The Pure & The Phony Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

A wrong view of Christians (vs 1-8)

A wrong view of self (vs 9-11)

A wrong view of salvation (vs 12-13)

A wrong view of the Holy Spirit (vs 14-23)

A wrong view of sin (vs 22-24)

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• When architect Sir Christopher Wren.

• Designed the interior of Windsor Town Hall near London in 1689,

• He built a ceiling supported by pillars.

• But he hit a problem – health & safety!

• The civic authorities inspected the building,

• And they decided the ceiling would not stay up with what Wren had constructed.

• So, they ordered him to put in some extra pillars.

Now nobody likes their work to be criticized:

• So, England's greatest architect knew that the ceiling did not need any more support,

• So, he pulled ‘a fast one’.

• He added four pillars that looked the part.

• But actually, they don't even reach the ceiling. They were just a little short!

• From the ground they looked like they were supporting the ceiling.

• But it was an optical illusion to fool the civic authorities.

• And even today.

• Those four extra sham pillars fool or amuse many a tourist.

ill:

• There is on the BBC.

• A consumer rights programme called ‘Fake Britain’

• The programme covers various aspects of counterfeiting and its effects on consumers.

• Including dangerous tools, ineffective or dangerous medicines,

• Shoddy goods sold under reputable names, and documents used for identity theft.

• TRANSITION: It is a reminder that there is nothing funny about being conned!

• People get hurt and can often lose a lot of their life savings.

(1). A wrong view of Christians (vs 1-8)

“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in 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 both men and women and put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria

4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralysed, or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.”

THE PHONY IN VERSES 1-3 IS A MAN NAMED SAUL:

• You know him better as the apostle Paul,

• But at this time in his life and in history he is unconverted.

• He is a Pharisee, a religious leader (Acts 26:4-5 & Phil 3:5),

• He is rich in religion, rich in Jewish traditions,

• But he does not know the God that his religion claims to worship.

• Now long before the apostle Paul became a preacher, teacher and missionary,

• (We will read about his conversion in a latter study, in Acts chapter 9).

• As Saul the Pharisee he was a persecutor of Christians.

• Determined to erase these heretics from the face of the earth.

Note: How Saul attacked Christians:

• FIRST:

• The expression, “destroy the church.” or “make havoc in the church.”

• The verb used describes a wild animal twisting and crushing its prey.

• SECOND:

• Saul persecuted, “both men and women”

• He wasn’t fussy about who he arrested or what happened to their children,

• If they believed in Jesus then they were targeted, arrested and dealt with!

THE PURE IN THESE VERSES IS PHILLIP (VS 4-8),

• We will encounter him again in next week’s study (vs 26-40),

• And spend a little bit more time in who he is.

• Philip experienced difficult times.

We are told that, “a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem,”

Ill:

• Persecution does to the Church,

• What wind does to seeds,

• It scatters it and, in the end, it produces a greater harvest.

• The Church at Jerusalem was God’s seed,

• And the persecution scattered them throughout Judea and Samaria,

• Acts chapter 11 verse 19 tells us that some Christians went even further,

• To Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch.

• Ironically in his effort to erase Christianity,

• Saul of Tarsus succeeded in spreading it to many other areas.

Note: We know two things concerning Philip.

• FIRST: We have already met him in an earlier study (chapter 6 verse 5),

• In that verse Philip was chosen to be a deacon,

• His job in the Church was to help with the practical distribution of food.