What Prevents Me?

Sunday Morning 2024  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  44:19
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First of all, I would like to recognize tomorrow as being Veterans Day and ask that our veterans stand to be recognized.
Thank each and every one of you who helpe keep this country One Nation, Under God. When one enters into the military as an enlisted person, this oath may sound familiar.
"I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God."
Why do they take an oath? Before someone raises their right hand, they should make sure to understand what they are swearing or attesting to. The military oath of enlistment or oath of office should not be taken lightly, as it usually gets you into a 4 year commitment.
The same should also be looked at for our Christian life. Too often, people will feel guilty, may want to try to “do better” or “be better”, may hit a rough patch in life and want to try to make things better, and they look at “baptism” as the thing needed to make everthing alright. But, there is one other thing that has to be done - understanding the commitment involved. You see, this isn’t just a 4 year stint, this is a lifelong change of lifestyle and a change in our eternity. In the verses of Acts 8:26-38, we see someone - an Ethiopian eunuch - trying to do the right thing, but still not fully understanding. Until Philip came along after the urging of the angel of the Lord and explained what Jesus had done for him, and how he could be saved. Let’s read this account:
Acts 8:26–38 ESV
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

Faith

Acts 8:26–28 ESV
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
The interesting thing involved here, I think, is that the Ethiopian may have not been baptized if it had not been for the obedience of Philip following the leading of the Lord. God had been working in the life of this man, and as he was reading scripture, there were questions in need of answering.
Notice that God did not tell Philip why he was going south on the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza. It was a barren, desolate place with little around, descried as being a desert place. Philip had a choice, leave where he was, no doubt comfortable and familiar, or go into an unfamiliar place with little around. Even though he did not know the reason, he knew he was called to go and he trusted God to lead him where he was needed.
When he arrived in the area, God revealed the purpose; and Ethiopian eunuch was returning from worship in Jerusalem and was reading from the book of Isaiah.
God uses His people to fulfill His will, but whether or not His will is accomplished depends on the willingness of His people to be obedient. It is up to us to develop our faith and trust in God, seeking His will in whatever we do, but then we also must be obedient to do what He calls us to do.
We can talk about doing something all the time, but it will never be accomplished if we do not get up and do it. Matthew 6:33 tells us we are to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33 ESV
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
We must be seeking the kingdom of God! It is only when we truly are aligned with Him that we can see His Will and will have the faith to follow through.
Faith is great, but faith with action is awesome!

Action

Acts 8:29–33 ESV
29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.”
Action is key! The Spirit instructs Philip to go over to the chariot. How many of us are comfortable approaching someone that we have never met, in the middle of nowhere, and with no idea why we are going? Yeah, me either, but isn’t this the goal of witnessing? To go to others in need? God had a purpose and plan for sending Philip to this area, and to the chariot in particular.
Notice Philips response to the Spirits urging - he ran. When Philip felt that urging, he did not walk, shuffle his feet, wait until he felt ready, didn’t ask for a second sign, he ran over to the chariot. The Spirit of God has been trying to gain control of people’s lives ever since Christ walked upon the earth. He has needed lives to reach the world, but so few have been willing to put their lives under His control, so few have been willing to “arise and go.”
I think we could learn from Philips example, as he did four significant things.
1. Philip obeyed the Spirit of God. He ran up to the man. When he did what the Spirit instructed, Philip found out that the man had been prepared to receive the witness of the Lord. He heard the man reading the Scripture out loud.
2. Philip initiated a conversation with the man. Note Philip did not wait for the man to notice and question him as to why he was running alongside the chariot. Philip took the lead; he spoke first.
3. Philip joined the man. The man invited Philip and welcomed him. The man was one to whom the believer was to go, one who welcomed the witness. Believers are not to go to those who do not welcome the message. (See notes—Mt. 10:12–15; Lk. 10:5–6.)
4. Philip noted where the man was in his seeking of God. The man was extremely faithful …
in worshipping God. He had travelled hundreds of miles to worship in the temple at Jerusalem.
in reading the Scripture.
The man was doing all the right “things”, but had a major problem, he did not understand. What did he not understand?
Isaiah 53:7–8 ESV
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?
He did not recognize Jesus had already come, had died for his sins, and had been resurrection so that he might have eternal life. You see, Isaiah pointed to the future coming of Christ, the promise of the Messiah, but Jesus had already fulfilled that prophecy.
That same lack of understanding exists today. Many do not know Christ simply because they have never had His sacrifice explained to them.

Obedience

Acts 8:34–38 ESV
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
Philip then explains the prophecy found in Isaiah, and answered his questions, explaining that Jesus fulfilled the prophecy and the significance of the death, resurrection, and exalting of Jesus. When the Ethiopian understood the scripture, the sacrifice of Jesus, he desired to be saved and baptism. Notice this; he asked to be baptized immediately. What prohibits me from being baptized”? Notice the baptism did not come without salvation - he believed and THEN desired to follow through with baptism. So, the Ethiopian commanded the chariot to stop, they both went down into the water and he was baptized.

Closing

Through Faith and Action came Obedience. This afternoon, we will witness that same obedience. It is through the faith and action, the understanding and acceptance, that these coming today are being baptized. As a church, we must remain faithful in teaching the Word of God, we must commit ourselves to action - going wherever we are called, and witness to a lost and dying world. The act of baptism, through obedience, is the final act. Today, if you have been saved but may have not followed through in believers baptism, I will ask you - what is keeping you from being baptized today?
Meet at Leeman Field, R of bridge for baptism.
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