ) Secondly, we notice a Christ-centered explanation. Here we look at verses The Holy Spirit instructs Philip to approach the chariot and stay near it. As he does, Philip hears the Eunuch reading from the book of Isaiah the prophet. Philip interrupts him and asks a very simple and straightforward question: Do you understand what you are reading? I think it s interesting that the eunuch doesn t seem the least bit surprised by Philip s sudden appearance or annoyed by his question. In fact, he welcomes it. He responds to Philip: How can I (understand it) unless someone explain it to me? With that, he invited Philip to come up into the chariot and sit with him. This already shows us a great deal about the spiritual quality and caliber of this man. On this note, John Calvin draws attention to the eunuch s most excellent modesty whereby he not only permitted Philip to question him, but he also willingly confessed his ignorance. There is a humility and meekness present within his heart; he has a curious and teachable spirit all of which are signs that God s Spirit is already at work within him, preparing him for this moment. That is something I impress upon all those who I witness to, as I explain what the Gospel is and what it means; at some point I say to them that God is already at work here, God has already made our paths cross, God has already arranged for me to speak to you about Christ. Now, that doesn t always result in that person being converted, but it does make them think. It challenges them to see that their life isn t just a random collection of meaningless events, but that they too are on a path somewhere; that even in their life, nothing happens by chance. God 5

6 has a reason for everything and when a believer crosses paths with an unbeliever and has an opportunity to share the Gospel, that is definitely something God has arranged, and they need to make the most of that moment! There s another lesson we need to learn from this passage. Notice that God not only gives us His Word, but God gives us preachers and teachers to help explain that Word. How can I (understand it) unless someone explain it to me? This too is the work and the promise of God. In John 16:13 Jesus spoke to his disciples about the Holy Spirit, saying that the Holy Spirit would guide you into all truth. We see that happening here, through Philip s explanation. The passage the Eunuch was reading was Isaiah 53: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth The eunuch asked Philip if the prophet was talking about himself or someone else. Certainly we can understand his question. This man does not know Jesus so he reads this passage just as any Jew would read it. It must apply to Isaiah, or to someone on his day, or maybe to some future Messiah who is yet to come. But now Philip has the privilege of telling this man what that passage really means. Verse 35: Beginning with that very passage of Scripture, Philip told him the good news about Jesus. He would have told him man that Jesus was the Suffering Servant of Isiah 53; that He came into this world as God s own Son, that he suffered, bled and died on the cross to save us from our sins; that he then rose from the grave and now has ascended into heaven where he reigns in power. And Philip must have also told him and taught him about baptism that it is a Christ ordained sign that accompanies faith and new birth in Christ. This is the sign Christ gave His church to assure them that their sins are forgiven, washed away in the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross. We can assume this based on the eunuchs request to be baptized (discuss shortly). 6

7 And so Philip evangelized the Ethiopian eunuch. Notice, Philip didn t have to employ a special evangelistic method or strategy. No. Philip simply shared the gospel. He simply told him about Christ that the Bible is about Christ. And that was it. I want you to be encouraged by this; to be emboldened by this. While all of us would benefit from some training and practice in learning how to share the Gospel, we don t need to take a class in evangelism to share the Gospel. And we don t have to worry that we might somehow say the wrong thing, in the wrong order, and that our failed attempt may result in someone not believing in Jesus. Trust me when I say this -- God would never leave someone s eternal destiny in our hands. We re not that powerful and significant. No. It is God who seeks and saves; and if God seeks someone to save them, God will most certainly bring them unto himself even in spite of our feeble attempts. And on the other hand, if God is not seeking someone; if the heart of the person we are talking to is hardened against God, then no matter what we say, and no matter how eloquent or passionate or reasonable or logical our presentation, all our right words will fall on deaf ears. So remember, it is not the presenter of the Gospel who saves, but it is the Christ of the Gospel who saves! 3) His Faithful Response (vv ) Now thirdly we consider His faithful response. Now, the text never says it exactly, but based on his request to be baptized, we can safely assume that the eunuch believed. Right then and there, at that place and time, he put his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Then as they rode along together, they came to some water and the Ethiopian asked Philip why then shouldn t I be baptized? The fact that they were in the desert and suddenly came upon some water even adds to the wonder and beauty of this account. God s powerful Hand of providence is guiding them along every step of the way, even providing water for the baptism, so that this man might receive the sign and seal of faith. 7

8 As we discussed last week in Lord s Day 25, baptism is a visible and outward sign and seal of God s invisible and inward grace. It is God s outward sign and seal (and the Holy Spirit s guarantee) that all our sins are forgiven us through the cleansing fountain of Christ s blood. That s what we confessed tonight in Lord s Day 26: To be washed with Christ s blood means that God, by His grace, has forgiven our sins, because of Christ s blood poured out for us in His sacrifice on the cross. And baptism also signifies that we are washed in Christ s Spirit whereby the Holy Spirit has renewed us and set us apart to be a member of Christ so that more and more we become dead to sin and increasingly live a holy and blameless life. The eunuch requests the sign that rightly belongs to him as a believer in Jesus Christ the sign of baptism. Now obviously this passage is an example of a believer s baptism. This man believes and is baptized. Most of us here were baptized as infants. Yet the beauty of baptism is that no matter what the circumstances are when we were baptized whether as adults after our conversion or as infants shortly after our birth, baptism signs and seals unto us the same thing: it assures us that our sins are forgiven. It assures me of the same thing it assured this eunuch. That when I sinned against God yesterday, when I sinned against god today, and when I will sin against God tomorrow I can know and believe and fully trust that my sins are forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ. Obviously, God calls us to show a Godly sorrow for our sin and a contrite confession and true repentance so that we do not willfully continue in our sin; but that is only what God should expect from us as a child of God. And so the power and the beauty of baptism is that it is something we can turn to again and again even at times of doubt and temptation and struggling with sin, and look back at what it means that God has placed his seal upon us; that Christ has claimed us as his own; and that I belong to Him, and He belongs to me, and I ve got God s own sign to prove it. 8

9 Granted, baptism is not a guarantee of our salvation. As we recall from the form for baptism, every covenant contains two parts. There are promises and obligations which we are to make to God as well. Baptism places us under the obligation to live our lives in new obedience unto Christ. So we cling to this One God Father Son and Holy Spirit; we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We renounce our old sinful ways by daily putting to death our sinful deeds, and by daily pursuing that which is righteous and noble and true and holy! That is how the faithful respond to God s grace. Our lives are changed. The desires of our hearts, the thoughts of our minds, the actions of our hands they all show that we have been converted to Christ. And when we do sin, we neither continue in sin nor do we despair of God s grace, thinking that our sin is beyond forgiveness. No. We simply remember our baptism; we simply remember the water and what it represents: the cleansing fountain of the blood of Christ that washes away ALL our sins and our soul s impurity. Beloved, may that assurance be yours this evening. If you re struggling with sin, struggling with doubt and uncertainty, or if you re struggling to know how it is that Chit could ever forgive your sins, then you must STOP looking at yourself. Stop looking at your unworthiness and start looking at Jesus Christ. Look at His worthiness worthy it the Lamb who was slain! Look to His atoning blood and trust what God s Word says that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. Trust what God says about your sin not what you feel or fear. Look to your baptism. That is the visible sign God gave you for this very purpose. Amen. 9