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We're there in Acts 8 and we are continuing where we left off last week now We are continuing the story there of the the deacon Philip all right. We've seen Philip last week that he was Evangelizing to the Samaritans there was great persecution that fell upon the church in Jerusalem many were scattered He found himself in Samaria winning souls and anyway Now Peters got a new target this Ethiopian eunuch look at verse on 27 It says and he arose and went and behold a man of Ethiopia and eunuch of great authority and the Candace queen of the Ethiopians the title for the sermon tonight is the Ethiopian eunuch the Ethiopian eunuch now Let's start there in verse number 26 It says in the angel of the Lord Spake unto Philip saying arise and go toward the south unto the way that goes down From Jerusalem unto Gaza Gaza, which is desert and so I'll just sometimes I'm curious when I read about these things I look and I kind of look at okay I know where Jerusalem is on Google Maps and then look at Gaza Gaza And then yeah, it is desert in between it's it's it's like and even today I mean there are a few towns here, and they're scattered around, but really it is a still a very desert empty place And so Philip you know like I said was in Samaria now. He's been asked to go down to this direction And it's an angel of the Lord that is speaking to Philip is you know the angel Lord is giving him direction And anyway look Philip is a obedient man to the Lord in verse number 27 he says and he arose and went and behold a man of Ethiopia You know that that's that's a non Jew okay. That's an African man I want you to be aware of that okay, and eunuch of great authority on the Candace queen of the Ethiopians Who had the charge of this of all her treasure and had come to Jerusalem for to worship? And so this is a man who has great authority in Ethiopia He's in charge of the treasure. He's in charge of you know I think of this man as maybe the the like the the treasurer right when we think of Australia We think of you know who's got the the most prominent or powerful position We'd say the Prime Minister, and then who would be second in power you probably say the treasurer like he's got a big say as to far as far as how the the nation spends its wealth and so he's pretty much a treasurer and We find that that he's a he's a eunuch of the Queen Queen Candace there, and I want to quickly keep you thinking then come with me to Matthew 19 Matthew 19 we could make the rest of this chapter in Acts 8 all about baptism. I could teach a lot about baptism I feel like I've taught enough about baptism I just want to get some other thoughts that we can learn about the Ethiopian eunuch here and first thing I want to talk about is just is this topic of what a eunuch is okay and In Matthew 19 Jesus Christ has a bit to teach you on this topic in Matthew 19 verse number 9 Matthew 19 verse number 9 You know Jesus Christ sent he's teaching About marriage and divorce and he's teaching that you know if someone is divorced He should not get remarried and so we get to Matthew 19 verse 9 and I and I say unto you Whosoever shall put away his wife except that be for fornication and shall marry another committeth adultery and Whoso marrieth her we just put away doth commit adultery It's like Jesus is essentially teaching, you know one spouse for life Okay, you know the very vows that we often make you know till death do us part That's God's original plan for marriage and then verse number 10 It says his disciples saying to him if the case of the man be so with his wife It is not good to marry We can't be committed to one person for our whole life one wife Jesus Maybe then it's just better not to get married then like if that's the kind of out and by the way marriage is a big Vow it's it's you know It should be something we kind of pause and and consider and be sober about the kind of decision We make and getting married a person we choose to marry the commitment. We're making for life you know, this is a big decision of life and Then Christ responds in verse number 11 But he said unto them all men cannot receive this saying Save they to whom it is given so not all men can receive this saying okay there Are there are some exceptions to the rule? All right, so if you're someone that says, you know I just better not to get married. All right, maybe so but there was an exception This is just for a few people that they call and is to not get married then Christ says in verse number 12 For there are some eunuchs and now he begins to describe three different types of eunuchs All right So we learn just by looking at verses 11 and 12 what a eunuch is a eunuch is a man Who doesn't get married essentially? He doesn't have a spouse does not have physical intimacy will not bring forth children okay, he's refrained from taking a wife refrain from having children and So Christ and explains what these three types of eunuchs are verse number 12 for there are some eunuchs Which was so born from their mother's womb Alright, there are some eunuchs that are born just they're born with a defect from the mother's womb where they can't produce children Where they can't you know have physical intimacy with a woman and so that would be obviously a defect And I guess you know, I don't know I don't know what percentage of people like that in the world But there are some people like that and Christ says those are eunuchs obviously because they're not going to be able to have a wife And have children and then it says and there are some eunuchs which were made eunuchs of men Alright, and so this is what we read about in history We'll read about even in the Bible and I personally believe that Daniel and his three friends Shadrach Meshach and Abednego I believe they're all eunuchs Made eunuchs of men so they were taken into captivity, right? You have one powerful Kingdom the Babylonian Kingdom taking over and other people and sometimes the king wanted servants you know many times kings had Multiple wives or they had