WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.980 How many chariots are you chasing? You see, this road, let's get this picture. There is this road, 00:00:10.259 --> 00:00:21.940 it led from Jerusalem down to Gaza. And here is this person, this Ethiopian. He's fascinating, 00:00:21.940 --> 00:00:27.560 this guy, because when you read into this scripture, this Ethiopian was no ordinary 00:00:27.559 --> 00:00:35.920 Ethiopian. In fact, he had status. You knew he had status, one, because he had a chariot. 00:00:36.780 --> 00:00:43.060 Now, you've got to be pretty posh to have a chariot to be traveling along. And I don't know 00:00:43.060 --> 00:00:49.659 whatever picture that sort of gives in your mind of what that chariot might look like with this 00:00:49.659 --> 00:00:59.039 Ethiopian lounging as he travels down this road. We are told that he was an influential official 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:07.459 of Candice, to the queen of the Ethiopians. Now, that is a pretty good title, isn't it? You've got to have 00:01:07.459 --> 00:01:18.179 arrived and be pretty posh to have a title like that. Now, this man obviously knew his scripture. 00:01:18.180 --> 00:01:26.960 He had gone to Jerusalem to worship in the temple, which again is unusual, because Ethiopians had a 00:01:26.960 --> 00:01:35.400 raft of different gods. And clearly, this man had found something within the Jewish faith, 00:01:35.640 --> 00:01:44.040 to have traveled to Jerusalem and be on his way back home. So much so that maybe, like we've all done 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:50.080 when we go to New Wine and Spring Harvest, he's bought himself something to read on the way home. 00:01:50.920 --> 00:01:58.080 And we're told he's picked up this scroll. And so here he is reading from the scroll of Isaiah, 00:01:58.460 --> 00:02:06.520 as he journeys back to meet the queen of Candice, for whom he is the chancellor of the Exchequer. 00:02:06.519 --> 00:02:18.759 Enter Philip. Here we go. Now, you see, I don't know about you, but Philip has a track record of 00:02:18.759 --> 00:02:26.180 bringing people to meet with Jesus. He just is, he can't help himself. And the more you read through 00:02:26.180 --> 00:02:33.780 about Philip, often described as an evangelist, but he seems to get this pointing from God, 00:02:33.780 --> 00:02:41.039 from the Holy Spirit, to go and do what he's told to do. And today is no different. He's minding his 00:02:41.039 --> 00:02:47.900 own business, maybe just doing what he did, when he gets this prompting that says, Philip, I want you 00:02:47.900 --> 00:02:56.039 to go into the desert. Now, I don't know about you and I, if I get this prompting to go and do something, 00:02:56.139 --> 00:03:00.699 I'm thinking, there's got to be a pretty good reason for this. Let's look at the diary and see whether 00:03:00.699 --> 00:03:08.859 I can fit you in, Lord. But no, Philip is free. He's done this before. He knows that if the Lord 00:03:08.859 --> 00:03:15.539 asks him to do something, there's going to be a good reason for it. And so, off he goes. And God says, 00:03:15.939 --> 00:03:24.239 once you're there, I want you to just go over there because you see that chariot moving along there? 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:30.400 I'd just like you to pop over there and chat to the person in it. Now, if you're listening on the 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:39.960 podcast, the congregation here is a fully honed and really shaped physically congregation that 00:03:39.960 --> 00:03:46.760 wouldn't think twice about getting on their trainers and running towards that chariot with 00:03:46.760 --> 00:03:53.760 a huge ease and enthusiasm, as people have nodded back at me. I can see you're totally ready for that. 00:03:54.240 --> 00:04:02.159 Now, I don't know actually what that feels for you. For me, I think it equates to something like this. 00:04:02.780 --> 00:04:08.600 Clive, do you mind getting on your trainers and your shorts? And you see that Porsche 911? 00:04:09.400 --> 00:04:14.879 There's just passing by with that person in it. I'd just like you to trot along the side of it, 00:04:15.320 --> 00:04:19.840 keep up and mention to the person inside that I want to have a word with them. 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:29.939 Now, amazingly, Philip does this. He must have been some sort of fit bloke because you're reading in 00:04:29.939 --> 00:04:36.419 here and off he goes like a long dog. Obviously, he's a bit nifty and Philip hears the Ethiopian. He 00:04:36.419 --> 00:04:43.019 obviously gets quite close and he hears the Ethiopian reading from the scroll of Isaiah. 00:04:43.019 --> 00:04:50.279 Can you imagine this? Philip thinks, do you know what, God? Here I am. You've told me to go here 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:59.979 and this bloke is actually reading about you. It's a gift. And he comes up alongside him and says, 00:05:00.259 --> 00:05:07.759 I see you're reading the scriptures. Now, if that was me, I think it would go something like this. 