Breaking Barriers: The Inclusive Power of the Gospel

Devotional

Day 1: God Breaks Down Barriers to Spread the Gospel

The persecution of the early church in Jerusalem led to the scattering of believers, but instead of silencing their witness, it became the catalyst for the gospel to spread beyond Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria. Even in the midst of suffering and fear, God used ordinary people like Philip to bring the message of Jesus to those who had long been considered outsiders, fulfilling Jesus’ promise that His followers would be witnesses “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When we face obstacles or opposition, God can use those very moments to advance His purposes and reach new people with His love. [30:18]

Acts 8:1-8 (ESV)
And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.

Reflection: Where have you experienced a setback or closed door that God might be using to open new opportunities for you to share His love with others?

Day 2: The Holy Spirit Unites Former Enemies

Centuries of hostility separated Jews and Samaritans, but through the work of the Holy Spirit, these deep divisions were overcome as Samaritans received the gospel and were welcomed as full members of God’s family. The apostles, who once wanted to call down fire on Samaritans, now laid hands on them in prayer, witnessing the Spirit’s power to create unity where there had been only enmity. God’s Spirit is not bound by human prejudice or tradition; He brings together people who were once divided, making them one in Christ. [39:49]

Acts 8:14-17 (ESV)
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Reflection: Is there someone you have kept at a distance because of past hurts or differences? How might the Holy Spirit be inviting you to take a step toward reconciliation today?

Day 3: The Danger of Using Faith for Personal Gain

Simon the sorcerer believed and was baptized, but when he saw the power of the Holy Spirit, he tried to buy it for his own benefit. This serves as a warning against using faith or the church as a means for personal advancement, profit, or influence. True faith is marked not by what we can get from God, but by a transformed heart that seeks His glory and bears the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We are called to examine our motives and ensure our hearts are right before God. [48:27]

Acts 8:18-23 (ESV)
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”

Reflection: In what ways are you tempted to use your faith or church connections for your own advantage, and how can you realign your heart to seek God’s glory instead?

Day 4: The Gospel Welcomes the Excluded and the Outcast

The Ethiopian eunuch, doubly excluded as a foreigner and a eunuch, encountered barriers in the temple but found full welcome in Christ. Through Philip’s obedience to the Spirit, the good news of Jesus was explained to him, and he discovered that in God’s kingdom, no barrier—whether of race, status, or past—can keep anyone from being fully included. God’s heart is to gather those who have been left out, to give them a name and a place in His family, and to bring them joy in His presence. [01:08:56]

Isaiah 56:3-7 (ESV)
Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.”

Reflection: Is there something about your past, your identity, or your circumstances that makes you feel excluded from God’s love? How does God’s promise of welcome and inclusion speak to you today?

Day 5: Jesus’ Sacrifice Opens the Way for All

The suffering servant described in Isaiah bore our pain, was pierced for our transgressions, and by His wounds we are healed. For the Ethiopian eunuch, these words resonated deeply, as he saw in Jesus someone who understood his suffering and offered him a place in God’s family. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, every barrier—sin, shame, exclusion—has been removed, and all are invited to repent, receive grace, and be fully part of God’s people. Nothing can stand in the way of anyone who turns to Christ in faith. [01:11:29]

Isaiah 53:4-6 (ESV)
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Reflection: What is one barrier—whether guilt, shame, or fear—that you need to bring to Jesus today, trusting that by His wounds you are healed and fully welcomed into God’s family?

Sermon Summary

Acts chapter 8 reveals how God moves powerfully in the midst of persecution, breaking down barriers and expanding His kingdom in unexpected ways. After the martyrdom of Stephen, a wave of persecution scatters the early believers from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria. Rather than silencing the church, this scattering becomes the very means by which the gospel spreads beyond its original boundaries, fulfilling Jesus’ promise that His followers would be witnesses “in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Philip, one of the seven chosen to serve the widows, emerges as a key figure in this expansion. He travels to Samaria—a place long estranged from Jerusalem due to centuries-old ethnic and religious conflict—and proclaims Christ. The Samaritans, once despised and rejected, now receive the gospel with joy, and the Holy Spirit is poured out upon them, signifying the unity of God’s people across old divisions.

The story then introduces Simon the sorcerer, a man who had previously amazed the Samaritans with his magic. Simon believes and is baptized, but when he tries to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit, he is sternly rebuked. This episode serves as a warning against treating the gifts of God as commodities for personal gain, reminding us that the Spirit’s work is not subject to human manipulation or formula.

The narrative shifts again as Philip is led by the Spirit to a desert road, where he encounters an Ethiopian eunuch—a man doubly excluded from full participation in Jewish worship due to his ethnicity and his status as a eunuch. Yet, as Philip explains the Scriptures, the eunuch discovers that in Christ, every barrier is removed. The passage from Isaiah that he reads speaks directly to his experience of exclusion and longing, and the promise of God is that even foreigners and eunuchs will be welcomed into God’s house, given a name better than sons and daughters. The eunuch is baptized, rejoicing as he enters fully into the family of God.

