Do You Understand What You Read?

Q: What does the Bible say about knowing God?

The Bible emphasizes that knowing God involves seeking Him earnestly and understanding His word. The desire to truly know God is central to the Christian faith. In Acts 8, we see the Ethiopian eunuch exemplify a profound hunger to understand the Scriptures and, ultimately, to know the living God. This is not merely about having religion or a path to heaven; it’s about a genuine relationship with the Creator. The eunuch traveled a long distance to Jerusalem, showing his earnest desire to discover the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Scriptures affirm that those who seek God with their whole heart will find Him, as highlighted in passages such as Jeremiah 29:13.

Q: How do we know the gospel is true?

We can trust the truth of the gospel because it is revealed through the Scriptures and affirms the work of Christ. The validity of the gospel rests on its revelation in Scripture and the work of Jesus Christ. As demonstrated in Acts 8, Philip preached the gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch, starting from the Scriptures, specifically from Isaiah 53, which prophesies about the Messiah. The gospel is not based on human understanding or reasoning but rather on divine revelation. In 1 Corinthians 2, we learn that the natural man cannot understand the things of God without the Holy Spirit revealing them. This revelation is foundational for faith, as it assures us of the truth of God’s message of grace and salvation through Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection.

Q: Why is Christ's sacrifice important for Christians?

Christ's sacrifice is crucial as it serves as the atonement for our sins and embodies God's grace. The significance of Christ's sacrifice lies in its role as the atonement for the sins of humanity. As outlined in Isaiah 53, He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, enduring suffering that we deserved. This act of substitutionary atonement is the essence of the gospel; it demonstrates God’s immense love and grace toward sinners. The Apostle Paul states that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, emphasizing that His sacrificial death was not merely an event but a divinely orchestrated plan for redemption (1 Corinthians 15:3). The belief that Christ's sacrifice ensures the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God is fundamental to Christian faith, providing believers with the assurance of salvation.

