THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT

PROGRAM AIR DATE: 6-10-18



LESSON TITLE: “THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH”



WELCOME

TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES, WE ARE TOLD “FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD.” IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST, RAY SULLINS.WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE YOU WITH US TODAY FOR THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM. WHAT A WONDROUS LORD’S DAY MORNING IT IS.

GOOD MORNING! THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY FOR THE LIVING WORD. I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT WEEK. AND I HOPE YOU ARE READY TO BEGIN THIS NEW WEEK WITH A DAY OF SERVICE AND OFFERING TO YOUR GOD. AS ALWAYS, IT IS OUR COMMITMENT THROUGH THIS PROGRAM TO PROCLAIM THE SIMPLE TRUTH OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST WHICH IS CONFIRMED FOR US IN THE BIBLE. I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE YOUR BIBLE’S HANDY AND I HOPE YOU ARE READY TO WORSHIP GOD TOGETHER AS WE SING PRAISES TO HIS NAME AND STUDY FROM HIS WONDROUS WORD. NOW LET’S BEGIN BY TALKING TO OUR FATHER IN PRAYER!

PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS DAY AND THE GREAT BLESSING OF LIFE, THE GREAT PRIVILEGE THAT WE HAVE TO BE CALLED YOUR CHILDREN AND TO BE SERVANTS IN YOUR KINGDOM. AND HELP US TO EVERYDAY SHINE AS LIGHTS IN THIS WORLD THAT OTHERS MIGHT KNOW YOU THROUGH US THAT THEY MIGHT LEARN OF YOUR WILL, THAT THEY MIGHT OBEY YOUR SON, AND THAT THEY MIGHT FIND ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH YOUR GRACE, LOVE, AND MERCY. AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF JESUS WHICH MAKES ALL OF THESE THINGS POSSIBLE. FATHER, WE ALSO ASK THIS DAY THAT YOU HELP US IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH TO GIVE YOU OUR VERY BEST AS WE LIFT UP YOUR NAME AND AS WE WORSHIP YOU. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.

WE WANT TO BEGIN OUR SONGS OF PRAISE THIS MORNING BY SINGING A HYMN WHICH REMINDS US THAT GOD IS EVERY WITH US AS OUR PERFECT PROTECTOR AND GUIDE! SO, AT THIS TIME WON’T YOU JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AS WE TOGETHER SING, “HIDE ME, ROCK OF AGES.”



DAILY DEVOTIONALS

MOST OF US HAVE BROTHERS OR SISTERS! IF NOT, AT LEAST WE HAVE LIVED IN HOUSEHOLDS WHILE GROWING UP, WHERE A FAMILY LEARNS TO LIVE TOGETHER AND SHARE THE THINGS THEY HAVE. AT TIMES, ALL OF US HAVE JUST THOUGHT, “I WISH I COULD HAVE MY OWN ROOM, OR MY OWN BATHROOM, OR MAYBE EVEN MY OWN APARTMENT OR HOUSE.” THIS SOUNDS GREAT ON THE SURFACE, BUT SOMETIMES WE DON’T ALWAYS THINK THROUGH THE THINGS WE ASK FOR. WHY DO I SAY THIS? BECAUSE NO ONE LIKES TO BE ALONE! WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU FELT ALONE OR WERE LONELY? NOBODY LIKES TO BE ALONE, AT LEAST ALL OF THE TIME. HOW MANY OF US LIKE TO GO OUT TO A RESTAURANT AND EAT ALONE? HOW MANY OF US WANT TO GO TO THE GAME AND SIT ALONE WITH NO ONE TO TALK TO OR TO VISIT WITH? HOW MANY OF US REALLY BELIEVE WE WOULD BE HAPPY AND CONTENT TO JUST BE BY OURSELVES ALL OF THE TIME?

IMAGINE BEING STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND. YOU MAY HAVE BEEN ASKED BEFORE WHAT WOULD BE THE ONE THING YOU WOULD WANT IF YOU WERE STRANDED ALONE? SOME MIGHT SAY CABLE TELEVISION, SOME MIGHT SAY A RADIO, BUT MOST, WITH SERIOUS THOUGHT WOULD SAY - COMPANIONSHIP! WHY? BECAUSE NO ONE LIKES TO BE ALONE!

