People Who Don't Belong

If we brush over the stories in Acts 8 as just regular old evangelistic stories about “people coming to Jesus” then we miss out on the deeper, more radical, more revolutionary truth that we are being shown: Philip is finding friendship with those whom he previously would have excluded. He is finding friendship with those for whom there previously would have been abundant reason to avoid on the grounds of religious purity and ritual cleanliness; he is finding friendship with those that are outsiders, those that don’t belong. Because through Christ, God is bringing those who don’t belong into the embrace of his arms. That is the story of all the Scriptures; it is the story of all of God’s work in creation throughout time. God is bringing those who don’t belong into the embrace of his arms.​

If we are going to follow Jesus, then like Philip, we have no choice but to seek friendship with those whom we might otherwise have excluded.

This week's sermon...from Acts 8.