Sermon Tone Analysis

Sermon on Acts 8.1-40

Title:  The New Exile- the Spread of the Holy Spirit

Theme:  The Influence of the Holy Spirit spreads as the Holy Spirit wants.

Goal:  to encourage Christians that the Holy Spirit spreads as the Holy Spirit wants.

Need:  Often Christians like to control the movement of the power of the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 56:8

 

Sermon in oral style.

I want to continue where we left off last week.

We journeyed through the first 5 chapters of Acts last week.

We saw the power of the Holy Spirit.

We saw the power that the apostles possessed because the Holy Spirit inspired them.

We saw how Ananias and Sephirrah died because they lied to the Holy Spirit.

They withheld from God what they already committed to him.

*Now, I want to look at a pretty long section that has really interested me this week.

We are going to look at the whole chapter of Acts 8.*

          But lets get there slowly and look at chapter and section headings to find the themes again that show up all through the book of Acts.

*Notice the themes of the power of the apostles.

You also will see themes that show up like the positive influence of persecution.*

When we get to chapter 6 we should notice that something different is happening and this sets the stage for what comes up in Chapter 8.  It tells us at the beginning of chapter 6 that even these Holy Spirit filled apostles are overlooking the care of Grecian Jews.

The Hebraic Jews are fine, but the Grecian converts, these widows are being over looked.

So they choose seven spirit filled people to look after the distribution of food.

The most recognizeable one is Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

Interesting that the first Christian martyr was a essentially a deacon.

His story is in the next two chapters.

But then we come to chapter 8 and it tells us one of these themes in Acts.

The positive influence of the persecution of Stephen and other Christians.

*Verses 1-41**And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.

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*On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

**2**Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.

**3**But Saul began to destroy the church.

Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

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*4**Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

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In verse 4 Luke uses a word intentionally that gives away his evaluation of the events that he is going to write about next.

*The word is scattered.*

You could look it up and you would find all kinds of passages about the scattering of people around the world like after the tower of babel or the scattering of armies after a defeat.

Searching the English word only helps a little.

The greek word is */diasporentes/*.

If you search this word you will find it more in the Old Testament where it means exiled.

*The recreated Holy Spirit community is beginning to look like the Old Testament community.

Many believers are exiled away while only a few remain in Jerusalem*.

The Old Testament exile needs to be kept in mind as we read.

*Now verses 5-8**5**Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.

**6**When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.

**7**With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed.

**8**So there was great joy in that city.

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          *Philip*.

Another one of the seven chosen along with Stephen preaches boldly and confidently.

*He does miracles.

*

          *Did you notice where he was exiled to, where the scattering sent him?

To **Samaria.

And which type of people live in Samaria?

Its the Samaritans.

The unruly sinners themselves.

The ones not pure enough.

These are the half-Jews.*

That’s not all.

He also reaches out to a sorcerer.

Sorcery was a big no no for the Jews.

*Verses 9-139**Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria.

He boasted that he was someone great, **10**and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.”

**11**They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.

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

**13**Simon himself believed and was baptized.

And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

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          One note about the importance of doing miracles.

Philip does miracles.

Simon does evil miracles.

What is it that changes the hearts of the people for God.

Is it miracles?

Is it healings and casting out demons?  *Verse 12.  Two kinds of miracles being done, but it is the proclamation of the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.

That’s what leads to the conversion of the people in Samaria.

The good news even wins over Simon the sorcerer who is amazed at the things Philip does and preaches.*

*The miracles are always secondary to the message of who Christ is and what he has done for us.

* *Some Christians act as if the miracles are the good news.*

Do a miracle, then you know you have the holy spirit in you.

Its encouraging to a non miraculous preacher like myself that power is in the promise of Scripture, that Christ died to make us right with God.

Miracles would be awesome, but its secondary.

*          The next thing we have in the passage left me wrestling for the longest time.*

Philip preaches and baptizes the Samaritans who believe, but they haven’t received the Holy Spirit.

This doesn’t seem right.

The Holy Spirit has given them faith, but isn’t fully present with them?

Its tough to understand.

We shouldn’t right away then assume that some people are just special enough to lay hands of people and give them the Holy Spirit.

Isn’t that the mistake that Simon makes?

He believes that giving out the Holy Spirit is an ability that can be bought.

Listen as he tries to buy something that just isn’t for sale.

*Verses 13-2014**When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

**15**When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, **16**because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

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

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*18**When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money **19**and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

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*20**Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

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

**22**Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord.

Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.

**23**For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” *

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

          Laying on of hands is not our way of controlling the power of the Spirit.

When the elders and deacons who were chosen today have hands laid on them, its not because the officebearers of the church have the corner on the Holy Spirit.

It IS a way that we ask special blessing from the Holy Spirit on them.

But the Holy Spirit comes on who he wants to.