Acts chapter 8. Now here in just
a little bit, Lord willing, we're going to witness the baptism
of our sister, Lindsay Watts. And I think it's a good time
for us to understand what baptism, what this thing of baptism is. In Acts chapter 8, there are
three questions. Three questions asked by the
eunuch that I think are well worth considering. And the first question is found
in verse 31. by the Spirit of God had been
sent, sent to this man. And he saw him sitting in his
chair. He'd come back from some religious meeting of some sort. And it had given him a desire
to look into God's word, but he didn't understand what he
was reading. And Philip asked that eunuch,
he said, do you understand, that was Philip's question, he said,
do you understand what you're reading? And the eunuch says this, he
asked this question, how can I? How can I understand the things
written in God's word except some man should guide me? And Philip didn't share his opinion. Philip didn't say, well, I think
this is what this means, or I think this is what you should do. No, they went to God's Word.
They went to God's Word. There in the Old Testament. Isn't that just beautiful, the
idea that God would send a messenger? with a message, a message from
God's Word. There they were in the Old Testament. You know, we read this in Scripture,
in Romans 10, 14, it says, How shall they call on Him in whom
they've not believed? And how shall they believe on
Him of whom they've not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? Paul insists on the necessity
of preaching the gospel to sinners. A man, a woman, a young person,
they cannot be saved apart from calling on the Lord. And none can call upon Him if
they do not believe. Believe that He is willing to
save. Believe that He is able to save. And none can believe He is willing
or able if they have not heard of His grace, if they not heard
of his death, if they've not heard of his redemption. None can hear these things, these
glad tidings of the gospel, until they are preached to them. Paul told young Timothy, he said
this, preach the word. Preach the Word. Be instant,
in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering. Preach the Word. In 1 Corinthians
1 verse 21, turn there with me. 1 Corinthians 1. Look at verse 21, 1 Corinthians
1 verse 21. For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God. You see that? It pleased God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. God in his wisdom and
purpose was pleased to reveal himself and his salvation, that
which he purchased, that which he provided. He reveals it to his sheep through
the preaching of the gospel. We must be taught from his word. The question, how can I? How can I accept some man should
guide me, should lead me, should show me his way? Turn back to Acts chapter 8,
verse 34. Here's the second question. The
eunuch answered Philip and he said, I pray thee, here's the question,
of whom speak the prophet this? Is he talking about himself or
is he talking of some other man? Now the eunuch was reading from
the book of Isaiah. And I don't want to get ahead
of myself here, but this thing of baptism, it's a picture. It's a confession of this is
what I believe, but it's a picture of Christ's death, His burial,
and His resurrection. If you will, turn with me to
Isaiah 53. The prophet Isaiah, he's not speaking of himself. God's messengers don't come speaking
of themselves. They don't come promoting themselves. They speak of the Savior. They
speak of the Lord Jesus Christ. And all the way back there in
Isaiah, back there in the Old Testament, The prophet speaks
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And he speaks here in this passage
of many things, but he does speak of his death. The Lord's death,
his burial, and his resurrection. Verse 1, do you have it? Who
hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed? The power of God. To whom is
it revealed? For he shall grow up before him
as a tender plant. And as a rude out of dry ground,
he hath no form, he hath no comeliness. And when we shall see him, naturally
speaking, there's no beauty that we should desire him. 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. Surely he hath borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him strict, smitten
of God, and afflicted. The Lord Jesus Christ suffered. This is our report. It's the
same today. just as it was in Isaiah's time. The message does not change. It's a message of love. It's
a message of mercy, a message of grace, all in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Everything regarding salvation
is found in his son. It's found in Christ. Scripture
says this, he's the arm of the Lord. He's the wisdom of God. He's the power of God. Scripture
says this, He's the power of God unto salvation. And He's going to suffer. He's
going to suffer like no man ever has suffered. He's going to suffer
like no man ever will suffer. He's going to suffer unto death. He suffered in so many ways,
our Lord did. We read here, he's a tender plant. What a lowly entrance he had
into this world. For the man that is the King
of Kings and Lord of Lords, a tender, a tender plant. You think about
that, you put a new plant out there and just the least bit
of sun and it just crumbles and dies or somebody steps on it
and it's not going. He came into this world as a
tender plant. He came into this world as a
frail and helpless infant. Just like each one of us came
into this world. as an infant. We've got some
little ones here recently. Is there anything more frail
and helpless than an infant? They're totally and completely
dependent on their parents. Helpless. They have to be taken
from one place to the other. They have to be fed. They have
to be nourished. They have to be kept warm and
cared for. That's how our Lord entered this
world. He that created the world. He came into this world as an
infant. In Galatians 4 we read, when
the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son,
made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were
under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. He entered into this world as
an infant. Back in Isaiah 53, it says, a root out of a dry
ground. You know, he was a son of a carpenter. He wasn't born in a palace. He was born in a barn, in a manger. People try to recreate those
scenes. If you've ever been in a barn,
it's not a very pleasant place to be. Flies all swarming around,
the smell. That was our Lord's entrance
into this world. This world is not worthy of him. There was no form, no comeliness,
no beauty, no human affection. Fleshly speaking, there was nothing
that drew men to him. He was despised and rejected
of men. His lowly birth, his poverty,
his home, his hometown, where was it? Nazareth. What was the
question? Can any good thing? Some of us know the answer to
that, don't we? Can any good thing come out of
Nazareth? The answer to that is yes. His station in life, he was a
friend, that's what he was called. The friend of publicans and sinners. That's what he was known as.
