Peace with God

Peace with God

Romans 5: 1 – 11.

Introduction

Peace is an important biblical concept.  For example, the Apostle Paul lists “peace” as Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”  We also encounter “peace” among some of the last words of Jesus to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid (John 14: 27).”

According to Jesus, there is a difference between the “peace” Jesus give us and the “peace” the world gives us.  Perhaps a simple explanation about this difference is to say Jesus’ “peace” is an eternal “peace,” and the “peace” of the world is only temporary.

I can certainly agree with this interpretation that worldly “peace” is only temporary.  In my short lifetime, I can only recall a few times when our nation has experienced “peace.”  I was born during the Vietnam War.  One of my earliest memories is of the American Hostages in Iran.  I remember living in fear during the 1980’s that the Russians would use a nuclear bomb.  I was in college during the first war in Iraq.  I remember numerous peacekeeping missions to countries I had never heard of before.  And, now we are engaged in the War on Terror.

It certainly makes sense that Jesus is describing a lasting and eternal peace which the world cannot provide.  However, it is also possible that Jesus is referring to a different kind of peace.  Jesus’ peace is different in both quantity and quality.

If we believe that Jesus had a thoroughly Jewish upbringing, and if we believe that Jesus spoke primarily in the Aramaic language, then it is entirely possible that Jesus’ understanding of peace comes from the Hebrew word “Shalom.”  We traditionally translate “Shalom” with the English word “peace.”  But, “Shalom” does not mean what we think peace means.  Sometimes we use the word “peace” to refer to the absence of conflict.  Sometimes we use the word “peace” to refer to an internal feeling of calm or quiet.

“Shalom” means much more than the absence of conflict or inner calm.  Instead, it means “wholeness” or “well-being.”  It includes the ideas of having your physical needs met as well as living in harmonious relationship with God, other people and the creation as a whole.  The world cannot give us this kind of peace.  This kind of peace is only possible through the presence of God in our lives.  In other words, true peace is not the absence of conflict…True peace is the presence of God in our lives.

God gives us true peace by establishing a new kind of relationship with himself.  Our new relationship with God is no longer defined by the barrier of sin and the wrath our sin deserves.  Our new relationship with God is source of joy, in that we live in harmony with God, other people and the creation.

Romans 5: 1 – 11.

It is entirely possible that Paul is making a political statement in his reference to “peace with God.”  At the time Paul wrote the Book of Romans, most Roman citizens would acknowledge that they were living in peaceful times.  There were no civil wars going on within the Empire, and there were no external wars with other nations.  However, this peace was made possible through the presence of Roman soldiers in every corner of the Empire.  It was an enforced peace.  People lived in fear of what would happen if they disturbed the peace.

According to Paul, there is a better kind of peace.  This peace was not accomplished by soldiers’ threatening to kill other people.  This peace was accomplished when Jesus gave his own life on the cross.

Our Scripture begins with the word “therefore.”  That tells us this passage is linked to the passage that comes before it.  Romans 5: 1 – 11 is a kind of conclusion to Romans 4.  In Romans 4, Paul uses the story of Abraham from the Old Testament to illustrate the connection between faith and righteousness. 

According to Genesis 15: 6, Abraham believed God and God credited righteousness to Abraham.  Paul uses this verse to teach us that righteousness is not something we earn for ourselves.  Paul says that righteousness does not depend on circumcision or on meticulously keeping all the commandments found in the Old Testament Law.  Instead, righteousness is something God credits to us (or gives us as a free gift of God’s Grace) when we have faith.

Since We Have Been Justified through Faith

You might think that Paul has changed the subject here, since he doesn’t use the word “righteousness.”  Actually he does use it.  “Righteousness” is a noun which means to be in a right relationship with something—either a right relationship with the Old Testament Law or a right relationship with God himself.  The word “Justify” is the verb form of the same word.  To justify something is to put it in a right relationship.