other women in the in the palace and instead of having these women taken by these men These eunuchs of men were taken and castrated essentially, right? I kind of like what you do sometimes to pets so they can't reproduce they can't have children So they can't you know, obviously they're not going to get married and obviously I mean to think that that happens and that's happened It makes me weak to even think about that You know, I mean give me all the code vaccinations in the world rather than make me a eunuch, right? Any other medical practice right rather than then that being made a eunuch of men? But there are some people like that obviously and so Christ just explaining there are eunuchs of different sorts But then he says this and there be eunuchs which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake He that is able to receive it. Let him receive it. So there are some eunuchs. There's nothing wrong with them They've got no defects. Okay, they're not being made eunuchs of men, but they've chosen instead of taking a wife and having kids They said we're gonna focus on God's kingdom. I'm gonna focus on on the work. I'm gonna focus on winning souls I'm gonna focus Nothing on the temporal world all of my attention is for eternal matters Getting as many people into the kingdom of God as possible And so there might be eunuchs where their love for God and the love for the kingdom of God is Greater than taking a spouse and having a family and all those things But then he says he that is able to receive but in other words Not many are gonna be able to receive that. Okay, let him receive it So there's nothing wrong with it in of itself, right? If someone says look I'm making myself a eunuch for the kingdom of God's sake You know, I've got no desire for a woman. I have no desire for physical intimacy I just want to give all my time and attention to Jesus and his kingdom Well, if he's able to receive it, let him receive it. Okay, it's nothing nothing. I'm godly It's just something that is not very common It's not the normal stance of the average man And so I just want to point that out to you and obviously when we talk about the eunuch that we read about in Acts Chapter 8, you know, which one would that be? You know, well, obviously if he's been made a eunuch and he's you know, overseeing the Treasury He's essentially a servant to the Queen there. I Believe he's a eunuch that second eunuch a eunuch of men. Okay, he's been taken and castrated and well, I mean not the best Not the best, you know surgical outcome you'd want in life but he finds himself in that situation and even though he's made that way even though, you know, you might say he's a little bit weird or Unusual to have gone through such a procedure, you know, I'm not saying probably obviously against his will But what we still learn about this man at the end of verse number 27 in Acts 8 27 It says that he had come to Jerusalem for to worship That's really interesting that he came to Jerusalem to worship. This is an African man a Gentile man And he says that the gods of Ethiopia are just not sufficient for him. He's looking for someone greater, right? He's looking for the true God and whatever circumstances Circumstances have surrounded his life have told him that though the place to go is Jerusalem You've got to get out that you're gonna find the God of the Jews You've got to find the God of Israel and so he's a desire the reason he goes to Jerusalem is just to worship God So obviously he's seeking right he's seeking the true God and God of course is going to reward him And this is where Philip then comes in Hey Philip is going to be that sole winner that sees this man come to Christ and look at verse number 28 in Acts 8 28 It says he was worshiping then was returning so he's on his way back to Ethiopia and sitting in his chariots read Isaiah's the prophet So I suppose in Jerusalem, he probably got himself a copy of the book of Isaiah okay, and he's reading for the book of Isaiah and Look even as a believer Reading the book of Isaiah is a lot of work like reading it and understand the book of Isaiah Like if you've read the Bible, you know, that's probably one of the books he gets is like whoa Like what is this about like so many things? It's so deep. It's so detailed I mean, it's challenging even for a believer. What about an unbeliever? Unbeliever picking up Isaiah there's a reason why we tell you know unbelievers if they're interested in the Bible or Newly saved people start with the book of John because we know that there are books in the Bible that are very challenging And Isaiah most definitely is one of those Anyway, he's reading it right. He's reading it and then verse 29 It says then the Spirit said unto Philip go near and join thyself to this chariot So an angel of the Lord told him to go first But now the Holy Spirit within Philip is telling him go near and join thyself to this chariot. I don't know if you've ever had a situation like this Where the Holy Spirit has specifically told you to go and talk to a certain individual I don't know if you ever had that experience. I've had it once Once in my life and I've shared it before it's not my favorite story. It makes me sad when I think about it I'll tell you my story very quickly. Okay, and This is after you know, I was dating Christina. We weren't married yet and Christina was studying Administration. I can't remember what what call she was doing exactly, but we needed to go to I don't know why but we needed to Go facts. That's right. We needed to go to to Burwood Westfields There's a post office in there and back in the day when you said really the fax machine guys remember It's a faxing sometimes. All right. I don't know what it was exactly about Chris ending to make some photocopies Used the fax machine and we thought the easiest place to go get a photocopy was at the post office and we could fax from There something like that. Anyway, we're kind of having a half date half work kind of situation and Christina goes into a shop. I can't remember some lady's shop