The friend of publicans and sinners. I'm thankful for that. Aren't
we thankful for that? Consider his doctrine. That which
he spoke, he said, I and my father are one. And you know men hated him for
that. He spoke of particular redemption. Remember that group of folks,
when they heard him speak that way, they tried to pick him up
and cast him over a cliff head first. People turned from him. People
despised him. Again, a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief. And that was his life from the
day he was born until the day he died on the cross, the day
he suffered and died on the cross. That's God's word. That's how
it describes our Lord. In Lamentations 1, we read, Is it nothing to you? What is the Lord Jesus Christ
to you? Is it nothing? Is He nothing
to you? That was the question asked.
All ye that pass by, behold, is there any sorrow like my sorrow,
which is done unto me? Wherewith the Lord God Almighty
God hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger." How awful sin must be. We drink iniquity like rainwater,
right? Almighty God, when He found the
iniquity of His people on His Son, He slew His Son. He killed Him on the cross. Our Lord suffered unto death. Verse 4 says, He hath borne our
griefs and carried our sorrows. In all this suffering, all His suffering, His grief,
His sorrow, His spiritual infirmity, His sickness, that which He bore, that which the Lord Jesus Christ,
He suffered unto death for. And He did it, He did it for
His people. He suffered unto death for His
people, for His sheep. He suffered for my sin. You know, it's one thing. You
ever say that, well, they got what they deserved, right? That's
how we think, right? The Lord Jesus Christ suffered
unto death for my sin. For the sin, not his own, but
the sins of his people. He had no sin. He knew no sin. He did no sin. Again, we can't
wrap our heads around that, can we? He was our substitute, our representative. Scripture says this, he was smitten
and afflicted of Almighty God God the Father. The Lord Jesus
Christ bore our sins. He stood in our place. That which we deserve, that which
we earned, He took it upon Himself. Scripture says this, He was made
sin. God made Christ. his son to be sin for us. He who knew no sin. He was made
sin. He bore our sins in his body
on the tree. All the sins, imagine that, all
the sins of all his elect were laid on him. and he suffered unto death for
it. The wages of sin. What is it? Death. The wages of sin is death. Our Lord, as he hung on the cross,
he cried out, and this was his cry, He said, my God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping
me? He had to suffer. He must suffer
unto death. He suffered the just for the
unjust. that He might bring us to God.
He was put to death in the flesh and yet quickened, quickened
by the Spirit. He suffered unto death. Think
about it, God slew His Son. Back in our text of Isaiah 53
verse 5, is that what happened? Look at the scriptures. Look
at what God's Word says. Verse 5 says, He was wounded
for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace
was upon Him and by His stripes. His stripes. When they took that cat of nine
tails and they beat him. They thrust that against his
back and they tore out great pieces of flesh. That which he endured, by his
stripes we are healed. He suffered and died as a substitute
of his people, and we read this over and over in scripture. The
wages of sin, the wages of sin, it's death. And in our place,
he stood in our place and he bore the penalty to us. Our transgressions, our iniquities,
and in doing so, Almighty God is reconciled. That sin debt paid. God's justice satisfied. The wrath of God toward sinners,
the wrath of God toward his people has been removed, taken away. Verse 6, all we like sheep have
gone astray. We've turned everyone to our
own way. That's us by nature. That's what
we desire, our own way. We've turned everyone to our
own way. And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. There on the cross, he was made
sin. There he bore the penalty of
sin. There he suffered and died on
the cross. And listen, there was none to
help. Would any of us say, if I'd have
been there, I'd have put a stop? No. No, we wouldn't have. None to help. He walked the winepress
of God's wrath alone. Philippians chapter 2 verse 8,
being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Well, verse 7 of our text, again
Isaiah 53, he was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened
not his mouth. He's brought us a lamb to the
slaughter, a sheep before her shears is done, so opened he
not his mouth. I often think, I've said this
before, there's been times I've been guilty and I've tried to
make excuse. But there's been times when a
man's guilty. and there's nothing to be said. Our Lord took the guilt, he took
the sin, he took the shame of his people, and he didn't open
his mouth. He willingly laid down his life
for his people. Verse 8, he was taken from prison
and judgment. Who shall declare his generation? He was cut off out of the land
of the living for the transgression of my people. Was he stricken? He must be killed. His life taken
in a violent manner and under the pretense of judgment.
