October 6, 2024 SERMON

 Irresistible Gospel 
 Acts Chapter 8

Acts Chapter 8 marks the beginning of the expansion of the Church beyond its Jewish roots. Christ in His final charge to His disciples commanded them to wait in Jerusalem until they were endowed with the power of the Holy Spirit.

They were commissioned to carry the Gospel message to Jerusalem and all Judea, then to Samaria and finally, to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the entire world.

Jesus gave them the mandate and a pattern for expansion: "you will be witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

One of the greatest blessings of the church was the understanding that as the ministry expanded, the responsibilities of the church must be shared by all believers.

Several Greek speaking Jews had been selected to serve in the capacity of service. These men took care of the daily administration of the food supply and performed other needed ministry responsibilities.

Two of the most outstanding were Stephen and Philip. As persecution increased at Jerusalem, the church was forced to scatter, spreading the message of Christ everywhere they went.

The Jewish leaders rejected the preaching of Stephen and proceeded to stone him to death. Stephen became the first martyr of the Christian faith. He exemplified grace at the highest level.

His prayer of forgiveness for those who falsely accused and killed him cut against the grain of every human passion common to man.

Instead of contempt, anger and vengefulness, pouring from the heart of this dying servant, was love, compassion and hope. We stand transfixed at the death of this servant with the same awe we hold when we gaze on our dying Savior.

In his death Stephen manifested a supernatural endurance and meekness that could only come from our Lord Himself. The persecution designed to stop the church, fueled its growth and development.

The more they persecuted the Christians, the more the church grew as it caused the Christians to spread the Gospel to the surrounding cities. The fire of the Holy Spirit could not be put out.

Most of the apostles remained at Jerusalem, but believers scattered spreading the message everywhere.

Acts 8 is a chapter of transition as the message of Jesus Christ goes to the mixed Jews of Samaria, and to a gentile Ethiopian eunuch. The Church's only ambition was to be obedient to God. They were empowered by the Holy Spirit to be effective in ministry.

Demonstrations of the Holy Spirit’s power were present with them, confirming the word they preached. Philip led the charge to Samaria as the Church moved forward.   

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.

When persecution arose after the death of Stephen, Philip went to Samaria and preached a revival like few ever seen in history. Powerful preaching followed by miracles, healing and deliverance turned the whole city upside down for Christ.

Seldom in our time do we hear of “great joy” coming to a whole population because of one man’s ministry. But this is what happened when Philip went to Samaria.

“Greater works than these shall you do”, were the words of Jesus and with Philip it didn’t take long to see them come to pass. Of great importance is the fact that this revival was the result of shared ministry.

Philip was the ideal person to begin the ministry expansion to Samaria. He was a Grecian Jew, with a Greek name. The Samaritans were probably more receptive to Philip than they would have been to the Hebrew speaking Jews from Jerusalem.

After more than 700 years of conflict between the Jews and the Samaritans, the Holy Spirit directed Philip to venture into their region.

Philip preached Jesus unto them. He was not promoting politics, social justice, civil rights, current events, or any other popular subjects of his day. He preached Jesus.

The church today needs to remember, that people still need to know Jesus. Jesus the Christ still saves, heals and delivers. When we preach Jesus, God will still confirm the word we preach.

The People of Samaria responded to the message, "they gave heed with one accord." God demonstrated His power among them. Miracles were done in the name of the Lord. The people who were bound by Satan were set free.

Various types of sicknesses were healed by the power of God and there was great Joy in the city! The church was empowered to move forward, and the movement was enhanced because the disciples willingly shared the ministry responsibilities. The believers went sharing the gospel because they sincerely cared for lost people.

Today, we place great emphasis on education, titles, and position. All those things are important, but if we don’t love people, if we don’t care about the mission, we fall short.

Philip was not seminary trained, did not have a title or position, but Philip demonstrated his love and concern for the entire city of Samaria. He wanted them to experience the grace of God in their lives.

Even though people were healed and delivered, Philip wanted them to have even more. He wanted them to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

After hearing about the great revival, Peter and John came from the church in Jerusalem to pray for these converted Samaritans that they might receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

God was bridging the gap between the believers at Jerusalem and the believers at Samaria, lest the Samaritan believers think that they are a move of God independent from the saints at Jerusalem.

God bridges the gap by filling these believers with the Holy Spirit in response to the ministry of Peter and John. The church can always move forward when her ministry partners demonstrate genuine love and caring for all of God’s people.

The racial barrier was removed, and true fellowship was nurtured. Today, many barriers remain because many don’t love people, nor do they care about God’s mission.

When there is a great manifestation of God's power, there is a temptation for some to try to advance their personal ambition at the expense of God’s church.

Simon Magus, the town sorcerer, who had previously deceived the people by claiming to be some great one, became a follower of Christ.

