Think back on your week,
& think of some examples where you were searching for something
There’s likely to be something that you were looking for,
-that you couldn’t right away find
-think of some examples
“Where are those pair of shorts - & my blue shirt?
“Where do they have boxes of matches in this store?
“Where are the scissors?
“Who used them last?!
“& why didn’t they put them back in the drawer where they belong!”
-all week long, I was looking for my Leatherman multipurpose tool
-somehow, I notice it just seemed to show up in my truck yesterday
We had a very interesting thing happen to us this week
-our family was out at our cabin early this week
-& low & behold, on my way back to the cabin after a bicycle ride
-I road in by our pond to find a car had driven into our pond
-& was sunk in the middle!
-that initiated a search of it’s own
-first, Was there anyone still in it?
-some of the lights were still on - so it must have just happened
-I swam out & while laying on the roof, looked inside, best I could,
-once I determined there was no-one inside
-then the search to find out what happened carried on as we called the sheriff
-there was the search for the owner of the car
-the search for who drove it into the pond
-even divers came to search the pond for any evidence
-even for a possible drowning victim
-& I’m sure, later, after they towed it out - they searched the vehicle
Life is full of searching
You search for customers at work
-or search for solutions to problems - at work, at home
-even for answers to cross word puzzles when you have nothing to do
And, there’s the most important search of our entire lives - our search for God
Wouldn’t you rank that on the top of all searches? Finding God?
Some might say, “That’s not important - there is no God anyway!”
Well, there is, or there isn’t a God
-but for many good reasons, we believe there is a God
-& if God exists, than finding Him,
-needs to be the most important search of our life
In Acts 8, we have the really cool account of an important man in his search for God
We don’t know his name, other than he’s referred to as the Ethiopian Eunuch
-he was pretty important & influential
-he was the treasurer for the Queen of Ethiopia
-it’s clear - he was on a serious search for finding God
-he came all the way from Ethiopia to Jerusalem to worship God
-& on his way home, he was still trying to find God
-he must have sensed, there was something still missing
-he hadn’t quite come to the point of being at home with God in his life
God can be found
God wants to be found
God wants us to find Him!
But, we need to seek & search
Matthew 7:7-8
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
Isaiah 55:6-9
Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the Lord.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Knowing & finding God doesn’t just come automatically or naturally to us
-we need to search for Him
-as His ways are higher than ours
-but, in the same token - God wants us to find him
-& I think, we could say, He goes to great lengths to help us find Him
-& if God didn’t want us to find Him, we’d never be able to do it
-as in this case - God miraculously had Philip meet this man
-who was searching
-& God intended to have Philip help him in his search
Acts 8:26-30
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.
This man was searching in the right place
-Jerusalem was like the center of the wheel of which all the spokes came
-this was the city up this point
-where God was most focally at work - through the nation of Israel
-& recently, this is where Jesus taught & died & rose from the dead
-& this is where God the Holy Spirit came to fill the believers
-& this is where the church had started
-God had really been at work in Jerusalem
-this was a good place to look for God
-& even more, he had what we’d call the Bible - God’s Word
-he was reading it - but still - some things didn’t make sense
As with most people searching for God
-God intends to use other people to help show the way
-& that’s where Philip comes into play
vv.30-33
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
"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."
The Eithiopian was reading a great passage of scripture from Isaiah 53
-it’s about Jesus & the sacrifice He made
-it was an accurate - a real detailed prophetic description
-of what Jesus was to do on the cross
-though it was written some 700 years earlier by Isaiah
You could say, God, in His desire for this man to find him:
-God led Him to Jerusalem
-& there, someone must have pointed him to this passage of scripture
-now, God moves the pieces of this world around
-like someone playing chess
-& arranges for someone who has found God, Philip,
& who knows how to explain to others how to find God
-God arranges for Philip to be right there at this moment
-to point the way to God!
-&, this important man who had charge over the Ethiopian national treasury
-who was on a search looking for God
-he finds God!
vv.34-35
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.
