“THE FAITH THAT SAVES”
ACTS 8:25-40

I. Introduction
The first time God poured out His wrath on this sinful world He did so with the flood. But He chose eight people to save from that wrath. When the waters finally receded and the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat, God used those eight people to repopulate the earth. Noah’s sons – Ham, Shem, and Japheth – would become the fathers of the three branches of the human family.

After God scattered them from the Tower of Babel, Ham’s descendants migrated south and began to populate the African continent. Shem’s descendants spread throughout the Middle East. And Japheph’s descendants moved north and were dispersed across Europe and Asia.

What does that have to do with our study of the Book of Acts? In Acts 8-10 we will see the preaching of the gospel produce fruit that will ultimately radiate across the entire globe. Do you remember what Jesus told His apostles in Acts 1:8? He said, “…you shall be My wit-nesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” That was not only a command; it was also a prophecy. That prophecy begins to be fulfilled in Acts 8-10.

In Acts 10 we will see Cornelius, a descendant of Japheth, come to saving faith in Jesus. Backing up to Acts 9 we will witness Saul of Tarsus, a Jewish descendant of Shem, meet the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus. This morning, in the rest of Acts 8, we will watch as an Ethiopian, a descendant of Ham, believes the gospel and trusts Christ for his salvation.

And so, in Acts 8-10, we’ll see God’s plan for the redemption of the world take shape. All of Noah’s children, among whom we can count ourselves, will have the opportunity to hear the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ. This should be a reminder to all of us – the gos-pel is for everyone, Jew, Gentile, man, woman, and child. There are no exceptions.

How can we be sure of that? Here’s one way. In Revelation 4-5 we’re taken directly into the throne room in heaven. Just before the Great Tribulation begins God the Father gives God the Son a book (a scroll) containing the title deed to the earth. It is only God the Son who has the right to break its seals and release the judgments it contains. The multitudes in heaven praise the Lord Jesus with these words –
*Revelation 5:9
9 …“Worthy are You to take the book, and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

So whether you trace your heritage back to Japheth, Shem, or Ham, the gospel is for you.
It’s the same good news that left Jerusalem in Acts 8. Just as the gospel went out from the first church, we are reminded that it is to go out from ours as well. It’s what we are here for. It has been rightly said that the church is to be a place of refuge and sanctuary for the saints. It is not to be a theater and entertainment venue for the world. Yet far too many Christians think that we are called to bring the lost world into the church. But that was never God’s plan. We are called to take the gospel out to the lost world. That has always been His plan!

God is allowing us to do that very thing. LBC is being blessed by the part God is giving us in the ministries the Beakleys in South Africa, Zhenya in Siberia, Chuck Sweetman right here in Walworth County, and now Rebecca, serving God aboard the LOGOS HOPE wherever it sails. But it isn’t just them; it’s you and me too. We can’t be satisfied to pray for someone, give them money, and send them out. People here in Lake Geneva are just as lost as people in Africa or Siberia or anywhere else. Judgment is coming upon the whole world. Thus the gospel is for every tribe, tongue, people, and nation.

Today’s passage in Acts will introduce us to a man whose name we won’t know this side of heaven. But God knows him, and will bless him. And if history is correct, this man will be the first to carry the good news of the gospel to the descendants of Noah’s son Ham.
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II. Review
After Stephen’s martyrdom the persecution of the church in Jerusalem intensified greatly. As such, many of the new Jewish Christians fled the city. Philip, one of the seven men the apostles had chosen to assist them with their ministry to the fledgling church, was among those who left Jerusalem and went to Samaria where he began preaching the gospel and teaching the people about the Lord Jesus.

In Acts 8:6-7 Philip was performing miracles, healing the sick and lame, and casting out demons. A Samaritan magician named Simon saw what Philip was doing and wanted that power for himself. So in v. 13 he claimed to believe in Jesus, was baptized, and stayed with Philip. Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, the apostles heard about the many Samaritans who were coming to saving faith through Philip’s preaching. So Peter and John went to Samaria, laid hands on the new believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that, he approached Peter and tried to buy the power and authority that only comes through the gift of God’s grace. Peter rebuked him in the strongest language. In v. 20 the apostle told Simon that both he and his money were on their way to hell. Simon had no understanding of the gospel or of the work of the Holy Spirit. But even worse than that, Simon’s pride was blinding him to his sin and his desperate need for repentance.