GOD REALIZED THIS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF HIS CREATION. IN GEN. 2:18, AFTER CREATING MAN, GOD SAID, “IT IS NOT GOOD THAT MAN SHOULD BE ALONE; I WILL MAKE HIM A HELPER COMPARABLE TO HIM.” BECAUSE OF THIS, VERSE 19 SAYS THAT GOD MADE A WOMAN OUT OF A RIB FROM THE MAN. EVEN OUR CREATOR REALIZED THAT MANKIND NEEDS COMPANIONSHIP.

WE MUST ALSO REALIZE WHERE WE CAN FIND THE GREATEST COMPANIONSHIP, THAT IS IN JESUS CHRIST. IN MATT. 28:20, JESUS SAID “LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, EVEN TO THE END OF THE AGE.” HERE WE SEE THAT GOD IS WITH US FOREVER, WITHOUT END. HOW ENCOURAGING IT IS TO REALIZE THAT NOT ONLY IS JESUS WITH US, BUT HE WILL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR US FOREVER. THE WORD ALWAYS HELPS US TO REALIZE THIS POINT OF OUR DISCUSSION. GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US, AT EVERY MOMENT. HOW LONG? FOREVER. WHAT OTHER COMPANION OF OURS PROMISES THIS? WE HAVE A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF GOD’S COMPANIONSHIP IN JOSHUA 1:9. THERE JOSHUA SAID, “HAVE I NOT COMMANDED YOU? BE STRONG AND OF GOOD COURAGE; DO NOT BE AFRAID, NOR BE DISMAYED, FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO.” NOW WE ADD THE IDEAS THAT GOD IS WITH US EVERYWHERE WE GO. BECAUSE OF THIS JOSHUA SAID WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OR DISMAYED, BUT WE SHOULD BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS.

I HOPE WE ARE STARTING TO REALIZE WHAT THE LORD’S COMPANIONSHIP MEANS TO US. IN PSALM 139, KING DAVID PUT IT THIS WAY, “WHERE CAN I GO FROM YOUR SPIRIT? OR WHERE CAN I FLEE FROM YOUR PRESENCE…?” HERE WE SEE THAT DAVID ELOQUENTLY HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD IS WITH US ALL THE TIME. HE FURTHER HELPS US TO REALIZE THAT WHILE GOD IS WITH US HE IS CARING FOR US. THAT’S WHY WE ARE TOLD TO CAST OUR CARES ON HIM, BECAUSE HE TRULY CARES FOR US. THAT IS HOW HE CAN HELP US SO MUCH, BECAUSE HE IS ALWAYS WITH US.

OUR SPECIFIC TOPIC OF STUDY TODAY WILL BE, “THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH,” AS WE CONTINUE TO CONSIDER THE SERIES WHICH ASKS THE QUESTION, “WHAT SHALL WE DO.” SO, PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US THIS MORNING, I WILL RETURN WITH THIS STUDY FROM GOD’S WORD. THE NAME OF OUR NEXT HYMN, “I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS!”



LESSON

RAY SULLINS

WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'VE CONTINUED WITH US THIS DAY AND GOD HAS BLESSED US TO BE TOGETHER AND CERTAINLY WE'RE THANKFUL THAT YOU NOW ARE INTERESTED IN THE THINGS OF GOD AS WE LOOK TO THE WORD OF GOD. AND IT IS CERTAINLY FAMILIAR TO MANY OF YOU AS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING TOGETHER AT THE WORD OF GOD FOR MANY YEARS TOGETHER. BUT IN THIS SPECIFIC SERIES HOW NOW FOR SEVERAL WEEKS WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT DIFFERENT, REALLY RESPONSES, TO THE IDEA OF WHAT MUST WE DO. THIS WAS A QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED THROUGHOUT THE NEW TESTAMENT BUT SPECIFICALLY IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, HAVING SEEN THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH IN ACTS CHAPTER 2 AND THEN HAVING MANY CONVERSIONS THROUGHOUT THAT BOOK, WE CAN LOOK TO THAT BOOK AND WE CAN FIND OUT WHAT WAS IT, NOT ONLY THAT PEOPLE ASKED, BUT WHAT WAS THE ANSWER? WHAT DID THEY DO IN ORDER TO BECOME CHRISTIANS? AND SO TOGETHER WE'VE LOOKED AT THE DAY OF PENTECOST. WE'VE SEEN THOSE ON THAT DAY WHO WERE TOLD TO REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED. AND THAT DAY OVER 3000 SOULS WERE ADDED TO THE CHURCH, THERE AS ACTS 2:47 TELLS US. WE HAVE ALSO STUDIED THERE FROM CHAPTER 8 AROUND THERE THE EARLIER PART OF THAT TEXT CONCERNING SIMON THE SORCERER AND HOW THAT HE HIMSELF ALSO REPENTED AFTER CONFESSING JESUS AND WAS BAPTIZED. AND THEN HE WAS SOMEONE WHO ACTUALLY HAD TO REPENT VERY EARLY ON IN HIS CHRISTIAN WALK BECAUSE HIS DESIRE WAS TO BUY THE GIFTS, THE POWER NOT ONLY TO DO MIRACLES BUT ALSO AS YOU MIGHT RECALL HE WANTED TO HAVE THE POWER TO GIVE PEOPLE THE POWER TO DO MIRACLES. AND OF COURSE HE WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT PROPER! AND HE DID ASK FOR PRAYER AND REPENTED OF THAT IMPROPER SPIRIT.

