Jump Start # 2335

Acts 8:30 “And when Philip had run up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’”

Our verse today begins the conversation between the preacher Philip and the Ethiopian. It is remarkable how many times God allows you and I to sit in on conversations in the Bible. It’s as if we were right there. We learn. We see how to say things. We learn how to bring things up. We learn what to say and what not to say.

This conversation was by divine arrangement. God had brought these two together. This shows that God’s intended avenue of conversion was through the teaching of the Bible. Philip was doing remarkable work in Samaria. One might have thought that God would have left Philip there. You know the saying, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” It was working in Samaria. Yet, God pulled Philip away from that area to have this conversation with the Ethiopian. Couldn’t have God just saved the Ethiopian without any one else being there? Modern theology says yes. Biblical theology says NO. The Gospel is the power unto salvation. The platform and bridge to Jesus is the preached word of God. God sent Philip to be that bridge.

As Philip catches up with this chariot, he hears the Ethiopian reading. He must have been reading aloud. He must have had his own copy of Isaiah, which was rare, expensive and I doubt that Philip even had his own copy. A simply question was asked. “Do you understand what you are reading?” The Ethiopian knew he needed help. It was fuzzy in his mind. Just who is the prophet talking about, he wondered. And, beginning there, Philip preached Jesus. The dots were connected. Salvation was brought up. Baptism was discussed. The chariot, which had been rolling down the road, was ordered to stop. The two men got out and went down into some water and the preacher baptized the Ethiopian. There was no need to stop the chariot if one is saved without baptism. There is little need for both to get out of the chariot if only a cup full of water, poured over the head was all that was necessary. But that didn’t happen. They both got out. They both went into the water. The Ethiopian was immersed, which is what the word baptism means in it’s purest form.

I like that question that Philip asked, “Do you understand…” There are some thoughts we need to pull from this.

First, not everyone understands nor has everyone experienced what you have. Some folks have never been part of a congregation that has appointed shepherds. This is a highlight of a church. Share some thoughts about this. Some folks have never had to sit down with a funeral director and work out the details for a funeral. There are so many caskets, vaults, cemeteries. How many death certificates are needed? Share some thoughts about this. Some folks have never had to greet hundreds of people that come through a visitation at a funeral home. Lots of things are asked. Curiosity can get the best of some of us. We can pry into things that are none of our business. How do you handle such things? How do you be polite but not rude? Share your insights. Some have never had a child go away to college. What are some things to consider? Some have never planned a wedding? Share some thoughts.

Second, from the standpoint of the Ethiopian, he was humble and honest to admit that he didn’t know. Many of us wouldn’t do that. Pride wouldn’t allow us to do that. We’d guess. We’d fake it. We hate to ask for help, or worse, to admit that we simply do not know.

I think about this from the standpoint of a visitor to Sunday worship. They may not know what happens and why those things are happening, such as songs, prayers and preaching. They may not know where certain books of the Bible are. They may not understand many things. Share your insights and help them feel comfortable by being a friend to them. Help them, if they will allow you, to find where passages are in the Bible. Don’t lose your patience nor be critical. They simply do not know.

Third, without Philip, the Ethiopian may have drawn the wrong conclusions about the passage. He may have never really known. Truth tends to be narrow and exclusive. There was one answer about who Isaiah was talking about. Getting this wrong, did matter. What you tell others and how you tell others may make all the difference in the world.

Fourth, because we can help explain a passage or help someone through a difficult time does not mean that we will never need help ourselves. This is important for us preachers to remember. It is assumed that we know everything about the Bible, church history and why society does what it does. And, truth be told, we don’t, we don’t, we don’t. Because you have helped someone with a passage does not mean down the road that you will be sitting where the Ethiopian sits and you will have your own questions. I do. There are some things I just haven’t figured out yet. I ask others. I read a lot. I think about these things. Pride can make us believe that we are beyond asking others for help. That’s a sad place to be, because it’s not true.

Finally, God sent help to the Ethiopian. It makes us think of the passage, “Seek and ye shall find.” He was certainly seeking. How he found things was not in a dream, a vision or God speaking in his ear. God sent a preacher. Philip wasn’t a priest like the Ethiopian would have just seen in Jerusalem. However, the Ethiopian didn’t dismiss him. There is no indication that these two had ever met before. However, when honest and good hearts intersect with open Bibles, good things happen. Maybe you’ve needed some help. Maybe you’ve prayed over and over for help. Maybe you’ve become discouraged and weary because it seems that God isn’t helping you. Look around. There may be a Philip running beside your chariot and you never paid any attention to him. Maybe that’s the way God will answer your prayer. Someone to encourage you. Someone to be there for you. Someone to correct you. Someone to remind you. Someone to guide you and teach you. We want help and often that help is sitting right there in the pews all around us.

