A Fiery Persecutor and a Faithful Preacher
Lessons from the 1st Century Church | A Study through the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted
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· 7 viewsWithin Acts 8 one sees the Gospel being transition from the Jews to the Gentiles and this seen through the zealous persecution of Saul (Paul) and the faithful preaching of Phillip.
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Introduction
There was a figure that was present at Stephen’s stoning that would end up changing the world. He would define what zeal for God and the Gospel is required and measured by for the history of the church. He would show what it was like to die to self and live in Christ. However, this is not where he would begin. He would begin bringing havock on the church, but in the end would bring havock to hell itself. He would start a persecutor and end a martyr. He would not be alone in his faithfulness to the Lord though. He would have to see the example of faithfulness before he would be faithful himself.
Within our text, we find a fiery persecutor and a faithful preacher. Praise God, before it is done, that fiery persecutor would become a faithful martyr.
Focus Passage: Acts 8:1-8
1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.
Outline
A Fiery Persecutor (vv.1-3)
1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
1. Saul’s fire was for the Law - ‘...And Saul was consenting unto his death...’(v.1a)
Saul was zealous for God and the law. In his heart, he was doing right. His own testimony reveals his zeal, his fire for the Law and God.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Saul, while giving approval to murder Stephen, and was consenting unto his death, felt he was doing God a favor. He felt he was doing his duty to protect the people of God from heresy. This is why, when writing to the believers at Philippi, he wrote, as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church. He had a fire for the law and felt that the teachings of Jesus and the apostles were heresy. He not only felt it was his place in life to persecute the church, but also to persecute her followers. He was not willing stop with just Stephen. He was not going to rest until the whole church, every follower of Christ, was destroyed.
2. Saul’s fire was against the church - ‘…And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem…As for Saul he made havock of the church...’ (v.1b, 3a)
Saul’s passion and zeal for the law that led to his approval of the stoning of Stephen was only the beginning. He was not willing to stop with one. He wanted the entire church to feel his fire. We find within the testimony of Scripture, that the same day Stephen was stoned, was murdered, an all out assault on the bridge of Christ found its birth. The epicenter of the persecution was in the very city of God, at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was Jerusalem. The Scripture further testifies that Saul made havock (soil/insult) of the church. The NASB states, Saul began ravaging the church. The Message states, Saul went wild, devastating the church. No matter how you render this text, the picture is bleak and shows a great zeal, a fire of hatred for the bride of Christ. This zeal, this fire that Saul had, showed no end nor depth to which he would follow it in decimating the church of God.
3. Saul’s fire had no boundaries - ‘...entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.’(v.3)
Saul did not care where he had to go, entering into every house, or who was the one claiming the Gospel message, haling men and women, he was going to shackle them, prosecute them, imprison them, and persecute them, even to the point of death, committed them to prison. He didn’t care where he had to go or who he was arresting. If they were suspected of preaching the Gospel, they were going to be burned by the fire of hatred for the church and this Jesus that they preached.
One would think that this would destroy the church. One would think that this would put a nail into the coffin of an already shaky beginning of the Gospel message. However, as we have found throughout the history, the Lady, the Church, the bride of Jesus Christ, grows under persecution. Within persecution, God’s faithful are energized and more dedicated to the spread of the Gospel, because the heart of apathy and indifference is shattered and forced to place fire in a heart that may have grown cold. In the midst of persecution, God will always find faithful preachers that are faithful to share the Gospel.
A Faithful Preacher (vv.4-8)
4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.
1. A faithful message spread due to persecution (v.4)
Saul was trying to destroy the church by bring turmoil, havock, ravaging the church in Jerusalem. He might have even thought it worked. We find within the text, they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. What happened when they were scattered? As I read the testimony that is within the Scripture, I am reminded of the story of Joseph and his brothers.
They beat Joseph, through into a pit, sold him into slavery, and told their dad that he was dead. After Joseph was sold into slavery, he would be falsely accused of attempted rape, thrown into prison, forgotten about, and when all hope was seemed lost, be brought before pharoah and God would use all the evil that had fell upon him to save Jacob, Joseph, and his brothers, which would become the people of God and fulfill God’s promise to Abraham.
In the end, Joseph’s brothers come to him for help, while he would hide himself at first, eventually he would reveal himself to his brothers, and the truth he revealed then, is a truth that is very present and being fleshed out within the story of Saul and his persecution of the church.
19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
Saul set out to destroy the church. God used his fire to destroy the church to actually spread the Gospel. Because, as we know, these people spread out across Judea and Samaria. They did not spread out and hide for their lives. We found that they spread out and as they did, spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. They realized that the Gospel message was the Good News and was the only power to save and redeem lives.
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Within these faithful followers of Christ, we are introduced to a faithful preacher.
2. A faithful message preached a faithful preacher (v.5)
As we look at (v.5), we are introduced to a faithful preacher preaching a faithful message, Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. He was fleeing persecution, but he was not fleeing his responsibility to share the Gospel. Brothers and sisters, there is nothing wrong with avoiding persecution to the best of your ability. However, there is problem with being quiet about the Gospel. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, for I am under compulsion: for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel (1 Co. 9:16b NASB). It was this same Paul, that was Saul persecuting the same Gospel he was under compulsion to preach after his conversion.
May we have the same zeal for the Gospel and its propagation that Philip had here contextually, and Saul converted to Paul, would have later. We must be faithful to the Word. We must realize that no matter what we face in this life, it is of no comparison to what awaits the child of God in glory. As Paul himself testifies, For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison (2 Co. 4:17 NASB). We face any and all persecution, not for ourselves, but we are putting others before ourselves and looking toward their good. Not only did Philip realize he needed redemption, he knew that others needed salvation.
3. A faithful message was heard by a broken people (v.6)
Let us not overlook who is receiving the Gospel. These are considered outcasts and low-lifes of the Jewish people. They were not fully Jewish. They were not fully Greek. They were some where in between and the Jews couldn’t stand them. They ridiculed them. They despised them. Now you have a Jew sharing a message of hope to a people who were not Jewish. Who were truly the outcast of their society. This is the heart of the Gospel. This is the heart of our Savior.
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
This should be the heart of the church today. We are called to go to all peoples, tribes, nations, and tongues and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Broken people still need a healing message.
4. A faithful message healed broken people (vv.7-8)
Those who heard the message and gave head to the faithful message proclaimed by Philip found that healing was available. They may have responded to the signs of physical healing, saw the signs…many who had been paralyzed or limped on crutches were healed, there was something far greater taking place. They not only saw the signs, they heard the message and found spiritual healing, The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what was being said by Philip. They heard…in the cases of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice.
Brothers and sisters this same message needs to be declared today. It is the same message that was preached by Philip and that those gave head to, and faithful response to that message that brought healing, that people still need today. We have the only message that heals. We have the only message that breaks down curses. We have the only message that saves. We have the only faithful message. Brothers and sisters, we live in world of lost and broken people, men, women, boys, and girls, that need healing and redemption and that only comes through Good News of Jesus Christ. Let us be faithful to proclaim the Gospel message of Christ.
Conclusion
Where do you stand? Do you have a fire within or are you dead and indifferent? If you have a fire, is that fire for Gospel or against the Gospel? Are you a Saul? or are you a Philip? Are you fiery persecutor, a faithful preacher, or worse, an indifferent bystander?
Do you need healing? Do you need deliverance? There is but one hope and one deliverer, Jesus Christ. If you do not know Him, may you come tonight and surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and find healing and redemption.
If you do know Jesus, are you on fire? Are you faithful to proclaim the faithful message of the cross? or are you indifferent? Brothers and sisters, we are called to have the zeal of Saul and the faithfulness of Philip. Let this be our testimony.