First Baptist Church . 3 Hedge Street . Simpsonville, SC 29681 . phone: (864) 967-8591 . Class Location: Main 210
Our Prayer
Our Prayer
Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned against You and that my sins separate me from You. I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my sinful past and turn to You for forgiveness. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, that He was raised from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become my Savior and the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me obey You and to convict me when I sin. I pledge to grow in grace and knowledge of You. My greatest purpose in life is to follow Your example and do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
That’s
not religious rhetoric. That’s a radical claim. Paul is declaring that the
gospel is not advice, it is not ideology, it is not mere tradition — it is
divine power. Power to save sinners. Power to raise the spiritually dead. Power
to restore what sin has shattered.
And yet,
beginning in verse 18, Paul doesn’t ease us into grace — he drags us through the
darkness of wrath. Why? Because until we grasp the severity of humanity’s fall,
we’ll never treasure the beauty of God’s mercy. Romans 1:18–32 is a sobering
revelation of what happens when a society suppresses the truth of God and
exchanges His glory for created things.
It is not
a hypothetical — it is a historical reality and a present danger. This passage
traces the downward spiral of a people who refuse to honor God, and in turn,
are given over to dishonorable passions, corrupted minds, and destructive behavior.
It diagnoses the disease beneath the surface: not just that people sin, but that
they love their sin more than they love the truth. It’s not merely bad behavior
— it’s rebellion at the core. And yet, in the midst of this heavy truth, the
gospel still shines.
Paul
doesn’t write these words in disgust, but with a burdened heart, setting the
stage for the miracle of justification by faith that will unfold in the
chapters to come.
Romans 1
isn’t here to make us comfortable — it’s here to make us desperate. Because only
when we feel the weight of our need will we run to the cross for rescue. This
is not a passage for finger-pointing — it is a mirror for all of us. And the
good news is that the power of the gospel Paul refuses to be ashamed of is
still mighty to save — even now, even here, even with us.
Romans 1:16-32
The Righteous Shall Live by Faith
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it
is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first
and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from
faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
God's Wrath on Unrighteousness
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from
heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their
unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain
to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For His invisible attributes,
namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever
since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So, they
are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as
God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their
foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and
exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and
birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore, God gave them up in the
lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among
themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and
worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed
forever! Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to
dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those
that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations
with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing
shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their
error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up
to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all
manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy,
murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters
of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous
decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do
them but give approval to those who practice them.
The Exchange: What are some modern examples
of how people “exchange the glory of God for images” (Romans 1:23)? How do even
good things become idols?
Why does Paul begin with God’s wrath before
explaining His grace? How does this order help us understand the gospel more
fully?
The Consequences: How do you see evidence of
God “giving people over” in our culture today — and in our own hearts apart
from grace? (Romans 1:24–28)
The Solution: In what ways does the gospel
reverse the exchanges described in this passage? How did Jesus take on what we
deserved so we could receive what He deserved?
How should this passage shape the way we
share the gospel — with humility, urgency, and hope?
Closing Thoughts
Romans 1 reminds us that sin is not just
breaking rules — it’s breaking relationship with the Creator. Every time we
trust in idols of comfort, control, or approval, we repeat the same tragic
exchange. Yet God’s grace is greater. In Christ, He was “given up” so that we
would never be “given over.” The gospel restores what sin destroyed, renewing
our hearts to worship the true and living God. This week, take inventory of
what competes for your worship and intentionally replace those idols with
gratitude, obedience, and faith in Jesus — will you let Him reverse the exchange
in your life today?
If Acts 2 is the spark that ignites the fire
of the gospel, Acts 8 is the moment the fire begins to spread beyond its
expected boundaries. Up until now, the church in Jerusalem had experienced
growth, community, and boldness — but it had also stayed home. That changes in
Acts 8. What seems at first like a tragedy — the violent persecution of the
church following Stephen’s martyrdom — becomes the very means by which God
propels His people into the mission He had already spoken: “You will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth.” The gospel will not be contained. It will not be domesticated. It will
go where we least expect it — into Samaria, through the preaching of Philip,
and into the chariot of an Ethiopian official seeking answers on a desert road.
Acts 8 is a reminder that the advance of the
gospel is not always neat, but it is always sovereign. God uses brokenness,
scattering, and unlikely messengers to accomplish His global plan. Through
Philip, a faithful deacon turned evangelist, we see a gospel that crosses
cultural, racial, and geographic lines. We see a God who pursues the seeker, sends
His Spirit, and draws people to Jesus through His Word. And we see a church learning
— sometimes painfully, always providentially — that God’s kingdom is bigger than
their comfort zones.
Acts 8 challenges us to believe that there is
no one too far, no place too remote, and no moment too random for the saving
grace of God to break in. The gospel is not stationary — it is on the move. The
only question is: are we willing to go where it leads?