Now let's open our Bibles again
to the book of Acts chapter 8. As Brother Jim read to us the 8th chapter of
Acts about the Ethiopian eunuch, I hope you listen carefully because
I'm not going to read it again, but make some comments on what
he read Now how this Ethiopian, man of
authority, man of great influence, came to be a Jewish proselyte,
I do not know. The Word of God does not tell
us. And where he secured a copy of the Word of God, I do not
know. I know he was reading the prophet
Isaiah. when Philip came to speak to
him, that where he got this portion of God's Word, probably written
in Hebrew, how he came to read the Hebrew language, I do not
know. Those things are not told us. However, there are some things
about this man that I do know. Number one, I know this, he was
seeking the Lord. He had a desire to know the living
God. He had a desire to know the God
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I do know that. I wonder how many people today
genuinely and really are seeking the Lord. I'm not talking about
the way to heaven. I'm talking about a knowledge
of the living God. I'm not talking about having
religion, I'm talking about knowing the living God. That's what this
man wanted, he wanted to know God. And I know this, he was
so interested in knowing God. I hear people say, well, it's
so far to drive to hear the preacher today, we have to drive 40 miles,
50 miles, or 60 miles. But this man was so interested
in knowing God, that he went on a long, perilous journey in
a chariot, probably drawn by horses, with old wooden iron
wheels, all the way from Ethiopia to Jerusalem. Now you think about
that. He made it his business to go where they were supposed
to know God, Jerusalem. That's the capital of religion.
And he made it his business to go there when they were having
special meetings and observing a special feast day, all the
way from Ethiopia to Jerusalem. I know that. He was interested
in knowing God. And thirdly, I know this. He
had not found what he was seeking for. He had gone to Jerusalem. And he had sat through whatever
happened up there, the three or four days and the sacrifices
and the ceremonies and the rituals and all these things that they
went through. But he had not found what he was looking for.
He left there not knowing the Messiah. He left there not knowing,
he left there in ignorance concerning salvation, redemption, and the
Messiah. He didn't know the scripture
he was reading. He didn't understand it. He was
not rejoicing when Philip found him. He was in great heaviness. But when Philip left him, did
you notice this? When Philip left him, he left
him rejoicing. He left him with a knowledge
and understanding of the gospel. Philip preached the gospel to
him. And then I know something else. He was reading the Word
of God and he wasn't reading it to argue. He wasn't reading
it to find some strange, mysterious thing. He was reading it to find
God because he was reading the essentials. You notice where
he was reading? He was reading over here in Isaiah
about the Messiah. He was reading a messianic prophecy. He was reading about the essentials.
He was reading the glorious report of Isaiah about the Messiah,
about the sacrifice, about the mercy of God, and he was reading
it with attention. He was reading it so that he
didn't even notice the man walking alongside the chariot. And then I know this. interrupted
his concentration, walking along the chariot, beside the chariot.
God sent Philip there. And Philip, walking along there,
looked up at him and said, say, do you understand what you're
reading? He was reading Isaiah 53. And
Philip said, do you understand what you're reading? Now, that's
the title of my message tonight. Do you understand what you're
reading? Do you? Now don't be offended
when we ask this. This man wasn't offended. He
wasn't offended at all. And this man was intelligent.
The scripture said he was the queen's servant, special servant
of the queen. This man was important, very
important. He knew it and everybody else
knew he was important. He was the treasurer of the whole
country of Ethiopia. And this man was great. had great
influence. He says he was a man of great
authority, and yet Philip didn't hesitate to ask him, do you understand
what you're reading? The natural man doesn't understand. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2,
he said, I had not seen, and the ear had not heard, and it
hath not entered into the heart of natural men the things God's
prepared, the things God's the things God has accomplished for
those that love him. But he has, he's not talking
about heaven, he's talking about grace and salvation. For he says,
but he hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit. For the Spirit
searches the deep things of God. What man knoweth the things of
a man save the spirit of man within him, even so the things
of God knoweth no man save the spirit of God. And so Philip
asked him, do you understand what you're reading? You say,
Preacher, do you? Yes, I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't
be up here. I do. Now, about what Mr. Spurgeon said, I want you to
listen to this. I think this is a classic. Listen
carefully. It's something I cut out many,
