Sunday, June 29, 2008: Gospel Without Borders

Gospel without Borders
Acts 8: 26 – 40.

I. Introduction.

Last year in May, I traveled with a group from Buckner International to Ethiopia. Through this trip, I learned a lot about the ministry needs within Ethiopia. AND, I learned a lot about the proud historical background of Ethiopia.

For instance, I had forgotten that the oldest human skeletal remains were found in Ethiopia and are on display in the Ethiopian National Museum. The skeleton is nicknamed “Lucy,” and is believed to be 3.2 million years old.

Also, did you know there is a significant group of history and archaeology scholars who believe the Ark of the Covenant is hidden in a mountain cave in Ethiopia? Legend has it that the Old Testament story about the Queen of Sheba is actually about the Queen of Ethiopia. The Old Testament tells us that the Queen of Sheba heard about King Solomon’s reputation as a wise and wealthy king. She did not believe the stories she had heard about Solomon, so she travelled to Israel to see for herself. When she arrived, Solomon taught her wonderful things about science and nature and quoted to her from his thousands of Proverbs. Then, Solomon gave her a tour of his treasuries. The Old Testament story ends with the Queen of Sheba returning to her homeland convinced that Solomon was the world’s wisest and wealthiest man.

Ethiopian legend adds more to the story. According to legend, the Queen of Sheba returned to Ethiopia pregnant with Solomon’s son. This son grew to be a king in Ethiopia and eventually returned to Israel to visit Solomon on his deathbed. Before he died, Solomon gave his Ethiopian son a gift—the Ark of the Covenant. He instructed his son to protect the Ark.

Today, there is a mountainous region in Ethiopia where military guards post twenty-four hour guard. They have been protecting this region for hundreds of years, and no one knows why. Some believe this is the final resting place for the Ark of the Covenant.

Another legend about Ethiopia intersects with our biblical story. It is the story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch. Ethiopian legend states that this eunuch returned to Ethiopia and led in a great revival. This revival established the Coptic Church, which continues to be the official religious position of Ethiopia.

Read Acts 8: 26 – 40.

Philip has just finished preaching the great Samaritan Revival. Persecution forced Philip out of Jerusalem, but it could not stop his desire to preach the Gospel. He crossed the city border of Jerusalem; he crossed the national border of Israel; and he crossed the ethnic borders of the Jewish race. He preached the Gospel to anyone who would listen…and to some people who wouldn’t listen.

After what must have been an exceptionally high spiritual moment, Philip heard an unusual command from an angel of God: “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

The best way to describe this road was to use the word “desert.” It was a desert road, because it led through the desert region traditionally known as the Negev. It was a desert road, because at certain times of the day it was deserted. Travelers knew to schedule their travel so they would not travel through the desert during the heat of the day. In the cool of the morning or the shade of the evening, this road would be populated by travelers. But, in the daytime, it would be mostly deserted.

Since Philip encounters a man who is reading the Bible, we have reason to believe this angelic command came to Philip during the daytime. This makes the angel’s words even more unusual. It must have sounded something like…Go to a place where no one wants to go, and go there now—even though it is too hot to be out in the desert.

Even though the Bible does not say this, I am certain Philip was surprised to find the desert road inhabited in the middle of the day. There was a chariot traveling along the desert road carrying a very important passenger. It was a government official from the faraway land of Ethiopia. This man is described as an “important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians.” We might translate this as the Minister of Finance or the Secretary of the Treasury.

This man was traveling home from Jerusalem where he had attended worship. Since the Christian movement had not yet spread beyond Jerusalem and Samaria, it is safe for us to assume that he had been worshipping at the Jewish Temple. However, we cannot assume this man was a Jew. More than likely, this man would have fit into the category of a “God fearer.” He worshipped the God of Judaism but could not become a full Jew because he was a Eunuch. In fact, his status as a Eunuch prevented him even from entering into the Jerusalem Temple. The Hebrew Bible clearly teaches that people with physical defects were not allowed full access to the Temple.

We didn’t laugh when we read this Scripture, but there is an element of humor here. The angel commanded Philip to run alongside the chariot. While running alongside, Philip overheard the man reading from the Old Testament book of Isaiah. I’m sure it must have been difficult for Philip not only to keep up with the horses, but also to speak while he was running. I imagine Philip gasping for air while he was speaking, “Do…You…Under…Stand…What…You…Are…Reading?”

We assume here that Philip got into the chariot. But the most important thing is that Philip used the Scripture from Isaiah to explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was no coincidence that the Ethiopian official was reading one of the classic Old Testament prophecies about Jesus. You and I recognize the significance of Isaiah 53, because it has been interpreted for us by the New Testament and modern-day preachers. The Ethiopian did not understand, because no one had ever told him about Jesus.

Jesus is the “Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus was silent as he stood before his captors. He was led to the cross, where he willingly offered his own life as a sacrifice for our sins. This is the Good News from Isaiah 53. It is Good News that Jesus gave his life so that you and I can be forgiven of our sins. It is Good News that God had planned this from the very beginning of time.

II. Ethiopian Eunuch.

The Ethiopian Eunuch demonstrates the classic characteristics of someone who is seeking after God.