This account is a powerful testimony to the radical inclusivity of the gospel. No matter our background, wounds, or the walls that have kept us out, Jesus invites us in. The Spirit breaks down every dividing wall, calling us to be a people of reconciliation, unity, and joy. God’s love is not limited by human boundaries, and His invitation is for all who will come.

Key Takeaways

1. Persecution and hardship can become the very means by which God advances His purposes. When the early church was scattered, the gospel spread to new places and people, fulfilling Jesus’ vision for a global witness. What may seem like defeat or loss in our lives can be transformed by God into opportunities for growth, mission, and unexpected blessing. [28:05]
2. The unity of the church is forged not by human effort, but by the work of the Holy Spirit. The centuries-old hostility between Jews and Samaritans was overcome as the Spirit was poured out on both, making them one family in Christ. True reconciliation requires us to cross boundaries, touch those we once considered “other,” and recognize the Spirit’s work in people we might least expect. [39:49]
3. The gifts and power of God are not for sale, nor are they tools for personal advancement. Simon the sorcerer’s attempt to buy the Holy Spirit exposes the danger of treating faith as a means to an end. Authentic spirituality is marked by humility, repentance, and a desire for God’s glory, not our own gain. We must continually examine our motives and seek the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—as evidence of God’s work in us. [48:27]
4. God’s heart is for the outsider, the excluded, and the wounded. The Ethiopian eunuch, doubly barred from full participation in worship, is sought out by God and welcomed into the family of faith. The gospel is good news precisely because it breaks down every barrier—racial, social, or personal—that would keep us from God’s presence. In Christ, there is no longer any wall that can keep us out. [68:56]
5. The Scriptures speak directly to our deepest wounds and longings. The eunuch’s encounter with Isaiah’s prophecy reveals that God sees and understands our pain, our exclusion, and our desire for belonging. In Jesus, the suffering servant, we find one who has borne our pain and opened the way for us to be fully included, given a name and a place in God’s house that can never be taken away. [67:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Setting the Scene: Persecution and Scattering
[03:10] - Who is Philip?
[06:30] - Saul: The Church’s Enemy
[10:00] - The Gospel Spreads Beyond Jerusalem
[13:20] - The History of Jewish-Samaritan Conflict
[18:00] - Samaria Receives the Gospel
[21:30] - The Holy Spirit and the Breaking of Barriers
[25:00] - Simon the Sorcerer: Faith and False Motives
[31:00] - The Danger of Using God for Personal Gain
[35:00] - The Fruit of the Spirit as True Evidence
[38:30] - Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
[44:00] - Barriers to God’s Presence
[50:00] - The Gospel for the Excluded
[56:00] - Full Inclusion in Christ
[72:41] - Invitation and Closing Prayer
[74:28] - Announcements and Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Acts 8:1-40 (ESV) — (You may want to read the whole chapter together, or focus on these key sections:)

- Acts 8:1-8 – The scattering of the church and Philip in Samaria
- Acts 8:9-25 – Simon the Sorcerer
- Acts 8:26-40 – Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

Isaiah 53:4-6 (ESV) — > Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;
> yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
> But he was pierced for our transgressions;
> he was crushed for our iniquities;
> upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
> and with his wounds we are healed.
> All we like sheep have gone astray;
> we have turned—every one—to his own way;
> and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 56:3-5 (ESV) — > Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say,
> “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”;
> and let not the eunuch say,
> “Behold, I am a dry tree.”
> For thus says the Lord:
> “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
> who choose the things that please me
> and hold fast my covenant,
> I will give in my house and within my walls
> a monument and a name
> better than sons and daughters;
> I will give them an everlasting name
> that shall not be cut off.”

Observation Questions

What happened to the early church after Stephen was killed, and how did this affect the spread of the gospel? ([28:05])
When Philip preached in Samaria, what was surprising about the response of the Samaritans, and what role did the Holy Spirit play? ([36:29])
What did Simon the Sorcerer try to do after seeing the apostles lay hands on new believers, and how did Peter respond? ([44:19])
What barriers did the Ethiopian eunuch face when he went to worship in Jerusalem, and what Scripture was he reading when Philip met him? ([53:19])

Interpretation Questions

The scattering of believers due to persecution led to the gospel reaching new places. How does this show God’s ability to use hardship for His purposes? ([28:05])
The Samaritans and Jews had a long history of conflict. What does it mean that the Holy Spirit was poured out on both groups, and how might this have changed the attitudes of the apostles? ([39:49])
Why was Simon’s attempt to buy the power of the Holy Spirit such a serious problem, and what does this reveal about the nature of God’s gifts? ([44:19])
The Ethiopian eunuch was reading Isaiah 53 and later heard Isaiah 56. How do these passages speak to his experience of exclusion and longing for belonging? ([01:07:17])

