The Spirit Moves Outside the Box

Sermon Summary

Big Idea: The Spirit of the Lord carries us way outside our boxes to send and receive the outside-the-box good news of Jesus Christ.

This week we turn to Acts 8:26-40 and see the first forays of the Holy Spirit-empowered church to spread the Gospel to the “ends of the earth” with a divine appointment between Philip the Evangelist and an Ethiopian Eunuch who was the royal treasurer to his kingdom. As we see the story unfold, we see how the Spirit works His power and love in situations that should have been impossible to penetrate with the Gospel, and how the unexpected, outside-the-box message of the Gospel is more than enough to save anyone—especially those we deem outside the box of God’s mercy and grace.

Sermon Outline

1. An Outside-the-Box Situation (Acts 8:26-31)

2. An Outside-the-Box Savior (Acts 8:32-40)

Sermon Text: Acts 8:26-40

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. 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 and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 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. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. 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?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 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. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Discussion Questions:

1. What are ways today that you have seen God move outside the box to move people to know and accept the Gospel?

2. How have you seen in the Word and your life how God has brought forth life in wilderness journeys?

3. How have you seen God change people in powerful positions in the Word and your life to advance the gospel?

4. How does Isaiah 52-53 help us further understand this message?

5. How does Deut. 23:1 help us further understand the Ethiopian Eunuch’s situation?

6. How does Isaiah 56:3-7 help us further understand what the Ethiopian Eunuch was reading and what it meant?

7. How do we see God moving through unexpected people today to advance the Gospel?

8. In what ways do you see yourself struggling as a “spiritual eunuch”? In what ways has God redeemed you and your story?

9. How does Jesus dying and bringing life change and impact your everyday life?

10. How does Isaiah 53-56 help us see how God brings us amidst barrenness?

11. How does this passage demonstrate God’s care and plan to save all nations?

12. How does the eunuch help teach us to share the gospel to others?

13. What does it look like for us to follow Jesus and love our enemies?