Sermonstudio

The growth of the early Christian Church has been compared to
the way people grow up. Growing up is a difficult process. As we
have heard these past Sundays, that was also the way it was with
the young church. Growing up produced pain, misunderstandings and
controversies. Some of these struggles came about because
Christianity was born in a Jewish home. We Christians sometimes
forget that Christ was a Jew. We owe much to the Jewish people.
The debt should create a spirit of gratitude instead of
suspicion, hostility and snide remarks.
Though the church began as a Jewish institution, it was not to
stay that way. Old differences and distinctions were not to be
perpetuated. The people of Pentecost who became the people of the
Way, were called to move across national and racial boundaries. A
church on the move is a church reaching out! The human-made
barriers between people must come down.
A formidable barrier was crossed by this young growing church
in the vivid story of our text. It tells us that the church is on
the move. It has moved beyond Jerusalem to Samaria in the north.
In our text we hear about the gospel traveling to Gaza in the
south. On this well-traveled "interstate" to Egypt, we meet a
black man, of African descent. The church

is not only reaching out geographically, but it is also moving
across racial lines. Not only is this man black, but he is also a
eunuch, which means a castrated person. He was only half a man,
hence an outsider, who according to Jewish law could not become a
member of the "assembly of the Lord." Even though he held the
high social position as the Queen's treasurer, even though he was
on a religious pilgrimage, even though he was a student of the
Bible -- yet he was a religious outsider in the "twilight zone
between Judaism and paganism."1 Such is the blindness and
senselessness of human-made walls.
However, this outsider is about to meet an insider. Our text
tells us:

Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join
it." So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet
Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He
replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited
Philip to get in and sit beside him. (vv. 29-31)

Here is one way in which outsiders become insiders. It comes via
the "hospitable spirit." Philip is a hospitable insider. He is
not afraid to talk to a stranger! He doesn't make the stranger
come to him. Philip takes the initiative. He does it without any
hesitation. He doesn't seem overly concerned about what kind of
response he might receive. He doesn't wonder what kind of trouble
this meeting may get him into. After all, this outsider, this
unknown stranger, could become a nuisance, calling him at home,
wanting a ride to church and who knows what else? But the
hospitable spirit is not afraid of being used. Consequently,
Philip doesn't make the outsider come to him. Willingly,
graciously he accepts the invitation and begins to share the
"good news about Jesus."
I am struck by the fact that this Philip, who was not one of
the 12, but one of the seven -- a deacon appointed to serve with
his hands -- is not afraid to serve with his mouth! We are told,
"Then Philip began to speak ..." Another translation makes it
very clear, "Then Philip opened his mouth and

starting with this scripture, he proclaimed the good news about
Jesus." This one who was appointed to wait on tables and see to
the collection and distribution of monies for the poor and needy,
is not afraid to talk about Jesus Christ.
But first he listened and learned that this outsider was
searching for something. Most outsiders are. This Ethiopian
outsider wanted help in understanding the Bible. The passage he
was having trouble with was the same one we were struggling with
at our Good Friday service. Remember, the Suffering Servant text
from Isaiah 53? Well, in Philip we have a lay person who knew the
Bible. He was familiar with this particular text from the prophet
Isaiah. It seemed to be a popular and important text for these
early Christians. This insider Philip willingly and graciously
shared his knowledge of scripture with this outsider.
In his explanation Philip sees Jesus as the suffering servant
that Isaiah looked forward to, and for whom the Ethiopian was
searching. Hearing this explanation of scripture, that is, the
good news of forgiveness coming through God's servant, Jesus
Christ, the outsider asks if he might be baptized. Then this
wonderful climax to this beautiful story: "Philip and the eunuch,
went down into the water, and Philip baptized him." With the
Ethiopian's baptism, this young, struggling church reaches out
and crosses a very important barrier. With his baptism, the
church was saying that neither race nor mutilation can separate
one from God or God's community. With his baptism, the outsider
becomes an insider.
Here it is Philip, under the power and direction of God's
Spirit, who helps to break down human-made barriers. In Chapter
10 it is the preacher Peter who leads the way across these
important frontiers. In the moving meeting with a devout soldier
by the name of Cornelius, Peter is changed and the young church
adopts this life-changing lesson: God's people have no business
preaching the gospel to anyone with whom they are not willing to
eat. In simple terms this means that Christians who come together
at the communion rail also relate to one another at the auction
sale! There is equality among

all the people of God based on our common humanity. God shows no
partiality. What God has created, "what God has made clean, you
must not call profane (unclean)."
Yes, the baptisms of a Gentile named Cornelius and a black man
of African heritage are tremendous turning points in the history
of our church. It shows the power of the gospel bringing down
walls that separate people. Under the power of the gospel people
don't stay the way they are. Yes, these great stories in the book
of Acts reveal the power of the gospel, enabling a young church
to reach out. In this "reaching out power" we see the beginning
of the fulfillment of that great promise made at the birthday of
this young church:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon
you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

There is little difficulty in making the connection between
our text and that which we call evangelism. Concerning
evangelism, mainline churches face three big problems: 1) our
backyard; 2) our back door; and 3) our ambivalent attitude toward
both.2 Unchurched or dechurched Americans number 90 million and
growing. Our backyard represents one of the largest and one of
the most challenging mission fields for the church.
The back door of many of our congregations is far too wide.
The shocking statistic for my denomination remains fairly steady
and consistent: "for every new member gained by evangelism, we
lose two and a half people to inactivity."
No, we don't push the panic button and start offering green
stamps in order to get people interested in the church. But
neither can it be "business as usual." In my part of the country,
Hardees Hamburgers has an excellent slogan that has proven very
successful for them: "We are out to win you over!" What would be
so bad if that became the purpose of all our congregations, "We
are out to win you over."

