Teaching

Privilege and Power: Discuss how we serve God by sharing the Gospel.

Let’s say the SuperTruth together:

The Holy Spirit gives me power to share the Gospel.

Philip certainly was empowered to share God’s message, wasn’t he? However, Philip didn’t begin his ministry as a powerful preacher and miracle worker. His ministry started very humbly.

The new church in Jerusalem was growing quickly, and problems began to arise. Some believers claimed that the apostles didn’t give some widows enough food. The apostles said that they needed to spend their time in prayer and teaching God’s Word—not watching over the food program!

The solution was to appoint seven men who were respected by the people, full of the Spirit and wisdom. These seven men, called deacons, took care of the daily tasks for the apostles. Philip was one of the seven. He began as a deacon and faithfully did his part so the apostles could preach the Word and expand the church! (See Acts 6:1–7.)

The next problem that happened was persecution. People who didn’t like the Christians tried to shut down the church and send believers to jail. Did that stop the Church from growing? No!

Jesus’ followers scattered to other areas outside of Jerusalem and began telling more and more people about the Lord. Philip went to Samaria, where he preached the Good News and performed mighty miracles by God’s power.

What miracle did we see at the beginning of the video? A man who had been crippled was healed.

As Philip faithfully served God, God sent an angel to give him new instructions. Where did the angel tell him to go? To a desert road.

Did Philip question the angel, asking why he should go to the desert when such exciting things were happening in the city? Or did he argue and say that the crowds loved his preaching and miracles so much that God should send someone else to the desert? No, he obeyed.

Choose an older volunteer who reads well to be the Ethiopian man and another volunteer to be Philip. Have the Ethiopian man sit on a chair, open the Isaiah scroll, and begin to read it aloud slowly.

When Philip arrived in the desert, he saw an important Ethiopian official riding in a carriage and reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah. How did Philip know what to do next? The Holy Spirit told him to walk alongside the carriage.

Instruct “Philip” to walk in place beside the chairs while watching the Ethiopian man.

Imagine if God told you to walk alongside someone who was jogging, riding a bicycle, or skateboarding—would you obey, or would you think it was too silly or crazy? Children respond.

Sometimes we must trust and obey God, even if He asks us to do something unusual! Did the Ethiopian instruct his driver to speed up the horses to get away from Philip? No, he invited Philip to ride with him in the carriage.

“Philip” should sit on the empty chair and point to the words on the scroll.

The Holy Spirit knew that the Ethiopian man’s heart was ready to receive the Good News about Jesus! Philip explained that the Scripture was talking about Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross to save us from our sins! What did the Ethiopian man do? He believed and asked Philip to baptize him.

What happened after Philip baptized him? Philip was taken by the Spirit to preach in another town.

Have the two volunteers return to their seats with the class.

Imagine if Philip had delayed going to the desert for a few hours or a day—he might have missed the Ethiopian man. It is so important for us to listen and obey when the Holy Spirit speaks to us!

Stand behind the table and hold up the battery.

What does a battery contain? Power, electricity.

This battery represents the Holy Spirit’s power. Note: adjust the presentation according to your specific toy. If I place the battery in this toy, it provides the power to go, but the toy will still not move unless it is turned on.

Place the toy on the table, but do not turn it on. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to go and do what God desires, yet He never forces us to go. Philip was called and empowered, but he made the choice to obey. God has given us free will to choose.

Turn on the toy and let it go; stop it and turn it off before it runs off the table. When Philip obeyed God and went into the desert, he saw the important Ethiopian official riding in the carriage. Yet now he needed to know what to do next. That’s when the Holy Spirit gave Philip new instructions to walk alongside the carriage. God’s Spirit not only fills us with power, but He also gives us wisdom and guidance to complete the work we are called to do. God did not abandon Philip in the desert, and He will not abandon us!

When we trust God and take the first step, He is faithful to guide us the rest of the way. We simply need to listen with our spiritual ears and keep our hearts open to His voice.

Conclusion: The apostles were eager to obey God’s call to share the Gospel. Peter and John went to Samaria and worked alongside Philip to help people receive God’s Spirit. When it was time to return to Jerusalem, Peter and John didn’t just hurry home. The Bible tells us that they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News. (See Acts 8:25.) Philip became known as Philip the Evangelist. He preached in Samaria, in the desert, in the town of Azotus, and then in every town on the way to his home. (See Acts 8:40; Acts 21:8–9.) He also shared God’s power with his own family! He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. (See Acts 21:9.) God has given each of us the privilege and the power to share the Good News with others. The question is, will we obey His instructions?

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Give each child a Philip Seeker Scroll and a pencil. Have children write their names on the blank line on the scroll. Display the model craft for children to see. Then, demonstrate how to roll both ends to form a scroll. Be prepared to assist any children with special needs.

Choose a volunteer to read aloud the heading at the top of the scroll.

I will seek God above all else.

The Discipleship Challenge for the three lessons on Philip is about seeking God in three important ways. The first part of our challenge involves praying and seeking God each day for different purposes. The first lesson is to seek God’s face. To seek His face means to sit in His presence silently or in praise, worship, and thanksgiving for the specific purpose of knowing Him more intimately and deeply and drawing closer to Him. So your first challenge is to seek God’s face as you pray and spend time with Him each day.

The second part of this challenge is to read Psalm 27:8 and ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what it means to seek God’s face. The Ethiopian man was reading Scripture, yet he did not fully understand it. Philip helped to open his understanding about Jesus. It is important not only to read the Bible but to understand it. Before you read the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to open your understanding. If possible, discuss the verses with your family or a trusted adult or friend who has God’s wisdom. Then try to answer the two questions on your scroll. You will have an opportunity to talk about your experience when we meet again.