many, many years ago. Charles Spurgeon said, I do not
say that I understand all of the Bible. And no man does. In fact, I could not believe
the Bible if I understood all of it. For I would know that if I understood
it all, it must have been written by somebody like me. If I understood it all, it must
be written by someone like me. It must come from an equal and
not from God, for who can understand God? and comprehend God. My thoughts are not his thoughts,
so I do not understand all the Bible, but I believe it. But
I say, dearest, listen, all that is fundamental and essential
to my soul's salvation and my soul's welfare, I do understand
by the grace of God. And I understand what God is
saying in Isaiah 53. I understand what this man was
reading. And if I had been walking there instead of Philip, I could
have done the same thing Philip did. Could you? Do you understand
what you're reading? Well, another thing I know about
this man, he was willing to listen. You don't hear any debate or
any argument You don't ever hear him saying another word. Phillips
said, do you understand what you're reading? He said, how
can I? I'm a man of intelligence, a man of authority, a man of
influence. In the natural realm, when it comes to this, how can
I understand unless some man shows me? And he was willing
to listen. willing to listen. Where are
the people who are willing to listen, willing to hear, whose
ears are open? Lydia listened to Paul, Cornelius
listened to Peter, the jailer listened to Paul, and so Philip
began. I want you to turn to Isaiah
53. Philip began at this same scripture
and preached to him Jesus Christ. Philip knew Christ. And he knew
that all scripture points to Christ when the Ethiopian eunuch
said, of whom does the prophet speak? Of whom does he speak
here? Of himself or some other man?
Tell me of whom he speaks. And Philip began right there
to preach Christ. I heard an interesting story
some years ago. A man said to an old pastor over
in Europe somewhere, came to him and said, you know, the Unitarians are planning
on building a large church right across the street from you. Did
you know that? And the old preacher said, yes, I know that. And the
man said, well, pastor, aren't you concerned about that? Aren't
you concerned about the competition? Why, no, no. Replied the old
man, I'm not concerned. Let the Unitarians build their
church across the street. Let them build it next door.
I'm not concerned. Would a baker be troubled if
a blacksmith opened a shop across the street from him? The Unitarians and I are not
in the same business. I preach Christ and Him crucified. So I'm not concerned about who's
across the street. And that's the way Philip was,
like the Apostle Paul. Paul said, we preach Christ and
him crucified. I'm determined to know nothing
among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. And that's what
I'm going to preach to you now, what I believe Philip preached
to him from Isaiah 53. And I have two questions. Two
questions. The first one is this. What is
there here to be understood? What is there here to be understood?
And the second question is this. What is the evidence that you
understand it? Chuck has two good questions.
What is there here to be understood? And what's the evidence that
you understand it? All right, let's look at Isaiah 53. Now
here's a man, a pagan, Ethiopian, desiring to know God. put forth
strong effort to seek God. On his way home, reading the
Word of God, reading the, one of the most important messianic
prophecies in the whole Old Testament, the Gospel according to Isaiah.
Totally ignorant of what it said. And here comes a man who knows
Christ, who knows God, Philip. And Philip got up in the chariot
and started right here and preached Christ. Now let me tell you When
Philip got through preaching Christ to him from this scripture,
Philip took the scripture and preached Christ. He began at
this same scripture. That man left there rejoicing. With one message, one declaration,
one witness, he came to know God. All right, let's look at
it. You just hold it open there now
and read it with me. Isaiah 53-1. And I'll come in
as I go along. I believe this is what Philip
did. Now it says here, Mr. Eunick, who hath believed our
report? What is the report? It's a message.
It's the message of God's grace. It's the message of God's mercy
and love. Almighty God has purposed to
show mercy to sinners just like you and me. This report, this
report is the message of the Messiah himself. It's the message
of his person. It's the message of his incarnation. It's the message of his obedience,
of his death and his resurrection. This is the message of him who
came that we might have life. And it's the message that's true
and faithful and worthy of all acceptation. And Mr. Eunick has never lived a prophet
who did not mourn the fact that people in general did not believe
this message. And therefore he asked this question,
who hath believed our report? Even the master said that, who
hath believed our report? He said, I come in my father's
name and you don't believe me. You don't believe me. And then
what's the next passage? And to whom is the arm of the
Lord revealed? What is the arm of the Lord?
The arm of the Lord is the power of the Lord. My arm is not short