In one sense, “Justify” is a legal term from the courtroom.  A defendant stands before a judge to receive his sentence.  If the judge declares the defendant “not guilty,” he has been justified—placed in a right relationship with the law of the land and a right relationship with society at large.

I think there are a couple of important points about Paul’s notion of “justify.”

It is important to note that this is written in the passive voice.  We do not work our way into a right relationship with God.  No one can be good enough, righteous enough or even religious enough to satisfy what God requires.  Instead, God does the work to make us righteous.  This is an event in the past.  God accomplished the work to make us righteous in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.

It is also important to note that we are justified through faith. On one hand, Paul says we are no different from Abraham.  Abraham was not justified by his ability to keep the Law, because the Law did not exist when God credited Abraham as righteous.  Abraham was not justified by circumcision, because there was no such thing as circumcision when God credited Abraham as righteous.  Abraham was made righteous by God, because Abraham believed God.  On the other hand, Paul tells us there is both an objective and subjective side to being made righteous.

Salvation is an objective and accomplished fact.  When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, he accomplished our salvation.  The crucifixion and resurrection happened one time in history.  It was a complete act of salvation which does not have to be repeated.  In that sense, salvation is an objective fact.  However, there is a subjective side to salvation in that it must be received by individual people through faith.

The person who has been justified through faith experiences peace with God.  This is not peace as the world gives—peace that is a temporary absence of conflict.  This is the peace that only God can give us—peace which is best described as a new kind of relationship with God.  Our relationship with God is no longer defined by the sin that separates us from God and which deserves God’s full wrath.

Since We Have Been Justified by His Blood

Verse 9 is very similar to verse 1.  The only difference is that Paul does not say we have been justified through faith.  Instead, he says we have been justified by the blood of Jesus.  Here, Paul is emphasizing the objective side of salvation.  Our justification has already been accomplished by the blood of Jesus.

“The blood of Jesus” is a reference to the death of Jesus on the cross.  Justification came at a price.  You and I did not have to pay for our salvation.  But, Jesus did pay.  He paid for it with his blood.  Salvation cost Jesus everything he had.  He paid with his life.

For a person like Paul, who grew up in a Jewish household and eventually became a very devout Jew, the word “blood” is a very important word.  In the Old Testament, blood was an important part of both covenant and sacrifice.  When the Jewish people entered into a covenant relationship with God, they sealed their covenants with the blood of animals.  When the Jewish people sought God’s forgiveness for their sins, they found their forgiveness through the sacrifice of blood.  Therefore, Paul wants us to view the crucifixion of Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins.

The Old Testament Law makes it clear that God demands a high ethical standard from his people.  God wants his people to honor God in all of our relationships and even in the ways we live our day to day lives.  The Law addresses the way we behave in worship, the way we relate to our families, the way we relate to our neighbors, and the smallest details of life.  The Old Testament, the New Testament and our experience of life make it clear to us that none of us is capable of living up to God’s standards.  We cannot make ourselves righteous in God’s eyes.  This is why it was necessary for Jesus to give his blood.  His life was a sacrifice to provide forgiveness of our sins and to place us in a right relationship with God.

There is another difference between this section (verses 9 – 11) and the previous section (verses 1 – 5).  In the first section, Paul says that since we have been justified we have peace with God.  In this section, Paul says that since we have been justified we have now received reconciliation. Perhaps we are supposed to understand peace with God and reconciliation as similar concepts.  That would lead us to affirm that peace does not refer to the absence of conflict as much as it refers to a new kind of relationship with God.  We are no longer alienated from God.  Instead, through the death and resurrection of Jesus we have been brought together with God in a reconciled relationship.  This reconciliation is only possible because Jesus has forgiven our sins.

Through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, we have both forgiveness and reconciliation.  For God, there is really no difference between forgiveness and reconciliation.  For you and me, forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same thing.  Forgiveness means to let go.  To let go of the sin someone has committed against you and to refuse to punish them for their sins.  Reconciliation means to restore the relationship.  Sometimes it is enough for us to forgive someone in our lives and never restore the relationship.  But, that was not enough for God.  God went the extra mile and offered us forgiveness of sin and a new and reconciled relationship with himself.

