Led by the Spirit

Indeed a great joy to finally have some of the members of the choir having a chance to release their voices. What joy truly fills our hearts

As We Gather this Lord's Day. We Gather once again around the center purpose of our gathering and worship it, all comes to the centerpoint of God's word. Those familiar with reformed worship, understand that. The word becomes that centerpiece, for which all the rest of our worship revolves. and so as we prepare this morning as we prepare our hearts, I want to remind us where we've been. The last two weeks, we've been in the book of Acts, we dealt with the same circumstance for two weeks in a row. The first week, we dealt with a sense of our orientation in the second week, we dealt with the sense of the power of God's name. It all revolved around A lame man from birth. Who was well over forty years of age. Now, by the offering of faith, in Jesus name,

He was called upon to stand up and walk. And he did. It was joyous and it was wonderful and full of excitement but not without also controversy. The controversy continues to stir in the background. As we progress through the Acts of the Apostles, this morning we'll be reading from the 8th chapter, several chapters Beyond where we where the previous two weeks, it will encounter a different character named Philip, Philip is a deacon. A deacon is someone who technically serves tables. So if you're a deacon right now I just want you to know your job description has changed.

A deacon was one who serve tables. Let me tell you the background of what transpired to bring Philip to the position. He was now in. You see the early church found itself? A controversy within the church,

It seems that they were selling everything they had and keeping everything in common and sharing and taking care of one another. And in that Society, one of the groups that often struggle to be cared for where the group of widows.

now, within this newfound group of Christians, Some widows were being cared for. And other widows were not. It fell along the lines of those who were Jewish by birth and grew up in Judea and those who were Jewish by birth, but grew up in the greater Greek world. And the Greek Jews.

widow's, we're not being cared for

So the complaint it eventually, rose all the way up to the apostles. And the apostles, saw the importance of it saw that it needed to be cared for. That they need to be addressed and they said, but we can't be pulled off the word in the spreading of God's good news. So they called for that 7. Men. Who are deeply steeped in the faith that were upstanding and full of spiritual wisdom that these seven men would be set aside to care for the widows as well as the numerous other items such like that, that would emerge.

Philip was one of those seven. There's one additional note that we need to know about Philip before we get into this, morning's Passage

You see, we tucked away that lame, man, and the controversy that came from that lame man. Suddenly walking, the religious leaders didn't like what transpired tried to keep down this new, growing Christian Movement. But that bubbling discontent continue to grow such that. Finally a persecution broke out. In which Christians were killed and sent fleeing out of the land. Philip was among those who fleed. And he found himself in Samaria, the city and the region that is north of Judea a City full of Jews who were kind of half Jews when the words of Harry Potter kind of a mudblood, a half-breed, They were those who kind of practice the faith but not really. And they were not really considered in the fold and Philip went in to Samaria. And now, his job description has changed from waiting tables and caring for widows. He started to share God's good news of Jesus Christ. Praise be to God.

And those in Samaria started to believe. What they were hearing.

Phillips occupation his work before the Lord had expanded and now he was not only living out the gospel, he was sharing the gospel. And such that they came to believe and understand that Jesus was the Christ and Peter and John involved with the lame man. We're set up the Samaria to check and confirm all that was going on.

To see if Philip had done it, right?

But the spirit doesn't leave us there. It leads us into Phillips next work, which is our reading this morning. Let us pray almighty, God. May you help us? Already. We have taken in an enormous amount of information. May you help us this morning to hear what we need to hear. What, you know, our Spirits deep down need to hear. So that we might more properly, follow you.

Guide us this morning to your word. May it ring richly in our hearts. Where does familiar may you make it alive?

And where it is, new May, our hearts beat with anticipation. Guide us a lord through your spirit in Jesus name. Amen. So we pick up in the chapter 8. The first 26 of the Acts of the Apostles.

Now an Angel of the Lord said to Phillip, rise, and go toward the South to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert place. 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 and was returning seated in his Chariot and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.