How different this story would have turned had the question been asked, “Do you understand,” and the answer in return being, “Yeah, I got it.” All of this illustrates that we need each other. There are days we need to be honest like the Ethiopian and ask for help. Let others know that you are slipping. Let others know that you are not getting it. Don’t wait until your boat is going over the waterfall before you reach out for help. There is no shame in asking for help. But, then there are days that we must run along side of Philip. Someone needs help and we are just the one to help out. Philip could have stayed in Samaria and said to God, “Send someone else.” Or, “It’s not my responsibility.” But it was his responsibility. And, he could help. And, he went. He even ran. Can you help someone? Do it.

There was a question and there was an answer.

Roger

Jump Start # 1591

Acts 8:30 “Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’”

  Our verse today comes from the powerful story of the conversion of the Ethiopian treasurer. This story is rich with lessons that are helpful and useful for us. The Ethiopian was a eunuch. He was handicapped. He was unable to father children. We are not told if this was a birth defect, or something that was done to protect the queen, who he was around. He was traveling home. He had been to Jerusalem to worship. This was a long journey. He had his own copy of Isaiah. This was rare and unique in those times. It must have cost a large amount for him to have this private copy. I expect Philip didn’t have a copy of this. As he is traveling, he is reading Isaiah. He may have been holding a copy of Isaiah in his own hands for the very first time.

There are several important thoughts from our verse.

First, Philip ran. He wasn’t running for exercise sake. He wasn’t running to get away. He was running to the Ethiopian. Philip had been preaching in Samaria with great success. Many were listening and bowing their hearts in obedience to the Lord. God called Philip away to preach to this one man. One man is as important as the multitudes.

The running Philip illustrates excitement about what he was going to do. He was going to preach Jesus to a man who didn’t know the Lord. The Ethiopian had an honest and good heart and the word of God was going to be planted deep within this person. We don’t see Philip complaining about the long trip he had to make. We don’t see Philip asking God to send someone else. Philip went. Philip ran. We need running preachers today. Not those that run for exercise but those that run to do the Lord’s work. We need running preachers who are not lazy or reluctant to do what God wants them to do. The running Philip reminds us that our work is important and that we need to be able to go when opportunities arise. Don’t waste time preacher. Don’t be slow. Run to teach God’s word.

Second, Philip asked the Ethiopian if he understood what he was reading. Great beginning question. The same question can be used today. Find a friend reading the Bible on their phone and ask them, “Do you understand what you are reading?” Reading without understanding is about as useful as not reading at all. Why read if you don’t understand it? Reading must come with grasping what is said. Understanding who is speaking and the occasion and background that this took place is important. Do you understand?

Third, immediately after our verse, the Ethiopian honestly replied that he did not know. It was confusing to him. He easily could have said “sure, I understand,” just to dodge the preacher. But he was honest. He knew that he didn’t know. He wanted to know. That honest heart is the key to learning God’s will. We must know what God says and we must also know ourselves. Some live in denial land. Things are always great, even when they are not. Some do not know that they are lost. Honesty will cause a person to reach out for help. Had the Ethiopian not been honest, he may have never known about Jesus.

Fourth, implied very heavily in this section is the thought that Philip understood. It’s hard to explain something when you do not understand it yourself. Who is this passage talking about? Philip knew. He knew the prophet was writing about Jesus. It was Messianic. It was a wonderful passage that pointed to the cross. Beginning here, but not stopping here, Philip preached Jesus. He didn’t give a one word answer to the Ethiopian’s question. Who is this talking about? He could have simply said, “Jesus.” But the preacher did more. Beginning there, he preached Jesus.

As the story goes on, they passed some water. The Ethiopian called out, “Here’s water. What prevents me from being baptized?” Where did that comment come from? Why talk about water? Why baptism? Because preaching Jesus includes understanding why Jesus came and what Jesus did upon the cross. That immediately leads to our forgiveness and salvation. The Lord had said, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved.” Preaching Jesus must include forgiveness, salvation and baptism. Those that preach Jesus but leave out the baptism part, haven’t told the whole story.

