Despite the outbreak of revival in Samaria, Philip the evangelist is directed by the Holy Spirit to meet a God-seeking Ethiopian on a desert road in southern Palestine. Through this divine meeting Philip is given the opportunity to share Jesus. The Ethiopian comes to the realization that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah and responds in faith and obedience. As the Spirit snatches Philip away, the Ethiopian continues on his journey, rejoicing that his blindness has turned to sight in the face of Christ. This message teachers us that while Christ is sovereign in the evangelization of the lost, God saves people through spirit-led, obedient believers who can explain the gospel. The outline for the lesson is:
- Divine Initiative
- Divine preparation (vv. 27-28)
- Divine Guidance (vv. 26, 29, 39)
- Human Responsibility
- Be obedient to the Spirit (vv. 27, 30, 35, 39)
- Be ready to answer questions (vv. 30-31)
- Lead people to Jesus from Scripture (vv. 32-39)
- Bring people to a cross roads (vv. 36-39)