And the spirit said to Philip. Go over and join this chariots. So Philip, Ran to him. And heard him reading. Isaiah, the prophet and asked. Do you understand what you are reading? and he said, how can I unless someone guides me? And he invited Phillip to come up and sit with him. Another passage of the scripture that he was reading, was this?

Like a sheep. He was led to the slaughter. In like a lamb before its shearers is silent so he opened not his mouth. In his humiliation, Justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation for his life is taken away from the Earth.

and the eunuch said to Philip, About whom I ask? You does the prophets say this? About himself or about someone else?

Then Philip opened his mouth. And beginning with this scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus. And if they were going along the road, they came to the some water and the eunuch said, see here is water. What prevents me from being baptized.

And he commanded the chariot to stop. And they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the spirit of the Lord carried Philip away. And the eunuch saw him, no more.

And went on his way rejoicing.

But Phillip found himself at azotus. And as he passed through, he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to came to Caesarea. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Well. we said that this concerns Philip but it doesn't take much in our listing to realize that there is another major participant in this story and I'm not talking about the eunuch There is another one who truly guides, the movement of the story. And that is the spirit of God, the spirit of the Lord, the spirit The spirit is behind the angel of the Lord, that speaks first to Philip, telling him to rise and go, the spirit speaks to Philip Once he's there and tells him to go over to the Chariot. And even at the end to just make sure we're listening, the spirit takes, Philip, and picks him up, and plops him over here.

The spirit is busy leading. The story, the spirit is leading Phillip. The spirit is the challenge before us today of whether we too are willing to be led by the spirit.

Now we all know what it is. To be led We're used to that. We know what it is to follow a leader. During this incredible pandemic. This difficult time, we have been watching our leaders attentively. We've been critiquing and judging and praising. We watch their every move.

We know what it is. To be led. But there are other things that lead us as well. There are other more quite more subtle leadings in our lives. Leanings, that are not just the great leaders that we see around us.

We are lead.

By how we feel? Weather were anxious. Or joyous.

We're led by our hunger. How many of us know what the word hangry means.

There is much that leads us in life. And right now, I still see some spouses poke one another over that hangry item. There's much that leads us in life. And the question really before us this morning, the question, if we want to know, what did we encounter in God's word this morning was the question about whether or not we're willing to explore how much we are willing to be led by the spirit.

Oh sure we'll tell ourselves, we are, but think about the three movements of the Spirit In this passage The first one comes through the angel of the Lord. If you want to get technical with me, it's the angel of the Lord, not the spirit, but it's the spirit leading, the angel of the Lord. In the same way that God leads the spirit that leads to the angel of the Lord, the angel of the Lord comes on the scene and speaks to Phillip. Says, Rise and go, but before we address the wise, rise and go, we must first, come encounter, how Luke, that is the writer of the Gospel of Luke, and the writer of the book of Acts, how Luke gives us information. He just simply says, the spirit of the Lord told him to do.

Doesn't even allow us to catch our breath, it becomes a common everyday statement, the spirit of the Lord said and off, we went It says, if we are meant to understand at this point, that we should expect the spirit of the Lord, that the angel of the Lord will speak into our lives. Like, it's common everyday occurrence. As if someone said to you, would you go make lunch? Okay, I'll go make lunch.

We should expect this really when we think about it, it starts at the very beginning of Luke's gospel. When the spirit shows up, before the priest Zachariah, when he's there, making offerings in the, in the temple of God, in the spirit shows of Angel shows up, and tells Zechariah that he's going to have a son in his old age, even when it's well beyond the time, in which you can have a son, And that son is to be John the Baptist. Over and over again. We see the angel of the lord of the spirit moving such that now, Luke doesn't want to bother with us. Making sure we're taking a nap. He's expects us to be at the point where we expect in our lives. That the spirit is at work that, the angel of the Lord will be at work in our lives.

And so the first directive, if we're willing to be lad is rise and go.

Rise and go to the South to the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, rise and go.

