Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction (40min - 5)

The real question is why is this story in Scripture why this story of all stories?

What does it teach us today how can it build this up?

How can this passage “equip us for every good work?”

Two fundamental truths underlying this entire passage:

Salvation belongs to the Lord.

[9] But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay.

Salvation belongs to the LORD!”

Our pride - WE don’t get anyone saved

Our fears -

(Putman)

2. God uses people to save people.

God uses people to save people.

“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip. .

.”

[9] But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay.

Salvation belongs to the LORD!” (ESV)

The Spirit is specifically stated and is the guiding Agent in the entire event; however, we do not see him directly interacting with the Ethiopian but with Philip

will sacrifice to you;

[9] But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay.

Salvation belongs to the LORD!”

what I have vowed I will pay.

(Driscoll and Greear)

Salvation belongs to the LORD!” (ESV)

Since salvation is God’s work from beginning to end, we have no:

Pride - WE don’t get anyone saved

Fears - Success in evangelism (from our perspective) is faithfulness.

Excuses

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

This is a desert place.

27 And he rose and went.

And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure.

He had come to Jerusalem to worship

28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”

30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”

And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:

“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter

and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he opens not his mouth.

33  In his humiliation justice was denied him.

Who can describe his generation?

For his life is taken away from the earth.”

34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

When we last saw Philip he was in the middle of a huge revival in Samaria.

The gospel is spreading beyond Jerusalem just as Jesus had said it would and is now spreading to Samaria in large part because of the persecution that began after the stoning of Stephen.

One pastor notes how Peter and John are called in to

39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

(35-8)

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

This is a desert place.

We would expect Philip to continue north into Galilee, but the angel tells him to go south, back through Jerusalem and into Gaza

Gaza - desert town - Philistine town - more than 150 miles

angel said Rise and Go and look at what Philip did. . .

27 And he rose and went.

And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure.

He had come to Jerusalem to worship

Ethiopia - not the country of Ethiopia today. . .

South of the Nile - huge area

eunuch - (How would you like that on a job description?)

Pastor Tom will have a study on that in his Bible class next Sunday

‘Court official,’ ‘in charge of her treasure’ - important guy

‘come to Jerusalem to worship’ - not sure how he came to know about God of the Jews -

Ethiopians worshipped all sorts of gods - must have been serious as trip was more than 1200 miles

Could not have been a full Jewish convert because he was a eunuch and couldn’t be circumcised- no matter how much he wanted to be a part of the Jews he would only be allowed into the outer court

28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

When I think of chariot I think of Ben Hur, but chariot was not military vehicle - luxurious vehicle with driver

five month voyage

reading Isaiah - perhaps a scroll he bought while in Jerusalem

Put all this together and you see. . .

The Spirit prepares the people and places necessary for salvation.

(26-28)

God had obviously been at work in the eunuch’s life for some time

The Spirit is the only one who could have orchestrated all that would have been necessary to prepare:

The events that led to the eunuch knowing about the Jewish God

his ‘boss’ giving significant time off to go to Jerusalem

he is reading Isaiah

at when Philip meets him

even the water in the desert at the time that the eunuch wanted to be baptized.

It would be harder to believe in coincidence in this situation than to believe that a personal and loving God orchestrated it.

even the water in the desert at the time that the eunuch wanted to be baptized.

Not only did God prepare the Ethiopian to hear the gospel, he also prepared Philip to deliver it.

must have been confusing for Philip

big revival happening in Samaria and now God said go in opposite direction to desert

There doesn’t seem to be any hesitation betwen the command to rise and go and his rising and going.

Philip had gotten to know how the Spirit works and is willing to trust him

God had prepared Philip to evangelize a dark-skinned eunuch from a pagan nation while he was travelling through a Philistine city

Henry Blackaby makes this point when he says, “Right now, God is working all around you.” then says, "Watch to see where God is working and join Him in His work."

None of the rest of this scenario works if Philip hadn’t been living a prepared life.

Not perfect or having all the answers but ready and willing.

Nothing happens by accident or coincidence.

God is sovereign and all history is moving and shifting toward its intended end where all the world will have heard the gospel and Jesus will return.

(27-8)

29And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”

Don’t you wish you knew HOW the Spirit ‘said’?

Acts 10:19

19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.

Acts 13:2

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .