The Gospel Marches On

Introduction

Recap Last couple weeks

Deacons appointed -

so that the work of taking care of people would not be overlooked

so that the ministry of preaching and prayer would not be overlooked

Stephen martyred

all are called to share the gospel, Stephen not only working in the daily distribution but also sharing the gospel in the synagogue

where he most likely debates Saul

when Stephen could not be defeated he is taken before the Sanhedrin

who eventually has him stoned… with Saul approving the whole thing

then persecution breaks out on the whole church

This week - The Gospel Marches on

It is interesting, where persecution occurs, the gospel spreads at a faster rate

my mind would say it would be the opposite

we say that we don’t share most often because fear of the people we are sharing with

the places where they have to fear for their lives when people know they are believers

or places that are simply illegal

the gospel spreads faster

When the believers left Jerusalem, they took the gospel with them

the believers in Jerusalem are being persecuted

Saul is going house to house “ravaging” the church

everyone except for the apostles have run from Jerusalem

but they did not go into hiding

they went and where they were they shared the gospel

but was the gospel for everyone?

did jesus die so that the Jewish people would have their messiah

or was Jesus for everyone?

Acts 8:4–25 (CSB)

4 So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word.

5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.

6 The crowds were all paying attention to what Philip said, as they listened and saw the signs he was performing.

7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.

8 So there was great joy in that city.

9 A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.

10 They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God.”

11 They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time.

12 But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

13 Even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he followed Philip everywhere and was amazed as he observed the signs and great miracles that were being performed.

14 When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

15 After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them.

16 (They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

19 saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.

22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven.

23 For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.”

24 “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

25 So, after they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Prayer

Salvation comes from a relationship with the Lord. It is available for everyone and it cannot be purchased or earned.

The Gospel Moves From Jerusalem

What would it take for you to move

we have a lot of families that are well established

what would it take to move

the elders were very worried about Heather when we moved here

I am not sure how many times they asked her about being an hour away from Walmart

when people get uncomfortable, they move

Acts 8:4–8 (CSB)

4 So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word.

5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.

6 The crowds were all paying attention to what Philip said, as they listened and saw the signs he was performing.

7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.

8 So there was great joy in that city.

Phillip the Deacon / Evangelist leaves Jerusalem after persecution of the church begins

we know that this is not Phillip the apostle, the apostles stayed in Jerusalem when the rest of the church scattered

then the apostles send Peter and John to them…

Phillip, like Stephen one of the other deacons filled with the Holy Spirit is able to speak powerfully and perform miracles

demons were cast out, lame people were healed

the crowds were paying attention to him

paying attention = eagerly listening

like everyone in here, eagerly listening, paying attention to what it is that I am going to say

you might think that it was because he was performing these miracles

you would be right, that is the point of the miracles

everywhere in the NT that is what the miracles are for

for Jesus, it was the signs that he was sent from God

in Acts, that the preaching of the apostles was from God

From the beginning the gospel was not meant to stay in Jerusalem

Acts 1:8 (CSB)

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

This was the promise just before Jesus ascended to the father

the rest of the book of Acts tells us how that happened

Sometimes God has to allow hard times to get us to move

this is where we get off into some bad theology by mistake sometimes

God must be mad at me

satan is attacking so I am going to double down

sometimes God allows trials to get us to move

the church was told that they would be sharing the gospel all over the world

yet, they had not moved from Jerusalem

not that it was completely easy in Jerusalem

but there were people added daily to their number

thousands or maybe tens of thousands had joined the church

We are meant to share with the “un-saveable”

Who are the Samaritans

during the exile in the OT you have a group of the Jewish people that were left behind and others brought in

this was a way of the babylonians to conquer the other people

soon they would inner-marry and the people would mix

this is what happened to the Jewish people, the remnant that mixed with other people groups were called samaritans

the Jewish people did not consider them jewish

we see them come and attempt to stop the wall being built in Nehemiah

in the NT the Samaritans were in the north the jewish people would walk a longer way around rather than go through Samaria

this is why John chapter 4 when Jesus talks to the woman at the well is scandalous

why she asked him, why are you a jewish man talking to me a samaritan woman

who is our group

what people group is it hard for us to imagine that God would save

God has sent a lot of people from different lands to our nation

maybe instead of fighting politically about them, we should be attempting to evangelize to them

The Gospel is Specific

The Gospel is not a collective blanket over all and not a thing left to interpretation

what I mean is that we do not get to make the gospel what we want it to be

Paul told the Galatians that even if an angel from heaven speaks another gospel, let them be cursed!

this is how serious this is

we then, do not get to go and change it

Acts 8:9–23 (CSB)

9 A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.

10 They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God.”

11 They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time.

12 But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.

13 Even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he followed Philip everywhere and was amazed as he observed the signs and great miracles that were being performed.