God Demonstrated His Love for Us

Of course, that raises the question about why we needed forgiveness and reconciliation.  Paul has a great answer for this question in the way he described God’s love for us in verses 6 – 9. 

God knows who we are and loves us anyway.  We were not good, righteous, or eve religious.  In fact, Paul used four terms to describe who we are.  Any one of these terms would be bad enough.  But, notice that Paul used them in a way that they get progressively worse.  Jesus died for us because we are Powerless, Ungodly, Sinners, and Enemies of God.

Powerless…Weakness is a part of what it means to be human.  Our bodies and minds are aging.  We are subject to disease, decay and all kinds of suffering.  We cannot solve our own problems.  In particular, we are powerless to fix the sin problem which alienates us from our Holy God. 

Ungodly…Ungodly literally means opposite of God.  We are the opposite of God.  God is the powerful Creator.  We are the powerless creatures.  However, we think we can live independent of God.  This should probably remind us of the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  Satan told them they could be like God if they just ate the fruit God had forbidden.  Paul described the lifestyle of the ungodly in Romans 1: 18 – 32. 

Sinners…There are two types of sinners: those who do not know the Law, and those who know the Law and choose not to obey.  This should remind us of Paul’s words in Romans 3: 23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Paul doesn’t leave us any wiggle room here.  All people are sinners.  We have inherited a sinful nature as human beings.  And, we continue to commit individual sins by breaking God’s Law.

Enemies of God…The word enemy can refer either to a passive enemy who is hated by God or an active enemy who is hostile toward God.  Without any context to help us interpret what Paul means, perhaps we would do well to interpret it as both.  We are actively hostile toward God in the ways we rebel and sin against him.  God is hostile toward our sin, because our sin deserves to experience the wrath of God—just as enemies of the Roman Empire experienced the full wrath of Rome.

Some people may hear this list of terms and think, “I know I am powerless and ungodly, but I don’t really think I am a sinner or an enemy of God.”  Paul is not asking us to choose a few of these terms to describe ourselves.  No.  He says we are all of these things.

When we were enemies of God, God still loved us enough to send his only Son to die for us.  A sacrifice for our sins and a way for us to be reconciled as friends of God.  We are not able to change our status as enemies of God to friends of God.  Only God can change our status.  It is a gift which we receive through faith.

Faith is more than simply acknowledging the truth of the Christian Gospel.  Of course, believing the Gospel is a true story is an important first step of faith.  But faith also involves admitting we are powerless, ungodly, sinners and enemies of God.  Then, trusting in God’s promise to make us righteous…to reconcile us to himself.

Conclusion

Just last week, a US Congressman from California demanded that the Department of the Navy turn over their investigation of the death of US Marine Rafael Peralta. 

Peralta was born in Mexico City and immigrated to San Diego, California as a child.  He became a US citizen and immediately enlisted with the Marine Corps.  He died in combat in Iraq in 2004.

On November 15, 2004, 25 year old Sgt. Peralta was serving as scout team leader in Fallujah, Iraq.  As a part of Operation Phantom Fury, Sgt. Peralta and his team were ordered to clear houses suspected of containing enemy insurgents.  In the fourth house the team cleared that Monday, Sgt. Peralta led his team through two empty rooms on the ground floor.  While entering the third room, Sgt. Peralta was shot several times with AK-47 fire leaving him severely wounded he dropped to the floor, leaving other marines to return fire. 