probably looking for clothes somewhere And I'm just waiting outside like like the dudes we do that, right? we just wait for our you know loved ones to go and do that shopping whatever and I come across this guy and You know it it's it's like I can remember like like yesterday I can just because if it it burned in my heart so much Right, just though. It's just like this one individual guy just standing I think maybe he was waiting for someone to who knows right and and it just I just felt pressed in My heart in my soul. I need to give this guy the gospel. I Can't tell you why it was just he has to hear the gospel All right. Now I had recently gone through some training on how to give the gospel I was probably about How old would I have been probably about 20 years old at that time? 21 probably 20 probably around 20 years old at that time and I just felt compelled this guy needs to hear the gospel anyway, I'm too timid too afraid to go up to him and Christina comes out of the shops and whatever, you know, we keep walking around Burwood Westfields They're in Sydney and then I think that Westfields has three levels or two levels three that I don't know Anyway, well, you know, we're walking around walking around and as we continue to walk and we're making our way eventually to the post office I don't know how many times I came across that same person the same man just constantly just again and again and again and again And I'm thinking I have to give this guy the gospel Right. I felt compelled to just give him the gospel Like how do I do this Lord? How do I just go to complete stranger and give them the gospel? Anyway, I refuse to do so I you know, I I pushed back against that that burden that I had in my heart Anyway, we make it to the post office and we line up for the for the photocopy machine I've given this story before I'm sure and who will stand in right in front of us Waiting for the same photocopier in line with us the same man Like we're literally behind him me and Christina we're behind him He's in front of me and we're waiting for the photocopy machine There's a line up there and I'm like, I gotta give this guy the gospel I can't tell you why but I had to do it and Anyway, we get to you know, he got to the photocopy machine and as he's doing his whatever he's doing photocopying or faxing I don't know what he was doing. All right, I Turned to Christina would say hey I don't have any I told her I don't have any change for the machine because the machine yet to put coins in machine Right to make photocopies. I said I don't have any change Christine like for that and the guy in front of me overheard me Well before that actually I was saying to God God I don't know how I can even open and tell this guy about Jesus. I can't do it Lord and So God changes it so I don't have to speak to him He speaks to me and he overhears me say that there's not enough change I don't have enough change for the machine and he says don't worry I put too much money in I put too much of like money you got plenty of photocopies to make here You know, I put way too much in because you can't get a refund or whatever it is from the machine, right? It's he spoke to me And even still then I never gave him the gospel Anyway, we made the photocopies or whatever was that we had to do I can't remember going back that look, but I never did it and It still haunts me to this day You know, why didn't I do that and like that is the one time in my life Just the one time where I can say the Holy Spirit just kept pressing me kept pushing me kept giving me opportunities after opportunities after opportunities and made it easy for me that this guy would open his mouth instead of Me opening his mouth to him and I just wanted to but they were just words would not come out of my mouth Anyway, it makes me sad to even think about that's what happened, but I can't say that's ever happened again in my life Obviously now we're just actively going out soul went in knocking doors, you know, everyone needs to hear the gospel But there are times the Holy Spirit might very well just put a burden on your heart You have to talk to this individual person now I believe the reason that happened was because that man was seeking the Lord and You know somebody once comforted me a pastor once come and said look don't worry about it If that man was seeking the Lord like the Ethiopian eunuch, there will be a man there be a Phillips Somebody would open their mouth and give that God the gospel. It's just that I lost that reward I lost that chance to get that reward, but you know if that man is truly searching then you know He'll find a sole winner He'll find someone that would be able to open the Word of God to him and present him the gospel But I'm ashamed of that and you know, I never want that to happen ever again Alright, I told the Lord if you ever do that again Lord, I'm gonna open my mouth. Nothing's gonna stop me Okay, but it's never happened again. Alright, I'm not saying this is something like, you know Charismatics or anything like that I'm just saying, you know, the Holy Spirit can put a burden on your heart and just you know It's just that's the person you got to speak to. Okay And so this happens to Philip then the spirit verse number 29 Then the spirit said unto Philip go near and join thyself to this chariots verse number 30 and Philip ran Vither to him. I mean that's what I should have done right when that man when I knew that man needed to hear it I should just run to him Instead of like I want to do it. I'm too afraid. I'm too timid man. Phillips shows his quality here Okay, he shows the maturity. He doesn't just bristly walk to him. He runs. It's like man I'm gonna get this guy saved the spirits telling me this guy needs to hear it and Philip ran visit to him and heard him read the prophet Isaiah since said Understandest thou what thou readest and he said how can I? Accept some man should guide me and he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him So Phillips a seasoned soul winner. He knows how to start a