And in vv. 22-24, when Peter urged Simon to repent, the magician said – and I paraphrase – “You’re a man of God; talk to Him for me.” Simon the magician was a “believer,” but he was as lost as anyone could ever be. Why?
He was lost because, like millions of professing Christians today, he believed the facts about Jesus, but had no personal relationship with Him. Not only that, he didn’t want one! All Simon wanted was what he thought he could get – prestige, power, and authority – and “a get out of jail free card.” It was of such people that Jesus said…
Matthew 7:21, 23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of hea-ven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.”
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”

Simon’s so-called faith was false, and it only served to condemn him. But that brings us to this morning’s passage. In it we will see the faith that is true, the faith that saves.
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III. Text
God’s chosen nation, Israel, and the Church of Jesus Christ differ in many ways. One of the most obvious of those differences is this example from the OT: When God told Jonah to go and preach repentance to the hated Ninevites, he refused. Even after he had obeyed God, and the Ninevites had repented, Jonah was still angry about it. His hatred for Gentiles was so intense that he would have preferred that they would all perish. What is the point? The point is that, just like Jonah, Israel’s focus had been turned inward.

But the focus of the Church of Jesus Christ is the polar opposite. From Acts 8 on to the end of the book – and all the way to the end of the age – the focus is outward. The gospel is meant to go out. It is meant to go out to every man, woman, and child without regard to whether they are descended from Ham, Shem, or Japheth.
*Acts 8:25-40 (Please stand with me in honor of reading God’s Word.)
25 And so, when they (Peter and John) had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Arise and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.)
27 And he arose and went; and behold, there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her trea-sure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship.
28 And he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.
29 And the (Holy) Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.”
30 And when Philip had run up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet (53:7-8), and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearers is silent, so He does not open His mouth.
33 “In humiliation His judgment was taken away; who shall relate His genera-tion? For His life is removed from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of someone else?”
35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture (Isaiah 53:7-8) he preached Jesus to him.
36 And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
37 [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]
38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip found himself at Azotus; and as he passed through he kept preach-ing the gospel to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.

Philip’s earlier encounter with Simon the magician resulted in what at first looked like Simon had come to saving faith. But, of course, he had not. His so-called faith was false. In this passage, we see Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch. This time the result is not a false faith that condemns, but a true faith that saves. What was different about this encoun-ter? What can we learn from this passage that will help us in sharing the good news of the gospel with other people?

No matter how detailed or eloquent your presentation of the gospel may be, you must not forget that – first and foremost – salvation is God’s work! His work includes three essentials things that must be in place for anyone to come to genuine saving faith – ever! They are…
• the right preparation
• the right presentation
• the right response

When we tell someone about Jesus, we’re going for the right response, aren’t we? We’re not like Jonah who hoped the ones to whom he spoke wouldn’t be saved. We want them to come to genuine saving faith. We want the right response. We’re discouraged when we don’t get the right response. But how often do we neglect the other two essentials – the two essentials that must come before we speak? Do we pray and ask the Holy Spirit to prepare the heart of the one to whom we will speak? Do we pray and ask God to help us present the gospel simply and clearly?
Listen, not only do we need to do those things, we need to do them in the right order.
• The Spirit of God prepares the lost to hear the gospel.
• The Word of God presents the gospel.
• The elect of God – those chosen from eternity past – respond to the gospel with gen-uine saving faith.

That is the divine order that God has ordained. It is what we’ll see in today’s text. And it is the only way anyone will ever be saved. As we go through the verses remember that God is accomplishing His purpose using His Holy Spirit, His word, and the man Philip.

The fact that salvation is solely the work of God is taught in two biblical truths that appear again and again in the NT.
• The first is that God has sovereignly chosen those whom He will save. Acts 13:48 tells us that when Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel, “… as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”
• The second is directly related to the first. God’s grace is bestowed on those whom He has chosen. Acts 15:11 says, “…we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus…”

Romans, Ephesians, 2 Timothy, Titus, and 1 Peter are among the books that teach these two core biblical truths. They will be central to our understanding as we see the Ethiopian eunuch, Saul of Tarsus, and the Roman centurion Cornelius all come to saving faith.
*Acts 8:25-28
25 And so, when they (Peter and John) had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Arise and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.)
27 And he arose and went; and behold, there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her trea-sure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship.
28 And he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

After Peter’s blistering condemnation of Simon, he and John returned to Jerusalem. But God had a different plan for Philip. An angel told him to leave Samaria and travel south in the direction of Gaza. The Spirit of God was already arranging a meeting for Philip and the Ethiopian. And already we can see God orchestrating the event that would soon take place.

