The Gospel Moves 8:4-25

Intro

Wayne and Michelles

Wrestling with this passage

The people are spread

We are going to follow another one of the 7

What we see after the extreme persecution is the people spreading

This parallels the OT, when the people were spread it was because of jusdgment, but now we see it as God’s grace, he is spreading his people as a way to send the gospel to the nations, and we go into samaria, which is not only a foreign place, but a hated people by most of the jews, so God is making a major statement by sending people here first

Simon

Practiced Magic, amazed, lied, thought his power came from God Phillip comes in, shares the gospel, and those people including Simon believe and are baptized

The problem

the apostles, remembered stated in jerusalem, and the heard that the word was recieved, this doesnt mean just shared, but it was recepted, Peter and John come down, Here is the tough part, what is going on here?

So the believed and were baptized but they didn’t recieve the spirit

Our understanding

what gives here

Does believe not mean that?

Do we not recieve the spirit when we believe?

What it doesn’t mean

Not a proof text for a baptism of the HS

Not a pattern that is followed.

SPirit is recieved at pentecost, and before baptism

Don’t need the apostles

Don’t need laying on hands

How we look at Acts

Good examples, but many are descriptions, and not prescriptions

Luke is making a point, and this is the first group of believers outside of Jerusalem, it seems to be that the point of this unique interaction is to confrim, through the apostles, (Peter and John), that the gospel is indeed moving outside of Jerusalem. At some level Luke is writing a history and not instruction.

The rest of the story

SImon’s sin

Was he not a believer, does he become one here God is gracious: diff in annaias and Saphira

What we should do

Jesus really is for everyone

Samaria

Simon

Becareful of anyone who claims to be a Christian:

Belive and been baptized

Fake power

Selling Blessings

Preach the Gospel

No matter how it happens it starts with the Gospel

Samaria, eventually to the US and to new places every day

Sharing can be scary: there is a new tool that can help

ACts 1:8

1 Corinthians 2:1-5