conversation He opens his mouth. He's able to you know, begin that conversation and of course Phillips gonna show him The Lord Jesus Christ, but I want you to keep your finger then come with me quickly to 1st Corinthians 1st Corinthians chapter 2 1st Corinthians chapter 2 And so the Ethiopian eunuch says, you know, how can I how can I understand? Accept some man should guide me And you know, this is an important principle of the Bible that the natural man the unsaved man They cannot understand the Bible. You need to understand this. I know we read the Bible and it's in English and It's in you know books. It's in chapters in verses we can break it down We can take the spiritual truth out of it, but truly an unsaved man cannot grasp You know the nature of God's Word cannot understand the meanings Of God's Word, you know the same way in the same capacity that you can obviously not save man has Some limited understanding right like an unsaved man can open Genesis 1 Read Genesis 1 and read that God created all things in six days Like you don't need to be saved but to take a spiritual lesson and application Do you think an unsaved man will read that God created all things in six days and rested on the seventh day? And do you think he'll conclude well interesting the seventh day the day of rest picture salvation that salvation is not by works But it's by resting and God has set us that example from the very beginning of creation The unsaved man is not going to get that he's just going to read God created all things in six days rested on the seventh He's not going to be able to take away the spiritual meaning from that unless somebody guides him in 1st Corinthians chapter 2 verse number 14 It says but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God For they are foolishness unto him neither. Can he know them? Because they are spiritually discerned So the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God This is why the Spirit of God is telling Philip go and explain to him what he's reading there in Isaiah You know Philip is being used by the Holy Spirit of God because the unsaved Ethiopian eunuch Does not have the Holy Spirit of God to guide him into all truth Can you come with me to Romans 10 come with me to Romans 10 Romans 10? Romans 10 And While you're turning to Romans 10, I'm going to read to you from 1st Corinthians 1440 that says let all things be done decently and in order let all things be done decently and in order and So, you know even our soul within efforts our efforts to go and evangelize and preach the gospel Jesus Christ needs to be done decently and in order Okay, and when we get to Romans 10 it gives us an order by which God will utilize us or the Roman Church in that day or the Sunshine Coast Church New Life Baptist Church today in 2024 how we can be utilized decently and in order to reach the unsaved Let me read it to you from verse number 12 Romans 10 verse 12 Well, there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him Isn't that true Philip and the Ethiopian? they got saved the same way right doesn't matter what our backgrounds are and It says in verse number 13 for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved So we read these verses here Okay, someone needs to call upon the name of the Lord to be saved and then it says in verse number 14 ask the question Well, then shall they call on him? Yeah, how does someone call on him actually in whom they have not believed? Oh, right. So to be able to call on Christ you have to actually be able to believe on him But then you wonder well, how do they believe on him? It says and how should they believe in him of whom they have not heard? Oh, yeah to believe on him. They have to hear about him. That makes sense Okay, and then it says here and how shall they hear? Without a preacher. All right, if for them to hear it, they need a preacher They need a spirit-filled man who can open God's Word and explain it to them Just like the Ethiopian eunuch said right? How can I understand except some man should guide me. He needs a preacher and Look at verse number 15 and how shall they preach? Except they be sent. Oh, they need to be sent. They need to go Okay, as it is written how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things And so, you know it is, you know for you that attended our members of New Life Baptist Church It's New Life Baptist Church that sends you out you know, I do believe in the body of Christ being the you know, the What's the word I'm looking for? Like the headquarters of the work that we do for his kingdom And so of course this would be for the Roman Church there in that time They'd be sent out by their church. They'd go out and preach They'd allow people to hear the gospel and they heard it They believed and when they believed they would call upon the Lord in faith and be saved Verse number 16 says But they have not all obeyed the gospel for Isaiah saith Lord who have believed our reports So the verses that we just read there in verse number 15 and 16 They're from Isaiah. They're from the same chapter of Isaiah that the eunuch is actually reading from it We'll look at that soon, but let's end there verse number 17. So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God so we have you know by was God says that he does everything decently in order. We need to do things decently in order God tells us the order by which we have to go out and to see souls saved Where to be sent where to preach where to open our mouths so that the gospel can be heard You know, we need the lost to hear it to believe it and to call upon Christ as Savior So this is why we practice what we practice here in new life at this church We go out we preach we open God's Word We know that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God So we use the Bible use Bible verses because we know faith comes by God's Word Right, and when someone is ready to put their faith and belief on Christ alone. What do we ask them to do? We invite them to call upon them Lord right, you know, we use the sinners prayer. All