that I cannot save, God said. That's the power of God. That's
the strength of God. That's the power of God and the
strength of God in Christ. It is God's gospel of grace that's
the power of God unto salvation. It's this message, this report,
that's the power of God to save. It saved this man. When Philip
started preaching to him, he was an ignorant pagan. When Philip
left him, having preached to him the power of God, he left
him a saved, rejoicing child of the King. All right, let's
look at the next verse. For he shall grow up, he shall
grow up. We're talking here about the
Messiah. We're talking about the arm of the Lord. We're talking
about He, Him who is the gospel. He shall grow up before Him as
a tender plant. You know what a tender plant
is? A tender plant springs up unnoticed
out of the earth. A tender plant breaks through
the sod, low in its beginning, slow in its growth. and liable
to be crushed underfoot. It's a tender plant. And look
at that tiny babe. He said to the eunuch, this Messiah,
this Redeemer was born of a woman, born of a virgin, born a tiny,
helpless, dependent babe nourished on a mother's breast and laid
in a manger so tender, so unpromising that you would stand back and
look at him, born in that manger among the cattle and the shepherds,
and lying there in that mother's arms, and you would say, that
is the Messiah? That is the King of Kings? That
is the Redeemer of sinners? That tender plant? Unbelievable. Not only shall he grow up as
a tender plant, but as a root out of a dry ground. What's this
dry ground? Well, this is the house of David.
This is the nation of Israel. At that time, almost extinct. Hardly anything left. The great
kingdom of David, the great kingdom of Solomon was all gone now.
In fact, the heir to David's kingdom is that fellow Joseph
and Mary, who are so unimportant They couldn't even stay in the
inn. They had to give birth to her child in a stable. That's
how low was the nation Israel. That's how low was the house
of David. Dry ground. And this tender plant
is nothing but a root. It shows no possibilities at
all. It shows no possibilities. It's
just a root in an old dry ground somewhere. And then he hath no form, he
hath no majesty, just a crying baby, born of poor parents and
wrapped in a swaddling cloth, no comeliness, coming from a
poor country, living in a poor cottage, working as a poor carpenter. No form, no majesty, no comeliness,
and when we shall see him, nothing to make him appeal to us. There's
no beauty about him, there's no honor, there's no glory or
beauty that we should desire him or want him or follow him
or crown him. His background, out of Nazareth. Can any good thing come out of
Nazareth? His occupation, a carpenter.
His nationality, a Jew. Nobody hated like the Jews. His
followers, fishermen. sinners, his friends sinners,
his methods, no army, no government, no influence, just a preacher.
His death on a cross between two thieves, everybody that was
anybody turned thumbs down on him. There was no beauty about
him that we should desire him. Verse 3, and he's despised and
rejected of men. We rightly sing, rejected and
despised of men, behold that man of woe. Grief his close companion
was through all his life below. He was despised by high and low. He was despised by rich and poor. Even his own nation received
him not. Even his own brothers didn't
believe on him. He was a man of sorrows, and
acquainted with grief, and we hid as it were our faces from
him, for he was despised, and we esteemed him not. He said,
Is there any sorrow like my sorrow? All ye that perish by and look
on me, is there any sorrow like my sorrow, with which the Lord
hath afflicted me? But surely," verse 4, This tender plant, this root
out of dry ground, this man of sorrows acquainted with grief,
this man despised and rejected and esteemed not, surely he,
he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. The grief
and the sorrows and the sicknesses and diseases and the shame and
the guilt, they were not his, they were mine. They were not
His, they were ours. He didn't deserve them. We did
esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. The wrath
of men fell on Him. The opposition of devils fell
on Him. The fierce anger of God fell
upon Him. So He cried, My God, why hast
thou forsaken Me? And all this kindled against
Him as the sword of God's justice was sharpened to pierce His soul
because He stood in our place. our place. He hath borne our
grace. He hath carried our souls. We
did esteem him stricken and smitten of God and afflicted for our. Look at the next verse. He was
wounded for our transgression, wounded in body and soul, wounded
to death for every sin of every believer. He was bruised for
our iniquities. Like the corn is crushed in the
mill, he's bruised for our iniquities. Like the grape is wrung out in
the winery, he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement,
not tender loving chastening of a father, but the wrath and
hell of a holy God fell on him. The vengeance of God fell on
him. The chastisement of our peace
was upon him, with his stripes. with his agonizing strife, we
are healed. When he died under the wrath
of God, every trusting, believing soul died. When he arose, we
