Bible Study Lesson # 6
ACTS
MEI 2022
The Holy Spirit’s Leading Acts 8:26-40
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The Holy Spirit’s Leading Some of life’s best experiences begin unexpectedly. Great opportunities to help someone or work together on a project might be waiting just around the bend. It’s possible these moments might happen more often if we listened carefully to how God is leading us. Think of a time in your own life when you felt compelled to help someone. What did you do to help that person? How would you describe that moment as a divine encounter that God arranged? Two men named Philip appear in the accounts of the early church. One was a disciple of Christ, and the other was a man chosen along with Stephen to serve as one of the deacons. Like Stephen, Philip had a way with people. He was also sensitive to God’s leading. So it was that he found himself walking along a major road leading south from Jerusalem, through Gaza,
toward Egypt and Ethiopia. When he heard the sounds of a traveling caravan behind him, he quickly discovered that God had arranged a special appointment for him.
Acts 8:26-40 Common English Bible Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch An angel from the Lord spoke to Philip, “At noon, take the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) 27 So he did. Meanwhile, an Ethiopian man was on his way home from Jerusalem, where he had come to worship. He was a eunuch and an official responsible for the entire treasury of Candace. (Candace is the title given to the Ethiopian queen.) 28 He was reading the prophet Isaiah while sitting in his carriage. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Approach this carriage and stay with it.” 26
[a]
Running up to the carriage, Philip heard the man reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, “Do you really understand what you are reading?” 30
The man replied, “Without someone to guide me, how could I?” Then he invited Philip to climb up and sit with him. 32 This was the passage of scripture he was reading: 31
Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent so he didn’t open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was taken away from him. Who can tell the story of his descendants because his life was taken from the earth? [b]
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, about whom does the prophet say this? Is he talking about himself or someone else?” 35 Starting with that passage, Philip proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 36 As they went down the road, they came to some water. 34
The eunuch said, “Look! Water! What would keep me from being baptized?” 38 He ordered that the carriage halt. Both Philip and the eunuch went down to the water, where Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Lord’s Spirit suddenly took Philip away. The eunuch never saw [c]
him again but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip found himself in Azotus. He traveled through that area, preaching the good news in all the cities until he reached Caesarea.
Bible Study Questions 1. What examples of the Holy Spirt leading do you see in this story?
2. Why did God ask Philip to leave his preaching and go down a desert road?
3. What was significant about the person Philip encountered on the road?
4. How did Philip handle the opportunity that God gave him?
5. What problem did the man have whom Philip encountered?
6. What was the result of Philip’s obedience to God?
7. In what ways does God’s spirt leads us?
8. Why is it important to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit?
9. How can you learn to recognize God’s voice?
10. When have you felt the Holy Spirit nudging you? What did you do?
11. What tends to hold you back from obeying that nudging?
12. What is the potential danger in ignoring the Spirit’s leading? Final Thoughts Is there anyone you are not willing to tell about Jesus? Is there any place you are not willing to take the good news? Ask God to give you the same kind of willingness, attentiveness, and courage that you see in Philip. Let him direct you where he wants you to go.
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