Recreate Church, Pastor Michael Shockley—Service, Sunday, July 10, 2022

A Bible Study in a Chariot!

Today, Pastor Michael is talking about being in the right place at the right time for others.  And that’s not just for professional preachers; it means all of us.  Today Michael is talking about Phillip and he wasn’t a preacher; he was a servant leader in a church in Jerusalem.  And the story is pretty fascinating!

Suddenly an angel appears to Phillip and tells Phillip to go down the road to Egypt.  Phillip did not know it at the time but he was about to be a part of the best recorded act of baptism in the Bible. 

The place where the Lord sent Phillip was the middle of nowhere!  While heading out to his destination, a man in a chariot appears.  He was just a man from Ethiopia, but in ancient times, Ethiopia was a powerful and influential country.  This man is the royal treasurer and a eunuch.  

He was going to Jerusalem on a religious pilgrimage and was returning to Ethiopia.  And Phillip is right on the side of the road when the Holy Spirit nudges Phillip to go and talk with this important official on the chariot.

The guy from Ethiopia was reading a bible passage and wanted some understanding of a passage about the one being led like a sheep to a slaughter, the one who had clearly given himself to others.

Phillip jumps up into the chariot and they start their little bible study!

Phillip knew exactly why the Holy Spirit had been nudging him, right then and there!  Phillip explained all about Jesus and His life and resurrection.  He also told the Ethiopian about water baptism.

Right about that time, wouldn’t you know it…they found a body of water!  Whoa, there’s some water!  The Ethiopian wanted to know if he could be baptized!

Phillips reply was if he believed with all his heart you may.  The Ethiopian replied that he did believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God.  Belief has to come first!

Water baptism comes after spirit baptism. The message that water baptism communicate is that the Holy Spirit baptism has taken place.

Back to Phillip and the chariot guy….so both Phillip and the dude go down to the water and Phillip baptizes him…immerses him in the water.

The Ethiopian goes back home to Ethiopia and proclaims the gospel of Christ.  And it all started with a nudge and happy confluence of two being in the place that they should have been in.

Verses can be found today in Acts 8: 26-40. 

Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.