Acts 8:26-40
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip,
“Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to
Gaza.” This is a desert place. 27 And he rose and went. And there was an
Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who
was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship 28 and
was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 29
And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 30 So, Philip
ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you
understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone
guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the
passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led
to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not
his mouth. 33 In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his
generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” 34 And the eunuch said
to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or
about someone else?” 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture,
he told him the good news about Jesus. 36 And as they were going along the road
they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What
prevents me from being baptized?” 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and
they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried
Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. 40 But
Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through, he preached the
gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Read Acts 8:26–27 What stands out to you
about Philip’s obedience? Why is immediate obedience often so difficult for us?
Read Acts 8:29–31 Philip ran toward the
assignment. Where has God asked you to “run” toward obedience recently?
Read Acts 8:32–35 How does this text show
that the gospel is good news, not good advice?
Read Acts 8:36–38 Why should baptism be an
immediate response to repentance and faith?
Read John 4:35 What would it look like to see
your routine daily environments (gym, workplace, driveway, team sports,
neighborhood) as harvest fields that are already ready?
Closing Thoughts
The mission of God is not reserved for the
elite, the clergy, the platform holders, or the spiritually gifted few. God is
already arranging conversations, aligning hearts, and preparing people around
each of us — just like He did for Philip. Our calling is simply to obey. The
harvest is not waiting on more strategy, more comfort, or more information —
the harvest is waiting on obedience. If God is sovereignly arranging divine
appointments around you this week, who is the one person God is calling you to
intentionally pursue with the gospel right now?
END
Teacher Notes:
Spirit-Led Encounters
Philip, Samaritans, the Ethiopian, the
Disciples, Saul, and Evan Baxter?
Today’s lesson is about an everyday man who
had a Spirit-led Encounter where God sent him to do something and he
immediately obeyed – his name is Philip.
What do you know about him?
He was one of the seven organizers
of food distribution in the early church – the first deacons. Stephen also one
of the first deacons chosen gives a declaration to the Sanhedrin and is stoned
to death in the presence and approval of Saul. Saul becomes the leader of the persecution
in Jerusalem that leads Philip to go to Samaria.
Now, Jesus told all His followers to
take the gospel everywhere, but they were reluctant to leave Jerusalem. It took
Paul’s intense persecution to scatter them into Judea and Samaria. Philip goes
to Samaria, (the last place any Jew would go) and he continued to preach the
gospel. The Samaritans respond in large numbers. Philip was so successful that
Peter and John came to Samaria to join in his success. In the middle of all
this evangelistic success in Samaria, an angel tells Philip to go to a desert
road and share the gospel with a Ethiopian man that would take the gospel to
Africa.
Philip would end up in Caesarea,
where events allowed him to host Paul many years later after Paul was converted
and began his missionary journey. Paul would continue the ministry to the
gentiles that Philip began.
Jesus’ last words – Go and make disciples
The Holy Spirit comes, and 3,000 Jews are
saved
The early church begins, and God adds to
their number daily
Naming of the 7 deacons to distribute food
Stoning of Stephen – Saul is introduced
Persecution in Jerusalem
Philip flees to Samaria
Acts 8:26-29
Now an angel of the Lord said to
Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem
to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an
Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who
was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was
returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And
the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”
Why did the Ethiopian man travel to
Jerusalem to worship?
He was a God-fearer, a Gentile who
believed in Israel’s God. In
the New Testament, these people were often called:
“God-fearers” (Acts 10:2)
“Worshipers
of God”
(Acts 16:14)
They
rejected pagan religion and sought truth in the God of Abraham.
Why
Jerusalem? Jerusalem
was the center of Jewish worship. God-fearers traveled there during feast
seasons to learn, pray, and honor the God of Israel.
Ethiopia had long-standing ties with
Judaism. This man was from
the kingdom of Cush (ancient Ethiopia/Sudan), a region with a very old
connection to Jewish faith:
Jewish
communities existed in Africa long before Acts 8.
The Queen of
Sheba (1 Kings 10) had visited Solomon, bringing back influence about
Israel’s God.
Trade routes
connected Jerusalem and Ethiopia for centuries.
So,
it makes sense that a high official like this man would be familiar with, and
drawn to the worship of Israel’s God.
Why
do you think God sent Philip from a revival in Samaria to a desert road after
one man?
Obedience
matters more than outcomes.
Philip had visible success in Samaria, a revival. But God often moves us from
fruitful places to quiet places to test if our obedience depends on results or
relationship.
God
saw one soul worth leaving the crowd for.
To God, the value of one searching heart equals that of an entire city. This
mirrors Jesus leaving the 99 for the one in Luke 15:4. Sometimes God redirects
us because He’s writing a redemption story we can’t see.
The
desert road can be a place of revelation.
Throughout Scripture, God meets people in deserts, places of dependence (Moses,
Elijah, David).
It was immediate. No delay, no
debate, no need for clarification. Philip didn’t need to understand the why to
obey the Who.
It was willing, even when it made no
sense. Leaving a revival in Samaria for a lonely desert road must have seemed
odd. But Philip understood something key: Obedience isn’t about comfort; it’s
about trust.
It was Spirit-led, not self-driven.
Philip didn’t go out looking for something to do, he listened and followed the
Spirit’s leading each step of the way. The more sensitive we are to the
Spirit’s voice, the more we’ll find ourselves in the right place at the right
time.
