When Things Seem Wrong
Acts Chapter 8
We will continue our study today in the Book of Acts looking at the early church and the lives of some incredible followers of Christ, even WHEN THINGS SEEM WRONG!
Over the last two weeks we have been looking at the ordaining of deacons and the reproduction of leadership that we saw in the early church.
Last week we even saw that the first Christian martyr was not an Apostle, not a Missionary, not a church Father or one of the original followers of Christ – but was a DEACON!
What a fantastic example of what it means to be a Christian.
He was passionate about his relationship with Christ – and this passion cost him his life!
Today as we make our way through Chapter 8, we will be looking at three specific episodes when things are happening that just don’t seem to make any sense.
What are we to do when everything seems WRONG?
Let’s take a look and see what they did in Acts chapter 8.
Acts 8:1-8 1And 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. 2And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. 4Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. 5Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7For 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. 8And there was great joy in that city.
Though the number of the disciples has multiplied and people are coming to Christ, the world is still rejecting what these followers had to say and are now taking it to the next step and killing them!
We have entered into a time of GREAT PERSECUTION:
1) THE PERSECUTION
Is PERSECUTION a good thing?
Boy, if it “IS” a good thing – I sure would hate to see a BAD THING!
Check it out:
Verse 1 1And 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.
Verse 3 describes this time period like this:
Verse 3 3As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
People are being killed and imprisoned, hunted down like animals – the Bible calls this a time of havock where the enemies of Christ were entering “EVERY” house.
No one was safe – anyone who called themselves a Christian was at risk of imprisonment and even death!
THIS DOESN’T SEEM RIGHT to me. It doesn’t sound like the abundant life that God promised does it?
John 10:9-11 9I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
I can see these believers here thinking – WAIT A MINUTE, he promised us an ABUNDANT LIFE, NOT A PRE-MATURE DEATH!
Throughout the ages, the people of God have struggled when things just didn’t seem right!
Take the Nation of Israel for example: after delivering them from Egypt, they went through difficult times!
Exodus 16:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
Exodus 17:3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
We really haven’t changed very much from this day and age - we still continue to struggle when we cannot see and understand what God is doing!
However, we must take heart that He does have a plan for us and is accomplishing that plan in our lives!
Jeremiah 29:11 11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Romans 8:28 28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
What was the purpose for this persecution – what do these people do when things seem all wrong?
They do the same things that they did when things seemed all right – they followed the Holy Spirit’s leading!
Verse 4 4Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
Check out that phrase there: “scattered abroad” that is the second time it has been used in this passage, and you can see it used in other places of Scripture.
Notice this passage doesn’t say that they took off and looked for a place of shelter, they left Jerusalem, and “went every where preaching the word.”
2) THE PREACHING
Acts 8:5-8 5Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7For 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. 8And there was great joy in that city.
Even in the midst of incredible trial and tribulation – they continued to do exactly what it was that God wanted them to do!
Look who we see in this passage – Philip: another DEACON!
Again, the Bible shows us how incredibly powerful these “lay-men” were!
They did what all followers of Christ have been commanded to do throughout the ages:
2 Timothy 4:1-2 1I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Paul put it this way: 1 Corinthians 9:16 16For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
We can never forget what it is that God has called us to do – to PREACH the WORD OF GOD!
No matter how crazy this world is – no matter how many things seem WRONG, we must continue to follow what is RIGHT – these early believers did this.
They could have been having a pity-party right now because of this incredible persecution – they just saw it as God opening new doors and opportunities to evangelize!
And God works in a mighty way!
Acts 8:6-8 6And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7For 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. 8And there was great joy in that city.
DO YOU SEE HERE HOW ONLY GOD CAN TAKE TIMES OF GREAT PERSECUTION AND TURN THEM TO GREAT JOY?!
WITHOUT THE PERSECUTION THAT CAME TO JERUSALEM, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PREACHING IN SAMARIA – GOD HAD A PLAN AND EXECUTED HIS PLAN PERFECTLY.
JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING SEEMS WRONG DOESN’T MEAN THAT IT IS WRONG.
GOD IS AT WORK HERE, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY NOT SEEM LIKE IT IN JERUSALEM!
There is a huge revival here in Samaria – God is working in a mighty way among the Samaritans.
They continue to preach the Word of God – in spite of any challenges – including one Simon the Sorcerer!
Acts 8:25-26 25And 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. 26And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
I have to tell you, the way that God is working in this passage really puzzles me!
IT JUST DOESN’T SEEM RIGHT!
HERE THESE MEN ARE PREACHING THE WORD, PEOPLE ARE COMING TO CHRIST; AND INSTEAD OF DOING WHAT WE WOULD THINK TO DO – OF COURSE STAY AND ESTABLISH CHURCHES - THEY KEEP PASSING ON!
3) THE PASSING
It is not only in this passage of Scripture, but later in the chapter, Philip has a diving appointment with one Ethiopian eunuch.
Acts 8:30-35 30And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Here we see yet another fantastic moving of the Holy Spirit of God – once again using the preaching of the Word of God to transform the life of this eunuch.
We know that Philip baptizes this eunuch after his profession of faith, and then we see it once again:
Acts 8:39-40 39And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. 40But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
He leads this eunuch to Christ, baptizes him, and then he just passes on and sees him no more.
Again – no discipleship, no church planted, no follow up – it just ALL SEEMS WRONG!
That is when I realized – it is not about what seems right and wrong to us.
Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Our whole Christian walk is all about having a real enough RELATIONSHIP with God that we are able to follow the leading of His Holy Spirit.
THERE IS NO 3 STEP, 5 STEP OR 10 STEP PROGRAM ON BEING A GOOD CHRISTIAN.
THE BIBLE DOES COMMUNICATE GOD’S EXPECTATIONS TO US: BUT WITHOUT A REAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, THE BIBLE JUST BECOMES HEAD KNOWLEDGE!
The word of God tells us:
Galatians 5:24-26 24And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
We must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading in our lives – no matter what the circumstances.
So many things happen in chapter 8 that just SEEM WRONG!
YET GOD WORKS THROUGH ALL OF THESE DIFFICULTIES, ALL OF THESE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PLAN!
LET’S ASK HIM TO HELP US TRUST HIM MORE TODAY!
Lets pray.
