On the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza, where you were more likely to meet robbers than fellow travelers, Philip comes across the chariot of an Ethiopian official reading the prophet Isaiah without understanding a word. This encounter, described in Acts 8, was no accident, God himself arranged it so that the gospel could reach the ends of the known world. The sermon shows that what changes a human life is not religious practice but understanding and believing what Jesus has already done. Listen and ask yourself who God wants to tell about himself today, through you.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- In Acts 8:26-40 an angel tells Philip to leave Samaria, where so much was happening, and go down the desert road to Gaza. What does this decision tell us about Philip and about the way God works?
- The eunuch travelled thousands of kilometres to pray in Jerusalem, yet he did not understand the passage from Isaiah he was reading. Why can religious practices alone leave a person empty and confused?
- Philip asks, "Do you understand what you are reading?", and the eunuch simply asks for an explanation. What helps you ask questions about the Bible, and who can you turn to with them?
- Philip starts from the prophecy and tells him about Jesus instead of listing what he must do. Why is stopping to look at what Jesus has already done the first step toward a changed life?
- At the end the eunuch goes on his way rejoicing, even though Philip is gone. How does knowing that God, not we, transforms people change the way you approach talking about Him?
- Whom is God placing on your path: children, coworkers, friends? What is one concrete step you can take this week to tell someone about Jesus and explain the gospel?