right And you know, it doesn't have to be word for word Like we'll have a look at the sinners prayer shortly of the Ethiopian eunuch But we invite them to call upon the Lord and ask for salvation And so we have this order laid out for us in the scriptures And I believe it is proper and right for us to follow that order. Okay? But as a pastor I get you know questions I get scenarios that play out in people's lives You know, for example When we read about the Ethiopian eunuch and he says how can I accept some man should guide me? And you know, we should take the lesson that well, yeah, obviously, you know We as preachers need to go and explain that to the this lost and dying world But what about people who have a testimony that say I got saved without a preacher You say pastor it's impossible and Yet there are people I won't even say who that are in our church that are saved and they didn't have a preacher All right, you are so how'd you get saved? I just read a tract. I found a gospel tract. I read that tract. I called upon the Lord All right other scenarios Pastor I never called upon them the Lord. I never did that But that was that mean are they not saved? I Haven't you know scenarios a pastor. I just I just read the Bible You know, what what do we do when we have these kinds of exceptions What do you think about that? Just just carefully? What do you do in that case? Well, he's like, you know one thing I'll just say this very quickly, you know sometimes I have something that says to me I'd never called upon them the Lord and What they mean by that is I never said the sinner's prayer. That's kind of what they mean Okay. Now call upon the Lord the sinner's prayer is Call upon the Lord is essentially Acknowledging your salvation to God That's what it means right Lord Jesus, I receive your salvation Lord Jesus, thank you for my salvation something about addressing the God of the universe the God that saved you and Telling him that you receive or you acknowledge or you're thankful For the salvation is given you and you're putting your you know You've put your trust in him and the Lord knows that you've done that right now Now the reason we have a sinner's prayer is because this helps people call upon the name of the Lord All right. Now if someone has not said that sinner's prayer again, I've come across that situation. I Still know I'm pretty like I think it's impossible that there's never been a time where you've acknowledged your salvation to God I Think it's like impossible Because even some of the hymns we sing at church acknowledge our salvation to God Like even if you never have like you got like I said, I heard the gospel. Yep. I Kept my mouth shut and I never said anything to God and I never will How is that possible? You know, you may not have said that sinner's prayer word for word But whatever, you know whenever someone gets approached by this you're like, you know It gets kind of challenged about the process of how they got saved. I didn't have a preacher I just read this. I didn't actually say the sinner's prayer. I didn't you know It wasn't by the incorruptible word the King James Bible. It was some other version look just You need to understand that what saves you is your faith on Jesus Christ Not your faith on the process Okay, when I talk to a Calvinist I have some Calvinist friends, all right It's sometimes I have to say to look it sounds like your focus is on the process That your faith has to be on the process that I was regenerated Before I put my faith on Jesus and I was incapable of putting my faith on Jesus The Holy Spirit forced me to do it Forced me to do it and I got no choice in the matter. It's like and that's why I know I'm saved But you're saved because you put your faith on Christ But Calvinists many times are obsessive of the process like faith in the process being how they're saved and Sometimes I find the same thing even amongst ourselves That our faith can be on the process rather than our faith on Christ alone And so if I look I'm not against the process, you know, God is telling us how to do this Right how to go out there and to be sent and use God's Word and I'm never gonna change my methods because I see it Laid out for us clearly in a passage like Romans 10 I see a story like the Ethiopian eunuch that says he can't understand without some guy some man to guide him You know, I'm going to use the incorruptible word the King James Bible Even though I might have a test me on someone that says I got saved in the NIV I just passed I can't tell you how or why but that's what you know, I was that's what okay my question is How do you know you're saved if someone says because my faith is on Christ alone. I've trusted his death his burial his resurrection Can you ever lose it? No, it's everlasting. It's eternal There's nothing that I can do or ever have done or ever will do that can take away my salvation Then that man is saved I'm not going to get obsessed by the process Yeah, but did you hear a preacher though? Was it the King James Bible though? Did you say this in his prayer though? Right and go through the whole thing was like I don't know See God wants us to do things decently in an order But you need to understand things about people's lives sometimes what we think and understand and process and Believe with this heart is not always orderly It can take time Now when someone gives me a testimony, you know, I just read a tract and I got saved. Well, that's But everything else is correct Somewhere in my mind. I think he's probably heard a preacher maybe as a little child Probably doesn't even remember Okay, because here's the thing. I got saved and I was four years old Say pastor, do you remember the sinners prayer that you prayed? Nope Do you remember the presentation your mum gave you? Nope Do you remember the time your mum presented you to the past to make sure you understood kind of? Do you remember the day is it clear? Do you have it written down in the Bible? Nope But here's the thing. I know There's never been a day that I can remember that