Taking The Next Step
Text: Acts 8:1-25
Introduction
1. Video Clip
2. We are continuing our exploration of the book of Acts and the TV series A.D. today. A prevailing theme in Acts, which is clear in A.D. and mirrors our own lives to a somewhat lesser degree, is the trials and tribulations that the church experienced as they moved the Gospel forward.
A. As we know, persecution for our faith hasn’t gone away, but it seems far away to us in America.
B. Our persecution is usually pretty tame ”a liberal movie or article, maybe an ACLU case, or a job promotion slight,” but according to Open Doors Ministries, every month 322 Christians are killed, more than 200 churches or properties destroyed, and more than 700 acts of violence are committed against believers!
3. This morning we're going to camp out on that word trials. We all use it when circumstances go bad.
A. Some are life-threatening medical issues, stressful financial situations, or just aggravating scenarios that drive us to the point of despair.
B. Trials happen, but what exactly is a trial?
C. Well, that's Christianese for what an unbeliever would term a bummer, a hardship, or a difficulty.
D. But our use of the word trial instead of just a "bad thing" implies that there is more to it because of our faith. There is a purpose in it.
E. It isn't just karma or fate. There is a reason behind it, because we believe that God is sovereign.
F. We all need to be reminded of this simple truth. God is in control, even when it doesn't seem like it.
4. While this is not true in every case, sometimes God uses these trials to get us in to position to take the next step. Sometimes...
A. God Moves Us
B. God Moves Them
C. God's Spirit Will Move
5. Let's stand together this morning as we read Acts 8:1-25.
Proposition: Sometimes God uses trials to get us to take the next step.
Transition: If we won't move...
I. God Will Move Us (1-4).
A. A Great Wave Of Persecution
1. Our dog Star is spoiled rotten! She will be laying on the sofa, but then all of the sudden she will decide that the love seat would be more comfortable. The only problem is it's usually the spot where Copper is laying. She will get down off of the sofa and she will stand a stare at Copper, and then she will begin to whine. Then she will stand there and stare at him. This will go on for several minuets, until Copper finally gets annoyed enough to move, at which time Star crawls up on the love seat and assumes the position.
2. Often that represents our relationship with God. He wants us to move, but we are too comfortable where we are and we just want to lay there and be comfortable. So God in His infinite wisdom makes us so uncomfortable that we move and take the next step in our walk with Him.
3. That is exactly what happened to the early church; they got too comfortable.
A. Acts 1:8 (NLT)
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
B. They all got the baptism of the Holy Spirit and everything was going great.
C. People were being saved, baptized in water and the Holy Spirit, people were getting healed, and life was good.
D. Unfortunately this caused them to lose sight of the mission...they weren't telling people everywhere, only in Jerusalem.
4. So look what God allows to happen. "Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria."
A. It says here that Saul was "giving approval to [Stephen's] death." The Greek is a little stronger: Saul wholly and completely approved of ("Saul was in hearty agreement with," NASB) Stephen's "death," and continued to act accordingly.
B. He did not share the feelings of his former teacher, Gamaliel (Acts 5:38). Instead, Paul considered Stephen's ideas dangerous and felt that they should be rooted out.
C. But neither he nor the rest of the Sanhedrin could root out the work of the Spirit (Stanley M. Horton, Acts: A Logion Press Commentary, 158).
D. Saul was undoubtedly one of the chief instigators of the persecution against the Church in Jerusalem that began "on that day," the very day Stephen was murdered.
E. So intense was this persecution that the Christians were all "scattered throughout Judea and Samaria" (Horton, 158).
F. Now I want you to notice where the persecution caused them to be scattered to...Judea and Samaria.
G. According to the promise that Jesus gave them in Acts 1:8 where were they supposed to be witnesses after Jerusalem, surprise, surprise, Judea and Samaria!
H. They wouldn't move so God made them uncomfortable; he gave them incentive to move.
5. As a result, "the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went."
A. The persecution did not stop the spread of the gospel. It had exactly the opposite effect.
B. Prior to this persecution the believers were receiving teaching and training from the apostles; now they were ready to move out.
C. It took the persecution to make them do it, but move out they did.
D. Those who were scattered did not settle down. Instead, hundreds of them kept traveling from place to place, spreading the good news, the gospel.
E. We can be sure they traveled equally far in other directions as well. Luke gives us hints of this from time to time, letting us know there were Christians in Galilee, Tyre, and Sidon, and even in Rome before Paul arrived there.
F. This does not mean the believers were all preachers in the modern sense. They were simply joyous and free in their witness to Jesus.
G. Though just ordinary people, they were full of the Spirit, knew the Word, and became channels of the love and power of Jesus.
