20231126 Acts 8:26-40 Philip's Witness to the Ethiopian Eunuch
One of the questions the Book of Acts answers is, “Who is Jesus for?” Luke answers, “Let me show you!” Luke shows through the church's witness that Jesus is for all people. Acts 8:26-40 teaches this again. The three themes are the work of the Holy Spirit, the proclamation of the gospel, and the inclusion of all people. First, we look at the work of the Holy Spirit in Acts 8:26, 29, 39. God is the main character of Acts. In Acts 8:26, an angel of the Lord instructs Philip to go from Jerusalem to Gaza, in a desert place. In Acts 8:29, the Spirit gives Philip further instruction, “Go over and join this chariot.” The account ends in Acts 8:39, with the Spirit of the Lord carrying Philip away. This is strange. It is hard to conceptualize God speaking through an angel or the Spirit. There is a tension we need to hold. Some people are too quick to say God told me to do this or that. Some say, "God told me to move to this city and then to get that job." It seems like they wanted ...