The insurgents threw a grenade at the Marines, who were unable to exit the room.  Sgt. Peralta, still conscious despite his grave wounds, reached out took the grenade into his chest, and absorbed the explosion killing him instantly – and saving the lives of his team.  For his heroism he was awarded the Navy Cross.  Multiple petitions to have his selfless action recognized by the Medal of Honor are making their way through the military and political systems but have so far been rejected.  Medical examiners have determined that he was dead before the grenade exploded, and was thus unable to pull the grenade into his own body to save his fellow Marines.  (The other Marines insist that they watched him pull the grenade into his own chest to save their lives.)[1] 

Sgt. Peralta is a hero; he gave his life for his friends; and he is one of the reasons why we observe Memorial Day as a nation.

However, Peralta’s death was nothing like the death of Jesus.  Peralta died for his fellow Marines—for his friends.  Jesus died for his enemies.

Dying for your friends might make you a hero…But, Jesus died for us when we were actively hostile toward God.  While we were powerless, ungodly, sinners and enemies of God, Jesus gave his life for us. 

For some people, this is an opportunity to place your faith in the only One who loved you enough to provide a way for you to be forgiven and reconciled.  For others, this is an opportunity to acknowledge how unworthy we are for our Holy God to give his Only Son.

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[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Peralta ; http://militarytimes.com/blogs/battle-rattle/2012/05/18/marine-sgt-rafael-peralta-and-the-medal-of-honor/ ; http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/military/military-hunter-wants-peralta-report/article_d6a75fbc-720f-5094-93b2-4eb8a03f389b.html ; http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/may/17/congressman-hunter-asks-peralta-amendment/

The Best Seat in the House

The Best Seat in the House

Matthew 20: 20 – 28.

Introduction

In honor of Mothers’ Day, I found a couple of stories to help us think of our mothers.

On Mothers’ Day, two children presented their mother with a houseplant as her present.  The mother noticed that her children seemed disappointed to give her a houseplant.  The mother told the children how much she loved the plant.  Finally, the older child confessed, “There was a beautiful flower arrangement we wanted to get you, but it was too expensive.  It had a ribbon that said, ‘Rest in Peace.’  We knew you would love it, since you are always asking for peace so you can rest.”

A school teacher was trying to teach her class about fractions.  She illustrated her lesson by asking one of the boys to apply fractions to a common situation.  “There are five people in your family.  Your mom bakes a pie for your family.  What fraction of the pie will your mother give you?”  The boy answered, “one-fourth.”  The teacher said, “You don’t understand fractions.”  The boy said, “No.  You don’t understand my mother.  She would say that she didn’t want any pie.”

Mothers’ Day is a hard day for me to preach.  It’s hard because there are so many different people and families represented in our church.

 There are families who choose to worship together on Mothers’ Day—with adult children coming home to honor their mothers.  Mothers’ Day is a happy occasion and a time for making life-long memories.  But, these are not the only families here. 

There are also families in our church who are dealing with the grief of losing their mothers in the past year.  This may be the first Mothers’ Day they spend without a mother to call or send a card.  Mothers’ Day can be a sad day.

There might also be people present today who do not have good relationships with their mothers.  Perhaps they were abandoned by their mothers, or they are dealing with a complicated or strained relationship.  Mothers’ Day is just a reminder of heartache and disappointment.

And, then there are some who struggle every Mothers’ Day with their unfulfilled desire to be a mother.  This may be the result of divorce, death of a spouse, or infertility. 

We are different people with different experiences and expectations.  But there is something we can agree on.  We know what makes mothers great.  The greatest mothers are mothers who put the needs and desires of others ahead of their own.  Great mothers are not self-centered.

This is a characteristic Jesus taught his disciples about.  He taught us that whoever wants to be great must first become a servant to others.

Matthew 20: 20 – 28.

There are three moments in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus’ disciples don’t seem to be the sharpest tools in the shed.  Ironically, all three of these moments come immediately after Jesus makes a prediction about his crucifixion and resurrection.  This is one of those moments.

In Matthew 20: 17 – 19, Jesus told his disciples that he was going up to Jerusalem.  Once they got to Jerusalem, Jesus would be betrayed by one of his disciples and handed over to the Jewish authorities.  The Jewish authorities would condemn Jesus and hand him over to the Romans.  The Romans would beat Jesus and crucify him.  But, on the third day, Jesus would rise again.

