Philip And Ethiopian Eunuch Series

Acts 8:26-40 Philip and Ethiopian Eunuch

08:26-29 Reaching the Thirsty Soul

08:30-35 Preaching Gospel to the Needy

08:36-40 Teaching on Baptism

The gist: This week, we are here to learn about evangelism and the Disciple of a new person. Philip was an evangelist. He has received command by the Holy Spirit to reach an Ethiopian Eunuch. Philip preached the Gospel to Eunuch through the known source. Philip taught on Baptism and baptized him. Then he left the scene.

Acts 8:26-29 Reaching the Thirsty Soul

God has purposed to reach an official of the Ethiopian queens. He was a Eunuch. He was a devoted person who carried the scripture with him, and he was reading and meditating the Book of Isaiah. God used an Angel and an Evangelist to reach this thirsty soul. He visited Jerusalem to worship Yahweh, and he was returning to his home town. God looks and searches the hearts of the People, and his eyes are upon those who seek him and desire the holiness. God never despises the hungry and thirsty soul (ref: Psalm 42).

Acts 8:30-35 Preaching Gospel to the Needy

Philip obeyed the words of the Holy Spirit and understood the purpose of meeting Eunuch. His only duty was to preach the Gospel. He picked up the conversation and communicated the Gospel of Christ through the book which he was reading. Gospel not referring to the virgin birth, propitiatory death, and resurrection of Christ can’t be the Full Gospel. The Good news contains the love of God, kenosis of Christ, and the saving grace of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We need to preach the Gospel to the needy soul. Any preaching inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit convicts, the hearer and the reader of the Word of God and converts them to Christ. Mere words never meet the real needs of a needy and thirsty soul.

Acts 8:36-40 Teaching on Baptism

Baptism is a sacrament in the developed Church. We now follow lots of procedures to do it. But the early Church has to baptize a person who accepts Christ and has a conviction on Baptism. The Eunuch and the Evangelist were conversing with one another about the Salvation. Now, Eunuch understood the need for Baptism. The desire has come from the person who hears the Gospel. Both Philip and the Eunuch went down to the water, and Philip baptized him. So, the early Church believed that anyone who proclaims the Gospel has the right to baptize the believer. In all biblical references, the Baptism demanded by the new believer in Jesus Christ. It was not forced on the new believers but requested by the believers to become part of the death and resurrection power and experience with Christ.

Discussion:

1. How could the Church reach the Transgenders and LGBTQ with the Gospel?

2. What is Gospel, and what we need to communicate to a new believer?

3. Baptism: A mere ritual or a requirement for Salvation? How modern Churches approach it?

(For series of studies in the book of Acts, kindly refer to the other sermons on this website)