For those who are studying the Book of Genesis, you might feel that familiar passage that. It sounds so much. Like, when Abraham was first called by God to get up and go to the land, that God would show him where Abraham is, told by God get up and leave your Homeland, your father's your family, and go to the land that I will show you. Rise and go.

And Abraham does. And Philip does. Philip gets up and goes.

But he might be leaving the rest of us behind.

Because it's hard to get up and go at the spirits leading.

I mean, most of the time, We have at least two thoughts in mind. First, we either want more specifics.

Or we want to question, whether God really knows what God is doing.

Think about it for a moment. A few chapters from now, we'll encounter. Another gentleman who is called too. And his name is Anininas. He's called to go to Saul that one is persecuting the church, the one who becomes Paul ananias is called upon by God to go and speak to Paul and he's given all sorts of specifics. He's told right where Paul is, go to Straight Street. He's given all the specifics. That's what we want. We want the specifics. Tell us again. God, how's this going to work? Are you clear on this? How's this going to work? Which brings us to the second question in our mind. We wonder if God knows what God is doing. Oh, we wouldn't say that out loud. We might not even admit it to ourselves. But there's a part of us that sits in just a judgment. We want to know the full plan. We want to see the layout.

And then we want to decide whether or not it will work.

And we're not alone. Moses before the very burning bush where God is speaking to him that image that is burned in our minds, which sounds so amazing which we tell ourselves if God would speak to me in that way. I'm listening, right?

And yet, what does Moses say when he's in front of a burning bush? That is not consumed by the fire. And God is speaking to him, Moses, take off your shoes for this is Holy Ground and all of that. when God gets done speaking, you know what Moses says,

How about my brother, Aaron?

He weighs all the Dynamics and he says, I'm not sure you got this, right? Ananias who has to go to Paul says the same thing. Are you sure you got this right? He's the one is persecuting the church, you know.

Tony campolo. A well-known Christian sociologist professor and definite Christian apologist. Loves to share stories of when he has been led by the spirit when he has taken time to truly listen to the spirits leading One such time he was driving along and you got this incredible urge that he had to go buy milk. A gallon of milk. And so we did he thought? Well maybe you'll get brownie points when he got home and no one told her them. They need milk but okay. And he got the milk. And as he is driving further towards home. He was suddenly told to turn down this street. Again, it's a type of things we waive away. I didn't think that that's bizarre.

He describes where he eventually finds himself at the front of the apartment door knocking on the door because he's feeling the leading and he's wondering if this is his last moments. When he's there you be. Or chase off the property with a gallon of milk in hand. This is nuts.

Person who open the door, he quickly handed over the milk here. God wanted you to have this.

And the man broke down in tears.

Because he and his wife had just been praying with all their little children. They had no money left and no food left. And they just been praying to God for help.

But we tell ourselves that's nuts. That's crazy that works for the one in the million Tony kampala's. But how does that work for me? Phillip is told to rise and go.

And he does.

Which brings us to that in-between time. That that moment of Jeopardy, music to do. Do, do, do, do, do, do, do. Do.

Where he's now sitting there. He's in more of a Wilderness Area, he's on that border between the really ripe and flush, land. And that which becomes desert, just before you start going towards Egypt,

This is where he's been told to go.

Probably pondering wondering what this was all about. How many of us have struggled and say, okay. I didn't know it was that, come on, let's go. I don't have patience for this. I don't have time for this.

Rise and go. Okay. But God in my time frame,

How much Israelites when they rose up and walked out of Egypt? How much did they expect that their own failings would lead to 40 Years of wandering?

But they rose up and they went. The Next Step. Is, are we willing? And ready for the leading that we've just responded to.

Second movement of the spirit. Is there's a chariot moving along going from north to south and the spirit, says to Philip go over to that chariot. and once again, Philip goes, And once again, he leaves us potentially behind.

It's because there are several barriers here in that moment. Just like her daughter can follow bought that milk. Buying milk is easy. I got home that we don't need milk, okay? I got the message wrong, buying milk and turning down, a path that I wasn't expecting to go on and knocking on the door of someone. I don't know with a gallon of milk, that's crazy.

