Follow His Lead

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Good morning Chapel family. Is everyone enjoying the winter of 2025? Anyone dreaming of spring? It’s good to be with you this morning, and it’s been a great weekend. I want to say a personal Thank You to everyone who volunteered at The Night To Shine—it was awesome. So thank you for serving. And I just want to remind us that our commitment to people with special needs and to families with special needs individuals is not primarily about big events. It’s who we are every Sunday, all year long. Because every single person is valuable in the eyes of God. Amen? And I’m so proud of our church for carrying that value and making it the DNA of who we are. Let’s keep it up.

Okay—we’re taking this winter to walk through the book of Acts, which is the record of what happened for the first 30 years or so of the Christian church. Right after his resurrection, Jesus tells his followers, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses.” And that’s what happens—the Holy Spirit fills that little group of believers, and they start going out and being witnesses—pointing people to Jesus as the Messiah and Savior they need. The church grows rapidly, and then public opinion turns. The religious establishment in Jerusalem starts to get annoyed by this new movement. And that leads to the first martyr of the church—a man named Stephen. And Acts 8:1 says On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

So today we’re going to see one of the things that happens through one of those Christians who’s been scattered and driven from his home. Specifically, we’re going to see that if you want to be a witness for Christ, you have to develop a certain ability—a certain skill. It was true back then, and it’s true today. If you want to be a witness for Christ, you have to learn to hear God’s voice and follow his lead. And when you learn to do that, life will become more interesting and more exciting than it’s ever been before. So how do you learn to hear God’s voice and follow his lead? That’s we’re going to talk about today.

Acts chapter 8, starting in verse 26. Let’s hear God’s Word.

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.

Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. This is the Word of the Lord.

So let’s walk through this story and see what we learn about following God’s lead. And I want to acknowledge the late Tim Keller, because I’m including some of his thoughts in this message.

Three points, and after each point, I want to give a challenge to you if you are a believer, and I also have specific challenge for you if you consider yourself a spiritual seeker.

So—first point—The Agent of God’s Leading: The Holy Spirit. So Philip has been driven from his home; an angel of the Lord tells him to go to this certain road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza. When he’s on that road, he sees this very impressive man going along in a horse-drawn chariot, with his entourage, reading out loud from the book of Isaiah. And the Spirit tells Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it."

Here’s the first thing I notice: there’s a lot of divine direction given to Philip. Why would God do that?

Well, because God wants us to see that the conversion of this Ethiopian man ultimately does not happen because Philip does certain things. And it doesn’t happen because the Ethiopian guy does certain things. It happens because the Holy Spirit is at work. God is up to something! Not only does God give Philip those specific instructions, but the fact that the Ethiopian guy just happens to be on that road at that time; the fact that he just happens to be reading this particular Scripture. God is orchestrating all the details to reach this man.

And God has not stopped doing that—he’s at work in people all around us. The question is: are we oblivious to his work, or do we notice it?

Which leads me to the first two questions. First of all, if you are a believer in Christ, are you alert to the Spirit’s leading? I remember driving across the country from Indiana to Nevada, years ago. All by myself. It was late at night, and I was somewhere in Missouri or Kansas; this was before cell phones, and I was just hungry for human connection. So I turned on the radio, and it was solid static. I started turning the dial—remember radio dials? All the way to left—nothing. Static. I go all the way to the right, and just before the end, this crystal clear voice broke through. It was some Midwestern preacher, and I don’t remember if he was any good—it didn’t matter, because in the loneliness of that car, I felt connected.

And it’s kind of like that when you’re tuning in to the Holy Spirit. You have to get on the right frequency. You have to tune your heart to hear his voice.

How do you do that? Here’s the main thing I’ll suggest: spend more time in the Word of God and prayer than you do on social media. I’m completely serious. Spend more time in the Word and

prayer than on social media. Because social media—or if you’re not into social media, sports news or Netflix binging, or romance novels—those aren’t necessarily bad (well, the romance novels are)—but they’re not necessarily bad; but they’re static. They obscure the voice of God. And as you develop a rhythm of soaking in Scripture regularly, and talking with God, it aligns your thinking and your heart with God’s thoughts, which is like turning the dial to the right frequency.

