Baptism Sunday - September 2022 [Notes]

Today's Takeaway // Baptism is very meaningful.

An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, ⁿ who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud. The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.” When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this: He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before its shearer, so He does not open His mouth. In His humiliation justice was denied Him. Who will describe His generation? For His life is taken from the earth. The eunuch replied to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or another person?” So Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning from that Scripture. As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water! What would keep me from being baptized?” [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart you may.” And he replied, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] ^u Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer. But he went on his way rejoicing. Philip appeared in Azotus, and he was traveling and evangelizing all the towns until he came to Caesarea. ¹
– Acts 1:26-40 (HCSB)
_{ⁿ 8:27 = Nubia
^u 8:37 Other mss omit bracketed text
¹ The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (Ac 8:26–40). (2009). Holman Bible Publishers.}

In modern terminology the Ethiopian whom Philip encountered would perhaps be called the Minister of Finance. ²
– Dr. Polhill
_{² Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 223). Broadman & Holman Publishers.}

God uses people to reach people for Christ.

God cares about the spiritual welfare of each one of us.

The gospel has always been God’s one and only plan to deliver us from the penalty of our sin.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; He was despised, and we didn’t value Him. Yet He Himself bore our sicknesses, and He carried our pains; but we in turn regarded Him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquity of us all.
– Isaiah 53:3-6 (HCSB)

A new believer will have a heart to obey God.

As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water! What would keep me from being baptized?”
– Acts 8:36 (HCSB)

Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer. But he went on his way rejoicing.
– Acts 8:38-39 (HCSB)

Since the verb employed is baptizō, which always carried the idea of total submersion, there is no reason to assume that the eunuch was baptized in any other way than the consistent New Testament pattern of immersion. ³ 
– Dr. Polhill
^{3 Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 226). Broadman & Holman Publishers}

1. When you were growing up, did you attend a church that baptized people? If so, how did they do it: by sprinkling or by emersion? Why do you think there are differences in the way churches baptize people?
2. Read Matthew 28:18-20. Why do you think Jesus wanted people to be baptized? In other words, why is it important?
3. What does baptism mean to you?
4. Read Acts 1:26-40. Why do you think God uses people to communicate the gospel message with other people? Why do you think the Ethiopian official was so excited to be baptized?
5. What hints do we have from this story that the baptism recorded here was a baptism by immersion? Do you think it matters? Explain your answer.
6. How might you apply tonight’s lesson to your life?

Rattle / On My Heart (Written) / Baptism Song / Reckless Love 

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