H. Apparently none complained because of the persecution. They seized it as another opportunity to see what God would do (Horton, 159-160).
B. Reluctance
1. Illustration: John Maxwell states, "It’s amazing what can happen to and through an ordinary man when God pours a little hardship and the power of the Holy Spirit into the mix…One ordinary man, a little persecution, and a touch from the Spirit of God led to massive conversions in the city of Samaria. As Jesus had predicted, the gospel message made its way from Jerusalem into the outlying world (Acts 1:8). Philip illustrates what one leader, with the empowerment of the Spirit of God and with authority of Jesus Christ, can do to change the world" (Maxwell Leadership Bible, 1331).
2. When persecution comes view it as something God is doing for you rather than something He is doing to you.
A. James 1:2-4 (NLT)
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
B. It's easy to get comfortable and complacent in our walk with the Lord.
C. We like it when things come easy for us.
D. We all like to eat a good meal, but nobody wants to do the dishes.
E. However, if the dishes sit long enough we either get tired of looking at them, or we get tired of smelling them, and we get up and clean up the mess.
F. It's great when the Spirit is moving and doing awesome miracles and people are getting saved, healed, and filled with the Spirit.
G. But if we just focus on ourselves we forget about the work of telling others.
H. So God allows uncomfortable things to come our way so we will get up and move.
Transition: And when we move, then...
II. God Will Move Them (5-11).
A. So There Was Great Joy
1. Luke now gives us an example of someone who took the next step. His name is Philip.
A. A respected member of the church at Jerusalem who was chosen as one of the seven first deacons.
B. Following Stephen’s martyrdom, Philip took the gospel to Samaria, where his ministry was blessed.
C. Subsequently, he was led south to the Jerusalem-Gaza road where he introduced the Ethiopian eunuch to Christ and baptized him (Acts 8:26-38).
D. He was then transported by the Spirit to Azotus (Ashdod) and from there conducted an itinerant ministry until he took up residence in Caesarea (Acts 8:39-40).
E. Then, for nearly 20 years, we lose sight of him. He is last seen in Scripture when Paul lodged in his home on his last journey to Jerusalem (Paul Powell, Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary).
2. Luke tells us in v. 5, "Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah."
A. After the general statement in verse 4, Luke gives us an example of what must have happened wherever the believers went.
B. Philip the deacon is chosen as this example, not because what happened in Samaria was greater than what happened elsewhere, but because of the lessons learned there and because Samaria was next in line in the commission given in Acts 1:8.
C. Samaria was important, too, because the Spirit broke down another barrier there.
D. Samaritans were descended from those of the ten northern tribes who had intermarried with people the Assyrians brought in after they captured Samaria in 722 B.C.
E. In New Testament times the Samaritans followed the law of Moses much as the Jews did, but said sacrifices must be made on Mount Gerizim instead of at the Jerusalem temple.
3. While he was there, "Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city."
A. The crowds, all classes of people, with one accord "paid close attention" to Philip's message, listening to him, both hearing and seeing the miracles (signs) he kept doing.
B. Here we see that the Lord's promise to confirm the Word "with miraculous signs" was not limited to the apostles.
C. The people heard the loud shrieking of unclean spirits as they were cast out.
D. They saw those who were paralyzed and who were deaf healed.
E. The result was "great joy in that city"—new and overflowing, the joy of health and salvation, real joy that is the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22).
F. They were truly born again (Horton, 162).
4. Even local celebrities got in the Spirit. "A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. 10 Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.” 11 They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic."
A. This success of the gospel was an even greater miracle than it first appeared.
B. For these people previously had been "amazed" by a man named Simon who "practiced sorcery" ("magic," NASB), saying he was "someone great" (or some great being).
C. Everyone, from the least to the greatest, paid attention to Simon and exclaimed,
D. "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." Or, as many ancient manuscripts have it, "This man is the great power of God."
E. They had given him their attention for a considerable time because he amazed them with his magic arts—not only magic tricks, but occult powers that had their origin in Satan and were forbidden by God (Horton, 162).
B. Response
1. Illustration: As a young doctor in India, Paul Brand had made the groundbreaking medical discovery that leprosy does its damage merely by destroying nerve endings. People who lose pain sensation can inadvertently damage themselves by simple actions as gripping a splintered rake or wearing tight shoes. Pressure sores form, infection sets in and no pain signals alert them to tend to the wounded area. Paul Brand knew what he was talking bout. "Most people view pain as an enemy. Yet, as my leprosy patients prove, pain forces us to pay attention to threats against our bodies. Without it, heart attacks, strokes, ruptured appendixes, and stomach ulcers would all occur without any warning. Who would ever visit a doctor apart from pain’s warnings? Virtually every response of our bodies that we view with irritation or disgust – blister, swelling, fever, sneeze, cough and especially pain – demonstrates a reflex toward health. In all these things normally considered enemies, we can find reason to be grateful" (Philip Yancey, Soul Survivors).