Application Questions

Think about a time when something hard or painful in your life led to unexpected growth or blessing. How might God be using a current struggle in your life for His purposes? ([28:05])
Are there people or groups you have considered “outsiders” or “other” in your life or church? What would it look like for you to cross a boundary and seek unity or reconciliation with them? ([39:49])
Simon wanted to use faith for personal gain. Are there ways you have been tempted to use your faith, church, or spiritual gifts for your own benefit rather than God’s glory? How can you check your motives? ([44:19])
The fruit of the Spirit is evidence of God’s work in us. Which aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) do you most want to grow in right now? What is one specific step you can take this week? ([48:27])
The Ethiopian eunuch was doubly excluded, yet God sought him out and welcomed him in. Have you ever felt like an outsider in church or in your faith? How does this story encourage you? ([53:19])
Is there someone in your life who feels excluded or on the margins? What is one practical way you can reach out to them and show them the welcome of Christ this week? ([01:08:56])
The Scriptures spoke directly to the eunuch’s wounds and longings. Is there a passage of Scripture that has spoken to your own pain or longing? How did it help you? ([01:07:17])

Sermon Clips

Jerusalem has become a place of strife, of pain, of persecution, of rejection. And the city in Samaria has become a place of great rejoicing and healing and hope. [00:35:52] (18 seconds) #FromStrifeToHope

It's a beautiful, beautiful moment of these two peoples coming together. This wall of hostility just, this has been plaguing these people for hundreds of years, just falling down in absolute unity between the two. It's beautiful, amen? [00:40:58] (15 seconds) #FruitOfTheSpiritTruth

Jesus taught us to know them by their fruits. To evaluate based on the fruit that we see, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self -control. When the Holy Spirit comes into a person, that is what the Spirit does inside of them. [00:48:27] (24 seconds) #GospelCrossesBoundaries

And Philip gets to explain, this is about Jesus. This is about the Messiah. Let me read you a few other verses from exactly where that scroll would have been in that same chapter. This is just a couple verses earlier. This is what he would have just read before. It says, Surely he, meaning the suffering servant, surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering. And yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. And the punishment that brought us peace was on him. And by his wounds, we are healed. And Philip gets to look through that and say, that is what just happened in Jerusalem with Jesus. Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the one who is pierced for our transgressions. Jesus is the one who's, by his wounds, we are healed. And it's amazing news for the world. And it's amazing news for this particular man. [01:03:41] (66 seconds) #BaptizedAndRejoicing

Let no foreigner who is bound to the Lord say, the Lord will surely exclude me from his people. And let no eunuch complain, I am only a dry tree. What? For this is what the Lord says to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbath, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant. To them, I will give within my temple and within its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters. I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever. [01:06:56] (46 seconds) #WallsFallForUnity

Is there anything left that can stand in the way of my full inclusion into this Christian community? My race can no longer stand in the way. My status as a eunuch can no longer stand in the way. My sin, my wrongdoing, my past can no longer stand in the way because of Jesus. So what barrier remains? He hit a barrier. He can't go into the temple. But here in the kingdom, he can have the same experience of repenting of his sin, of receiving Jesus as his Lord, and then getting to be part of the Christian family. [01:09:51] (34 seconds)

``The answer to his question, what barrier remains, the answer is none. Nothing can stand in your way anymore. You are invited to be part of this Christian church. You are invited into the presence of God. You are included in the family of faith. [01:10:26] (17 seconds)

So he's baptized, this little oasis, this little pond out in the desert. Philip disappears. But now he's a child of God and he goes all the way back home to Ethiopia rejoicing. Just exactly how we left the Samaritans rejoicing. Now he is rejoicing, taking the gospel on to the ends of the earth. How amazing! This gospel news for this man. [01:11:00] (23 seconds)

And this is good news for you. I would suppose that some of you don't fully know how much God loves you. How much God welcomes you into his presence. And maybe some of you think there's something about you that keeps you. Oh, I can't be a Christian. I can't, you know, I can't know God because of some reason, whatever it is, something you've done, something about yourself, something that makes you think you're on the outside. Well, this story is gospel to you. It's good news to you. It's an invitation. You, there's nothing that can stand in your way from repenting of your sin, receiving the grace of Jesus, coming before him and being fully part of this thing that God is doing, this family that God is building. [01:11:23] (56 seconds)

All of these walls start falling down. The wall between the Jews and the Samaritans just falls right down. And maybe right now God wants to make some wall in your life fall down between you and other people or between you and your maker. Come to the water. Come and be washed clean. [01:12:22] (21 seconds)

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