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:22.159 I just, what are you reading? He obviously is a lot more eloquent and a lot fitter than I am. 00:05:23.740 --> 00:05:31.180 He gets over and the Ethiopian basically says, I'm reading this, but I need somebody to tell me 00:05:31.180 --> 00:05:38.120 what this is all about. You know, it must be. Philip must stand there and think, my goodness, 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:44.060 what a gift this is. You've told me to go from here into the desert. You've told me there's going 00:05:44.060 --> 00:05:48.660 to be somebody I need to go and speak to. And lo and behold, this person's reading from the 00:05:48.660 --> 00:05:57.319 scroll of Isaiah. And even better, it's all about you, Jesus. What a gift. The scroll he's reading and 00:05:57.319 --> 00:06:03.920 somewhere in the conversation, Philip, as you just imagine this conversation as they're going along 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:08.420 together. What are you reading there, mate? Oh, I'm reading from the book of Isaiah. What's all that 00:06:08.420 --> 00:06:13.040 about? Oh, well, it's all about this bloke. And he says, really? That's a, do you know what? Funny 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:21.060 enough, I know that that's all about Jesus. Really? Tell me more about it. And with that, they're jogging 00:06:21.060 --> 00:06:26.720 along, having this great conversation. And obviously, in amongst this conversation, there's 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:33.980 been some conversation about baptism. He's obviously slipped it in there, as we would if we were chatting 00:06:33.980 --> 00:06:37.980 to somebody. Do you know what? Have you thought about giving your life to Jesus? How do I do that? 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:44.319 Well, you can go and get baptized. All of a sudden, what happens? My goodness, look at that. There's some 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:52.500 water over there. And we're in the desert. You know? I think if I was Philip, I think I'd stand 00:06:52.500 --> 00:07:01.639 there and say, do you know what, God? Now you're really showing off. And so he says, well, do you 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:08.420 know what? I think, the Ethiopian says to Philip, do you know what? I think I'll, could I be baptized? 00:07:08.420 --> 00:07:14.160 Well, Philip turns around and says, well, do you know what? Have you attended an Alpha course? 00:07:16.100 --> 00:07:22.140 Have I seen you at church for the last three or four months? Do you know what? Maybe I could book 00:07:22.140 --> 00:07:28.720 you into a baptism course, but, you know, that's not for a few weeks. But also as well, I'll tell you 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:33.100 what I'll do. I'll have a look in my diary and see when we're doing baptism next on a Sunday, 00:07:33.100 --> 00:07:38.080 because we can't quite fit you in, because we're dedicating Mother's Union banners and things on 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:47.699 Sundays. And so I can't fit you in for another three or four weeks. Is that okay? No. No, no, no. 00:07:48.899 --> 00:07:59.159 You see, the beauty of this is the spontaneity of what God does. Seizing the moment, seizing the 00:07:59.159 --> 00:08:05.939 appointment. The appointment is there. This is somebody who has found out, who has experienced, 00:08:05.939 --> 00:08:14.600 who wants to experience God in a very, very real way. And there's no hanging about. 00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:24.120 As I read this, it really, really excites me. Because people, there is a time for every purpose 00:08:24.120 --> 00:08:31.600 under heaven, it says in Ecclesiastes. And there is a time and purpose for everyone. I have to ask us, 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:40.700 because I have to ask myself when I read this scripture, do I trust? Do I trust in the power 00:08:40.700 --> 00:08:51.480 of the Holy Spirit? And do I trust in God? Because if I do, there are now moments. There are now moments 00:08:51.480 --> 00:09:01.420 that we all know and experience. And God says, do it now. And this was a moment which was fine. 00:09:01.419 --> 00:09:07.919 Yet he is. Tradition has it that the Ethiopian went home and evangelized. It said he went on his way 00:09:07.919 --> 00:09:15.439 rejoicing. That one moment that shares with somebody, that moment that we don't want to miss 00:09:15.439 --> 00:09:23.259 to go and do what the Lord is asking of us in the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, I don't know whether 00:09:23.259 --> 00:09:29.939 you've had those moments. Whether you've had those moments when you're talking with somebody and you 00:09:29.939 --> 00:09:40.679 think, do I say it now or don't I say it now? Do I step in? What should I do, Lord? Should I play safe 00:09:40.679 --> 00:09:51.599 or should I say it? And I'd