2. The conviction of the Holy Spirit is a good thing because it causes us to respond to God.
A. John 16:8 (NLT)
And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
B. When we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit good things begin to happen.
C. People begin to see the hopelessness of their lives and they begin to seek an answer.
D. As they begin to seek, the Holy Spirit shows them how far away they are from God.
E. As they begin to see how far away they are from God, the Holy Spirit reveals to them that what they really lack is a relationship with Jesus.
F. Conviction is not a bad thing, but rather it is a good thing because it shows us our need for God.
G. It causes us to hunger and thrist for righteousness.
Transition: When God moves them...
III. God's Spirit Will Move (12-25).
A. They Received The Holy Spirit
1. One of the aspects of the promise of the Father that Joel prophesied about and Jesus promised was that the Spirit would be poured out on ALL PEOPLE! The church in Jerusalem had forgotten about this great promise. They thought it was only for them, but God had other plans. It was for the Samaritans too.
2. The first way that we see the Spirit move in Samaria is, "But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed."
A. The Samaritans saw something far more wonderful in the miracles of Philip than in the works of Simon, accepting in effect the rule and power of God's kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ.
B. Philip emphasized this rule and power as being manifested through the character and nature of the Messiah and Savior.
C. Certainly Philip presented everything that Peter had presented on the Day of Pentecost (and later). This included Christ's work as the crucified and risen Savior and Lord.
D. Then they were baptized, "both men and women." Finally, even "Simon himself believed" exactly as the others did and "was baptized." Then he "attached himself closely" (Phillips) to Philip.
E. Simon was used to deceiving people by his magic arts; he also knew astonishing things could be done by trickery.
F. He had watched Philip with the professional eye of a magician and had concluded that these miracles were real.
G. Clearly, these "great signs and miracles," deeds of power, were supernatural. So Simon too was "astonished" (filled with wonder and amazement).
H. These miracles were quite unlike the magic arts he used. Some have questioned whether Simon truly believed. But the Bible says he did and does not qualify the statement in any way.
I. Moreover, Philip, a man led by the Spirit, surely would not have baptized him if he had not given evidence of being a true believer (Horton, 163).
3. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, "When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit."
A. The news that Samaria had "accepted [welcomed and was continuing to welcome] the word of God [the gospel]" soon reached the apostles in Jerusalem.
B. The gospel had gotten beyond its first ethnic and geographic hurdle. So the apostles sent Peter and John to Samaria (with a message and a purpose) to find out the facts and encourage the new believers.
C. There is no indication in this, however, that the apostles thought Philip's ministry was in any way inferior or lacking. They just wanted to see if the Holy Spirit had sanctioned this, and they wanted to help (Horton, 164).
D. When the two apostles arrived, in line with the teaching of Jesus the first thing they did was to pray for the Samaritan believers to "receive the Holy Spirit."
E. Clearly, the apostles believed the baptism in the Holy Spirit to be important for everyone. Though the Samaritans had been baptized in water and "into the name of the Lord Jesus," none had received the gift of the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in other tongues. That is, the Spirit had not fallen on any of them in the way He had fallen on the believers on the Day of Pentecost.
F. Some suppose the faith of the Samaritans was not truly in Jesus until Peter and John came and prayed. But Philip was a man "full of the Spirit and wisdom" (Acts 6:3). He would not have baptized any of them if their faith had not been real.
G. Others suppose Philip did not teach the Samaritans about the baptism in the Holy Spirit. But the very fact that Philip came and preached Christ to them shows he believed the promise was for them.
H. It is clear also that the believers were not able to withhold any part of the message. "There is nothing in Luke's account which would suggest that Philip's message was either deficient or misunderstood."
I. As we have seen, the Samaritans believed what Philip preached concerning the rule of God and the authority of Jesus.
J. The preaching in Acts associates these things with the promise of the Holy Spirit. We can be sure Philip, like the other preachers in the Book of Acts, included the message of Jesus' exaltation to the right hand of the Father and the giving of the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Horton, 164-165).
K. Then, after the two apostles prayed for the Samaritans, they laid their hands on them, recognizing them as fellow members of the body of Christ.
L. God confirmed the faith of the believers, and they received the Spirit (publicly, probably one after the other as the apostles laid their hands on them).
M. Since God's gifts are all by grace through faith, and distributed as the Spirit determines, it is evident that the touch of the apostles' hands was simply a means of encouraging faith and expectation (Horton, 166).