Quick example: just this weekend I was reading the Psalms, and the particular Psalm talked about how God did miracles for his people in the past—he parted the Red Sea and rescued his people from slavery. And it was a prayer for God to once again do miracles on behalf of his people. “Lord, we’re in trouble and we need you to show up and be that miracle-working God again.” So I walked away from that devotional time with a simple prayer—it’s in my phone—“Lord, you are the God who performs miracles for your people. Do it again!” And I prayed that prayer throughout the day. That evening, someone very special to me, who I’ve been praying for, called me. Because she was driving, and right in front of her there was a serious accident, which missed her by inches. So this car crashed, and she got out of her car, trembling, to call 911. Out of nowhere, a police officer just sort of appeared—almost like an angel. It turns out she knew this officer from High School. The driver of the car that crashed got up and walked away, completely unharmed. And this person I know said to me, “I just witnessed a miracle, and I realized how fragile life is.” That’s not the way she normally talks. And I recognized that God was orchestrating events, and working in her life, and because I was in tune with God, I was able to engage her in spiritual conversation.

You have to get on the right frequency. Does God ever impress a certain person on your mind? That happens to me all the time. So when that happens, what do you do? Do you realize that could be God’s Spirit leading you to connect with that person? Do you pray and ask God what he wants you to do? And then, do you take some kind of action to move toward that person? Now—it could be that the reason that person came to mind is because you just passed an Indian food place, and you know that person loves Indian Food. That could be. But maybe it’s no coincidence that you noticed the Indian restaurant, and God was using that to bring that person’s name to your mind? So when that happens, and when you’re aligned with God’s heart through Scripture and prayer, learn to act on that: pray for them. Text them to see how they’re doing. Give them a call. And see where that leads.

So that’s the question for believers: are you alert to the Spirit’s leading?

And then, if you consider yourself a spiritual seeker, here’s my question for you: Are you open to how God is working in and around you? Maybe you’re skeptical, and you’re just honestly not convinced. But would you be open to the possibility that God is up to something in your life? Is it possible that the longing you have for something…is actually a longing for Him?

Point number two: The Context of God’s Leading: Relationships. This is a funny scene—Philip runs up to this chariot, and he starts jogging alongside it...

“Hey—I noticed you’re reading something!” “Yes, I am.” “Can I just ask…do you understand it?”

And the Ethiopian says, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?”

I’m telling you, that is an amazing response! This man—this Ethiopian man—is in charge of the treasury of the Queen of Ethiopia. That’s kind of a big deal! He’s the finance minister for the nation of Ethiopia. So he’s a powerful man. He’s educated, because he can read—which wasn’t all that common. He’s wealthy enough to own a copy of the Isaiah scroll. That was highly unusual—because normally, scrolls were kept in some public place—like a synagogue, where people would come and use them. But this guy has his own scroll.

So is a wealthy, powerful man. And that’s why his response to Philip is so strange. Philip says, “Do you understand what you’re reading?” You would expect him to say: “I can figure it out just fine by myself…and I certainly don’t need help from a little man who doesn’t even own his own chariot.” Right? That’s what you would expect!

But instead, he says, “Actually I could use some help.” And then he says, “Why don’t you come on up in the chariot and help me out!”

Here’s the point: when the Holy Spirit guides us, he very often leads in the context of relationships. And that can be hard for us North Jersey people! We like our privacy; we like our independence; we have a lot of pride. So maybe you’ll go read about spirituality online. But it’s hard to ask someone else for input. And so it’s amazing to me how this Ethiopian official swallows his pride and asks for help.

So here’s the challenge. First, for a believer, Are you walking close to spiritual seekers? See, as a Christian, it’s very easy to spend all your time with fellow believers. Because you’re most comfortable with them! But God tells Philip, “I want you to run alongside the chariot so you can hear what he’s saying.” Are you running alongside some people who don’t know God…but you care for them and you love them, and you remain part of their lives? And you stay close enough to hear the questions that they’re asking?

And then here’s the challenge if you’re a seeker: Are you humble enough to ask questions? See, here’s what I’ve found: people like to say that they’re seeking truth! That sounds very noble and open-minded. But for a lot of people, the reality is that they’ve made up their mind that truth is unknowable! Do you follow me? So they just say, “It’s impossible to know! How could we ever know!” So they’re really not seeking; they’re just stuck in their agnosticism. Don’t be stuck there. You don’t get anywhere! If you sense that God is stirring in you, and creating a spiritual hunger in you, follow up on that! Pursue that through people you respect, and people whose lives you admire.

Okay—last point: The Point of God’s Leading: Jesus. So it tells us the specific passage the Ethiopian is reading, from Isaiah chapter 53: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

He just happens to be reading this passage that talks about the suffering servant of God, who’s unjustly treated, and put to death. And the Ethiopian asked Philip, “Who is the prophet talking about—is this about himself, or is he referring to someone else?”