False charges were brought against him. He was betrayed, not just
by enemies, he was betrayed by his very own people. False witnesses
lied about him. Those that he loved denied him.
And he suffered. Christ alone suffered. He suffered once. How great was
his sacrifice? He suffered once for sin, the
just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, for this
purpose, that he might bring us to God, being put to death
in the flesh and quickened by the Spirit. He died. His death. He died. We see that. His death. And then
we see this. First, He died. His death. And then we see this. He was
buried. That's what we do with dead men,
isn't it? We bury them. Let's read on in verse 9. It
says, He made His grave with the wicked. He was buried. He was buried in the ground. He was buried with the wicked.
He made his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death
because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit found
in his mouth. The wicked. Well, there were
many, many wicked there that day when our Lord died. He died between two common thieves. He mentions the rich. He was
buried. He didn't even, he owned nothing
on this earth. He created this earth, yet He
owned nothing of it. He was buried in a borrowed grave. He was laid in that grave. Isaiah
53 verse 10 says, Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief, for
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. He shall see his seed. He shall prolong his days. The
pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." It pleased the
Lord to bruise him. The Lord, Almighty God, God the
Father bruised him. He put him to death, put him
to grief. The Lord made his soul, his very
soul, an offering for sin. And Almighty God didn't just
permit him to suffer. He didn't just permit his son
to suffer. He didn't just allow his son
to suffer. He purposed it. He predestinated
it. He willed it that his only begotten
son die in the place of his people. Read on in Isaiah 53. Just a
few more verses here. Verse 11 and 12. We see his death. We see his burial. And we see
his resurrection. Look at verse 11. He shall see
the travail of his soul. And I love this word. He shall be satisfied. satisfied. By his knowledge shall
my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their
iniquities." God's wrath against sin. God's wrath that I deserve. How can I find comfort in this?
That wrath has been satisfied. Sin has been punished. The work, the entire work of
salvation, it can be summarized in these
three words. It is finished. You know if something's finished, there's nothing left to be done,
is there? It is finished. That's what He cried out on the
cross. Our Lord said, it is finished. And all for whom He suffered. Let me say that again. All. all for whom he hath suffered." That work is finished. That work, just as he promised,
just as he prophesied in Scripture, just as he purposed, it is finished. And almighty God, how do we know
that? He raised him from the dead. satisfied with that sacrifice. He accomplished his purpose. And Scripture says this of him
now, that now he's not in the grave any longer, is he? No,
he's risen and he is seated at the majesty of the right hand
of the Father. being the brightness of his glory,
the express image of his person, upholding all things by the word
of his power. When he had by himself purged
our sin, he sat down, sat down at the right hand of the majesty
on high. And all for whom he has suffered,
they're justified. They're set free, redeemed. Turn with me to Romans chapter
8. Romans chapter 8. Look at verse 29. Just a few verses here. for whom he did foreknow. Romans 8, 29, for whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of his son. He might be the firstborn among
many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them he also called. in whom he called, them he also
justified, them he also glorified. What
shall we say to these things? If God be for us, God's word says he is. If God
be for us, who shall be against us? He that spared not his own
son when sin was found on the Lord Jesus Christ. Those of you who have children,
I'm convinced that we would do, I believe we'd do anything to
protect our children. When God found sin on His Son,
He slew Him. He spared not His own Son. The sin debt must be paid. And
Christ paid it in full. He spared not His own Son, but
delivered Him up for us all. How shall we not with him also? How shall he not also with him
freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. It's
who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died. yea rather
that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who
also maketh intercession for us. He ever lives to make intercession
for his people. Well quickly back to Isaiah 53
verse 12. Isaiah 53 verse 12. Therefore will I divide with him a portion with the great,
he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured
out his soul unto death. He was numbered with the transgressors,
he bare the sin of many, and he made." Made. He didn't attempt. He didn't try. He didn't do his
best. He made intercession. for the transgressors. He's risen
and he is exalted above all exaltation. In Philippians 2 we read, wherefore
God hath highly exalted him and given him a name that is above
every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow
of things in heaven, of things in earth, things under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory
of God the Father. 1 Corinthians 15, turn with me
to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse
1. What we read in the Old Testament,
is it any surprise that we read the same thing in the New Testament? This is the inspired word of
God, cover to cover. Verse 1, moreover brethren, I
declare unto you the gospel. The gospel which I preached unto
you, the gospel, Paul says, the gospel which I preached unto
you, which also you received, and wherein you stand. Listen,
this is our hope. This is our confidence, by which
also, verse two, you see it? You're saved. If you keep in
memory what I preached unto you, unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I received. How? That Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures. And that he was what? Buried and raised again the third day. His death, his burial, his resurrection,
all of this according to the scriptures. according to God's
Word. He suffered. He died. He died for our sins. And He's
risen. That's what Philip preached from
the Old Testament. His death, his burial, his resurrection. Well, back to Acts chapter 8. Acts chapter 8. Look at verse 35. Philip opened his mouth. He began
at the same scripture and he preached unto him the Lord Jesus
Christ. Verse 36. Here we see the third
question. That eunuch, he looked as they
were driving along in that chariot, and that eunuch said, here's
water. Here's water. What doth hinder
me to be baptized? Baptism is for those who believe. It's for believers. 1 Peter 3.21
says this, The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save
us, not to put in the way the filth of the flesh, but the answer
of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ in baptism. We publicly confess our faith
in Him. His death. Acts 2.23 declares
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have slain. We see His
burial, Paul writing in 1 Corinthians 15, he said, I delivered unto
you, first of all, that which I received, how? That Christ
died for our sins. according to the scripture, and
that he was buried, and he rose again the third day. And we see
his resurrection, Matthew 16, 21, from that time forth began
Jesus to show his disciples how that he must go into Jerusalem
and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and
scribes and be killed and raised again the third day. Let's go back to that third question.