arose. When he ascended to the right
hand of God, accepted and exalted and freed from all sin that had
been laid on him, we arose and ascended and were exalted, healed,
holy, harmless and glorified. All we like sheep, wandering
sheep, have gone astray. We have turned every one of us
to our own way. There is no difference. And the
Lord hath laid on Christ the iniquity of us all. And maybe
Philip said to him, let's take these verses. This is substitution. substitution, Christ for us,
Christ in our stead, Christ bruised for us. He might have said, let's
put, you put your name in here and I'll put my name. Surely,
verse 4, he had borne Philip's griefs and carried Philip's sorrows. We did esteem him stricken, smitten
of God and afflicted, but he was wounded for Philip's transgressions. He was bruised for Philip's iniquities. The chastisement of Philip's
peace was upon him, and with his sprites Philip was healed.
Philip, like a sheep, had gone astray. Philip had turned to
his own way, but the Lord laid on him the iniquity of Philip.
Can you put your name in there? That's the gospel. Read on. His death no accident. Everything
that happened at Calvary was prophesied, purposed, planned,
and decreed by the Heavenly Father with his sheep in mind. His death
no accident. His death was purposed of God. He was oppressed. He was oppressed,
lied about, falsely accused, hated, rejected. He was afflicted. He was beaten. He was scourged.
He was spit upon and crucified. Yet he never opened his mouth.
He never opened his mouth against his enemies. He never opened
his mouth against his church. He never opened his mouth against
his father. He never opened his mouth against
the justice of God because he said, for this cause came after
this hour. He's the appointed Savior, the
appointed substitute, the appointed sacrifice, the appointed lamb
for the appointed people at the appointed time. Dying the appointed
day. He didn't open his mouth, he
died willingly. He is brought as a lamb to the
slaughter, to the altar. And as a sheep before her shearers
is done, there he stood, there he stood to be shorn of all dignity. Think about it. The Lord of glory. His very presence and surrounding
is holiness, beauty and glory. stripped naked, and nailed to
a cross while people spit at him, and hoot and holler and
laugh while he died, shorn of all dignity, shorn of all comfort,
shorn of all honor, shorn of all good, and finally shorn of
life while they stared, and yet he never opened his mouth. He never opened his mouth. And he was taken from prison.
He was taken away by oppression and judgment. Who shall declare
his generation? Who shall declare his pedigree?
Who shall go forth and say, this is not what he deserves. These
are not his sins. This is not his guilt. This is
all wrong. No one to declare it. He was
cut off out of the land of the living because for the transgression
of my people was he stricken. Jesus Christ didn't die as an
offer. He didn't die as a martyr. He
didn't die as a reformer. He died as a substitute. In verse 9, Philip said he made
his grave with the wicked and with the rich in his death. What's
that mean? They assigned him to die. They
so despised him and so hated him, so abhorred him, so abhorred him, that they assigned
him to die, not in dignity, but between two thieves. That was
the doings of his persecutors. They said, this your Messiah,
this your prophet, this your king, this your master, We'll
show you where we think he belongs, between two thieves. And then
they took him down from that cross and laid him in a borrowed
tomb. He didn't even have a grave lot. He borrowed the tomb of a rich
man. Although, because it says, but
the words although, he'd done no violence. He went about doing
good. He'd done no violence. There
was no deceit or lies in his mouth. He spake the truth. But
that's how he died. But he died for me, in whose
mouth there is deceit, and who has done violence, and that's
why he had to die. Verse 10. Yet, in all of this,
in his innocence, in his holiness, in his perfection, but in his
substitutionary character as the representative person, it
pleased the Lord to bruise him. You say the wicked Jews and Roman
soldiers crucified him. Yes, they did what their wicked
hearts wanted to do, but they did what God determined before
to be done. Every word they spake, every
act they performed, every nail they drove, every drop of spittle
they hurled, every time they plucked his beard or slapped
his face, they were doing what God said they would do and what
God determined before to be done. The God of glory not only permitted
his death, he decreed it. The God of glory not only permitted
his death, he planned it. The God of glory not only permitted
his death, he predestinated it. Read your Bible. Everything that
happened at Calvary is prophesied hundreds of years before it ever
happened. He pleased God to bruise him.
He put him to grief. God bruised him, God put him
to grief. He made his soul an offering
for sin. Yes, his body agonized, but his
suffering went deeper than the flesh, deeper than the mind.
His suffering went to the soul. That's what our Lord said hell
is. It's body and soul in hell. He made his soul. Who did? The Father made his soul an offering