AND SO TODAY WE CONTINUE IN ACTS CHAPTER 8 WITH THE STORY OF THE EUNUCH. AND THE EUNUCH IS AN INTERESTING STORY BECAUSE HE IS A MAN WHO WOULD NOT HAVE NORMALLY BEEN CONSIDERED TO BE A FOLLOWER OF THE OLD WAYS OF JUDAISM. BUT NONETHELESS HE HAD BECOME A PROSELYTE. HE HAD BECOME FAITHFUL TO THE JEWISH FAITH AND ALTHOUGH HE LIVED IN ETHIOPIA, THE VERSES TELL US THAT HE HAD ACTUALLY TRAVELED TO JERUSALEM TO WORSHIP GOD. WHY? THE TEMPLE WAS IN JERUSALEM AND HE WAS MAKING MOST LIKELY HIS YEARLY PILGRIMAGE THERE AS ONE WHO HAD MEANS TO WORSHIP HIS GOD. AND WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE IT TELLS US THERE IN VERSE 27 THAT PHILIP HAD AROSE AND BEHOLD A MAN OF ETHIOPIA, A EUNUCH OF GREAT AUTHORITY UNDER CANDACE THE QUEEN OF THE ETHIOPIANS WHO HAD CHARGE OF HER TREASURY AND HAD COME TO WORSHIP TO JERUSALEM RATHER TO WORSHIP. WHO WAS THIS MAN? AN IMPORTANT MAN, HE WAS SOMEONE OF AUTHORITY. A EUNUCH, A MAN WHO CERTAINLY WOULD NEVER BE MARRIED OR KNOW A WOMAN, BUT A MAN WHO BECAUSE OF, MOST LIKELY THAT POSITION HE HAD BEEN GIVEN, HAD REALLY RECEIVED THAT TO FOCUS FULLY ON WHAT? THE QUEEN'S TREASURY. HIS ONLY INTEREST WAS TO CARE FOR WHAT THE QUEEN OF ETHIOPIA HAD. AND HE THEREFORE WAS THE TREASURER OF THE RESULT OF HIGH STATURE. NO DOUBT OF HIGH WEALTH HIMSELF. HE IS IN A CHARIOT AS YOU MIGHT NOTICE AS HE TRAVELS TO JERUSALEM TO WORSHIP.

