A lesson by Pastor John Skaggs

Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

P.O. Box 1447, Claypool, Az. 85532

520-425-8345 or 520-402-9134

Email: pastorjohn@gila.net

Date: 04-16-00

Sermon Number: 014

Text: Acts 8:26-40

The Ethiopian Eunuch

Topics addressed in this lesson

(The Sovereignty of God in Salvation, The means of Grace, The necessity of the Gospel)

Following the intense persecution brought against the church after the death of Stephen many new Christians were forced to leave Jerusalem. Philip, the deacon-preacher, was one of those dispersed by Saul and his fellow Christ haters. But Philip did not just leave and hide, he took the gospel to the Samaritans. In last weeks lesson we saw that God, by His word, and the power of the Holy Spirit, saved a great number of these people proving to Peter and others that they were on level ground with the believing Jews. Both groups had been filled with the same Spirit. In Christ the enmity that once existed between these groups was abolished.

True to Christ's prediction the gospel had saturated Jerusalem and had now been taken to Samaria. Today we see how the Gospel message was taken to the uttermost parts of the world, namely Africa. Philip remains the principal player in today's text.

(Acts 8:26-40 NASB) "But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Arise and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.) {27} And he arose and went; and behold, there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship.

This man had come to Jerusalem as a seeker of truth. He was not a Christian but would return to his home a true child of God. One of the first things to think about as we consider the salvation of this African is the divine orchestration of the details it took to bring it to pass. Salvation, both in eternity past, and in its application to the elect in time, is entirely the work of God. This must be so for, as we have discovered in past lessons, men cannot save themselves or even contribute to their own salvation.

This is true in the first place because men are spiritually dead and, therefore, unable to respond to God. Ephesians 2:1 "You were dead in your trespasses and sins." To be physically dead means that one is unable to respond to physical stimulation, and to be spiritually dead means that one is unable to respond to spiritual stimulation. Every human that has been born since the fall is born spiritually dead to God. He cannot hear, see, or feel, the spiritual realities that surround him. The cries of creation call him to God but he does not hear. The cries of his parents, or the preacher, call him to God but he is simply not interested, he is dead. If this one is ever to come to God there must be divine intervention. The salvation that was planned and ordained by God must be applied to the dead heart and soul of the sinner. (See John 6:44, I Corinthians 2:14, I Corinthians 1:23)

As if man's spiritual deadness were not enough, there is the problem of the god of this world, the devil. Paul writes, "If our gospel is veiled, (if it cannot be understood and accepted) it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor. 4:3-4).

Sinners cannot save themselves because they are dead in sin and blinded by the devil. So in our text today we find God bringing to pass all things essential to this man's salivation. This is necessary if he is to be saved. When I think of these things my mind is overwhelmed with thoughts of the millions of details it takes to pull something like this off. The Bible tells us that the salvation of each individual began in eternity past with God's electing love. He began working it out with Adam and Eve, our first ancestors. But in reference to this Ethiopian we must understand that each one of Adam's children had to marry the right person and produce the right offspring who must marry the right person and so on and so forth for all the generations leading up to this moment. Each person must live and die in the right place at the right time in history. If one thing in lives of the ancestors of these two men had been out of place they would not have met and the eunuch would not have been saved. But there was nothing out of place because God is in control, He has a plan and He is presently working it out. He will save all His people from their sin!

So, when all the pieces were in place, when the time had come, God the Holy Spirit maneuvered the man with the Gospel into position. By an angel, God said to Philip, "Arise and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)"

Gaza was one of the five chief cities of the Philistines, along with Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath. Old Gaza had been destroyed early in the first century b.c. and a new city was built nearer the coast. A road from Jerusalem to Egypt, however, still ran through the ruins of old Gaza. There were two roads from Jerusalem to Gaza, and the Spirit commanded Philip to take the one that was seldom used. Who knows how long it had been since someone traveled on this road? But it doesn't matter, today, there is a lost man traveling on that desert road who must hear the good news. For God intends to give Him eternal life before the day is done.