The eunuch asked, what doth hinder me to be baptized? What doth hinder me? Philip said this, if thou believest. If thou believest with all thine
heart, thou mayest. And the eunuchs reply, I believe
that Jesus Christ is the son of God. And he didn't hesitate, did he?
He said he commanded that chariot to stand still. Whoa, can't you
just hear him shouting that out? They slammed the brakes on that
chariot and they got out of that chariot and they went down, both
of them, into the water. Both Philip and the eunuch. And
he baptized him. Isn't that beautiful? God sends forth his messenger.
He sent Philip. He sent men throughout all times. Gives them a message. A message
from God's Word. Who's it for? It's for his sheep. And they hear that word, that
man, that woman, that young one believes and they desire to be
identified with Him. What doth hinder me to be baptized? If thou believest with all thine
heart, thou mayest. Aren't we thankful that He continues
to do that today? that our Lord is still in the
business of saving His sheep? Huh? Saving sinners? Believe in this Gospel. It's
a miracle. It's a miracle of His sovereign
grace. "...He that hath saved us and
called us with a holy calling, not according to our works..."
Did you hear that? "...not according to our works,
but according to His own purpose and grace given in Christ Jesus
before the world began. A miracle of His grace. And those that believe, those
that have been brought to a saving knowledge of Him, a saving faith
in Him, they're not ashamed to submit to Him. Not ashamed to
be identified with Him, identified with His people and His gospel. Let me close with this scripture,
Mark 16, 16. Just listen, just listen to these
words. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved. But he that believeth not, Maybe
I'll just cross my arms and I'll just refuse to believe. He that
believeth not shall be damned. All right, Isaac, come lead us
in a hymn. Let's stand and turn to page
222. 222. There is a fountain filled with
blood Drawn from Emmanuel's veins And sinners plunged beneath that
flood Lose all their guilty stains Lose all their guilty stains
Lose all their guilty stains And sinners plunge beneath that
flood Lose all their guilty stains The dying thief rejoiced to see
that fountain in his day. And there may I though vow as
he wash all my sins away, Wash all my sins away, Wash all my
sins away. And there may I, though vile
as he, Wash all my sins away, Dear dying Lamb, thy precious
blood shall never lose its power. Till all the ransomed Church
of God be saved to sin no more. Be safe to sin no more Be safe
to sin no more Till all the ransomed Church of God Be safe to sin
no more E'er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing
wounds supply, Redeeming love has been. my theme and shall
be till I die and shall be till I die and shall be till I die
redeeming love has been my theme and shall be till I die may be
seated Last Sunday, after the service,
Lindsey came to me, back here to the back. She asked, she said,
could I talk to you? Could we talk for just a minute? And before I even asked a question,
she said, I want to be baptized. And before I could say anything
else, she said this. She said, I believe. I believe. That filled my heart with joy,
as I know it did hers and many, many others. Not everyone can say that. Not
everyone will say that. but I am so thankful that our
Lord has enabled you to say that. We just read in Acts chapter
eight, as they, Philip and Eunuch, as they went on their way, they
came to a certain place, a certain water, and the Eunuch said, see,
here's water, what doth hinder me to be baptized? Philip said, if thou believest
with all thine heart, And that eunuch answered, and
he said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That's your confession, isn't
it, Lindsay? And he commanded the chariot to stand still, and
they went, both of them, down into the water, both Philip and
the eunuch. And he baptized him. Lindsay, upon your profession
of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, in obedience to his divine command,
I baptize you, my sister, in the name of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.