Acts 8: The Jerusalem Church is Scattered

ACTS 8:1-40

THE LORD WILL USE PERSECUTION WHEN NECESSARY TO MOVE HIS CHURCHES TO FULFILL THE GREAT COMMISSION.

AS WE BEGIN THIS STUDY STOP WE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT JESUS PREPARED HIS DISCIPLES FOR THE PERSECUTION THEY WOULD FACE.

IN JOHN 15:20-21 JESUS TAUGHT:

“Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you, if they have kept my saying, they will keep your also. But all these things will they do unto you for my names sake, because they know not him that sent me.”

WHEN THE FOUR GOSPELS ENDED, THERE WERE ONLY A FEW BELIEVERS AND THE APOSTLES IN JERUSALEM, ONLY A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THE RESURRECTION AND ITS GLORY.

WHEN THE BOOK OF ROMANS BEGINS, WE SEE A NEW AND MOST POWERFUL PREACHER AND TEACHER DISCUSSING TAKING THE WORD TO THE ENTIRE EARTH, TO THE JEW FIRST, AND THEN TO THE GREEK.

WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THESE TWO EPISODES IS THE BOOK OF ACTS.

HERE WE HAVE THE ACCOUNT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT COMING INTO THE CHURCH ON EARTH, CONTINUING THE MINISTRY BEGUN HERE BY JESUS.

WHILE MOST OF THE BOOK OF ACTS REFLECTS THE WORK OF PETER AND PAUL, THE REAL WORK IN ACTS IS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

THE BOOK EXPLAINS HOW THE GOSPEL WAS EXPANDED BOTH TO OTHER LANDS AND TO THE GENTILE PEOPLES.

IT ACTUALLY IS THE BEGINNING OF THE GIVING OF GRACE TO THOSE OUTSIDE THE JEWISH NATION BY THE TEACHING OF THE LORD.

PAUL WROTE ABOUT THIS GIVING LATER IN EPHESIANS 2:14 WHEN HE SPEAKS OF THE BEGINNING OF BREAKING DOWN THE MIDDLE WALL BETWEEN BELIEVERS.

WHEN WE BEGAN OUR STUDY OF ACTS, WE WERE GIVEN A TEACHING BY JESUS IN 1:8:

“BUT YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER AFTER THAT THE HOLY GHOST IS COME UPON YOU, AND YE SHALL BE WITNESSES UNTO ME BOTH IN JERUSALEM, AND IN ALL JUDEA, AND IN SAMARIA, AND UNTO THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH”.

THE BOOK OF ACTS IS THE STORY OF HOW THAT COMMAND TOOK PLACE.

AFTER LAST WEEK'S LESSON IN CHAPTER 7, WE COME TO THE TIME OF CHANGE IN THE EARLY CHURCH WHEN THIS COMMAND BECAME TRUTH.

UNTIL THIS POINT THE EARLY CHURCH WAS CENTERED IN JERUSALEM.

AFTER THE STONING DEATH OF STEPHEN BY THE ANGRY MOB OF THE SANDHEDRIN, GOD'S PLAN FOR THIS COMMAND UNFOLDED.

WHILE IT APPEARED EVIL HAD THE VICTORY, GOD’S PLAN WAS UNFOLDING EXACTLY AS HE COMMANDED TO ASSURE HIS PLAN.

AT THE STONING OF STEPHEN, THOSE EXECUTING THE DEACON LAID THEIR CLOAKS AT THE FEET OF A YOUNG PHARISEE NAMED SAUL.

ACTS 8:1-4 ALLOWS US A VIEW INTO WHAT HAPPENED NEXT.

THE SANHEDRIN STRONGLY BELIEVED THAT THEY HAD SILENCED THE EARLY CHURCH BY ARRANGING THE CROSS EXECUTION OF JESUS AND NOW THE STONING DEATH OF STEPHEN.

BUT WITHOUT REALIZING IT, THEY HAD ACTUALLY PREPARED THE WAY FOR ONE OF THE GREATEST APOSTLES TO BE GIVEN HIS VOICE.

THIS WAS PAUL.

THIS IS THE WAY GOD WORKS. IT IS CALLED HIS PROVIDENCE.

FROM THE TIME JOSEPH TOLD HIS BROTHERS THAT THEY HAD MEANT HIS SALE INTO SLAVERY FOR EVIL, BUT GOD MEANT IT FOR GOOD, WE HAVE SEEN THE LORD WORK THROUGH OPPOSITION TO STRENGTHEN THE CHURCH.

AFTER STEPHEN'S DEATH, SAUL BROUGHT HAVOC INTO THE CHURCH, DRAGGING BELIEVERS FROM THEIR HOMES AND WORSHIP INTO PRISON SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED IN JESUS CHRIST.

THIS IS THE PUREST FORM OF PERSECUTION.