First, he had done everything in his power to overcome the circumstances of his life, and—in the process—had created a pretty good life for himself. He had achieved an important position in the Queen’s palace. He controlled the entire treasury of the Queen and possibly controlled the finances of the entire government. People looked up to him. He was always surrounded by admirers and children who wanted to “grow up to be just like him.” BUT, when he read the Bible he could not understand what he was reading. This tells me that despite all his personal accomplishments, there was still one thing missing…Jesus.

Notice that the only thing the Ethiopian man was missing was Jesus. All Philip had to do to explain Isaiah 53 to the Ethiopian was to explain how the Scripture related to the story of Jesus. When that one missing piece was explained, the Ethiopian’s life was changed.

You and I share life with many people just like the Ethiopian Eunuch. We have friends with good jobs, adequate salaries, decent family life, etc… But they are still missing one thing. None of these earthly things can grant us ultimate meaning in life.

The Ethiopian Eunuch even sought ultimate meaning by attempting to convert to Judaism. He followed all the necessary steps to convert, but still found himself lacking in one area. Despite all his efforts to reach God, he fell short. He was excluded from true fellowship with God. He found what he was searching for, when Philip told him about Jesus. Jesus does not exclude.

You and I know people who are searching for ultimate meaning and might even experiment with other religious traditions. The Christian faith is the only spiritual path which does not exclude anyone on the basis of what they have done. The Christian faith is the only faith that does not ask people to work or achieve their way to a relationship with God. NO. God has already provided a path. All he asks of us is to place our faith in Jesus. It is not about human achievement. It is simply trusting what God has already done.

III. Philip.

The first thing that strikes me as significant about Philip is the way he fulfilled the prediction Jesus made in Acts 1: 8. Jesus told his followers to wait in Jerusalem until they received the gift of the Holy Spirit. Then Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” On one hand, this is a story about how the Gospel spread across all borders and fulfilled the prediction Jesus made. On the other hand, this is a story about how ONE MAN witnessed in all areas Jesus predicted. Philip preached in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the ends of the earth. Philip did not pick one area and say, “God has called me to stay where I am in Jerusalem. God will call other people to go to Samaria and the ends of the earth.” NO! I think Philip demonstrates how every Christian man and woman is supposed to engage the entire world with the Gospel.

Don’t forget that Philip was NOT one of the original twelve Apostles. More than likely, Philip did not have the same privilege of living physically with Jesus. More than likely, Philip became a Christian as a result of hearing the Gospel preached by the Apostles. In other words, Philip is a second-generation Christian—just like you and me. We became followers of Jesus Christ as a result of the Apostles’ testimony in Scripture—just like Philip. If Philip is a second-generation Christian who fulfilled Jesus’ prediction in Acts 1: 8, then it is possible for you and me to do the same thing.

Philip models openness, obedience and a method for sharing our faith with others.

1. Openness…We can make a really good argument that the Ethiopian Eunuch became a Christian because he was in the right place at the right time. But he was not the only one. Philip was also in the right place at the right time. You may be asking God to use you to serve him. But how are you living your life? Are you running away from God weekly or even daily? I realize that you are in church right now. But do you put yourself in places where God speaks on a regular basis? God speaks at church. (Take this as a warning if you don’t want to hear from God. But take it as a matter of fact, if you are willing to be open to what God is calling you to do.)

2. Obedience…Two times, Philip received a command from an angel of the Lord. First, the angel told Philip to go to the desert road. In verse 27, the Bible says, “So, he started out…” Second, the angel told Philip to chase down the chariot. In verse 30, the Bible says, “Then, Philip ran…” In both cases, Philip immediately did what the angel commanded. There was no bickering or arguing…Just obedience. Even when it did not make good sense.

3. Sharing Faith…First, Philip simply asked a question: “Do you understand what you are reading?” He did not get on the chariot with a pre-planned, packaged presentation of the Gospel. He answered the questions on the Ethiopian official’s mind. Philip did not set the agenda. He listened first, then answered a real question. Second, Philip spoke about Jesus. He did not expect the Ethiopian to watch him do good deeds. Good deeds might open the door for us, but we must speak about Jesus. Good deeds are not enough by themselves.

IV. God.

God is the main character in the story. BUT, God does not act in a direct manner. God does everything through three agents: an angel, the Holy Spirit and Philip.

Angel…The angel commanded Philip to go to the road and to chase down the chariot.

Holy Spirit…Do you know what a “coincidence” is? The dictionary definition is “events that happen at the same time by accident but seem to have a connection.”

When I read this story, I find five “coincidences.” (1) Someone was on the road the angel sent Philip to. (2) This person was a “God-fearer” with a foundational understanding of God. (3) This person was reading the Bible. (4) The Scripture passage he was reading was one of the prophecies about Jesus. (5) There was a pool of water in the desert.

I think there are simply too many coincidences for this to be an accident. Someone must have brought all these things together at just the right time. This is evidence of the Holy Spirit.

Philip…God sent Philip into a situation where God was already working. When the Gospel is spread, God is the one working…Not us. We are simply God’s agents.

V. Conclusion.

Can you find yourself in this biblical story?

Perhaps you are the person who has achieved a pretty decent life and the only thing missing is Jesus. You will never find ultimate meaning without Jesus.

Perhaps you need to become more like Philip. I believe God is already working in the lives of your friends and family members. Do you believe that? All God needs is your openness and obedience to tell others about Jesus.