God told Philip to go, {27} "And he arose and went;" Notice that God did not tell Philip why he was being sent. He did not tell him what he would find as he went down this desert road. He just told him to go and he went. There is an example here for us to follow. God tells us to trust and obey Him but He doesn't allow us to see where this will take us. The Christian is called to enter the darkness before him trusting in his wise and loving Father. He must trust Him to care for his body and soul, to keep him from danger, and provide all his needs in the situations that arise along the way. The journey may involve ministry, as it did in this case, or, it may involve much hardship, sickness, poverty, and death. Whatever the case we must trust and obey like Philip did when he understood the will of God for him. Wherever God's word tells us to go we must go, walking by faith and not be sight.

". . . and behold, there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship".

Here is a true seeker of God. He had journeyed for days, weeks, perhaps even months, to get to Jerusalem to worship. What prompted him to come we are not told. How he came into contact with Judaism is not revealed. Some believe it had to do with a large Jewish colony living at Alexandria. Others think that the Queen of Sheba, who once visited King Solomon, had carried truth into this distant land on her return. Perhaps it was this which had prompted the man to seek more of what he had a taste of. One thing is certain the first cause of his journeying to Jerusalem was God. It was time for him to be saved and he must be exposed to the good news about Jesus. This eunuch was a high-ranking official in his country, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. The title Candace is not a proper name, but an official title, like Pharaoh or Caesar. This man was in charge of all the Queen's treasure.

He was not doubt wealthy and powerful but he was lost, and had a longing in his soul that must be filled by something or someone. So, he made a long, arduous journey from his homeland to Jerusalem, searching for the true God. It is unlikely that he got much satisfaction from the practitioners of Judaism. For, as we have seen in recent months, the leaders of the Jews were an ungodly murderous bunch. Further, as a eunuch, he would have been denied access to the temple (Deut. 23:1) and, therefore, been unable to participate fully in the Jewish worship services. Even after submitting himself to all the rites and ceremonies he would have remained a second class citizen in the Jew's religious world. But there was something that did happen in that city which made all the difference. This Ethiopian acquired a copy of the Old Testament scriptures or, at least, of the Prophet Isaiah. The seeker had found the truth that would set him free.

That God does rewards the seeking heart is the clear teaching of Scripture. In Jeremiah 29:13 God said, "You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart". (Luke 11:9-10 NASB) "And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. {10} "For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened". On the human side of things this servant of the Queen was seeking God. To be correct in our thinking however we must say he was being drawn by God to Christ. There is one sense in which he decided to make this journey. There is another sense in which he had to make this journey, he could do nothing else. For God was working in him to will and to do of His good pleasure. God's good pleasure was that this man come to know the truth and Him who is the truth. He must have the emptiness inside of him filled with something that would really satisfy. His questions must be answered. Indeed they were answered. Through the word of God, the Spirit of God, and the servant of God, he was given a full revelation of Jesus Christ. But it did not take place in Jerusalem, rather, this man was saved on a desert road where one would not expect to meet anyone.

{28} "And he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah". To my knowledge this is the only time in the New Testament where we find an individual in possession of the scriptures. How has he obtained this scroll? It had no doubt cost a great deal of money. And irrespective of the price how could a gentile and a eunuch obtain a copy of the scriptures? It simply had to be the intervention of God. God saw fit to put the truth in this man's hands directly. This would be one man who would not be tripped up by the unfaithful watchmen of Israel. The book he was reading not only contains the good news about Jesus but a word of encouragement to eunuchs.

(Isaiah 56:3-5 NASB) "Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the LORD say, "The LORD will surely separate me from His people." (The Jews) Neither let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree." {4} For thus says the LORD, "To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, {5} To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial, And a name better than that of sons and daughters; (the Jews) I will give them (believing foreigners and eunuchs) an EVERLASTING NAME WHICH WILL NOT BE CUT OFF".

This is a promise of equality to all the gentiles, eunuchs included. They were not to think that the Jews had God's blessings locked up. They were not to think that one's blood line or physical condition would keep them out of the kingdom. The God of Abraham is the God of all who come to Him by faith! {28} "And he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah".

Lets talk for a moment about the necessity of the scriptures for the salvation of the lost. God's existence, and some of His attributes, are revealed by nature (Rom. 1:20). The heavens declare the glory of God. However, saving knowledge of God comes only through the Scriptures, God's word. Jesus said in John 5:39, "You search the SCRIPTURES, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me." In verse 46, He added, "If you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for HE WROTE (in the scriptures) of Me." On the road to Emmaus Jesus walked for a time with two of His disciples and scolded them saying, "O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in ALL THAT THE PROPHETS HAVE SPOKEN! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?' AND BEGINNING WITH MOSES AND WITH ALL THE PROPHETS, HE EXPLAINED TO THEM THE THINGS CONCERNING HIMSELF IN ALL THE SCRIPTURES". (Luke 24:25-27).

Brothers and sisters, we must never forget the necessity of the scriptures for the salvation of the lost. Remember the words of Romans 10:17 NASB. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ". Earlier in the same chapter of Romans we read, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; for "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved." How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!" (Rom. 10:12-15) Some how, some way, the sinner must be exposed to the gospel or he cannot and will not be saved.

Sinners cannot be saved apart from the word of God, 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 NASB) Long before this desert road encounter God put a spark of interest in this man's heart which grew and forced him to go looking for answers. Now he has put the word of God in his hand which contains the wonderful words of eternal life. Then he provided the next necessary ingredient, someone to help him understand what he is reading.

{29} And the Spirit said to Philip, "Go up and join this chariot." {30} And when Philip had run up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" {31} And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. (This is a real God wrought opportunity for evangelism. Both parties are ready and willing to participate. God has worked in both to will and to do of His good pleasure. The eunuch is not proud or suspicious of this lone man in the desert. Philip is not intimidated by what must have been a large party of travelers or the obvious importance of this man. God has brought it all to pass. He has taken care of all the details.) {32} Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: "HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. {33} "IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO SHALL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH."

What a coincidence! This ignorant man is reading in the very place where the Savior is spoken of and described. He is reading out loud at just the moment Philip shows up. Coincidence? Not at all. What we see here happens every day in every nation on the earth. God is moving to save one of His lost children from the wrath due them. His ways are beautiful and way past finding out. It must be enough for us to know He is doing all things necessary to save His people from their sin. At this very moment there is someone assigned to take the gospel to everyone of God's elect people. And to this gospel they will respond. In Christ they will believe and be saved. But they must have someone explain the gospel to them.

34} And the eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of someone else?" {35} And Philip opened his mouth, and BEGINNING FROM THIS SCRIPTURE HE PREACHED JESUS TO HIM.

Beginning in the book of Isaiah, the Old Testament, Philip preached Jesus to this man. He no doubt spoke to him of his guilt and need of a Savior. He surely spoke of faith and repentance, the working of the Holy Spirit. I believe he related the events of Pentecost and how thousands had been saved and then baptized to bear testimony of their faith. Whatever the case, ". . faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ". Philip faithfully presented the good news of salvation by faith in Christ and God was pleased to open this mans heart, mind, eyes, understanding, so that believed what Philip taught him. He believed that Jesus was the Messiah and Savior of all who come to him by faith. Further he took seriously Philip's instruction on baptism.

{36} And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?" {37} And 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." {38} And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him". It is clear that this man's baptism was by complete immersion.

{39} And when they came up out of the water, (Philip's work being done .) the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch saw him no more, BUT WENT ON HIS WAY REJOICING. {40} But Philip found himself at Azotus; and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea".

There were two rejoicing men who went on their way. The eunuch had to be the happiest. For he came with emptiness, hunger, and longing. He came with a burden of sin, confusion of mind, and no sense of peace. He came searching and knocking, and had found what he was looking for. The door to the kingdom had been opened unto him. He has believed in Christ. His sins are forgiven, he has eternal life. He has a new heart, mind, ears, eyes and he has in his heart, and in his hand, a new message for Africa. Both he and the scroll made their way back to that strange land. What happened then? We are not told but there is one thing a Christian cannot do and that is keep quiet about his Savior. This man was, without a shadow of a doubt, the instrument, at least in part, of taking the gospel to the uttermost part of the world. Remember, brothers and sisters, it is never just about us. What God does to and for us is designed to affect those we meet as well. We must always be ready to give reason for the faith that lies within us!

Could you have done what Philip did? Could you have answered this mans question and shared with him the good news about Jesus Christ? Could you have begun in the book of Isaiah and taught him about Jesus? Do you have such a working knowledge of the Bible? Are you ready "to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence?" (1 Peter 3:15 NASB) We must all get ready and stay ready for even on a desert road we may meet someone who needs Jesus.