Commonly, we’re disturbed by the idea of the many people over the years
-who, as we think, never had a chance to trust in Jesus Christ as Savior
-people in remote & primitive locations
-as Peter proclaimed, earlier in the book:
Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
This truth is made overwhelmingly clear in the Bible
-Jesus is the only way to God
-Jesus, Himself made it clear, there is no way to God except through Him
But now, what about all these people who never heard that?
Well, it’s examples like this that show us,
-that God has a lot to do with people finding Him
God gives us abundant reason to believe He exists
-we need to want to seek to find Him
-but God provides & works out the ways of finding Him
-since His ways are above our ways - we can’t reach Him
-so, we need His help in finding Him
-God often will place a Christian in the right place at the right time
-God may place a Bible in the right place, at the right time
-He may use a Christian radio station
-God can even have an angel appear or visit someone in a dream
Realize, no-one finds God on their own
-in a big way, finding God is dependent on God leading us in the search
-it’s like we need to search,
-& as we search, God gives us hints along the way that lead us to Him
With that said, so many people haven’t heard of Christ
-& don’t know the way to God
-God wants to use us, like He used Philip to show people the way
How do you think Philip felt after this experience?
-he had to be elated!
-it doesn’t get much better than that - helping someone find God!
So, the Ethiopian found what he was looking for - God!
-& the only way to God is through Jesus
-I like what Jesus once said,
Luke 10:22
"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
The only one who can bring us to God the Father - is Jesus - God the Son!
Now, once you find God - what do you do?
Where do you begin in answering that question?!!
Of all that you can think of, & much that there’s still to think of,
-when you consider you’re new life as a follower of God
-there is, I suppose you could say
-sort of a standard procedure that should be followed
-having found & now following God
-it’s baptism
Philip tells this seeking God Ethiopian about Jesus,
-who now finds what he’s looking for
vv.36-38
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?" [37] Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." The eunuch answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.
Baptism is like God’s designated, official way for us to celebrate & proclaim
-our faith & new relationship to God
-it seems like it was understood by the Ethiopian
-a natural part of the process of becoming a Christian - is to be baptized
“Hey, here’s water - baptize me now that I’m a follower of Christ!”
e.g. Think of an imaginary scenario,
-of someone who’s been in a coma for a long time
-or, they get some type of amnesia - but they wake up
-let’s say, they’re turning 16 - but can’t remember anything about life
-& they see other kids, who turn 16 & they have a birthday party
-they have fun games, cake & ice cream, presents
-& people sing songs about being happy
-the kid’s birthday comes & he/she says,
“Hey, it’s my birthday, why not have a birthday party for me!”
Right! - it’s natural & good to have a birthday party celebration
Someone becomes a Christian - it’s right & natural to celebrate
-your new spiritual birthday
-& baptism is one, sort of formal way,
-that God gives us to celebrate our new life
-baptism is like telling the world, “I’m a Christian”
“My old life is dead & I’m alive with Christ!”
What’s better in life than becoming a Christian?
Nothing!
You become a Christian - be baptized !
Jesus gave three parables of the lost being found - Luke 15
-the shepherd lost a sheep & went looking & found it
-a woman lost a coin, searched the house until she found it
-a father lost a son, who foolishly went off into the world
-he waited until he returned & was found again
-in each situation - there was a great celebration
-not only by the people finding what was lost
-but up in heaven as well
Luke 15:10
In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Jesus was there in heaven - He knows - God is one who celebrates
-I think you could say, God & the angels in heaven like to party
-partying for all the right reasons
-the father of the prodigal son,
-had a great feast with good food, live music & dancing!
God likes to celebrate!
-& the Lord even commands us to baptize one another
-as in one of His last great commands to us He told us:
Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
The search for God is the most significant thing that you will do in your life
Once you find Him
-you can have the great privilege & joy of showing others the way
-in all this - take the time to celebrate
-God loves a good celebration!
-God made us to enjoy celebrations
-if you’ve trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior
-you believe in Him as your Savior & Lord
-He’s given you eternal life & a new life right now
Happy Birthday! - let’s celebrate!
-if you haven’t been baptized as a believer
What are you waiting for!
|