4. But as often is the case, even still today, when the Holy Spirit the devil will do anything he can to disrupt the flow of the Spirit. "When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. 19 “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”
A. Something that happened caught Simon's attention. Luke does not describe what it was, but, Luke often does not explain everything when it is clear elsewhere.
B. It is clear, however, that Simon had already seen Philip's miracles. Prophecy would not have attracted his attention, because it would have been in a known language and not obviously supernatural.
C. There is actually only one thing that fits: On the Day of Pentecost, they spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave utterance; this attracted the attention of the crowd.
D. Speaking in tongues by the Samaritan believers obviously did the same for Simon. But speaking in other tongues is not the point at issue in this passage. Nor did it have the same effect as on the Day of Pentecost, for there were no others present who knew foreign languages.
E. Luke says nothing about the tongues, therefore, in order to focus attention on Simon's wrong attitude. Simon, "when [he] saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands," did not come himself to receive.
F. Instead, he fell back into his old greed and desire for self-exaltation: He brought to them riches as an offering if they would give him the authority to lay his hands on people with the same result.
G. But there isn't any implication here that the laying on of hands was necessary to receive the Spirit, though Simon jumped to that conclusion, just as many modern teachers have.
H. Many other passages show Simon was wrong. There was no laying on of hands on the Day of Pentecost or at the house of Cornelius (2:4; 10:44).
I. Nor was the laying on of hands limited to the apostles, since Ananias, a layman of Damascus, laid his hands on Paul for both healing and the receiving of the Holy Spirit.
J. The Galatians received the Spirit not by the laying on of hands but by believing what they heard. The laying on of hands here was a means of welcoming them as fellow believers as well as a means of encouraging their faith to receive the gift of the Spirit in answer to their prayers (Horton, 166-167).
5. However, Peter would have none of this, and his response was, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! 21 You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. 22 Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, 23 for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”
A. Peter rebuked Simon severely. Literally, he said, "Let your money (silver) together with you go into destruction [probably the destruction of the lake of fire] because you thought the free gift of God could be purchased with [earthly] riches.
B. You have neither part nor share in this matter, for your heart is not right [straight] before God."
C. Though he had believed and been baptized, he allowed his heart to turn away from God to self.
Actually, Peter's rebuke of Simon for his thinking that God's gift could be bought suggests also that Simon could have had a share in the matter—if he had come in faith for the gift instead of offering money.
D. In other words, anyone who has received the free gift of the Spirit can pray for others to receive the same gift (Horton, 168).
6. Peter's rebuke seemed to have the desired effect. “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!” 25 After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News."
A. Simon responded by begging Peter and John to pray in his behalf (emphatic, "you add your prayers to mine") so that none of these things Peter had spoken would happen to him.
B. There is considerable controversy about what happened to Simon. Some suggest that he wanted prayer only because he was afraid of judgment.
C. But the Greek indicates he wanted the apostles to pray along with him. This does indicate a change of attitude and therefore repentance. The Bible says nothing more about him (Horton, 169).
B. Living Water
1. Illustration: In water-safety courses a cardinal rule is never to swim out to a drowning man and try to help him as long as he’s thrashing around. To do so is basically to commit suicide. As long as a drowning man thinks he can help himself, he’s dangerous to anyone who tries to help him. The reason why is becuase his tendency is to grab the one trying to help him and the result is he ends up taking them both under the water in the process.
The correct way to rescue someone who’s drowning is to stay far enough away to where he can’t grab you. And then you wait. And when he finally gives up and quits thrashing around, you make your move. At that point the drowning man won’t work against you. Instead he’ll let you help him.
The same principle applies in our relationship with the Holy Spirit. Until we give up, we aren’t really in a position to be helped. Have you given up ownership of your life to the Holy Spirit who wants to live within you? Because until then you can’t experience His power.
2. The Holy Spirit steps in when we stop trying to do it ourselves.
A. John 7:37-39 (NLT)
On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)
B. When we struggle and fight we do more harm than good.
C. Our culture believes that we can do anything if we try hard enough.
D. But the real answer comes when we stop struggling and come the realization that we can't fix the problem.
E. We when come to the place where we surrender to God and allow the Holy Spirit to take control.
F. Are you ready to surrender?
Conclusion
1. Sometimes God uses these trials to get us in to position to take the next step. Sometimes...
A. God Moves Us
B. God Moves Them
C. God's Spirit Will Move
2. What's God trying to do in your life?
A. Is he trying to get you to move?
B. Is he trying to move others in your direction?
C. Is the Holy Spirit trying to move in your life, but you're too stubborn to let him?
3. Letting go and letting God will set your soul free. Because it's a free gift from the King of Hearts.