SO NOW HE IS RETURNING AND THERE IN VERSE 26 AND VERSE 28 WE SEE THE HOLY SPIRIT FIRST LEADS PHILIP TO THIS AREA. THE SAME PHILIP THAT WE'VE SEEN EARLIER IN CHAPTER 8 WHO WAS OUT PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST AND THE SAME PHILIP WHO IS TOLD THERE IN VERSE 28 TO GO TO A CHARIOT. WHY? THAT HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP, IN VERSE 29, THIS INDIVIDUAL TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. AND WHAT WAS THE QUESTION REALLY THAT WAS BEING CONSIDERED? WELL, IF YOU LOOK THERE IN VERSE 28 AGAIN WHAT YOU FIND IS THAT HE WAS SITTING IN THE CHARIOT AND HE WAS ACTUALLY READING FROM THE PROPHET ISAIAH. A MAN THAT WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO AN ACTUAL SCROLL THAT CONTAINED EITHER ALL OR A PORTION OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. THIS AGAIN SHOWS US THE STATURE OF THE MAN, THE WEALTH OF THE MAN, THE POSITION OF THE MAN TO HAVE SUCH A SITUATION WHERE HE CAN DO THAT. AND SO THE SPIRIT AGAIN IN VERSE 29 TELLS PHILIP TO GO AND ENGAGE THE EUNUCH ON THE CHARIOT. AND SO HE RUNS TO THE CHARIOT IN VERSE 30, IT SAYS THERE THAT HE HEARS HIM READING THE PROPHET ISAIAH AND THEN HE ASKED THE EUNUCH A QUESTION. HE SAYS, “‘DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE READING?’” AND THEN THE EUNICH SAYS IN VERSE 31, “‘HOW CAN I UNLESS SOMEONE SHOULD GUIDE ME? AND SO PHILIP WAS INVITED TO COME UP AND TO SIT WITH HIM.

NOW, IF YOU PUT ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE PUZZLE TOGETHER IT'S EXCITING BECAUSE WHAT IS THE EUNUCH DOING? HE BY THE OLD LAW IS READING FROM THE GREAT PROPHET ISAIAH. HE IS TRYING TO BE DILIGENT IN HIS WORSHIP TO GOD BECAUSE HE'S TRAVELED TO JERUSALEM AND HE IS NOW RETURNING HOME AND HE STILL IS EAGER IN STUDYING THE MESSAGE, THE WORD OF GOD BY READING THE PROPHET ISAIAH. AND NOW HE IS NOT SURE WHAT ISAIAH IS TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE HE'S REALLY CONFUSED. HE FEELS LIKE WHAT HE IS READING PERHAPS COULD BE ABOUT THE PROPHET OR ANOTHER MAN. IN FACT, IN VERSE 34 YOU MIGHT NOTICE THE EUNUCH ACTUALLY ASKS PHILIP AND SAYS, “‘I ASK YOU, OF WHOM DOES THIS PROPHET SAY THESE THINGS, OF HIMSELF OR SOME OTHER MAN?’” AND SO WHAT WAS IT THAT THE PROPHET WAS SAYING? WELL IT IS FROM ISAIAH 53 BUT THERE IN VERSES 32 AND VERSE 33 OF ACTS CHAPTER 8 IT GIVES US A QUOTE ABOUT A LAMB. ONE THAT WAS A SHEEP LED TO THE SLAUGHTER, A LAMB SILENCED BEFORE THE SHEAR SO AS TO NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH. AND YOU AND I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT PASSAGE IS TALKING ABOUT US CHRISTIANS IS TALKING ABOUT THE COMING OF JESUS THE LAMB OF GOD AS WELL AS THE ONE WHO WOULD SUFFER AT THE HANDS OF NOT ONLY THE JEWS BUT THE JEWISH LEADERS AND THE ROMAN SOLDIERS THAT EVENTUALLY PUT HIM TO DEATH THERE ON THE CROSS. AND SO WHAT DID HE DO? HE SUFFERED. AND SO THE EUNUCH SAYS, ‘I AM READING OF THIS PROPHECY, SOMETHING TO COME, BUT IS THIS MAN ISAIAH SPEAKING OF THINGS THAT WERE GOING TO HAPPEN TO HIM OR TO SOMEONE ELSE?’ AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE REACTION OF PHILIP WAS? LOOK AT VERSE 35 THERE, “PHILIP OPENED HIS MOUTH,” AND BEGAN TO PREACH TO HIM. AND WHAT DID HE PREACH TO HIM? “BEGINNING AT THE SAME SCRIPTURE, HE PREACHED JESUS TO HIM.” WHO WAS IT THAT PHILIP TOLD THE EUNUCH HE WAS READING ABOUT? THE MESSIAH.