I can recall That I ever had my faith on it on anything else on works on church I've always known as far as my memory goes that salvation has always been on Christ alone He's done it all and I rest in him and I'm thankful and there's nothing I ever need to do or can ever do to Lose that I've always had that faith as an other child. That means when I was four years old I must have heard the right thing for my mum and believe that simple truth Now other times that you had doubts yeah, I had doubts when I was a teenager But why did I have doubts I tell you why because I went to a Christian school and I heard horrible preaching on the topic And you know how many people want to put their trust in their changed life for salvation I'd hear those testimonies of someone's changed life. I was once a Gang banger or whatever. I was once in prison and you know God changed my life and I'm thinking where's my changed life I'm the same that I've always pretty much been I don't have some testimony where I came out of drugs and alcohol and prison cells And now look at me go. I don't have that kind of testimony so I'm kind of like How do I know then if that's what they're using and I'm a teenager, right I'm still growing the Lord. I'm still trying to understand things And keep confusing bad sermons bad preaching bad doctrine before you know it like God am I really saved But then a few days later, of course, I'm saved and it's Christ alone and it's always good teaching that reminds you of the simple truth that your faith must be on Christ alone and If you go past the odd enough I went for this process properly Forget the process for a moment is your faith and trust on Christ alone today Do you understand that it's everlasting it's eternal you can never lose it today you say yes, I believe those things Then you are saved It's your faith that saves you your faith on Christ not faith on the process Faith on Christ is what saves you And I'm telling you as a pastor I hear these a lot Now does that mean I'm against the process of course not we've got to do things a certain way God's telling us the ideal way the best way and I'm never gonna deviate from the way that God has prescribed for us in the scriptures But I understand that life belief coming out of bad religion bad teaching Our memories fail us sometimes I Understand that all of that can be confusing Forget about that and remember who you are trusting in today if you say to me today pastor. I am NOT trusting Christ alone today I'm trusting my works, then you're not saved Then you need to get saved and put your faith on Christ But if you say to me my faith is on Christ alone. I know I can never lose it then you are saved Forget about what took place Okay, it doesn't matter. What matters is that your faith is on Christ. You are saved. You'll go to heaven All right now move forward and serve the Lord for his kingdom Have you ever had this question how do I know if I truly believed Truly believe though what do you believe now? Yes, then you've truly believed It's a riot you don't need to know the day or the hour I mean if you do know praise God we have testimonies like that too or else confronted with the gospel I know the very day the very minute. I called upon the Lord in faith praise God for that But if you don't have that testimony it doesn't matter What matters is where your faith is placed today? Anyway acts chapter 8 verse number 32, let's continue acts chapter 8 verse number 32 The place of the scripture which he read was this he was led as a sheep to the slaughter and Like a lamb dumb before his shearer so opened he not his mouth in His humiliation his judgment was taken away And who shall declare his generation for his life is taken from the earth so you can see there that the Eunuch was reading from Isaiah 53 If you know about Isaiah 53 it's all about the sufferings of Christ Okay, so he's reading portions there. Well at least what he quotes there is portions of chapter verse number 7 and verse number 8 Obviously when when the eunuch had his scriptures it wasn't divided into chapters and verses like we have it today Okay So he's quoting what he's up to and his his reading the exact suffering that Christ went through to deliver us from our sins verse number 34 And the eunuch answered Philip and said I pray thee or I ask of you right pray thee of whom speaketh the prophet this of himself or of some other man You know at the moment I'm going through the book of Isaiah with blessed of Abbot's church and as I prepare and read and study and meditate prepare my sermons I'm often asking myself that same question Is Isaiah speaking of himself or is he speaking of? You Know Israel as a whole or is he speaking about the Babylonians here or is this about the millennium or is this about Jesus? Or is this about you know King Cyrus, or is this about Nebuchadnezzar? I'm often asking myself that question because sometimes you know you have these verses that come in you kind of wondering that doesn't sound like Isaiah now that doesn't sound like what we just read about it seems like the scenery has changed And so as I is very much like it makes sense to me that he asked this question, right You know is Isaiah speaking of himself this man who's suffering? Always it you know is it some other man that he's speaking of Verse number 35 then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus and As they went on their way they came to a certain water and the eunuch said see here is water What doth hinder me to be baptized? So not only did Philip preach him Christ he preached about baptism. That's why this man's asking about baptism Because obviously what does baptism represent the sufferings and the death of Christ and his resurrection right when Jesus Christ was crucified It's as though we're when we stand at the water, and then he was buried we enter into the water We come out of baptism the resurrection of Christ and so this man is getting it He's getting the fact that yeah baptism and the death of Christ is a connection there so it's like what's stopping me