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SERMON SERIES: We’re currently in a sermon series through the book of Acts. Today we’ll read Philip’s story.
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south[a]to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.27 And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
34 And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?”[b] 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Have you ever heard of an amazing story of someone doing something incredible for God? As amazing as those stories are, sometimes it can feel a bit overwhelming to think of ourselves doing those same things. Today, we’re going to look at one of those stories in God’s Word, and learn…
How to do amazing things for the Lord:
- Learn to hear God’s Voice
Acts 8:26, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Rom. 12:1-2, 1 Sam. 3:9, John 10:27
- Go even if it doesn’t make sense
Acts 8:28, Prov. 3:5-6, Heb. 11:8, 2 Cor. 5:7, Is. 55:8-9
- Observe and remain open to the Holy Spirit
Acts 8:29, 2:4, Gal. 5:25, Eph. 5:18, 1 Thess. 5:19, 1 Cor. 2:12
- Go with vigor
Acts 8:30, 1:10-11, Luke 1:15-16, Matt. 28:7, 18-19, Rev. 22:12
- Use God’s Word to meet people where they’re at
Acts 8:35, 2 Tim. 3:16-17, Heb. 4:12, 1 Cor. 9:19-22, Rom. 5:8
- Remain missional
Acts 8:36-38, Eph. 5:15-16, Prov. 19:21, James 4:13-15
- Keep on working for God
Acts 8:40, Eph. 2:10, 2 Tim. 4:7
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Acts 8:26-40 and pray.
- Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
- As you think about this sermon series through the book of Acts, what observation do you have?
- As you think about Philip’s story, and what he did, what comes to mind? What observations do you have?
- Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the idea of doing something for the Lord?
Diving In
- Read John 10:27. A major way we learn how to listen to God’s voice is by spending time with Him, reading His Word. How well do you spend time with the Lord in His Word everyday? What would help you to do that more?
- Read Acts 8:29 and Galatians 5:25. Philip was led by the Holy Spirit to do what he did. What are some practical ways that you can be better led by the Holy Spirit?
- Spend some time in prayer, asking what God has for you to do during this season of your life.
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?