Remember, we don't have to stay the way we are. There is power
to change. That means our congregations can change. Therefore,
why can't we begin to create that "shepherding, caring,
hospitable, evangelism atmosphere" in our congregation? I am
talking about an atmosphere, an environment of evangelism. This
means we become evangelists for the long haul and the long term.
We are not "instant" evangelists or "three calls and you are out
evangelists!" Our Lord is too important for that kind of short
term dedication. This kind of evangelism is not interested in
manipulation, but in ministry.
The wall between insiders and outsiders remains a formidable
barrier for many congregations today. There is the visible
barrier of racial and economic distinctions. Too many of us still
form relationships based on credit ratings and color. But there
are also the more invisible barriers that make for outsiders. In
many of our congregations if you are older and married you have a
better chance of becoming an insider. But if you are young,
single, or divorced, you have a difficult time breaking the
"insider" barrier. The years have taught me to be suspicious of
any counsel or theology that wants to exclude. Our Lord and
Redeemer, Jesus Christ, included. Our faith is inclusive. If I
read the New Testament correctly, the only people who are in
danger of being excluded from the company of Christ, are those
who make it their business to exclude others.
These kinds of walls require reaching out that is not a
program but a lifestyle. Yes, a lifestyle that is inclusive and
is seen in operation, not just on a Monday evening, but in the
shopping mall, the auction sale, the basketball game, the coffee
shop, the tavern.
A congregation reaching out, a congregation whose purpose is
to win over those who are searching for meaning and purpose, is a
congregation that is inclusive, intentional and persistent in its
hospitable spirit. But the friendly, open, hospitable witness
must also be an intelligent witness. In religious circles today
the climate is anti-intelligence. Blind faith and gut feelings
are the "in" recommended Christian attitudes. The little boy who
defined faith "as believing what you know

ain't so" was a wise interpreter of our age. Another interpreter
of our age put it this way, "Popular understanding of the word
'spiritual' is that which makes a beautiful sound, but no sense."
Eric Routley goes on with this telling analysis: "Most people are
as interested in the truth as was Pontius Pilate."
That may be a little strong for our sensitive ears, but
centuries ago a Roman Catholic Saint by the name of Teresa was
just as pointed and sharp when she said, "From all silly
devotees, may God deliver us!" Of course we are not saved by our
education. But neither does salvation place a premium on
ignorance. Christ in his wisdom said to the woman of Samaria,
"You worship what you do not know." Too many of us are in that
predicament of fumbling and groping in a kind of theological fog
with inaccurate compasses. In such a predicament we can become
vulnerable to religious quacks and their over-simplified
salvation of half-truths. Our ignorance also makes us afraid to
open our mouths because we can't explain the reason for "the hope
that is within us."
In our text, Philip asks the Ethiopian eunuch, "Do you
understand what you are reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless
someone guides me?"
Thus Christian nurture and Christian education become
essential parts of our mission. If we are going to "open our
mouths," we want to be sure that what comes out is more sense
than sound. We are reminded of the foundation words for all
Christian teaching and learning by the apostle Paul, "When I was
a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned
like a child; but when I became an adult, I put an end to
childish ways."
Education in the biblical truths, in the fundamentals of the
faith is not an easy commitment. It means a commitment of time,
and it means studying with people with whom we may not always
agree. But it can be painful in other ways, because education is
a process of growth and change and it is not easy to change. But
it is through these kinds of changes that we become people
reaching out who are:

No longer tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of
doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful
scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in
every way into him who is the head, into Christ ... (Ephesians
4:13-16)

So in God's power to change our lives, we are going to quit
offering excuses for not participating in our congregation's
learning program. Rather we are going to get on our own soap
boxes and open our mouths to the need of adult education, and by
our examples become visible in the opportunities that are
offered. We may even begin to think about teaching! It is
guaranteed to make us more appreciative of teachers and it is an
excellent way to learn.
We do this because 2,000 years ago the "Word became flesh and
dwelt among us." The early Christian church made a tremendous
impact upon the world. We know from the book of Acts that this
mark upon the world was made not because the Christians were
numerically superior or that they were so popular and successful.
They were neither. They were just a handful of ordinary, average
folk who were anything but impressive. Yet, because they were
with and under "that word made flesh" -- they were different. They
had been with Jesus. It was that difference, that change in their
attitude and being that made the impact.
That Word is now with us. The time is here for us to add our
chapter to this the greatest love story of all time. We will
remember not just to live it, but also to be able to tell it. Out
of all the witnesses, out of all the glorious company of the
apostles, martyrs and missionaries of old -- only we are left. It
is now our turn, to have the time of our life, reaching out with
the greatest love story of all time.

I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
I awoke and saw that life was duty.
I acted and behold, duty was joy. Amen.
-- Tagore

1-Gerhard Krodel, Acts, Augsburg, 1986, p. 155.

2-Durwood Buchheim, from a chapel sermon delivered at a Rural
Ministry Conference.