like to tell you that the opportunities that I get it right most of the 00:09:51.599 --> 00:09:58.679 time. But I can tell you the opportunities that I've missed. And when you've missed an opportunity, 00:09:58.959 --> 00:10:04.019 and I guess many of us feel as though we may have missed those moments when we walk away and we think, 00:10:04.019 --> 00:10:10.740 we wish we'd said something. We were on a men's evening out. We had gone kayaking down on the 00:10:10.740 --> 00:10:18.399 Huntsville River. It was a glorious evening. And there was, we'd all sort of crewed up in these 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:26.639 boats together. And there we were paddling up the river. And I'd happened to crew up, I think that's 00:10:26.639 --> 00:10:34.960 the term, with a lad who had come to Christchurch for many years. He had been through our youth groups. 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:42.799 But he'd just sort of started coming back to church. And as we're paddling up, we're talking about 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:53.039 everything. And then we start talking, strangely enough, as in the story, about baptism. And we're 00:10:53.039 --> 00:11:00.620 thinking that, and do you know what? There was this pounding in my chest to say, do it now. 00:11:01.379 --> 00:11:09.219 Let's get him in the water and, surrounded by water, let's get him in the water and do it now. 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:17.819 And I think, no, actually, wouldn't it be lovely if we did it in church? And a nice, warm, clean 00:11:17.820 --> 00:11:22.500 piece of water. And then the whole of the church could be there. And they could see this. And 00:11:22.500 --> 00:11:27.740 his mum and dad could come along. And wouldn't that be a lovely morning? And it actually was. 00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:38.400 Because that's what he did. Until I met him a week before his baptism here. And I said, 00:11:38.440 --> 00:11:42.940 that was a great day we had out down there. And he said, do you know what, Clive? I was going to 00:11:42.940 --> 00:11:52.700 ask you whether you could baptise me there and then. And I thought, duh. Lord, what a missed 00:11:52.700 --> 00:12:00.700 opportunity. I think I want to encourage you, and I think the scripture encourages us this morning, 00:12:01.900 --> 00:12:09.320 that as we move more and more in the power of the Holy Spirit, to really respond to those now 00:12:09.320 --> 00:12:17.220 moments. Those now moments that God has already put things in place for us and for us to do. 00:12:18.020 --> 00:12:24.600 And yet, it's just a matter of us responding. We don't have to hype ourselves into something super 00:12:24.600 --> 00:12:33.420 spiritual to do this. All Philip did was listened and responded to what the Lord was asking. And it 00:12:33.419 --> 00:12:41.559 doesn't get much more difficult than that. So I guess this morning, I'm going to ask again, 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:47.919 what are the chariots that you're chasing? What do the chariots look like for you? Who are the people 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:57.539 in your chariots that maybe you need to catch up with and have a chat with? Maybe it's a chariot that's 00:12:57.539 --> 00:13:04.259 containing a member of your family. Maybe it's a chariot for somebody at work. Maybe it's a chariot 00:13:04.259 --> 00:13:09.639 for somebody in the community or somebody you have never, ever met before. 00:13:12.879 --> 00:13:21.299 But the possibility is that God is calling you to a chariot, to meet with somebody, to connect with 00:13:21.299 --> 00:13:28.759 them and to find that glorious opportunity that God's already been there before. And it will say 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:35.019 to you, do you know what? I've been waiting for this conversation. I've been waiting for somebody to 00:13:35.019 --> 00:13:40.979 talk to me. I've been waiting for somebody to raise the subject. I've just been waiting for somebody 00:13:40.979 --> 00:13:49.839 to say, do you know what? I can help you with this. I guess probably we've all got pictures and faces 00:13:49.840 --> 00:14:01.399 coming to mind of people that we would long to see there. And in that, the Ethiopian found a new freedom. 00:14:02.420 --> 00:14:09.740 And that's what we want for people, a new freedom. So I just want to encourage you this morning, 00:14:09.980 --> 00:14:15.600 maybe as we come for communion, and there's no better place as a family to come for communion, 00:14:15.600 --> 00:14:21.740 as we move for prayer. Whatever you may want to go to prayer for, or you may not, 00:14:22.480 --> 00:14:27.540 but maybe there is the opportunity for you this morning, just to say to the Lord, 00:14:28.019 --> 00:14:34.940 a fresh anointing, please, Lord. Just maybe give me that courage and new boldness. Maybe show me, 00:14:35.040 --> 00:14:42.860 help me listen, or maybe to bring to him that person who's in your chariot that you want to reach.