Let’s try to get inside the head of this guy. He is a powerful man; he’s a wealthy man. But he’s obviously restless—he traveled from Ethiopia all the way to Jerusalem to worship. That’s about a 500 mile journey! His friends in Ethiopia would have been shocked, and they probably would have mocked him. “Jerusalem? Are you insane? We’ve got plenty of temples here; we’ve got plenty of gods here!” So this is a guy who’s in serious spiritual search mode. Have you ever been there?

And it’s so ironic, because sometimes people who are on top of their world—they’ve climbed to the top of their chosen field—are the most spiritually hungry. Think about it: those of us who haven’t made it to the top think we’ll be happy once we get there, right? If we could just climb to

the top and be successful, that’s where happiness is! Those who are on top know that it’s empty! And that’s where this guy is! Rich, successful, accomplished, and spiritually bankrupt.

And here’s the tragic part: after he made that 500 mile journey to Jerusalem, and he showed up at the temple, he would not even have been allowed to go in. Because remember—he’s a eunuch—he’s a man who’s been castrated, which was common for people who worked in royal courts. And way back in the ancient Hebrew Law—Deuteronomy 23:1—it says that no emasculated or mutilated male can enter into the assembly of the Lord. So he traveled all that way, and found out that he wasn’t even allowed in! He must have been feeling rejected, and confused.

So he starts on this long journey back to Ethiopia. And he’s reading this scroll of Isaiah. And it’s a long trip, so he would have seen this part three chapters later, in Isaiah 56:

4 For this is what the LORD says:

“To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant— 5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever.

Can you imagine the hope that must have stirred within this man? That maybe God could accept him! And that’s the beauty of the gospel: no matter what you’ve done to yourself in the past; no matter what has been done to you; God has a future for you that’s good. “Even though eunuchs can’t have children, I’m going to give them something better than sons and daughters.”

And then he definitely would have read this—Isaiah 53:4-6

4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

And then, the very next verses are the verses that Philip heard him reading out loud—Isaiah 53, verses 7 and 8:

7b “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.

Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch is reading all this, but he can’t put the pieces all together. “Who is this person who was unjustly treated, and brought us healing by his wounds, and was put to death? It seems like that’s the central character in this prophecy, but I can’t figure it out.” So he asks Philip—“Who is Isaiah talking about? Himself, or someone else?”

Acts 8:35: Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. See, to Philip it’s so obvious that this is talking about Jesus. So Philip starts with that very passage—right where the guy is—and he points him to Christ. We don’t know everything that Philip said—it was probably a long conversation. But here’s what we do know: Philip was focused on Jesus.

So here’s the challenge to believers: As the Holy Spirit leads you to certain people, Are you making Jesus the main point? Or, is your main point traditional values, or a certain brand of politics—right or left, or do you only tell them about the good service The Chapel does in Paterson and Night to Shine—which are good things, but not the main thing.. When people really hear your heart, what do they hear? Because if it’s anything but Jesus, there’s no power to that. Paul said to the Corinthians, “I decided to know nothing while I was with you, except Christ, and him crucified. So that your faith won’t rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” Philip knew that. He knew that’s what this guy needed to hear more than anything else. So don’t be afraid to just put it out there that Jesus is the main point.

And because the Holy Spirit was working, and individually pursuing this man, and he was humble enough and honest enough to ask questions, he got it. The lights went on! And he put his trust in Christ. And he was baptized on the spot. And it says, “He went on his way rejoicing.”

So here’s my final question—if you are a spiritual seeker: Will you look beyond religion and open your heart to Jesus? I realize you may have been burned by religion, or disillusioned by religion, or disgusted by religious people or religious hypocrisy. But Jesus is not religion. He’s a person who’s alive and can be known. And he’s the thing you’re missing. He is the One who makes life make sense. He’s the one who was rejected, so you could be accepted. And he is inviting you to believe.

And just like we see all over the book of Acts, he’s inviting you to be baptized. Next week we’ll be baptizing at The Chapel—there are already about ten people ready to go, and we’d love to include you. You can make a testimony video if you’d like, but that’s optional. Come up after the service and talk to Pastor Paul, and we’ll get you ready for next Sunday. The important thing is to not waste any more time—this life is so valuable. And like my friend realized this weekend, this life is so fragile. God has guided you to this moment, and it’s time to believe and be baptized, and spend the rest of your life following the lead of God. There is no more exciting and rewarding way to live.