Acts 8:30-35
So, Philip ran to him and heard him
reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to
come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading
was this: “Like a sheep He was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its
shearer is silent, so He opens not His mouth. In His humiliation justice was
denied Him. Who can describe His generation? For His life is taken away from
the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the
prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his
mouth, and beginning with this Scripture, he told him the good news about
Jesus.
He met the man where he was.
Effective witnessing begins where people already are, not where we wish they
were. When someone expresses spiritual interest or confusion, start with their
question not our agenda.
He pointed everything back to Jesus.
All true evangelism is Christ-centered, not issue-centered. Ask yourself: Am I
trying to win the argument or the person?
He was led by the Spirit. The best
preparation for sharing the gospel is daily surrender to the Spirit. You don’t
need to know everything to share Christ, you just need to know Him and be
available.
Acts 8:36-40
And as they were going along the
road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What
prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and
they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip
away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip
found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through, he preached the gospel to
all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Baptism is the 1st step of
obedience. In the Bible, baptism isn’t treated as an optional “later decision.”
It’s the first act of obedience after belief.
Baptism publicly declares a change.
In the early church, baptism was a bold, visual statement that says: “I belong
to Jesus now.” “My old life is gone.” “I’m not ashamed of Him.”
Baptism reinforces what God has done
internally. Baptism doesn’t save a person, faith in Christ does. But baptism
visually confirms what God has already done: Buried with Christ, raised to walk
in newness of life, united with His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3–4).
Click Play to Watch
Evan had no clue how to build an
ark, but he was available and obedient.
Philip had no clue how to reach
Africa, but he was available and obedient.
God laughs at Evan explain that this
wasn’t “his plan.”
Isn’t this us too?
God doesn’t need our ability; He
wants our availability.
Philip – the obedient one, one of
the Disciples – still waiting, Saul – challenging God’s call, Samaritans – in a
revival, the Ethiopian – seeking God, or maybe Evan Baxter – this isn’t in “my
plan”
When the Spirit of God falls in Acts 2, He
doesn’t just ignite tongues of fire or open hearts to believe — He creates a
people. Not a loose collection of converts, but a new kind of community. And in
verses 42–47, we see the first snapshot of that Spirit-filled church: a people
devoted to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and
to prayer. This is not a spiritual flash mob. This is the living, breathing
body of Christ formed by the gospel and filled with awe. These believers didn’t
just attend events — they shared their lives. They didn’t just sing the same
songs — they carried each other’s burdens. They didn’t just meet on Sundays — they
lived with open hands, open homes, and open hearts. What we witness here is not
the result of church strategy, marketing, or human ingenuity. It is the
supernatural overflow of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The same gospel that pierced hearts in verse
37 now knits hearts together in verse 42. And the effect is undeniable: needs
are met, lives are changed, and the Lord adds to their number daily those who
are being saved. This is what it looks like when Jesus builds His church — a
people captivated by truth, shaped by grace, and committed to one another in
sacrificial love.
Acts 2:42–47 reminds us that the church is
not merely an event to attend but a family to belong to, a mission to embrace,
and a foretaste of the kingdom of God breaking into the world. The question
before us is not whether this kind of community is possible — it is whether
we’re willing to be devoted the way they were. Because when God’s people are
gripped by God’s Word and filled with God’s Spirit, the world takes notice.
Acts 2:42-47
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 And they devoted themselves to the
apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the
prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being
done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all
things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and
distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending
the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food
with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the
people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being
saved.
What does it mean to be devoted in your
relationship with Jesus? How can that kind of devotion shape your daily
rhythms?
How do you see the four devotions (teaching,
fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer) working together to strengthen the
church?
What barriers keep believers today from
living in authentic community like we see in Acts 2?
How does generosity flow naturally from the
gospel? In what ways can our group reflect that kind of open-handed love?
How can our life together as a group display
the joy and awe that marked the early church?
Closing Thoughts
The picture of the early church in Acts 2 is
not just a historical snapshot — it’s a living invitation.
God still calls His people to be a devoted
community formed by the gospel, grounded in truth, and filled with joy. When we
devote ourselves to the Word, we grow in truth. When we devote ourselves to
prayer, we depend on grace. When we devote ourselves to fellowship, we embody
love. And when we devote ourselves to generosity, we display the heart of
Jesus.
The Spirit who filled the believers in Acts 2
still fills us today so that our ordinary lives can bear extraordinary witness
to the power of Christ.
How might your devotion this week help others
encounter the presence of God through your words, your worship, and your
generosity?
So, last week Jesus said to "Go and make disciples." The question this week is — who is God sending you
to reach, disciple, or walk alongside?
END
Teacher Notes:
Click Play to Watch
A common misconception about the first Christians (who were Jews) was that they rejected the Jewish religion. But these believers saw Jesus' message and resurrection as the fulfillment of everything they knew and believed from the Old Testament. The Jewish believers at first did not separate from the rest of the Jewish community. They still went to the temple and synagogues for worship and instruction in the Scriptures. But their belief in Jesus created great friction with Jews who didn't believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Thus, believing Jews were forced to meet in private homes for communion, prayer, and teaching about Christ. By the end of the first century, many of these Jewish believers were excommunicated from their synagogues.