In the same way to go over to this Chariot. That's crazy. We have had this man. Identified to us. He is from a foreign land not just a small foreign land. This is a land of kush or Nubia and it's not really what we think of as Ethiopians. Anything south of Egypt, the land of kush in many years actually ran Egypt.

And he is in charge of the Queen's Treasury.

He has an enormous amount of wealth.

When you hear chariot Don't think of a little to see the thing and you stand up were talking about what we would think about is the covered wagons. It's probably a whole Caravan of support around him and protecting him. And here comes Philip running up. How do you think that's going to go? if you're still wondering what I'm saying, try running up to the president's motorcade and I think you'll understand

there's an enormous barrier there. But, you know, the truth is, if we're going to be led by the spirit. If we're going to take that step the spirit is going to call us into relationship. We're going to have to take the risk of coming near to folks. We're going to have to knock on the door.

And potentially explain ourselves.

To be led by the spirit. Is to go up to that chariot. With every reason to think, one might not be able to even get close.

Do you know what happens when we get close? When the spirit leads us to someone to be close to them. We get to enter into their world, their reality, that person's struggle and strain, we get to live life with them for a moment.

Part of what shows us this Treasurers enormous wealth is the fact that he's riding along reading, his own personal, Scroll of Isaiah, These Scrolls were expensive, whole communities would come together to buy a scroll and he's got his own scroll.

In that chariot.

And Philip is close enough to hear him reading from the prophet. Isaiah

Do you know what you're reading? Do you understand? How can I unless someone guides me?

Unless someone guides me.

I want you to understand what he was reading. The writer Luke makes it clear. So that we know what passage was being read is from the 53rd chapter of Isaiah It was the fourth of what is four different. Suffering servant passages in the book of Isaiah. One at chapter 42 43, another at 49 and another one at 50. And finally, the one at 53.

God's servant is spoken throughout Isaiah, but the suffering servant passages are the ones that were most tricky and difficult to understand. They describe a servant of God who will suffer on behalf of the people

You see, the people are being told of the Exile that they will go into and that they will eventually be brought out of Exile, in the midst of all this is this suffering servant. and as you read through the four different passages, you see someone who is going to Preach good news to the broken, hearted. Release to the captives.

Who's going to not only redeem Israel.

But all the world. Starting to sound familiar.

And in the fourth and final suffering, servant passage you had this passage of one who is going to be killed.

Who doesn't even open his mouth like a sheep being sheared.

And the eunuch is wondering. Who is this? Just like all the scholars and everyone else wondered. Who is this? The door is open for Philip, but you need one more piece of information.

You see, we've been told that this treasurer, this Treasurer of Candace from Ethiopia. That he's also come back from worshiping in Jerusalem. On some level, he is a follower of God. He has come to worship god. He has traveled an enormous distance to come and worship God. He is even in his possession is on Scroll of Isaiah. This is not someone who's just trying to do good things as a local diplomat. This is someone who is deeply involved in the faith and yet. The question of whether he's in the faith or not. Is right before us.

You see Philip was following a path.

He was following a path that was laid out in the very first verse of the first chapter of Acts. When Jesus says, I'm going to have you go from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria, to the ends of the Earth. Well, Philip was just waiting tables. Suddenly found himself thrown out of Jerusalem, thrown out of Judea and now in Samaria. And now the spirit has picked him up and sent him down, further south and he's encountering someone from the ends of the Earth.

And this one who is following God trying to follow, God has one significant problem. That's the part. I haven't touched on yet.

He's a eunuch.

Which means? That by the law, he's not allowed anywhere, near the central workings of the temple. We talked before the holy of holies in the outer part of the temple and then the parts where the offerings are made in the event are allowed and then further out the courtyard of the women and then further out the courtyard for the Gentiles. This man who wants to worship. God can't get near. Who wants to be on the inside, but it's forever kept on the outside. This one is wondering who is the suffering servant, who brings release to the Brokenhearted? Release to the captives. Who are captive by their very nature. Who is this one?

