Philip the Evangelist

Sunday 28th April 2024

You are welcome to worship in person this Sunday at 10.15am.  Josaiah will be leading the service and Rev. Junmo Koo will be bringing the message.

Hand sanitizer and masks are available if you would like to use them.

We are also live streaming of our services.  The service can be seen each Sunday morning commencing at 10.15am.  Here is the link to our YouTube channel to access the live streaming:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHEm1fJeADpcP6gO1BsBKcg/live

Philip the Evangelist

Selected Reading: Acts 8:26-40

Theme: Through the story of the evangelist Philip, we are invited to think that evangelism is not initiated by humans but is a divine calling, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of God’s work in spreading the gospel and encouraging the church to remain open to the Spirit’s guidance, even when it takes them beyond their comfort zones.

Summary: The first reading on the fifth Sunday of Easter is Acts 8:26-40. It introduces Philip, one of the seven deacons appointed in the early church, known for his evangelism in non-Jewish regions like Samaria. In today’s passage, he encounters an Ethiopian eunuch, sharing the gospel with him. The eunuch, having heard about Jesus from Philip, joyfully receives baptism and continues his journey rejoicing.

Here we are asked whose idea this evangelism was. Was it a coincidence that Philip and the Ethiopian met in the desert? Considering the timing and circumstances, it suggests that God had a perfect plan for the salvation of one person who is gentile and cannot be accepted by the Jewish religion, using Philip as the instrument.

Here we think again about evangelism. Evangelism is not initiated by humans but carried out by God through the Holy Spirit.  This reminds us again of how zealous and effortful God is in evangelising the gospel.

His work continues even now. Do you remember the joy of the gospel we received when we met Jesus? Is evangelism, spreading that joy to others, a priority in our lives and in the ministries of the church? Are we open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit? Even if it’s outside our comfort zones?

Rev. Junmo Koo.

Our Mission is to
Connect with people in Jesus;
Build each other up in faith; and to
Become Like Jesus.