In v. 27 there is a lesson for us that we shouldn’t miss. This command to leave Samaria and take a desert road toward Gaza defies human logic. God is working miracles in Samaria, the gospel is being preached, and people are being saved. Shouldn’t Philip stay where the har-vest is plentiful, a new church has been planted, and is growing? Why leave? God said so!
There is no need to make this any more complicated than that. God said so! There is no record that Philip questioned God or even hesitated. He simply obeyed the voice of His Lord. The Scripture says, “And he arose and went.” Please hear this: Christians who will listen for God’s voice, who will look for His promptings, and who are willing to obey Him without question or hesitation, are Christians that God will use to accomplish great things.

Let’s be clear. Had Philip chosen to disobey God, His eternal purpose would not have been thwarted. But someone else would have found himself heading for Gaza on that desert road. Someone else would have had the privilege of seeing God work. Philip could have stayed in Samaria, but he would’ve missed out on a blessing that will be his for all eternity.

Who is this Ethiopian eunuch? The word “eunuch” is translated from a Hebrew word that also means “officer.” He may well have been a eunuch physically, but we know he was a high-ranking official of the government of his country. In v. 27 we’re told that he was in charge of the queen’s treasure. Think of a Secretary of the Treasury or a Finance Minister. The fact that he had gone to Jerusalem to worship tells us that although he was a Gentile, the Ethiopian was a convert to Judaism. In any case, he was searching for the one true God.

(There are two points of interest here – In the first century Ethiopia was immediately south of Egypt. Its southern boundary was at the extreme end of the known world. Candace was not the queen’s name; it was her title, like Pharaoh or Caesar.)

The fact that there actually is one true God is often denied. Doubters, cynics, and skeptics often say, “Jesus can’t be the only way to God. What about all those good people who have never heard of Him? How can God condemn them?”

For one thing – theological liberals have a terrible time with this – they refuse to accept the fact that God is absolutely holy. That holiness is not diminished one iota by His absolute right to save or to condemn whomever He chooses. For another thing, they do not believe that God is absolutely sovereign in the affairs of men. But, of course, He is. And as such, He can and does orchestrate events so that the gospel will reach those He intends to save. Listen, God rewards everyone whose heart is bent towards Him. Just as God had plans for the Jews when they were in captivity in Babylon, He had plans for this Ethiopian eunuch.
*Jeremiah 29:11-13
11 “For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
12 “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. (Here’s the key point.)
13 “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

God knew the Ethiopian’s heart. It was bent toward Him. In searching for the truth in Juda-ism, he was living up to the light he already had. So God would reward him.
That reward came along in the person of Philip. And what was the Ethiopian doing? He is sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah. Look once more at Acts 8:28. He was searching for the truth in the one place where he would eventually find it. And so, God had already put in place the first two of the three essentials that are necessary for anyone to come to saving faith in Christ.
• God was preparing the eunuch’s heart to hear the gospel. It was the right preparation.
• God was sending Philip to present the gospel. It would be the right presentation.

With these two preliminaries already in place, the third essential –
• The Ethiopian’s right response was guaranteed. It was only a matter of time. And now it was time!

Let me say it one more time. You cannot expect a proper response to the gospel if God has not already properly prepared the heart of the one who hears it. And you cannot expect a proper response to the gospel if it is not properly presented by the one who tells it.
*Acts 8:29-35
29 And the (Holy) Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.”
30 And when Philip had run up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet (53:7-8), and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearers is silent, so He does not open His mouth.
33 “In humiliation His judgment was taken away; who shall relate His genera-tion? For His life is removed from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of someone else?”
35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture (Isaiah 53:7-8) he preached Jesus to him.

Imagine the scene. The Ethiopian eunuch is not sitting by himself in some little one-man “Toyota Prius” of a chariot. He is in a “Cadillac Escalade” of chariots. Why would I say that? Consider who and what he is. As an emissary of his country and of his queen he’d be surrounded by servants, horsemen, soldiers, and probably personal bodyguards. He and his entourage would be impressive. You and I might be intimidated by such wealth, power, and authority. But not Philip!

