To the Ends of the Earth, Part 10
The Results of the First Church’s Persecution
Acts 8:1-25
Dismiss children for nursery (under 4) and children’s church (ages 4-7)
No Wed night for adults this week – resuming Mar 13th! (Ecclesiastes)
Introduction
- Welcome to Seasons Church & 2024 sermon series, “To the Ends of the Earth”
-- In 2023 we unpacked the beginning of all history (Creation/Fall/Promise)
-- And we looked ahead, anticipated the coming & victory of Jesus (Revelation)
-- But, in order to get to the end, we have to be busy doing the work now (Acts)
- Last week we introduced one of the first elders of the church, Stephen
-- He also became 1st martyr for the faith, proclaiming God’s truth to the end
-- He was even so bold as to forgive those who were stoning him! (ref: grace)
- Today, I want us to focus on the impact of his life, the “What happened next?”
-- It is a wonderful encouragement to see how our testimony can affect others
- Read Acts 8:1-25 / Pray
Point 1 – Persecution of the Church disperses the Faithful
- FACT: The death of Stephen is a catalyst for the Gospel to be launched
-- RE: Jesus told them in Acts 1:8 they would witness …
-- After Stephen’s death, this prophecy begins to unfold as they scatter
- The fury of the persecution was fueled by an aggravated man: Saul (v1)
-- Saul was a man on a mission – a man angry at Christianity, happy to attack it
-- Talk more about him later, but know this, Saul’s education made him a Pharisee
-- Yes, he was a Roman citizen, but his education was in Pharisaical methods
- See: Persecution was launched quickly, on the day of Stephen’s death (v1)
-- Said another way: This assault on the church was met with the approval of Saul
-- Best way to know this: Paul held the coats of those stoning Stephen (6:58)
-- Greek: suneudokeó; to join in, or approving
- Result: The church was scattered abroad (into Judea and Samaria)
-- Consider: If the apostles fled Jerusalem, there would be no stabilizing leader
-- APP: If they left, there would be no one holding the church together
-- Yet, the message went out from that place into neighboring cities
-- This is a key to remember … Christianity is not about a building!!
- We know that many godly men buried Stephen (v2)
-- Why? His witness was honored; those who were faithful to Christ buried him
-- APP: He would have been given a hero’s death / funeral for the faithful
- At the same time, (v3) we see the magnitude of Saul’s persecution
-- Greek: lumainomai; corrupt, defile
-- Think of it like a wild animal set loose in your living room chasing a chicken
-- Once he started, he could not stop – he was compelled to continue
- RE: Paul’s education drove him to deny Christ, Jesus was repulsive to him, so:
• He stormed the homes of believers
• He arrested men and women
• He brought any forward that he could find to be killed
• He stormed every synagogue and punished believers who were present
• He brought many to their death and gave his approval to kill others
-- In short: He was a one-man wrecking machine on those testifying about Jesus
- So the result is that believers were scattered – went everywhere preaching (v4)
-- Greek: diaspeiró; disperse (in foreign lands)
- FACT: They were lay believers, untrained in formal preaching – just testifying
-- Their purpose was simple: to spread the gospel to anyone who would listen
- Do not lose sight of this truth: God used and uses persecution to:
• Strengthen the faith of believers to trust God
• Move believers out into deeper waters; to change their comfort zone
-- Shane: “Sometimes God loves on us, and sometimes, God shoves on us!”
- APP: Persecution may take many forms: simple verbal commentary to death
-- It can take place at home, at work, at school, in your hobbies, and even at church
-- But – no matter what … know this: God uses it for His glory to spread His word
-- BIG: If the word (the truth of God,) is being shared, then the results are His!
- TR: What are the results of God’s word being shared?
-- Well …. spoiler: the rest of this message is an excellent study of revival!
Point 2 – What does revival look like?
- FACT: There is a need for revival today – a true movement of God
-- Regardless of it being the 1st century or the 21st … He is still needed
- First we have the messenger, a man named Philip (v5)
-- He was a layman – a true servant of God – a man who knew Jesus
-- He dedicated his time to one thing: witnessing (he told people about Jesus)
- His purpose is clear: Greek: kérussó; proclaim, herald, preach
-- His message was this: To share the things concerning God’s Messiah
- Consider this: great revival necessitates even laypersons being sold out to Jesus
-- But not to know Him, but be willing to share and testify to His work / salvation
-- Matthew 10:27, “What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear!”
