IF YOU BELIEVE(Copied material compiled and adapted from various sources)

I invite you to fasten your seat belt and come join with me on a dusty desert road, as we travel a road to faith...

We’re reading Acts 8:26-39.

FIRSTLY, notice the first character, PHILIP. There’s a WITNESS on this road to faith.

The first point I want to make is that Philip was a WITNESS.

A WITNESS.

In law it means someone who TESTIFIES He gives EVIDENCE, and ATTESTS to a FACT A witness is someone who SPEAKS UP and

makes a statement and TELLS what he KNOWS or has SEEN

As a Christian we can witness as we give our TESTIMONY.

In Acts 1:8 Jesus said, ye shall be witnesses unto me

PHILIP was... a witness... A FAITHFUL man Chosen as one of the SERVANTS of the

church.

REVIVAL had broken out in SAMARIA. Philip had been in this city. He was greatly used of God He had been preaching to crowds of people Many people had come to know Jesus as

Saviour.

Let’s read through from Acts 8:26...

Acts 8:26-39

And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying,

Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.

God had more MINISTRY for Philip to do. He took a trek of 50 miles – it meant 2 or

3 solid days of walking This time God took him to the dry and

dusty desert road It was an unexpected place, an

uninhabited place. The wilderness.

It was desert.

And he would find a spiritually thirsty man there.

Sometimes God directs us to remote places. To unlikely places. Maybe to unlikely people...

God can work with us to reach out to numbers of people around us in the cities. And God can send us also to reach out and touch the solitary souls, one by one.

What did Philip do?

(27) And he arose and went:

When God directs us, like Philip, let’s obey Him immediately. Philip did not hesitate He dropped whatever he was doing He got up and went.

Philip went from a REVIVAL in Samaria, to witness another REVIVAL... The Revival of one man. To reach out to the soul of a single man... Yet it was a precious divine appointment.

This man, spiritually dead, became alive

THAT’S REVIVAL... God works person-to-person One soul at a time Every soul is precious to God That means you.

So, Philip meets this unnamed man...

Verse 27 goes on...

and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,

God had planned for His messenger Philip to have an encounter with this one, this unnamed man, in the middle of nowhere, who needed this message of life and hope.

Likewise God can use you to speak to another. That’s what being a witness is all about.

THE EUNUCH was a noble man... A high ranking official, The treasurer of the nation, He was a wealthy, powerful man.

ETHIOPIA was a rich kingdom known for its iron smelting, gold mining, and trading.

This man was a FOREIGNER and a EUNUCH – so he would have been excluded from full worship in the temple.

Yet despite being an OUTSIDER and an OUTCAST God would RECEIVE him.

God had SENT Philip to THIS ONE MAN.

That’s what a witness does. He follows God’s leading. And he rises up and goes at God’s

command.

Likewise Jesus says to us, GO and WITNESS.

Like Philip, if we are willing and obedient, we too can be used of God,

To GO, as agents of His grace To GO to reach out to other people, even

one by one YOU can be a witness.

Let’s be a witness like Philip.

What kind of a witness was he?

We see that Philip was... RESPONSIVE... SENSITIVE to God’s call – God led him OBEDIENT to God’s call – he got up and

got going, and AVAILABLE to God’s call – he didn’t dream

up some excuse – he just did it.

The Bible says, Proverbs 11:30 ...he that winneth souls is wise.

We will see that Philip was WISE... He used his INITIATIVE – he asked a

question, and sparked a spiritual conversation

He was CHRIST CENTRED – Philip brought the FOCUS of the conversation onto pointing the man to Christ

He was DECISIVE – Philip did not get side tracked – he led the man straight on to a definite DECISION.

So, we see God sent a WITNESS.

SECONDLY, the SECOND POINT I’d like to point out to you... Is that we notice The POWER of the WORD.

Let’s pick it up again at verse 28...

(28) (He) Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.

This African man, this eunuch, had travelled 1000 miles from the heart of East Africa to Jerusalem seeking truth... It was a long and perilous journey He was a pious man, a worshipper A man searching for the truth.

He was READING THE BIBLE... Reading it aloud The Book of Isaiah the Prophet Chapter by chapter.

Reading the Bible will do your soul good.

Paul told Timothy...