The running preacher included baptism in his telling of Jesus. This prompted the Ethiopian to ask, why can’t I be baptized? And he was.

Running preachers who tell the whole story are the kind that pleases the Lord. That’s the kind we need today. There are many folks who need the Scriptures explained to them.  Can you do that? Do you know?

Roger

Jump Start # 746

Acts 8:30 “Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’”

This week we are taking a look at some of the great questions found in the New Testament. Many of these questions are not hard or difficult questions, instead they are personal, penetrating and get to the point of what is truly important.

Our question today comes from the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. He had been to Jerusalem to worship and was now traveling back home. He was an important man, in charge of the queen’s finances. His position put him in important places and around important people.  His position would have provided a grand income. Part of that is illustrated by the fact that he has a copy of Isaiah. That book would have been composed of three large scrolls. It was extremely rare for anyone to have a personal copy. This Ethiopian did, somehow. That is impressive!

God called Philip away from Samaria and sent him to the Ethiopian. Philip found him along the road. Our passage says that Philip ran to the chariot. He heard the Ethiopian reading. Two thoughts:

Philip is excited and ready to do God’s work. He ran. He didn’t hesitate. He didn’t delay. He didn’t spend all this time planning on the sidelines. He got right into things. Sometime folks, and churches, spend too much time in the huddle and not enough time just doing what they ought to do. Philip ran. Folks back in those days didn’t run much. They didn’t run for recreation as we often do. We remember that the father of the prodigal “ran” to him when he saw the boy returning home. Running shows the urgency and the excitement that Philip felt.

We also notice that Philip “heard” the Ethiopian reading. He was reading out loud. He may have been sharing this with those who were traveling with him. He was an important man and he would have had assistants and servants and others with him. Reading aloud, much like Paul and Silas, singing aloud in a Philippian jail, influences those around. People hear. The message is powerful. Sometimes reading aloud is a good study practice for us. We hear things that our eyes tend to miss.

Philip began their conversation with a question. It’s a great question. It’s a simple question. “Do you understand what you are reading?” That question opens the door to a conversation about the Bible and about God. Notice, Philip did not begin by saying, “Let me tell you what you this means.” He could have. He didn’t. He asked, “do you understand…”

The Ethiopian was honest in his answer. He didn’t understand. He wanted to know, so he invited Philip to teach him. How easily the Ethiopian could have ended the conversation by saying, “Yes, I do understand.” Instead, he opened the door for Philip. Honesty, and humbleness and a desire to know God’s word fill the atmosphere of what happened here.

Do you understand? That question led to teaching about Jesus and the conversion of the Ethiopian. How easily it started with simply, “Do you understand…?”

Without understanding a person is in the dark. Without understanding they don’t “get” what they are reading. Without understanding the message becomes choppy, confusing and boring. A person will stop reading if they do not understand. I wonder how often that happens today? A person feels guilty for not reading the Bible and they pick up that big book and start reading but a few paragraphs later, they do not understand what is going on, why something is happening the way it does and the darkness and confusion takes over and they quit reading. They try again several months later and the same thing happens again. They become convinced that the Bible is too hard to understand. They need a Philip to help them. They need to understand what is going on.

God’s word can be understood. Paul said, “understand the will of God” (Eph 5:17).

There are three simple lessons for us:

1. We need to understand what we are reading. If we don’t, we need to ask for help. What is the message God is telling us? What does God expect you to do? Take time with God’s word. Take it slowly. Understand what you are reading. Don’t be too proud to invite a Philip into your life to help you understand.

2. God can use you as an instrument to help others. There are others who do not understand. You can help them. Show them. Walk them through the things you have learned. Don’t guess. Don’t tell them things that you are not sure yourself. But what you do know, share it and help them. You will see the fog of darkness lifted once someone understands. Philip had to understand first, before he could teach someone else. So must we.

3. Use Philip’s question. It’s a great question. It’s an easy one. When you see someone reading the Bible, ask, “Do you understand what you are reading?” A conversation may follow. A Bible study may take place. Someone may become a Christian. This question can be used even when someone is not reading the Bible. A conversation takes place around the kitchen table or at work, or school, and you ask, “Do you understand what the Bible says about that?” Many have no idea that the Bible addresses so many subjects. They are in the dark about what God says. Do you understand is a great way to build a bridge to those subjects.

Do you understand…a simple question and a profound result!

Roger