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Jordan Davis: 180º Identity (Acts 8:26-40)
Jordan Davis, nextgen pastor at First Baptist Church in Plano, described what it was like to end up in the same classroom with someone from his hometown—in another country more than 4,000 miles away. He likened it to the story of Philip meeting an Ethiopian eunuch on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza.
Understanding the eunuch’s identity is critical to understanding the story in Acts 8. Though he sought God, the eunuch was excluded from the temple by virtue of being a eunuch. The story illustrates God seeks the excluded and does so even in the desert, Davis explained.
Davis pointed out the Scripture the eunuch was reading when Philip met him not only described the prophesied Messiah, but also resonated with the eunuch’s identity. Philip helped the eunuch understand Jesus identified with him, leading the eunuch from hopeless to rejoicing.
The gospel radically converts our identity, Davis declared. “It de-shames you and renames you,” he added.
This sermon was delivered Feb. 5, 2023, for the morning worship services of First Baptist Church in Plano. It is part of a series titled “180º Stories of Conversion” about conversion stories in the Book of Acts.
Sermon notes are available here.
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