for sin. But he shall see his seed. He
shall see his seed. His death was not a shot in the
dark. It wasn't a chance on the lottery.
When our Lord went to the cross, he went there like the high priest
went into the Holy of Holies with the names of his people
on his breastplate and in his hands. All for whom he died will
be justified. All for whom he suffered will
be reconciled. All for whom he bled will be
washed. He shall see his seed." What's
his seed? Well, his seed is his offspring.
His seed are those that came from his loins. His seed are
those whom he took with him to the cross. He sees them. He sees
them. He sees them. And he shall prolong
his days. It's not over. They thought it
was. After he died, they took him
down from the cross and put him in a grave. And these Pharisees
said, roll a stone in front of that grave and put a seal on
it. We want to be done with that fellow. You're not done with
that fellow. Thank God he prolongs his days. He's the same yesterday,
today, and forever. He's the one which was, he is,
and evermore shall be. He's Jesus Christ the same. He
shall prolong his days. Watch it! and the pleasure of
the Lord, and the purpose of God, and the mediatorial kingdom
of God shall prosper in his hand." The Heavenly Father, before the
world began, before the world began, entrusted into the hand
of his Son every sheep, every son, every member of his body
and his and said to him, Go save them and bring them home. And
like the shepherd went out into the wilderness, found his sheep,
put them on his shoulders, and brought them home. The Father loveth the Son, and
hath given all things into his hand, and the pleasure of the
Lord will prosper in his hand. Verse 11, And he shall see of
the travail of his soul. What's Only one application, the tribale
of a woman bringing forth children. A woman is pregnant, she goes
to the hospital or the home and she tribales, birth pains and
brings forth a child. Well, my Lord, in his tribale
of soul, he'll see his seed. He'll see his sons and be satisfied. Yes, He's a sinless Savior, and
He's a suffering Savior, and He's a sent Savior, and He's
a fully satisfied Savior. I hear these preachers talk about
how Jesus is up there in heaven walking the floor and wringing
His hands. That's not what God's Word says.
The Word of God says, Sinner! At my right hand. I make every
enemy your footstool, and bring home every son. All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me." All of them. All of them. This is no chance
thing. This is a decree of God. He shall
see of that travail of his soul and be satisfied, and by his
knowledge, what's that? By his knowledge of them and
their knowledge of him. That's right. He said, I know
my sheep. I know my sheep. They're my sheep. My father gave them to me. I
know them. I know them. By his knowledge of them and
by their knowledge of him, Paul said, I know whom I have believed.
And by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many,
not all, many. All of the many. How's he going to do that? He
bears their iniquities. That's how He justifies. Bears
their iniquity. And therefore, therefore, God
Almighty said, I will divide him a portion with the grave.
Oh, He's given him a name above every name. He's not on a cross,
so do away with your crucifixes. He's not in a tomb. You needn't
go over to Jerusalem. He's not there. The living is
not among the dead. He's not poor little Jesus, boy.
He's exalted above every name. Exalted above all exaltation. And has a name above every name.
That is the name of Jesus every knee's gonna bow. And every tongue's
gonna confess that He's Lord. He bought that name. He earned
that name. He deserves that name. God gave
him that name. I'll divide him a portion with
the great, and he, he shall divide the spoil of the strong. Just mark out with and put off.
He'll divide the spoil of the strong. He's conquered principalities. The prince of this world is judged
and cast out. You know when the old Roman generals
used to go out and fight a nation, They'd bring the spoils home
with them. They'd bring the royalty and the generals chained to the
back of their chariots, coming into Rome in chains. They'd bring
all the silver and the gold and the things that they'd taken.
They'd gone into these countries and spoiled them and brought
it home. And my Lord conquered Satan,
conquered hell, conquered death, conquered the grave, conquered
sin, obeyed the law, satisfied justice, and divides the spoil
with his people. what he has in his mind. He's
the heir of God and I'm the joint heir. We've inherited the universe. He said all things are yours.
Life and death and Paul and Cephas and all the rest of it. Christ.
Whoo, I tell you. This goes a whole lot deeper
than come down the aisle, doesn't it? This goes a whole lot deeper
than join the church. This reaches out there in the
mysteries and the glory of the kingdom of God. This reaches
down into the mysteries and powers of hell and darkness and principality. My king went forth to war, and
he won the battle, the homespun. Now he's exalted above all exaltation
because I'm going to divide him a portion with a grain and he's
going to divide the small of the strong because he poured