from getting baptized what doth hinder me verse number 37 and Philip said if thou believeth with all thine heart thou mayest So there's something that must come first before you get baptized, what is it you must believe on Christ with all thine hearts Okay, now what does that mean with all thine heart? I really believe It means all of your heart's belief is on Jesus Okay, because you got the Roman Catholic Church for example Yeah Part of their heart is believing Jesus and then part of their heart is believing in the priests ability to forgive them the sins Part of their heart is that they're going to take the sacraments You know the the the wafer and the grape juice to be saved Part of the heart is that needs to be confirmed by the Roman Catholic Church Part of the heart is they believe that if they suffer enough purgatory they can finally make it to heaven Part of their heart is they need to pray to Mary and then do the rosary beads and the hail Mary's and the our father prayers and all these vain repetitions Now all of your hearts must be on Christ alone. That's what it means to believe for your heart Okay, there's like your heart doesn't believe Christ and something else Oh, if your heart is on Christ alone, then you have believed before your heart Okay And he answered so this is this is his prayer this is his public declaration he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that's good enough for Philip and He commanded the chariot to stand still and they went down both into the water Both Philip and the eunuch and he baptized him What a sinner's prayer sinner's prayer, you know, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Guess what? That's good enough Now look I'm not going to use that You know when I preach the gospel I'm gonna use a sinner's prayer that wraps up nicely the presentation that we've given them. Okay Obviously in these days to say that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is to believe on Christ I mean, that's a very rare thing to be saying in those days but in 2024 pretty much any You know anyone that names name of Christ, even the cults will say something on those lines Yeah, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Alright, so we want to make sure that their faith is truly on the sufferings of Christ that they believe that Christ has paid for all of their sins suffered for all their sins and That they're redeemed by God solely by Christ alone Which is why it's perfect that he was going through the book of Isaiah explained the suffering of Christ in Isaiah 53 Now obviously when I give and I lead someone in the word word of prayer, you know calling upon them Lord I'm going to summarize those key elements, you know, dear Lord. I know I'm a sinner. I know I deserve hell You know, but I believe that Christ died for me that he paid for all of my sins You know, please give me everlasting life. I'm only trusting you Jesus You know, please take me home to heaven when I die in Jesus name. I pray. Amen something like that All right, just summarizing once again the presentation that we've given them And when they do that brethren it's it's good enough what do the thief on the cross say remember me Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom Regardless of what words exactly are being said You know They are they are speaking that they are essentially, you know Taking that decision and telling God they've made the decision that they're putting their faith on Jesus Christ alone I Think the sinner's prayer is important in the way we go out and preach the gospel number one it helps You know a nation that does not fear God that you know people that do not know how to speak to God we're encouraging them where we're helping them in their journey of Verbally put in their faith on Christ alone. All right, number one Number two, we're giving them as you know a level of confidence that this is the moment that I've made the decision All right, because when they say I'll think about it, you know, maybe I'll call upon Christ So maybe I'll pray in my own time You know, they may not make that decision They may not have to make that decision where we're kind of giving them that time to make the decision now So we can submit and confirm for them that they are now believers and saved because of Christ Jesus And number three, it's good for us a soul winners Because we can witness This man isn't just going through the motions, but he's actually ready now to tell God that he's trusted him alone It's good for us as witnesses to be able to say hey, you know, this person has put their faith on Christ And so they enter both into the water and the fact that verse number 38 says they they went both into the water Obviously the baptism there was not sprinkling because you don't have to go into the water to get sprinkled You can just go near the shore. All right, just flick some water in his face and say now you're baptized They're going into the water Right because he's getting dunked because the word baptism in Greek is baptism Which means to submerge or to immerse something like that. Okay to submerge or to immerse That's why when we do baptisms we take someone into the water All right, we and then we do the picture of Christ's, you know, death on the cross They stand and they go into the water his burial. They come out of the water his resurrection. I don't know how sprinkling demonstrates that in any way The verse number 39 look at this and When they were come out of the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip that the eunuch saw him no more And he went on his way rejoicing So, I don't know what happens exactly God's Spirit just catches Philip. I don't know if it's like Philip just one second is somewhere else or he's flying through the sky. I don't know exactly Okay, he's got a fast way to travel out of there. The Holy Spirit does a job for him But it's very interesting than at the anniversary. No halfway through it says that the eunuch saw him no more And so if we lived in that that day right and Philip said man, I gotta say