051406 Easter 5 Who will Guide me
Easter 5, May 14, 2006 (Mother’s Day)
Who Will Guide Us?
Text: Acts 8:26–40
Other Lessons: Psalm 22:25–31; 1 John 3:18–24; John 15:1–8
Goal: That hearers are aware and thankful for God’s guidance in understanding his Word and fulfilling their Christian vocations.
Introduction: Let me get right to the point. Philip was being directed to what looked like an unlikely spot to preach. To some. Trinity might look like an unlikely spot to preach as well. Keep this in mind as we look into God’s amazing work of evangelism.
With all that is coming about at Trinity, we might well wonder who is guiding us to do the things we are undertaking. I trust that by now you are all aware that we are moving forward with a plan for renewed mission and ministry. As we do this, the desire we have is to remain faithful to God’s Word and our calling as Christians. We could even say that our challenge through all of this is to stay on track with God, and to be guided on our journey. This is of ultimate importance if we are to bear fruit as branches of the True Vine. So we ask …
Who Will Guide Us?
I. To keep us on track as Christian people, it is important to know who will guide our understanding of the Scriptures?
A. Let me get at this by saying that the Ethiopian didn’t understand what he was reading in the prophet Isaiah (vv 30–31). Does anyone wonder why? The answer is simple. The Spirit of God must enlighten us. Lutherans are taught to confess the Holy Spirit through the teachings of Doctor Luther:
“I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.
In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.
In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers.
On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.”
So, how do we know that Dr. Luther had it right? How do we compare this with what the Scriptures say about the work of the Holy Spirit?
1. It is a curious thing, indeed. According to St Peter, not even the prophets themselves understood all that they wrote (1 Pet 1:10–12).
"The prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look." (1 Peter 1:10-12, ESV)
It’s not as though the prophets didn’t know what they were talking about. Indeed, they knew they were revealing God’s plan of salvation. The Holy Spirit guided them into this conviction and knowledge. What they did not know was the time or the person who would bring it about. But, we do! And that makes every difference in the world as we serve in His Kingdom today.
2. Curious also, is the inability of Jesus’ disciples to understand what Jesus was doing until "he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures," (Luke 24:45, ESV)
3. The point is this, the natural mind of man cannot understand the things of God (1 Cor 2:14).
"The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14, ESV)
B. So it is even today. The Spirit of God must call and enlighten us by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And that is precisely why the Spirit sent Philip to enlighten the Ethiopian about the Bible in its Christological sense (vv 31–33). You see, if a person cannot see the centrality of Christ in the entire Scriptures, and know the person and time of its fulfillment, they still need the help of the Holy Spirit. Their mind is not yet enlightened by the Gospel. But our mind is! And the reason for that is God’s abiding Holy Spirit in us.
C. So when we ask the question, “Who will guide us?” We are assured by the Holy Spirit who continues to guide the true Church’s proclamation of the Christ. The Spirit of God informs us who fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures and kept God’s Law perfectly in our place (vv 34–35).
1. The Holy Spirit informs us that He is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah’s prophecy who, although deprived of justice, was vindicated by God.
a. What a vivid picture of the atoning work of Christ Jesus on the cross, the prophet paints! Even so, Isaiah is revealing God’s truth not knowing the person or the times of which he spoke. How absolutely amazing is the work of God in our behalf.
b. If our salvation and safety for eternal life depended upon us and what we know and do, we are all lost. There is not one of us who can claim to understand perfectly all God’s will and ways. But, by His own Spirit He guides our understanding and our ways to do those things pleasing in His sight even if we do not yet fully understand it.
2. Consider how the Spirit continues to send missionaries, evangelists, pastors and teachers, to bring light to darkened hearts. How is it that these are guided to do such work? It is God’s Spirit who enlightens them with His gifts. It is God’s Spirit who still enlightens us with the treasure of God’s grace and undeserved favor. He, working through the Word of God, guides and protects us by keeping us in true faith. Who will guide us? Let there be no doubt that it is the same Spirit who has guided us to know Jesus.
Transition: If we rely on our own understanding, we will most assuredly get lost. But before we pass judgment let us consider this:
"In him (Christ) you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:12-14, ESV)
Who will guide us? Doesn’t that depend upon who you believe? The long and short of it is this: It is possible to grieve God’s Spirit and so lose our inheritance. We do so when we fail to feed on God’s Word like in bible study. We do so when we fail to participate in the blessed sacraments of Baptism and the Holy Supper. We do so when we put our faith and trust in anything but Jesus Christ who is revealed only in the truth of God’s Word. But, guided by that Word, the Spirit works mightily for our good, leading us to better understand what is good and evil in God’s sight. And by that work we are equipped to do God’s will and fulfill our Christian vocation and call. He is God and we are but branches in the true vine. All praise be to God who called and engrafted us into Himself!
II. Who will guide our opportunities to witness about this Jesus?
A. Will it be Demographics? I do not think so. How reliable are they for knowing where the Spirit wants to go? Obviously, not reliable at all.
1. What I mean is this: Philip was taken to a deserted area, not to a teeming metropolis (v 26). That was not a very likely place for rapid and successful evangelism.
2. It helps us to know that God goes before us to prepare those to whom we should speak. It is important to also understand that the Holy Spirit can block us from going where we want to go. And that might not make a whole lot of sense with respect to modern techniques and tactics. But it’s the truth.
3. We have work to do here at Trinity. What we undertake under the Spirit’s guidance might not make a sense to everybody. But that is okay if it makes sense to God. And I believe that what we are undertaking is being guided by God’s Word and Spirit. May He always lead and guide us to give a clear proclamation of Jesus Christ in all that we do. So, what I am saying is this: Now is not the time to give up and flee. Now is the time for us to unite in Spirit to serve the living God. And that is what we will do as long as God grants us strength.
B. Philip was led away from the safety of people whom he knew in order to witness to a foreigner (v 27). That’s our goal. We cannot do that if we do not follow the guidance of the Spirit.
1. The Spirit may direct us away from those with whom we feel most comfortable. But, the Spirit will always direct us to those who need to hear the Good News of Jesus.
2. The Spirit may direct us to people who seem to be outside the grace of God such as the eunuch seemed to be outside and disqualified. The law of Moses excluded them from the congregation (Deut. 23:1). But in Christ Jesus, all things are made new.
Conclusion: The Ethiopian may have thought at first that it was pure coincidence that Philip was traveling that same road. But God wanted him to know the truth about Jesus and brought the two together to achieve his glorious purpose. That same Spirit works through life’s events to guide us into the truth and give us opportunity to be used as God’s chosen instruments. As he has guided us so far, may He continue to guide us to grow in faith and use the opportunities to witness about Jesus. Amen.