To you and me, this seems like a clear description of what would happen next to fulfill God’s plan.  But, the disciples did not understand.  Perhaps, they thought Jesus was merely describing the risks he MIGHT face.  Perhaps, they thought it was still possible for Jesus to avoid humiliation and suffering.  Perhaps, they were still thinking Jesus would fulfill their Jewish expectations for what a Messiah was supposed to look like.

The mother of James and John understood that Jesus was the Messiah.  She acknowledged that Jesus would have a prominent position in the Kingdom of God.  She accepted that Jesus would one day be recognized as Lord and King.  However, she didn’t believe Jesus had to face suffering and death before he entered into his glory.

Requesting Greatness

We can’t really blame Mrs. Zebedee.  She was only doing what any mother would do for her sons.  She wanted them to hold the positions of highest honor in the Kingdom of God.  She was asking Jesus to give James and John the best seats in the house.

Her request shows that she believed Jesus would be seated at the head of the table—the position of highest honor.  She wanted her sons to be honored with the number one and two best seats next to the guest of honor.

This was a normal and acceptable request for a mother to make.  There are only two problems.  First, these positions are not Jesus’ positions to give out.  Jesus had not yet been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  And, ultimately, we might just be surprised to see who receives honor in the coming Kingdom of God.  Second, in the context of Jesus’ predictions about his humiliation and death, this was an inappropriate request.

It is interesting to me that Jesus never answers the mother’s request.  Instead, Jesus addresses the two brothers.  We see this in the plural pronouns in verse 22.  Literally, Jesus said, “Ya’ll don’t know what ya’ll are asking.”

It seems the disciples have allowed their worldly ambitions to creep into their Christian discipleship.  In Matthew 19: 28, Jesus told his disciples that they would one day occupy twelve thrones and sit in judgment over the nation of Israel.  And, now they are seeking the very best thrones for themselves.

It is also interesting how the other ten disciples reacted to this inappropriate request.  They did not criticize James’ and John’s mother.  They didn’t try to correct their inappropriate ambition.  Instead, they got mad at James and John for being the first ones to ask Jesus for status positions.  They wanted these positions for themselves and didn’t want James and John to have better access because they asked first.

This led Jesus to speak to all twelve disciples about true greatness.

True Greatness

Jesus describes two opposing views of greatness.  There is the world’s view of greatness.  And there is greatness in the Kingdom of God.

Matthew 20: 25, “Jesus called the together and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.’”

More than likely, Jesus makes his point about worldly greatness by appealing to the Roman Empire as his example.  The Romans took away Israel’s independence and claimed them as a part of the Empire.  They ruled by power and demonstrated their power over the Jewish people through the presence of occupying soldiers. 

The Romans achieved greatness by dominating other people.  They could make anyone in the world do exactly what the Romans wanted them to do.

Matthew 20: 26 – 27, “Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave…”

The Kingdom of God does not have the same values as the rest of the world.  In fact, we can say that in the Kingdom of God there is a reversal of values.  Kingdom values are paradoxical values.

The Kingdom of God is a new kind of community with a new standard for greatness.  Greatness in the Kingdom is measured by service to others.  The greatest of all will be the servant of all.

Of course, this is something that can be abused.  Someone might hear Jesus’ words and adopt a kind of false humility in an attempt to make others think they are super spiritual.  But, that is not what Jesus is teaching us.  Instead, Jesus wants us to live differently from the rest of the world.  As the world wants to dominate other people, Christians are to aspire to serve other people.

The only valid aspiration for Christians is to humble ourselves and meet the needs of others.  We are not to think of ourselves as too good to serve.  No job is too small, and no task too dirty or menial.