1 Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give attendance TO READING, to exhortation, to doctrine.

Someone asked this question: "Who should read the Bible?"

The YOUNG – to LEARN HOW TO LIVE

The OLD – to KNOW HOW TO DIEThe IGNORANT – for WISDOMThe LEARNED – for HUMILITYThe RICH – for COMPASSIONThe POOR – for COMFORTThe WEAK – for STRENGTHThe STRONG – for DIRECTIONThe HAUGHTY – for WARNINGThe HUMBLE – for EXALTATIONThe TROUBLED – for PEACEThe WEARY – for RESTThe LOST – for SALVATION

The man in this account had at least a portion of the scroll of Isaiah. It would have been costly. He wanted the precious pages of scripture in his own hands.

Sometimes we can take for granted this Book that we can hold in our hands today. These precious pages hold the Words of Life if we will but receive the message.

A little boy was sitting on the kerb one day, reading a Bible that someone had given him when a Roman Catholic priest walked by and saw him. "What are you reading?" the priest asked.

"The Bible," the little boy replied.

"Oh, a little boy like you should not read the Bible. It will only confuse you and put strange ideas in your head," the priest said.

"I have A SEARCH WARRANT to read it," the boy said to the priest.

"A search warrant? What do you mean" the priest asked.

"It says here in John 5:39,‘Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.’

"Jesus told me to search the Scriptures and I’m doing what I’m told."

This is what the man from Africa was doing. He was searching the scriptures.

The eunuch was reading it aloud so others could hear the Word. He was reading, and he was thinking about the message...

(29) Then the Spirit said unto Philip,

Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

The Holy Spirit urged Philip to go to the man.So what did Philip do?

What are we to do when the Holy Spirit prompts us?

Philip ran.

Sometimes we can dilly-dally when God prompts us, and we may lose the sense of urgency about God’s work. We may lack the zeal, and not rate highly enough the importance of never-dying souls.

Philip was a man on a MISSION, even for this one, seeking soul...

To this one solitary soul God brought Philip Likewise God brings people into our lives Philip would be a missionary to Africa.

Without even going there. God sent him to one man.

Philip RAN...

(30) And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said,

Here Philip asked a pointed question.

Understandest thou what thou readest?

This man in his search for truth was reading the Word of God.

He was a man from Ethiopia, such as this man...

(31) And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?

The eunuch was teachable and humble. He was humble enough to by ask for help in UNDERSTANDING THE WORD OF GOD.

And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

Here now they sat together, sitting in the chariot with THE OPEN BOOK... And they read...

(32) The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

(33) In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.

(34) And the eunuch answered Philip, and said,

I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?

Who in the world was Isaiah talking about? The eunuch wanted to know.

Of whom speaketh the prophet this?

Philip told him who it was – Jesus – as the lamb He was slain – as the suffering Saviour He was the One qualified to save guilty men, as the willing sacrifice for them and their sin.

The pages of the WORD were open, and the WITNESS Philip opened his mouth...

(35) Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Philip’s message was JESUS... Simply Jesus. This is the message a lost and dying world

needs to hear This was the Gospel The Gospel of Isaiah.

Perhaps Philip would have pointed out the promise of His coming, as a babe in arms, born of a virgin, yet THE MIGHTY GOD...

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Perhaps Philip would have shown the man, of man’s sin, of our great need – of the fact that even the very best that we have to offer is just like filthy rags...

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Perhaps he would have shown him... How all have sinned, and of the only one who can save us from our sin...

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The WITNESS used the WORD.

FAITH comes by HEARING the WORD of God – it says in Romans 10:17.

The eunuch wanted to know, Of whom speaketh the prophet this?

Philip the preacher preached Jesus unto the man from the scriptures... He pointed the Eunuch to the Lord Jesus He told him how Jesus had died on the

cross for our sins Of how He carried our sins and paid the

penalty of sin – death – for us... For us...

Likely he would have recounted and explained the prophecy of Isaiah – written some 700 years before Christ –

Isaiah 53:3-7 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

(4) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

(5) But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

(6) All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

(7) He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

What an amazing encounter it was on that desert road...

Of whom speaketh the prophet this?

...Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

Jesus was the one who was gentle as a sheep and innocent as a lamb. As a spotless lamb. The perfect man. God manifest in the flesh He was the one who had been unjustly

humiliated and slaughtered He was the One of Whom Isaiah had

prophesied, Who gave His back to the smiters (Isaiah 50:6)

His face was more marred than any man He is the One who can save The One of Whom we must bear witness.

What matters is the WORD... The SOUL SAVING MESSAGE is right here. It is POWERFUL. It has power to CONVERT THE SOUL...

Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

So, God sent a WITNESS, and He used His WORD.

Then, THIRDLY, we noticeWATER.THE THIRD POINT I’d like you to notice is THE WATER.

Philip has talked with the eunuch about SALVATION and he has told him about BAPTISM.

And now this man has come to a DRAMATIC DECISION.

(36) And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said,

See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptised?

The man expressed his desire to be baptised.

This man from Africa wanted to be baptised.

He had travelled down that dusty desert road and had now come to that PLACE OF DECISION.

The water was not so much the important point here. But THE DECISION.

Baptism marks a MILESTONE It’s a MARKER It’s a GRAVESTONE.

Baptism pictures THE DEATH, BURIAL AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS. In baptism we identify with that.

Baptism is a conscious, wilful, personal DECISION. It is a PUBLIC EXPRESSION of your decision TO FOLLOW JESUS.

Philip told the eunuch THE ONE QUALIFICATION:

(37) And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.

And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

There is really ONLY ONE CONDITION before we are baptised.

You must be SAVED.

Here was this man from Africa, on that dusty desert road, the road to faith, and he came to the crossroads.

It was a turning point in his life.Faith in Jesus Christ.

When we BELIEVE everything CHANGES.It’s a CONVERSION.Baptism is a way of making that decision public.

The man confessed his faith in Christ.

(38) And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptised him.

(39) And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

Philip went where God wanted him to go next.

The eunuch went on his way back home to Africa WITH ABUNDANT JOY.

It’s been said that 65% of Ethiopia is Christian today. There are still fruits today of that day on that dusty desert road, when one African man got saved.

There are many like the eunuch all around us today. Mission fields of single souls. Precious souls.

Where are the Philips? Will you be willing to go where God sends you?

This man from Africa went on his way rejoicing. God grants to us the joy of His salvation.

BAPTISM is a public declaration of our new identity in Christ.

It pictures our identification with His Body – the church.

When you are baptised, you are personally declaring the death and burial of your old way of life—before conversion—and your allegiance to your new life in Christ.

It is A POWERFUL SYMBOL OF CONVERSION.

What matters most is what Philip questioned the eunuch about.

IF YOU BELIEVE. This is what matters.

The confession of our faith.

When you are baptised, the baptism demonstrates what God has already done in your heart.

Perhaps, like the eunuch, you’re asking about the water...

See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

What matters is whether you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ...

(37) And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.

And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

What have we seen as we have travelled along this dusty desert road... Three points we can note...

Just to recap thus far, Philip was a WITNESS. And so should we be...He was... Responsive Sensitive Obedient Available He pointed people to Jesus.

He was a WITNESS, and so should we be.

The man from Africa got the WORD... He was READING it He was HEARING it FAITH cometh by HEARING It was POWERFUL It was CONVERTING THE SOUL It is the MESSAGE we need to hear today.

We need the WORD today.

And they both ended up in the WATER.

What matters is THE CONFESSION OF OUR FAITH...

Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

(10) For with THE HEART man believeth unto righteousness; and with THE MOUTH confession is made unto salvation.

Philip questioned the man:

And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

What will YOUR ANSWER be today?

Are you at the crossroads on that dusty desert road?

ARE YOU READY TO FOLLOW JESUS?

What’s stopping you from trusting Him today?

If you are a Christian and you believe Jesus Christ as your Saviour and Lord, and you are not baptised...

If not, why not?

Shortly we’re going to follow some people to THE WATER today. They are already saved.

The H2O is nothing special.It’s not holy water.There’s no such thing.

If nothing happened on the inside of these people they are just going to get wet.

What matters is that they have personally believed and confessed Jesus Christ before men.

If you have not been baptised, I ask you, why not?

Why not today?IF YOU BELIEVE you may be baptised.

(37) And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.

This is the bottom line, the all important truth is – if you believe...

Where do you stand today?Do you believe?