the story You know, I was I was walking and the Ethiopian eunuch was there and you know, he was reading Isaiah I gave him the gospel, you know, he confessed that Jesus is Son of God even wanted to get baptized I got him baptized and We're like, yeah, but where is he I Never saw him again. Yeah, but why isn't he a church? What do you mean you never saw him again? How do you know we really got saved then? Isn't that the stupid teaching that we hear these days, where are they all? We've got 2,000 over 2,000 salvations in Fiji We may never see them again. I don't know about you, but I'm rejoicing for them and they're rejoicing for their salvation We may never see these converts ever again In verse 139 it says when Noah comes to the water the spirit of the Lord caught away Philip and the eunuch saw him no more And he went on his way rejoicing. Where is he going? He's going back to Ethiopia There is no church in Ethiopia at this point in time Like where is he going? I don't think there's even an Ethiopian Old Testament Maybe there is I don't know but there definitely isn't an Ethiopian New Testament for several, you know decades or centuries later This guy doesn't have a group of fellowship to get around. He doesn't have a church to get into Philip did not pressure him to be part of the Jerusalem Church they never saw each other ever again and Going by the standard of some preachers out there the Ethiopian eunuch must not be saved then Because where is he if he's not at church? If he's not walking of the Lord if He's not serving the Lord faithfully with all the days of his life. How could be sure that he's really saved Because the Bible tells me he saves that's why He's put his faith on Christ alone. He believes with all his heart And that's all you need Salvation is easy. Thank God for salvation being easy Thank God that God can use people like you and I we aren't much are we really when you think about it Doesn't matter wouldn't have to be much we have the Holy Spirit of God living within us He gives us the words of the gospel the words of eternal life he gives us the courage to open our mouths boldly to preach the gospel and We're able to see sinners saved It's a great story And you know Philip was chosen to be a deacon we we know why this guy was full of the Holy Ghost This guy had a love of preaching the gospel Even when his church has been persecuted in Jerusalem. He's not giving up is he he's like all right. We've been persecuted We've been scattered all right. Let's just continue reaching others with the gospel who cares where we are. That's Philip's attitude. What a great man verse 140 But Philip was founded as a toss So this is where they find him. He's found there like I don't know I can't explain, right? And passing through He preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea All right, so the Holy Spirit drops him off at Azotus Yeah, Azotus. That's like a town near the near the coast, and then he's like okay. Well. I need to make my way to Caesarea Okay, and if you can come with me to come with me to acts 21 very quickly acts 21 You know so on his way to Caesarea, which is I looked it up. It's about if you walk to non-stop It's about a 24-hour walk Okay So it's probably took him a few days to get there because as he's walking through his passing through different towns Different villages different cities and he's preaching the gospel, so he's obviously stopping by making his way there Maybe it took a whole week to get to Caesarea. We don't know But that's almost the end of Philip's story, but then we once again But then we once again we pick up the story of Philip in Acts 21 And look at Acts 21 verse number 8 just very quickly Acts 21 verse number 8 It says and the next day we that were of Paul's company departed and came into Caesarea And we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist which was one of the seven and abode with him So you can see there, you know Acts 21, you know in the future Philip is still in Caesarea Right. He was on his way there in Acts 8. He's still there He's now an evangelist and obviously when we get to Acts 21 We'll compare the differences between an evangelist and a deacon but we can see that Philip definitely started as a deacon But because of the persecution he became an evangelist through that process Anyway, brethren the title for the sermon today was the Ethiopian Eunuch, the Ethiopian Eunuch I hope it's been good for you to hear this and you know Please don't doubt your salvation because of the process by which you believed You know, I mean God knows you're seeking God knew the Ethiopian Eunuch was seeking God sent him Philip, you know I just want to just reinforce if your faith is on Christ alone. You know that for certain you've you've trusted him You know it. I mean, there's you don't need to worry anymore I mean God doesn't want you Concerned and doubting and why but I don't know but there I don't know if this and I don't know What do you mean you know if you believe on Christ? You know if you've trusted him If you don't know if you've believed on Christ, but that's not usually the response People aren't saying to me. I don't know if I believe in Christ often. They're saying to me I just don't know the process doesn't seem to line up with what we see in the Bible. Don't worry All right, you will seek in the Lord the Lord came through Your memory may not be the best God had may have used decades of your life Bit here a little bit there a little bit there some seeds planted here and there maybe you've come across a godly man a preacher Maybe entertain strangers at some point that were spirit-filled believers You don't even remember Maybe you turn on the tv briefly once then you heard a spirit-filled man present the gospel, but you can't even remember these days Don't worry about what process it was Your faith on Christ alone today, then you can know you're saved no matter what so you need to stop doubting Stop doubting. Okay, your faith is on Christ. God promises you everlasting life. You're a child of God. Let's pray