Title: The Ethiopian Church Prayed
Memorize: Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Acts 8:35 (Nkjv)
Bible Reading: Acts 8:27-39 (Nkjv)
[27] So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,
[28] was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.
[29] Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”
[30] So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
[31] And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.
[32] The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.
[33] In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.”
[34] So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?”
[35] Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.
[36] Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?”
[37] Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
[38] So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
[39] Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing.
Message:
A verse in the Bible that frightens me so much is 2 Corinthians 3:6, which tells us about the efficacy of God’s word.
It says that the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. This implies that it is possible for someone to read the Bible and still miss it, but the Holy Spirit is the One who gives life to what we read in the Scriptures so that it can transform us.
The Ethiopian eunuch, in today’s Bible reading, was a new convert who prayed for understanding as he read the book of Isaiah.
Despite his position and authority, he wanted spiritual insight. He recognised his need for a deeper understanding of the Scriptures and humbly prayed for clarity.
The eunuch had a teachable heart and a desire to grow in knowledge and faith.
My dear child, do you pray that the Holy Spirit should reveal the truth of the Scriptures to you, or do you only read and explain the Scriptures with your human wisdom?
Some people interpret the Scriptures incorrectly based on their experiences, environment, or culture; please do not join them in doing this.
Key Point:
Ask God to help you understand His word before you read it.
HYMN 44: DEEPER, DEEPER IN THE LOVE OF JESUS
1 Deeper, Deeper In The Love Of Jesus
Daily Let Me Go;
Higher, Higher In The School Of Wisdom,
More Of Grace To Know.
Refrain:
Oh, Deeper Yet, I Pray,
And Higher Evry Day,
And Wiser, Blessed, Lord,
In Thy Precious, Holy Word
2 Deeper, Deeper! Blessed Holy Spirit,
Take Me Deeper Still,
Till My Life Is Wholly Lost In Jesus,
And His Perfect Will.
[Refrain]
3 Deeper, Deeper! Tho’ lt Cost Hard Trials,
Deeper Let Me Go!
Rooted In The Holy Love Of Jesus,
Let Me Fruitful Grow.
[Refrain]
4 Deeper, Higher, Ev’ry Day In Jesus,
Till All Conflict Past,
Finds Me Conqu’ror, And In His Own Image
Perfected At Last.
[Refrain]
Bible In One Year: Jeremiah 51:54-52:34, Titus 3:1-15
Authors: Pastor E. A. Adeboye and Pastor Folu Adeboye