BAPTISM. Acts 8:26-40
This is a great day as we witness 3 people getting baptised, it's a bit like London buses we didn't see one here for 52 years and now we have 6 in about 2 years.
This account of Philip and the Ethiopian is one of my favourite passages because it demonstrates real obedience.
What a thing to do, to go and stand in the desert and when God tells him to get over to the chariot he runs over and hears this Ethiopian eunuch reading from the prophet Isaiah.
"Do you understand what your reading" asks Philip and the reply comes back "How can I unless someone explains it."
The challenge to the Christians here today is to listen to God and to be obedient to His calling
At times, like with Philip, the results, when God is involved, is beyond our expectations.
The passage of scripture in Isaiah is written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus, it is all about Jesus going to the cross to pay the price for all the things we have done wrong and He did that because He loves us.
Some people say did Jesus really exist but the Roman historian Josephus refers to Jesus the Galilean on a number of occasions.
People said He was a good person, Jesus said He was the Son of God. He either was who He said He was or He was a liar or a madman.
After His death & resurrection Jesus appeared to more than 500 people, but the thing that seals it for me was the horrendous deaths the apostles suffered as they would not deny Jesus. Would they have done that for a lie.
Lives, including mine, have been completely changed by accepting Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
In a moment people will be testifying as to how important Jesus has become in their lives.
The Ethiopian after hearing Philips explanation says look there is water let me be baptised, it a symbol of dying to the old life, arising clean and living a new life in Christ.
Have we ever considered the claims of Jesus and allowed Him into our lives or have we done this in the past but not considered the importance of it for awhile.
Let's just stop and think for a moment the good news is Jesus is only a prayer away for each of us.
Please bow your head and shut your eyes. Firstly if you want to know this Jesus then I am going to lead you in a prayer and then a prayer of recommitment for everyone else.
Don't look around this is just between you and God.