 Acts 8:12-13 “But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.”

Simon believed, was baptized in the name of Jesus, followed and supported the ministry of Philip. When he saw the ministry of Peter and John, He greatly admired them. He marveled at the power of God demonstrated through the laying on of the apostle’s hands.

He desired to be used by the Holy Spirit to be admired in the eyes of the people. As a practicing Magi, Simon had been famous, admired and sought after. He offered to buy this gift from Peter and John at any cost.

Peter confronted Simon because his motives were not right. We too must be careful about our motives. Let’s read that part of the conversation:

Acts 8:18-25 : 

18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Simon's temptation is still with us today. Many seek God's power for personal benefit and spiritual pride. Any gift or talent God may give to us is for the advancement of the kingdom of God. Never should we use the power of God for selfish gain.

This is a powerful account of Simon who has an encounter with the truth of Jesus. He’s instantly impacted, he believed, was baptized, followed after Him wanting the power Jesus.

But we also know that very shortly after this change when he witnesses the power of the Holy Spirit he tries to buy the power he sees demonstrated.

The Message has an interesting phrase in the account. Peter responds to Simon with this statement, "I can see this is an old habit with you!"

Stop a moment and really think about that statement - Simon has a Jesus encounter. He walks away from his sorcery business. Then a few days later he goes back trying to gain power over people, an old habit according to Peter.

Simon's issues were dormant but it is apparent that he hadn't been delivered. In the blink of an eye, he reverts back to old habits. The power of Christ had been allowed to change him but not allowed to unchain him.

How many of us are there? Too many of us have encountered and experienced Jesus and He has changed us but instead of allowing Christ to set us free we have settled for allowing Him to move into our home but never allow Him to clean house.

Before you dismiss this as an issue only for someone who has followed for a short period of time, may I also remind us that we see the same thing played out in Samson's life.

Called to be a prophet, used mightily by God, a long season of anointing and obedience and yet also constantly proving that he hasn't dealt with dormant areas of life.

We see it demonstrated in Saul's life. Hand picked by God to be king. Anointed, Stands shoulder to shoulder with prophets and prophecies. But later dormant issues arise and he consults a witch, disobeys God, and fails as king.

In the New Testament Demas is a prime example. A follower, A hard worker, Right hand to Barnabas and Paul. But right in the middle of a missions trip with the greatest missionary on the planet he returns to his hometown and very likely to his childhood gods.

So, let's talk about us . . . Jesus is the way and the _______! Truth! If the Son makes you free, then you are free indeed. That is truth we can embrace and experience.

However, having an encounter with Jesus which only makes you socially acceptable in church circles, and maybe feeling better about yourself isn't enough.

If you don't allow Jesus to do a delivering work in your life, then you have embraced half truth. You haven't gone far enough. He’s not your Lord.

The result of knowing the saving side of Jesus and never experiencing the delivering side of Jesus is that issues will lie dormant and at the worst moments they will resurface!

It is apparent that many of us need deliverance. In a moment of stress, in a moment of pain, in a moment of confrontation things that are dormant rise to the surface.

When we worship and still battle addiction, attitudes, un-holy actions then we must come to grips with the truth that we aren't delivered!

When alcohol still has control, when anger still rules, when lust looms, when cynicism is our constant, when gossip is our go to, when depression is our deal, when brokenness is our badge, when insecurity is our identity, we may be saved but not delivered; not made free.

Allowing our issues to remain dormant simply means we are practicing cover-up instead of clean out. It doesn't matter if it is one week or a decade, if stuff keeps surfacing we need to go further with Jesus and allow Him to deliver us!

I am glad He saved us but has He delivered us? What are we still dealing with after we met Jesus as Savior? What surfaces? What is alive under the surface that has the ability to destroy us openly? We can either do our best to continue to bury it, doctor it, conceal it, deny it, or we can bring it out in the open and get delivered!

Some of us have been saved for decades but have never experienced deliverance. Jesus is a savior and a deliverer, A LORD.

The reason these things continue to surface isn't to make us look like a fake or to make us miserable but rather to make the areas we must address apparent. We must identify the issue or we won't address it.

We can't become comfortable with our condition. We can't conclude that this is the end. No, this is exposed so that we will dig it out and bring it to Jesus for deliverance.

Deliverance is never found in denial! Jesus met the needs of people whose needs were apparent. In fact, I don't seem to find any instances of Jesus dealing with hidden needs other than the woman at the well.

The rest were Lepers, Corpses in tombs, the Lame and broken, Blind, Obvious needs.

In Luke 4 Jesus drops a truth. They handed Jesus the scroll and He opens it and reads Isaiah 61:1 "The spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heart broken, announce freedom to all the captives and pardon for all prisoners . . . Then Jesus says today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

He arrives on the scene and declares that He is able to save and deliver. My question is has the reality of this declaration that Jesus made about Himself become a reality on this day in our life?

Some Christians who boast of their supreme spirituality have the wrong motives. Peter confronts Simon’s hypocrisy head on.

Instead of Simon’s motivation being a heart of purity, benevolence, or love for the souls of men, it was a heart of pride, seeking vain glory, and love of money that drove his request.

Simon’s simple request had revealed his whole heart. Peter quickly judged him and pronounced a fearful judgment on him and his money. The Light of God Shined Bright Enough to Expose Darkness.

God always sees and judges whether our hearts are sincere and pure. No external profession is acceptable without a committed heart.

Is our heart right with God? Are our motives pure; and does God see in our heart the exercise of holiness, sincerity, and benevolent affections towards Him?

God knows the motives; and with absolute certainty expose darkness. One day, God will judge, with perfect justice every act and deed, then He will condemn some and reward others, according to the affections of the heart.

Finally, Pentecostal Power caused God’s Church to move forward because the ministers were bold and daring. The disciples prayed that God would fill them with all boldness that they may speak the word with power, and they dared to believe God.

When you read on Acts 8:26 we find the disciples seemed to understand how precious a soul is in the sight of the Lord, so they dared to follow the Holy Spirit’s lead. To bring one person to the faith, he sends an angel to Philip and sends Philip from populous Samaria to the desert.

From the midst of a great revival, Philip was sent into the desert where he met a lone traveler on his way back home. The man was both influential and handicapped. He was a eunuch and was probably made so in order that he may climb the ladder of success.

He eventually arrived at the top and became the minister of finance for the queen of Ethiopia. However, an inner emptiness of spirit that no amount of material success could fill pervaded his heart.

His recent journey to Jerusalem where he went to worship likely put him in touch with events surrounding the birth and explosion of the first church and quite possibly left him wondering about many things.

On his return journey, riding in his chariot, he searched the scriptures. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Philip appeared having been supernaturally commanded by God to go where the Ethiopian was. Philip dared to obey the command of God.

Then, Philip dared to listen as the Ethiopian was reading. Sometimes, we are so anxious to talk, we forget to listen. When Philip understood the Ethiopian’s struggle, he offered to explain the scriptures from Isaiah that the man was reading.

He preached unto him Jesus Christ, the one about whom the passage was written. The Ethiopian’s eyes were opened to faith in Christ and he believed, received and was baptized the same day.

Philip dared to allow God to lead him in a new phase of ministry. He dared to leave the comfort of Jerusalem, and venture into Samaria. After successful ministry among the Samaritans, now he must carry the gospel to a lone gentile on the road to Gaza.

God demonstrates that the gospel is for all people of all colors, races, cultures, and religious backgrounds. A new situation, but the same old message, Philip preached Jesus unto him. It is the message of Jesus that wins men to Christ.

God led Philip into a still wider circle to reach an Ethiopian, a different race. The Holy Spirit leads His people into missions in and beyond the home community. God's church is still on the move.

This lesson is crucial because it helps us see the importance of evangelism in the early church. There are various ways of evangelizing. The best method is still personal soul-winning. This means work: it means a willingness to go.

This way may seem the hardest of all, but it is the most effective way to reach mankind with the gospel.

If Christians dared to follow the example of Philip, they could and would change the world. The Church should use every available means to reach a lost world for Christ such as Christian literature, media, and mass evangelistic meeting.

But never forget, Philip left a large crowd to win one soul for Jesus.

All people are sinners, and most people don't even know it. They don't know how to have their sins forgiven or how to be cleansed. There is only one way they can know about forgiveness; they must be told.

If each layperson does their part in witnessing, soon all will know. We are the church, when believers move into action the church moves into action.

Every Christian should share the ministry and care about the souls of men. We are called to be personal soul-winners.

God has given us the power, now we dare to do the work of ministry wherever and whenever He gives us the opportunity. It may be in a place like Jerusalem, or Samaria or even on a desert road in Gaza. We must dare to go.

This is a chapter on the expansion of the Church through evangelism. The believers scattered by persecution went everywhere telling the good news.

The image is one of faithful witnessing about Jesus with everyone they met. They were believers who genuinely cared for all people and were concerned about the salvation of mankind.

Their leaders were willing to confront and condemn hypocrisy and then provide directions for repentance and restoration.

Finally, the early church members dared to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit as He unveiled the plan of God progressively and continuously.

We are a part of that same church, the church on the move, when the Spirit of God is at work amongst us, a response is demanded.

The kind of response about which I speak is more than obedience to a command that is given. It is more an inner drive, an overflow of joy and life increasing within, all seeking some outward expression which includes sharing, caring, and daring that the purpose of God might be fulfilled.

It is the work of the Spirit in our life and ministry that the world may know the only true God, who is still at work amongst His people.    Amen!