Jesus Modeled Greatness

Jesus does not tell us to do something he is not willing to do himself.  We see this in the story of the Last Supper in John 13.  When Jesus and the disciples arrived in the upper room to observe the Passover meal together, there was no one to wash their feet.  This was a job for a slave.  Even the slaves didn’t want to wash someone’s dirty feet.  But, Jesus washed his disciples’ feet.  No job was too small, and no task was too dirty or menial.  Jesus became a slave and washed his disciples’ feet.

In the eyes of the world, what Jesus did was ridiculous.  In the eyes of the Kingdom of God, what Jesus did was a demonstration of greatness.  He was willing to serve the smallest and dirtiest need.

In fact, the very central focus of Jesus’ life and ministry was all about service.  He tells us this and sets himself up as the example of greatness through service in verse 28.

Matthew 20: 28, “just as the Son of man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Does it trouble you that Jesus said he did not come to be served?  If Jesus is the Lord and the King, then we are supposed to serve him.  We should devote our lives to Jesus.

I think there are a couple of ideas at work in what Jesus said.  For example, at the time Jesus said this, it was not yet time for us to serve him.  He had not yet been through the crucifixion and resurrection.  After the resurrection, Jesus is the glorified Lord who is worthy of all worship and honor.  But, for the time being, Jesus was here to serve others.

Another way to interpret Jesus’ words is to look at the specific word that is translated “serve.”  The word for “serve” here is actually the word used other places in the Bible to describe the work of deacons and ministers of the Gospel.  It literally means “to serve food and drink.”  It is the equivalent of our American concept of waiting on tables.

We could interpret Jesus’ words to mean something like…  “I didn’t come to be waited on.  I came to wait on others.”  …  “I didn’t come to have my needs met.  I came to meet the needs of others.”  …  “I didn’t come to be ministered to.  I came to minister to other people.”

If we go back and look at the life of Jesus, we can see this as the way Jesus lived his life.  He never asked others to meet his needs.  Jesus met the needs of others by feeding the hungry, healing the sick and raising the dead.  Jesus even reached beyond the religious and national boundaries of Israel by meeting the needs of Gentiles and people who were not considered “good Jews.” 

Jesus modeled service in his life…and in his death.

Verse 28 is Jesus’ clearest expression that he understood his death as a part of God’s plan.  Jesus predicted the way he would die three times.  But, this is the only time he predicted the reason he would die.  Jesus was a willing participant in God’s plan to make salvation available to many.

When Jesus told us his death was a ransom, he is telling us something very important.  First, Jesus’ death was no meaningless accident.  It had a purpose.  Second, the word “ransom” was normally associated with First Century slave trade.  A ransom was the amount of money paid to purchase freedom for a slave.  Sometimes, a slave would pay his or her own ransom to purchase their own freedom.  Other times, a benefactor would pay the price so the slave could have his or her freedom.

 I think we can press the image of ransom too far by trying to figure out who received the ransom payment.  Did Jesus give his life as a ransom payable to God?  Or did Jesus give his life as a ransom payable to Satan?  This is just an image Jesus used to show us that he gave his life to provide for our freedom…freedom from sin; freedom from the consequences of sin; freedom from death; and freedom from eternal Hell.

Conclusion

If we look back at the life of Jesus, we can see that Jesus looked for people in need.  Then, Jesus met those needs.  Feeding the hungry, healing the sick, raising the dead…even washing the disciples’ feet.

If we look back at the death of Jesus, we can see the same principle at work.  Jesus was sent from his Father to meet the world’s greatest need.  We were separated from God by our sin nature and the individual sins we commit.  We were slaves to our sin nature and the consequences of our sins.  Jesus paid the price to set us free.

This is what true greatness looks like.  Searching for the greatest needs and meeting those needs.  That is what makes a great Messiah…a great mother…a great disciple.

Divine Appointments

Acts 8: 26 – 40.

Introduction.

I had an interesting conversation with a Catholic priest when I was pastor in Canton, Mississippi.  In Canton, there was a trailer park located next to a large chicken plant.  The trailer park was filled with Hispanic men, who had come to the United States looking for work.  Most of them had left their wives and children in Mexico and Central America.  They were hoping to save enough money that eventually their families could join them.