out his soul unto death. He became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross. He took all the hell I deserved.
He took all the wrath I deserved and all his people and all his
sheep. And he didn't do it as a shot in the dark, and he didn't
do it hoping somebody would let him have a little glory out of
it. He did it with all the intended glory decreed. That's right. Because he poured out his soul
to death, because he was numbered with the transgressors. My Lord
walked this earth numbered with the transgressors, identified
with the transgressors, His picture was on the post office wall right
there beside mine and yours. Numbered were the transgressors,
identified with them, bone of their bone, flesh of their flesh,
bearing the wrath of hell, the wrath of men, and the wrath of
heaven. He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore
the sin of many. How many thousands, I don't know,
but thousands and thousands and thousands of numbers that no
man can number. And he made intercession for
the transgressors. He said, my father, now glorify
me with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Thou hast given me authority over all flesh that I should
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given me. I pray
for them. I pray for them. I don't pray for the world. I
pray for them which thou hast given me. They were thine, and
all thine are mine, and mine are thine. And I make intercession
for them. But you know, he doesn't even
have to say that. He doesn't have to say a word. When the
crucified, risen, exalted Son of God, the great high priest
of every believer, the bridegroom of the Church, the forerunner,
went into the Holy of Holies and sat down, they all went in
there with him. John, he doesn't have to say
a word. His intercession is expressed. Because the law, having no claim
on him, has no claim on me. And justice, having been satisfied
with no claim on him, has no claim on me. Old Philip got through. Let's
go back over here and see what happened. Old Philip got through. You see,
this man, he's seeking the Lord. He wanted to know God. He wanted
to know the Redeemer. And he hadn't found him in organized
religion, but he found a deacon named Philip that knew him. In
verse 35, in Philip, Acts 8, 35, Philip opened his mouth and
began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus. And
they went on their way. Wasn't that some way? I tell
you, what a day. Oh, what a day. They came to
a certain water and the unit said, hey, here's water. What doth hinder me? to be baptized. I want to be identified with
this Christ. I want this glorious salvation." And Philip said,
if you believe, do you believe what I preach? Do you believe
the record? Do you believe the report? Do you believe Christ?
Do you believe with your heart? With all your heart? If you do,
you may. And he answered and said, I believe
that this Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is the Messiah. He is all that Isaiah said he
would be. And he commanded the chariot
to stand still, hold it, and they got out of the chariot,
both of them, both Philip and the eunuch, and they both of
them went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he
baptized them, confessing Christ, owning the Redeemer. That was
his confession. That's the way people in the
Bible confess Christ. They follow them in baptism.
And when they would come up out of the water, the Spirit of God
caught Philip away. The eunuchs saw him no more.
Well, who's going to conserve the results? Who's going to camp on this man's
doorstep and keep him safe? This man's going to a pagan country.
This man's going to Ethiopia. Surely God had sent Philip with
him, you know, to nursemaid him a little while, Steve. You don't
sit, babysit with him because he's liable to go back out in
the world. What's he going to do? God who saves people, keeps people,
teaches people, instructs them. If you'll quit dragging folks
down the aisle and talking them into a false profession, you
can quit nursemaiding and you can quit babysitting. You can
show a man the key of knowledge is Christ. Show him the key of
knowledge and hand him a Bible. That's all. Show him Christ and
hand him a Bible. Not all your doctrines and your
differentials and the way you differ from other denominations.
Just show him Christ and hand him a Bible. And the Holy Spirit
of God who regenerated him, the Holy Spirit of God who taught
him, the Holy Spirit of God who brought him to Christ, the Holy
Spirit of God that gave him ears and eyes and a heart will keep
him safe. He don't need to write for your
little book either. He's better off without your book. He needs
this book. That's reality. That's the gospel. Do you understand? Do you understand
what you read? All right.

Do You Understand What You Read?

What does the Bible say about knowing God?

How do we know the gospel is true?

Why is Christ's sacrifice important for Christians?

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Do You Understand What You Read?

What does the Bible say about knowing God?

How do we know the gospel is true?

Why is Christ's sacrifice important for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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