- Luke unfolds for us two key essentials needed to have revival (v6)
• The people must be of one accord
-- Greek: homothumadon; of one mind
-- This means they are unified in the purpose of gathering, sharing, celebrating
-- Consider: A church not unified on Jesus is not unified on anything important
• The people must give heed (listen) to what they are hearing
-- Greek: prosechó; attend to or to pay attention to
-- They must keep their minds and hearts on the message of Christ
- Once you have the ingredients for revival – there are proofs that revival has come
-- v7-25 shows us 8 solid examples that people have truly experienced revival:
1. Lives are changed (v7)
- Evil spirits were cast out – people lived differently, lives were transformed
-- Know this: It doesn’t always have to be a miraculous healing to bring change
-- Sometimes, it can be as confirming as people living for Christ day-by-day
-- 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
2. Great joy is experienced (v8)
- The peace of the Lord is a promise, a gift, it CAN & DOES change your attitude!
-- When we have seen revival, we see life differently – we choose joy over misery
-- Jesus said in John 17:13, “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy.”
3. There is deliverance from sin (v12)
- Simon was a false prophet who was holding people captive with lies
-- He created a false religion that made him the center of it
-- Check out v11 … it was “his magic” that held them “captive”
-- Real revival (v12) brought change – others heard about Jesus and received
4. People believed the promises about Jesus (v13)
- Even Simon followed Jesus because he heard the true gospel – he believed!
-- APP: There is more to evangelism or church than just being able to talk!
-- It is recognizing the need to share what you have been given – “compulsion”
-- Jesus taught in Luke 4:43, “But he replied, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”
5. Recognize that false professions will happen
- Simon is a perfect example – he was not proclaiming the truth of Jesus
-- Therefore, people were following him instead of Christ – wanted his offerings
-- However, when he heard the true Gospel (Philip), his life was altered
-- Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.”
6. People will receive the Holy Spirit (v14)
- When the disciples heard about the revival, they went to investigate it’s truth
-- People willingly received and had the Holy Spirit given to them (v16)
-- CH: There wasn’t doubt, but a willingness to celebrate – until there wasn’t …
7. There will be a rebuke of hypocrisy (v18-24)
- The truth of God’s word, even when it is painful, is still the truth
-- This is why boldness is needed, and why you must be assured in your faith
-- When you proclaim Jesus, you are not exalting yourself to be recognized
-- Simon lifted himself up and wanted their power … Philip rebuked him
-- Titus 1:16, “Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.”
8. Hearts are opened for evangelism (v25)
- The fruit of revival is more than a good time, or a happy day, or a good service
-- The fruit is that hearts are changed to hear & believe the preaching of the Gospel
-- Consider Billy Graham: a simple message of truth, millions of lives impacted
- Can you really measure if Jesus has changed a life? Yes! Look at the fruit:
-- Acts 4:20, “We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
- TR: Why is this result smack dab in the center of the persecuted church?
BIG IDEA
- What we see happening is the result of persecution – creates a hunger for Christ
-- Perhaps some of us have been struggling with what to do next in our faith?
-- Ask: How do we express the joy of the Lord – or the comfort that He brings?
- Truth: It starts with one simple action … it’s what Simon didn’t do
-- He didn’t have repentance for his sin, he made religion/church about himself
-- He chose to not obey what God was saying, and even offered $$ to get power!
- Yet, the message Philip brought was straight forward – he told them about Jesus
-- What you and I need to learn is the same truth … because Jesus is the same!
- Here is one (there are many) recipe for inviting revival to your life:
• Need to experience true joy/peace – are you surrendered to Him?
• Dealing with sin? Need to repent – turn away from it & cling to Christ!
• Need to obey what God says? You have the ability to say YES to Him!
• Want to know Christ in a deeper manner? Do you study His word?
• Looking for fellowship of other believers? Join us here …
Conclusion
- The 1st church scattered – but they were not defeated – nor were they afraid
-- They had a drive to proclaim what Jesus had done outside their safe place
-- They had a mission and a purpose, and in the coming weeks we’ll see that!
- Pray