HERE IS A MAN, A PROSELYTE, A JEWISH PROSELYTE COMING FROM ANOTHER NATION BUT YET BELIEVING AND FOLLOWING THE WAYS OF JUDAISM. AND NOW WHAT HAS HE LEARNED? THAT MESSIAH THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT, THAT ONE THAT YOU'VE READ ABOUT THIS IS THE ONE YOU'RE READING ABOUT, THAT ONE TO COME WHO IS GOING TO SAVE ALL NATIONS, ALL PEOPLES. DON'T YOU KNOW THAT WOULD'VE BEEN EXCITING TO AN ETHIOPIAN. HERE HE HAS BEEN FOLLOWING A GOD WHO REALLY HAS A SPECIFIC PEOPLE; THE JEWS. BUT NOW THERE'S GOING TO BE A MESSIAH THAT IS GOING TO DO WHAT? OPEN UP THE DOOR FOR ALL NATIONS! EVEN HIS FULL NATION ETHIOPIA. TO ME, THIS WOULD'VE BEEN A VERY EXCITING THING FOR HIM TO HEAR. AND AS HE IS HEARING THE MESSAGE OF JESUS AND THE THINGS PREACHED, IT WASN'T STRANGE BECAUSE EARLIER IN ACTS CHAPTER 8, WHAT DO WE SEE THAT PHILIP HAD ALREADY BEEN DOING? BACK IN VERSE FIVE OF CHAPTER HE HAD ALREADY BEEN PREACHING CHRIST TO THOSE IN SAMARIA. AND IF WE DROP DOWN TO EVEN THE SORCERER AS WE SAW LAST WEEK, IT SAYS THAT PHILIP IN VERSE 12 WAS PREACHING THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THE NAME OF JESUS. SO HE WAS TELLING HIM ABOUT JESUS AND THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM AND THE COMING OF THE CHURCH AND HOW THAT THROUGH THE SHEDDING OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS THAT THE CHURCH WOULD BE PURCHASED AND THEN PEOPLE OF ALL NATIONS, ALL PEOPLES COULD FLOW TO IT EXACTLY AS PROPHECY INDICATES. BECAUSE THE MESSIAH WAS COMING TO SAVE ALL OF MANKIND!

NOW I WANT YOU TO NOTICE AS HE HEARS ABOUT JESUS AND THE KINGDOM AND NO DOUBT SIN BECAUSE WHAT DOES THE IDEA OF THE LAMB LED TO THE SLAUGHTER, WHY DID JESUS DIE TO SHED HIS BLOOD? NOT ONLY TO PURCHASE THE CHURCH BUT FOR FORGIVENESS OF SINS AS WE HAVE SEEN NOW FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. AND SO WHAT IS IT THAT THE EUNUCH UNDERSTANDS? I HAVE SIN. I'M IN NEED OF A SAVIOR. I NEED TO OVERCOME SIN. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DO. AS SO AS THEY'RE GOING ALONG AND HE'S BEEN PREACHING JESUS WHAT IS THE EUNICH'S QUESTION? VERSE 36 SAYS, OF ALL THE QUESTIONS, HE SAYS AND, “AS THEY WENT DOWN THE ROAD, THEY CAME TO SOME WATER. AND THE EUNUCH SAID, ‘SEE, HERE IS WATER. WHAT HINDERS ME TO BE BAPTIZED?’” WELL, YOU SEE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT HE COULD ASK, ‘I'M READY TO PRAY THE SINNERS PRAYER.’ THAT'S NOT WHAT HE SAID. ‘I'M READY TO ACCEPT JESUS AS MY SAVIOR.’ NO THAT'S NOT WHAT HE SAID. ‘OH I'M READY TO SIMPLY BELIEVE IN GOD AND I'M GONNA BE SAVED.’ THAT'S NOT WHAT HE SAID. HE WAS GOING ALONG AND PHILIP PREACHING JESUS IN THE KINGDOM, THE THING THAT HE RESPONDS AND ASKS IS, ‘HERE IS WATER. WHAT KEEPS ME FROM BEING BAPTIZED?’ NOW WHAT DOES THAT TELL US ABOUT WHAT PHILIP PREACHED? HE HAD TO HAVE PREACHED BAPTISM BECAUSE THE EUNUCH UNDERSTOOD THE NEED TO BE WHAT? BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF WHO? JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? HE ALREADY UNDERSTOOD THE DEATH OF THE LAMB, THE SHEDDING OF THE BLOOD AND THE NEED FOR REPENTANCE. SO CERTAINLY HE HAD TO BE WILLING TO REPENT AND TURN AWAY FROM SIN TO FOLLOW JESUS. BUT HE ALSO WAS TOLD BY PHILIP IN VERSE 37, “‘IF YOU BELIEVE WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART, YOU MAY.’” IF YOU'RE A BELIEVER. AND SO WHAT DOES THE EUNUCH DO? HE MAKES THE CONFESSION! CONFESSION IS MADE WITH A MOUTH UNTO SALVATION, ROMANS 10:9 AND 10. THE EUNUCH SAYS I BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD. WELL, YOU SEE THERE HE WAS WILLING TO CONFESS THE NAME OF JESUS PROVING HIS BELIEF AND TO TURN AWAY FROM SIN KNOWING THAT JESUS HAD THE ABILITY TO WASH AWAY HIS SINS AS WE READ THERE IN ACTS 22:16.

