2. Memory Verse “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37)
3. Introduction Gentile = All people who are not Jews What do you do when you read the bible and you don’t understand it? Why is it important to read the bible?
4. St. Philip is called St. Philip was a deacon in the Church preaching Jesus Christ in the cities around Jerusalem. One day an angel appeared to him and told him to go to the road between Jerusalem and Gaza. St. Philip followed what the angel told him.
5. Led by the Spirit St. Philip was led by the Holy Spirit to meet an Ethiopian man who was the treasurer of the Ethiopian queen. He was a man of great authority The Ethiopian man was reading a book from the Holy Bible = the book of Isaiah!
6. Isaiah (53:7-8) He was reading: “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken.” (Isaiah 53:7-8)
7. He took the Chance St. Philip: Do you understand what you are reading? Ethiopian man: How can I understand without someone to explain to me? St. Philip took this chance from God to tell him about Jesus Christ who was crucified and resurrected for our sake. Do you remember another Saint who took the opportunity given to him like this to preach the Gospel?
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9. The work of the Holy Spirit The Ethiopian man believed in the Lord through the words of St. Philip by the Holy Spirit.
10. I Believe! As they were going down the road, they came across some water. Ethiopian treasurer: Can you please baptize me here? St. Philip: I need to first know if you truly believe? Ethiopian treasurer: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37)
11. Baptism St. Philip immediately took him down to the water and baptized him and he became a Christian. St. Philip was taken up by the spirit in a cloud to another city called Azotus where he continued to preach. The Ethiopian treasurer saw him no more He was in great joy to be a Christian.
12. Conclusion Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior Baptism is essential to inherit the kingdom of heaven. The Lord loves and saves everyone – Jews + Gentiles !! – St. Philip was guided by the Holy Spirit to preach to him about the Lord. We should be ready also to tell anyone who asks us about the hope and joy that we have in us !!
13. This Love is for Everyone “Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also ” (Romans 3:29)
14. As St. Paul says… “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty, and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing that things that are..” (1 Corinthians 27:28)
15. Pop Quiz 1. What was the job of the Ethiopian man? He was the treasurer of the Ethiopian Queen 2. What was he reading? The Old Testament book of Isaiah 3. Who was that book talking about? Our Lord Jesus Christ before his comming 4. How did St. Philip find him? He was lead by the Holy Spirit 5. What did they do after he believed? He was baptized ! 6. What did we learn from this lesson? - God’s love is for everyone