Acts 8- God uses everything for Good

Nothing is Wasted in God’s kingdom

Joel 2:25–27 ESV

I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you. “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame. You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame.

These are the Words of God, spoken by the Prophet Joel-

And these words follow a certain order-

The day of the Lord (Joel 2:1-11)-

The Lord will judge sin and evil- This day will come

A Call to return to God (Joel 2:12-17)

Repent before this time-

It’s a call to respond to the Love, mercy, and Grace of God

God’s compassion (Joel 2:18-27)

God will have mercy on you

He wont give you what you deserve

He will have grace-

He will give you what you dont Deserve

The Lord will Pour out His spirit- (Joel 2:28-15)

God will pour out His spirit on all flesh

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be Saved!

In-between the birth of the church and the Day of the Lord we live in the Time of the Spirit and the time of the Gospel-

Right now God is in the business of Restoring everything that the enemy has tried to destroy

This is the power of the Gospel

And Right now God is pouring out His Spirit and empowering believers to do sign and wonder and proclaim the Gospel- BECAUSE GOD IS RESTORING

Acts 1:8 ESV

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

EVEN THINGS THAT SEEM LIKE A TOTAL DEFEAT GOD CAME USE-

Just as God restore the years that seems like defeat, and brokenness- God uses them for His Glory, the story isn’t over-

Faith looks at the situation and doesn’t make life choices off of it

Faith looks at the Situation in view of God being greater then all things-

“Thank you God that even right no I might not see everything you are doing, but I know you love, and you are working.”

The Twelve Spies-

Ten make their confession based on what their physical eyes saw

and they Got the result of their faith confession

two said “yes there are giants in the land, But God…”

and they God their faith confession

Numbers 13:30 ESV

But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”

Numbers 14:8–11 ESV

If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel. And the Lord said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?

Faith Continues in opposition:

Acts 8:1–3 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.

What was Stephen’s last words- Acts 7:60

Acts 7:60 ESV

And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

You know God answered this prayer in Paul-

This man who is now ravaging the Church-

Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 20.24 λυμαίνομαι

to cause injury or harm by maltreatment

This Saul would become one of the greatest evangelist to even walk the face this earth-

From Enemy of God- To ambassador-

- This is what God does in a life- He renews it

It doesn’t matter what that Life looked like before Jesus, Because God pours out his spirit and Restores

the years that the Locust have eaten get restored

And just as God can do this in our individual lives He does it also through His church-

Persecution Makes more Believers

Acts 8:4–8 ESV

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.

What should have been a devastating blow to the church became the means of God restoring more lives with the Gospel

Setting more captive free

the word preaching is is to bring glad tidings

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words Gospel

euangelizo (εὐαγγελίζω, 2097), “to bring or announce glad tidings” (Eng., “evangelize”), is used (a) in the active voice in Rev. 10:7 (“declared”) and

The angels called it “Good news of Great Joy!”

Philip is Just a glimpse of The Gospel spreading

Jesus promised power

Acts 1:8 ESV

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

Peter said this outpouring is for everyone-

Acts 2:17 ESV

“ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;

Here the gospel is spreading and how is it spreading?

From believers who are full of the Holy Spirit just like Philip