He has an intense interest besides just curiosity.

we have a world out there who are hungry for the God, we have ran into the God who has reached out to us, The God Who Has Lifted us up in our Brokenness, in our sinfulness

There's a world eager to know that someone was willing to suffer on their behalf that they might be saved and restored.

Do you understand? What you're reading.

How can I unless someone guides me?

That word for guide is the combination of two words. Two words coming together. One is a sense of leading. The other one is simply the word Street. Like y'all going down the street?

Another word someone who leads you through the streets.

and we rely on road signs nowadays, or GPS or All manner of other forms of navigation.

But a guide is someone who takes us through the land, we don't understand. Who leads us who holds Us by the hand?

There's a world that is hungry for people who will come alongside and lead them to Jesus Christ.

Walk with them in the Brokenness.

Philip started. With the ministry of care, for those who are being left out. Widow's already were often left out in society and the Christian Community was caring for them but still dropping some of their widows. And Philip began his ministry, strong in the Lord. Ministering to those. Forgotten.

and then when persecution came and forced him, out of what he knew and what he understood, he was thrust amidst, another people who are often written off the Samaritans, Those who didn't have things, right? Who are backward.

So began to share with them the Same Love. That God had sent his son for them.

If you're broken. How much you're broken God doesn't mind. That's not what matters. What matters is that you come to know his son Jesus Christ The love that he has for you.

And when Phillip graduated from that work, in Samerita

The spirit set him down. To someone who is from the ends of the Earth.

Someone who is trying desperately to worship God, but kept at arm's length.

Do you understand what you're reading. How can I let someone guides me?

And Philip guided him. To the one who died for him. Gave his life up for him.

And that man. Who couldn't go beyond certain barriers at the temple? Looks up and sees water. And suddenly his question is so much more powerful.

Some water.

What prevents me? From being baptized. What prevents mean? He's used to a world, no matter how much she reaches out to. God, he's used to a world that prevents him.

What prevents me?

If the god you claim is true, if he really has sent his son to die. For me and my sins, the by terrible decisions in life, if he's really done that. If he's come to die for me and miss all the pain, I've caused my family, my friends, everyone I know if he's really come to do that. Prove it.

Prove it. What prevents me?

There's a world out there in need of the good news of Jesus Christ. We have an enormous challenge before us. for the church, not just our church, but every church has actually become a barrier He used to be the Christians were the last Community or the First Community people to reach to when they were in pain and suffering with everything else in society said, no, we won't help you. He was a church that came to people's rescue.

Unfortunately, we live in a time where that's not People's First Choice. They're more afraid of judgment. They're more afraid of all that, they have to do to be accepted.

If we're going to be led by the spirit.

Look at where the spirit took him. First to the windows being forgotten. Next, to the Samaritans who were often written off as being backward and having only half of it, right?

And finally, to this one who no matter how much she tried was kept at arm's length.

If we're going to be led by the spirit.

We need to be ready to share God's good news with everyone.

Which brings me to a third and final movement of the spirit. And this one is short. Comes with almost as a challenge. The third act that the spirit does is he takes Philip and his kind of unclear, we're not really sure how to read it, are we The spirit of the Lord carries Philip away. I don't know. I kind of imagined God just kind of taking Philip pick him up and put him over here, right? Until he finds himself in a whole different place. Instant transportation

What is evident is that Philips work is not done?

He's being led now to the next adventure.

We're often left back at the story. But we're told that the eunich goes on, joyfully not concerned with how Philip left.

If we're going to be led by the spirit. We got to watch ourselves and make sure we don't get stuck with Where We Are. We have to be ready for the next move. Philip's next move. Where is planted. He now then moved up the Eastern Seaboard of Israel, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

We are God's agents here on Earth. To share the good news.

Once we start that work. We will be picked up and move to the next work again, and again and again. if we are willing to be led by the spirit, let us pray.