In Acts 8:29 Philip hears God’s voice and – just as he had obeyed the angel when he was told to leave Samaria and head south on this road – he obeys God and confidently runs up to the chariot. In this we see another example of a Christian’s willingness to follow the Spirit’s leading. When God opens a door for us, we know we are to go through it.
And when He closes a door in front of us, we know we are not to try breaking it down. God has opened a door for Philip, and in Acts 8:30, he can’t wait to run through it. When he gets to the chariot he hears the words of Isaiah.

Asking the Ethiopian if he understands what he’s reading reveals Philip’s boldness. He says,
“Excuse me. Do you need any help with that?” Answering Philip’s question by admitting he doesn’t understand it reveals both his humility and his willingness to learn. “Yes, I do! Can you explain it to me?” Isn’t it obvious how beautifully our holy and sovereign God is orchestrating every bit of this? So the Ethiopian is ready. But is Philip ready? Can he deli-ver enough biblical truth to convey the heart of the gospel to the eunuch?

What if God has already prepared the heart of the next person you meet and he or she is ready to receive Christ? Are you ready to tell them about Him? I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: You don’t need to be a pastor, a theologian, or a biblical scholar with Ph.D. in Hebrew or Greek. But you do need to love God and know the truth. Philip hadn’t been to a seminary or a Bible college. But he knew Jesus!

I love the way John MacArthur addresses this issue. He says,
“Philip was knowledgeable enough in the Scriptures to meet the eunuch where he was. Every believer should strive to be proficient in the Scriptures so that we, too, can meet people at the point of their perplexity and lead them to the Savior… An effective presentation of the gospel must be based solidly on Scripture. The use of personal testimony, stories, tracts, and other tools is no substitute… The power is the Word!”
Romans 1:16a
16a For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…
1 Peter 3:15
15 …sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts (revere Him – grow in Him), always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you…

Those instructions are not just for pastors, theologians, scholars, and seminary students. Those instructions are for you too. (back to Acts 8:35)

Do you see what Philip did? He took the Ethiopian eunuch from where he was, to where he needed to be. He explained that Isaiah’s lamb was the Messiah. He explained that the Messiah was Jesus of Nazareth. He explained that Jesus was God incarnate, that he suffered and died as the perfect substitute to pay the penalty for our sin, that God raised Him from the dead and seated Him at the Father’s right hand in heaven. And Philip would have told the Ethiopian what it was to repent and trust Christ alone for his salvation.

Would the Ethiopian eunuch believe that? Of course, he would! The Holy Spirit had already prepared his heart to believe it. And God brought Philip to explain it.
Everything was in place. All that was left was for the Ethiopian eunuch to do was hear the gospel. Romans 10:17 says, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Philip preached Jesus and the eunuch was saved. There were no signs, wonders, or miracles. There were no heroics or theatrics. There was no begging or berating. There was only a prepared heart, a pure gospel message, and salvation. Is it easy? No, it isn’t easy. Is it simple? Yes, it is. Love God. Listen to him. Obey Him. And then watch what He does!

We know that the Ethiopian’s salvation was genuine. He couldn’t wait to follow the Lord in Christian baptism. And he would do it publicly, in the presence of his entire entourage.
*Acts 8:36-40
36 And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”
37 [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]
38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip found himself at Azotus; and as he passed through he kept preach-ing the gospel to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea.

[The authenticity of Acts 8:37 is questionable. It isn’t found in the oldest manuscripts, so it probably doesn’t belong in the text. However, it isn’t unreasonable to think that such a conversation might have occurred between the two men.]

In vv. 38-39 we see what certainly looks like baptism by immersion. There is nothing in the text that implies that water was either sprinkled on, or poured over the Ethiopian’s head.

And with that Philip’s work on the road to Gaza was done. Thus the Spirit snatched him away and he found himself twenty miles north of Gaza in the city of Azotus. There, and all the way to Caesarea, Philip did what he was called to do – He preached Christ.

But what about the Ethiopian eunuch? What became of him? The early church fathers and historians believe that he took the gospel back home with him. From there it spread across northern Africa and reached the sons of Ham. The twelve apostles were already taking the gospel to the sons of Shem. And soon God would raise up someone to take the gospel to the sons of Japheth. When we come back to the Book of Acts we’ll see Saul of Tarsus come to saving faith and watch as the gospel begins to spread through the Roman Empire.
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IV. Conclusion
What can you take with you today? How about this? Only God can save the lost. But you can have the privilege of taking the good news to the lost. Don’t miss out on that great blessing. Pray for someone. Present the gospel to them. And watch God work. ~ Pray ~