BUT NOW I WANT YOU TO NOTICE WITH ME WHAT THEY DID. IMMEDIATELY THEY STOP THE CHARIOT AT THE WATER. THEY GO DOWN WHAT? BOTH INTO THE WATER, VERSE 38. AND PHILIP BAPTIZES HIM. WHY DID THEY BOTH NEED TO GO INTO THE WATER IF THEY WERE SIMPLY GOING TO POUR WATER ON THE EUNUCH? WOULD THE EUNICH NOT HAVE HAD WATER IN THE CHARIOT? WOULD THEY HAVE NOT HAVE HAD SOMETHING TO SPRINKLE? WHAT IS BAPTISM. THE ORIGINAL GREEK WORD THAT BAPTIZO MEANS AN IMMERSION OR A BURIAL. IT DOESN'T MEAN A SPRINKLING OR A POURING. AND SO THE REASON THEY WENT DOWN INTO THE WATER AFTER HE HAD CONFESSED AND DETERMINED TO REPENT OF SIN IS THAT HE HAD TO BE BURIED IN WATER. HE HAD TO DIE IN THE GRAVE OF WATER AS JESUS DIED AND WAS BURIED. AND HE HAD TO RISE A NEW CREATION AS JESUS ROSE FROM THE GRAVE. READ ROMANS CHAPTER 6 LATER AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE FIRST SIX VERSES. THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF BAPTISM. IT IS THE CULMINATION OF REALLY THE HEART OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS DETERMINED THAT I WILL FULLY SUBMIT TO GOD IN HEART, IN WORD, AND NOW ACTION. AND I'LL DIE OF THAT OLD MAN AND I'LL LEAVE HIM IN THE WATERY GRAVE AND THEN I'LL RISE TO BE THAT NEW CREATION OF GOD AND THEREFORE FOLLOW THE SPIRIT.

AND WHAT DO YOU SEE THAT HAPPENS HERE? IN THE VERY NEXT VERSE IT SAYS THAT WHEN THEY CAME UP OUT OF THE WATER, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAUGHT AWAY PHILIP AND THE EUNUCH WENT ON HIS WAY REJOICING. OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW THAT IF WE AS WELL WILL CONFESS THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST WITH OUR MOUTH. IF WE AS WELL REPENT OF OUR SINS KNOWING THAT THE BLOOD OF JESUS WAS SHED FOR THAT PURPOSE THAT WE MIGHT HAVE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. AS WE AS WELL MIGHT UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THAT BLOOD WAS SHED THAT THE CHURCH WAS PURCHASED AND WHEN I OBEY GOD I'LL BE AT THAT CHURCH. AND THEN FINALLY IF I WILL BE BAPTIZED IN A WATERY GRAVE TO SYMBOLIZE THE DEATH, THE BURIAL, AND THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST THEN AND ONLY THEN CAN I BE ADDED BY GOD TO THE CHURCH. CAN I BE A NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER? CAN BE FOUND FAITHFUL AND FIND MYSELF HAVING ANSWERED THE QUESTION BY GOD OF WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?



CLOSING COMMENTS

WHAT A WONDROUS TIME WE HAVE HAD TOGETHER IN PARTICIPATING IN THE THINGS OF GOD. I HOPE WE ALL HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED THROUGH OUR TIME SPENT TOGETHER. PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 7:30, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS SERVICE OF GOD.

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WHAT A GREAT EXAMPLE THE MAN FROM ETHIOPIA IS TO ALL OF US AS SOMEONE WHO WAS WILLING TO PUT GOD FIRST AND TO OBEY HIS PERFECT WILL. HAVE YOU SUBMITTED TO GOD IN ALL WAYS LIKE THE EUNUCH DID? IF NOT, WHY NOT TODAY!