14 When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

15 After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them.

16 (They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

19 saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.

22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven.

23 For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.”

Retell what happens

Simon the magician has been doing tricks and magic to fool people

not just in the tricks, but into thinking that he is something great

they call him the great power of God

but where the signs and wonders that the apostles and now the deacons have performed point to Jesus

Simon is amazed at the signs that Phillip is performing, following him around

He is so amazed that he believes and is baptized!

the apostles show and pray for the Holy Spirit to come on the Samaritans

this is a unique event, we do not see this requirement of the apostles to come and pray for the Holy Spirit to come

why did the apostles have to do this

remember, this is written to give an account of history, what had happened

this is not a requirement for everyone to receive the holy spirit

Nobody has been able to say for sure and the text does not specifically say

MY INTERPRETATION - there is a question in the minds of these Jewish believers, can these 1/2 jewish people really be saved?

Lord, if these are you children, send your spirit

I have no text other than the relationship between the two groups of people

As we go on however, we see that Simon witnessing the prayer of the apostles and the deliverance of the Holy Spirit, he begs for this power and offers money to get it

the one who was amazed at the signs, believed and was baptized was offering money to the apostles

A Prayer and Baptism do not save you

Simon had both

tradition is he was where the Gnostic belief started

Gnostics believed in Jesus wrote some “gospels” gospels of peter, gospels of enoch

did not believe Jesus was God, believed that God was outside of creation and would not enter, thus no Holy Spirit as well

I can hear the words now, “Simon is kind of an odd duck,” or, “I don’t see a lot of fruit in his life.”

“Yes, but I remember that revival when he said the prayer and was baptized. We just need to get him back to church.”

just because he did these things does not mean that God’s hands are tied

he is not sitting there going, “Well, he is evil as can be, but he walked and isle, he was baptized.”

What we need is to be born again.

this is why Paul said that he has been crucified with Christ, that it is not longer he who lives, but Christ who lives in him

we put to death the desires that we have in the flesh and live for him

we do not see this in Simon

he wanted the power

he wanted to be the great one that was worshipped

We are more grace filled calling the lost, lost

Peter is not just nice to be nice

your heart is full of bitterness! Repent! You have no part with us!

but it would not be kind to simply say keep growing in Christ and you will understand

How evil we are to say everything about you screams unbeliever, yet be afraid to evangelize because we will hurt their feelings

The Gospel is a Lifestyle

There are times that I have said things to people and Heather just cant believe it…

she is used to it now, why, its a lifestyle

I do it, it is who I am

You are not just going to share the gospel, as in something that we do every once in a while

on a special trip, during certain events

Acts 8:25 (CSB)

25 So, after they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Now seeing the Samaritans as fellow believers the apostles evangelize the whole way home

they are stopping in the villages and telling people about Jesus on their way

this is no longer just a in the temple or in Jerusalem, the gospel is on the move and the gates of hell cannot stop it

we are to make disciples as we go

Matthew 28:19 (CSB)

19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

That is the go… as you go, as you live, where you live, share the gospel

this must be how we live

people are worried about the election, what they need is Jesus

people are worried about world war three, the gospel is the answer

we live our what we believe

sharing the gospel shows our faith in him and love for people

communion says that we join in Christ’s crucifixion

Exalting Jesus in Acts Reflect and Discuss

1. Describe a time when you experienced persecution for your Christian faith. In what ways was God’s mission advanced or hindered by persecution in the first century?

2. How is Acts 8:4–25 related to 1:8? Why is this significant?

3. Why did God delay pouring out his Spirit on the Samaritan believers? Why was this important? What lessons might we learn from this unique event?

4. What does this story teach about preaching Christ?

5. What disappoints you about the character of Simon? Why?

6. Do you think Simon had genuine faith in Christ? Why or why not?

7. Recall how Peter sharply called Simon to repentance. Why is repentance important?

8. Compare Luke 9:52–54 with Acts 8:14–25 and consider the change in the apostle John. How was his opinion of the Samaritans changed? How can you cultivate love for the unlovable?

9. Why is Acts 8:4–25 a good illustration of Matthew 28:18–20?

10. Pause to pray for opportunities to share the gospel this week. List three specific actions you can take to convey the good news of salvation through Christ to others.