I saw this as an opportunity to do mission work in our community and started talking to our church and state convention about starting a Spanish church in our town.  This is when the Catholic priest came to visit me.  He sat down in my office and told me that he would be supportive of any ministry our church wanted to do in the Hispanic community.  However, he was opposed to starting a Baptist church.  In his view, starting a Baptist church was pulling these people away from the Catholic church.  He assumed that all Hispanic people were Catholics, as if people are born with their religious affiliation intact. 

As I think about this view, a couple of things come to mind.  First, one of my seminary professors once said, “Just because you were born in the kitchen doesn’t make you a biscuit.”  Faith is not something you receive from your parents through biology.  No one inherits faith (or salvation) from their parents or grandparents.  Salvation is by Grace alone.  It is a gift from God, which each of us receives by faith alone.  God offers salvation to individual people and holds us individually responsible for receiving or not receiving God’s Grace.

The second problem with this view is that it is based on a false assumption.  It assumes the Gospel spreads through biological reproduction.  If Christians have Christian children and non-Christians have non-Christian children, Christianity grows as long as Christians have more children than non-Christians.  While it is true that a child born to Christian parents is more likely to hear the Gospel and accept God gift of salvation, this is not a biblical idea.  The Bible never tells us to grow the Christian faith by having more children.  And, the Bible certainly does not tell us that children born to Christian parents are automatically saved.

Of course, biology is not the only false assumption about the growth of Christianity.  Other people assume the Christian faith grows through politics.  The first time this happened was when Constantine was the Roman Emperor.  Constantine converted to Christianity so God would be on his side in battle.  In AD 313, Constantine ended the Roman persecution of Christians.  He later founded the city of Constantinople as a Christian city. To be a citizen of Constantinople was the same as being a Christian.  It also happened in the history of England.  As the kings of England changed, so did the religious affiliation of the nation, often alternating between Catholic and Protestant.  Each time, the entire nation was converted.

There is even an embarrassing moment in Christian history when people assumed they could spread the Christian faith through military crusades.

None of these false assumptions represent God’s plan for spreading the Christian faith.  We can discover God’s plan by reading about the way Christianity spread around the world in the Book of Acts.  Christianity started with a church of 120 believers.  Then, little by little and person by person, the Christian faith spread around the world.

I believe Acts teaches us that it is God’s plan for the church to reach the world, one person at a time.  If the church is God’s plan to reach the world, then we have work to do.

Acts 8: 26 – 40.

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road-- the desert road-- that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza."

27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,

28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet.

29 The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."

30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.

31 "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "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.

33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."

34 The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?"

35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?"

38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

(NIV)

The story of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch is a story of a Divine Appointment.  God is the only One capable of putting this story together.

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.

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.  Religion Excludes.  Jesus Includes.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.  It was a Divine Appointment.

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.

Conclusion.

One of the remarkable aspects of this story is the way it demonstrates God’s commitment to accomplish God’s own plans for spreading the Christian faith.  God gave Philip the command to share the Gospel.  Then, God directed the events in Philip’s life to accomplish God’s mission.

Since we believe that God’s mission has not changed, we should also recognize that God is still arranging Divine Appointments for us to share our faith with others.  You may never hear an audible voice telling you to go to a road in the middle of a desert.  But, if you are open you will feel God’s call to reach out to someone in your life.  It might be someone at your work or school.  It might be your friend, your family or your neighbor.  It might even be a stranger sitting next to you on an airplane.

Sometimes, we miss these Divine Appointments, because we are not listening to God’s call.  What would happen if we started praying for God to show us the Divine Appointments in our lives?

Other times, we miss Divine Appointments, because we are too self-centered.  God loves people and brings people into our lives to encounter the Gospel.  If all we ever think about is our own wants and needs and convenience, we will never share the Gospel with others.