THESE FIRST 4 VERSES ARE THE TESTIMONY TO THE PERSECUTION THAT CAME UPON THE CHURCH AND IT WAS SO EFFECTIVE THAT WE ARE TOLD THE MEMBERS FLED TO JUDEA AND SAMARIA, LEAVING ONLY THE APOSTLES IN JERUSALEM.

THE FIRST 4 VERSES BEGIN WITH PERSECUTION, AND IN VERSE 5 WE SEE JESUS PROCLAIMED IN SAMARIA BY PHILLIP, A FELLOW DEACON  ALONG SIDE STEPHEN.

THE CHURCH HAD GONE FROM 120 PEOPLE AT PENTECOST INTO LITERALLY THOUSANDS AND NOW BACK AGAIN TO ONLY 12 IN JERUSALEM.

EVEN BEFORE SAUL CONSIDERED HIS TRIP TO DAMASCUS AND WAS CONVERTED BY JESUS HIMSELF, GOD WAS USING THIS PERSECUTOR TO SCATTER HIS PEOPLE INTO EXACTLY THE LANDS JESUS HAD COMMANDED.

GOD USED THIS PRESSURE (NOTED IN OUR APPLICATION TODAY) TO PLACE THESE NEW BELIEVERS INTO EVANGELISM, AND WITNESS.

THEIR STRENGTH WAS INCREASED AS WAS THEIR KNOWLEDGE, PROPHECY, AND ALL OTHER GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL.

THE IMMEDIATE REFLECTION OF GOD'S WILL AND WORK WAS SEEN IN SAMARIA AS SHOWN IN VERSES 6-13.

GOD'S PLAN WAS WORKING AND THERE WAS GREAT JOY.

NEXT WE SEE THE SPIRIT FILLED WORK OF PHILLIP AS HE PREACHED, TAUGHT, AND HEALED THE SICK AND CAST OUT DEMONS. HIS WORK WAS SO POWERFUL THAT MULTITUDES CAME TO HIM AND WERE SAVED AND BAPTIZED.

WE KNOW THIS WORK WAS TRULY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR THREE REASONS:

1. THE PEOPLE HEARD THE TRUTH. HE SPOKE AS JESUS HAD SPOKEN WITH TRUTH AS JOHN 7:46 REMINDED US THAT NEVER HAD A MAN SPOKEN THIS WAY. THE RESULTS GIVEN TO PHILLIP BY GOD WERE THE SAME, MANY CAME, LISTENED, AND WERE CONVERTED.

2. THERE WAS POWER IN HIS WORDS. BY HIS LIPS UNCLEAN SPIRITS AND DEMONS WERE CAST OUT AND HEALINGS WERE MADE, AND ALL WHO BELIEVED WERE MADE FREE FROM PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL AFFLICTION.  WHEREVER THE GOSPEL IS TRULY GIVEN, LIBERTY IS FOUND.

FREEDOM IS THE RESULT OF FAITH.

3. THERE WAS MUCH JOY. WHEN PEOPLE ARE SET FREE FROM THEIR BONDAGE, OF ILLNESS, OF POSSESSION, OR FROM SIN, MUCH JOY RESULTS. CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCE ALMOST ALWAYS CHANGES THE HEART.

WHILE PHILLIP WAS ENLARGING THE CHURCH IN SAMARIA, THERE WAS ONE NAMED SIMON MAGNUS WHO WAS KNOWN TO BE A SORCERER, AND HAD PRESENTED HIMSELF TO THE SAMARITANS AS A GREAT MAN.

HE WAS GIVEN HEED BY THE PEOPLE AS HE HAD BEWITCHED THEM BEFORE PHILLIP ARRIVED, AND NOW BECAME A BELIEVER AND WAS BAPTIZED.

HE FOLLOWED PHILLIP TO SEE THE MIRACLES AND WONDERS DONE IN THE NAME OF JESUS.

THE WORK DONE IN SAMARIA WAS SO POWERFUL AS TO COME TO THE ATTENTION OF THE APOSTLES IN JERUSALEM.

THEY SENT PETER AND JOHN TO SEE THIS WORK.

PETER AND JOHN ARRIVED AND GAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THE NEW BELIEVERS BY THE LAYING ON OF THEIR HANDS.

THIS SORCERER SIMON SAW THIS GRANTING OF THE SPIRIT AND WANTED IT FOR HIMSELF, BUT REVEALED HIS TRUE UNBELIEF BY ASKING PETER & JOHN TO GIVE THE SPIRIT TO HIM FOR PAYMENT OF MONEY.

PETER QUICKLY DENIED HIM, AND DISCERNED THAT HIS HEART WAS NOT TRUE, AND REBUKED HIM FOR THINKING THE GIFT OF GOD MIGHT BE PURCHASED.

REMEMBER SIMON HAD REPRESENTED HIMSELF AS A GREAT MAN BRINGING PRAISE ONLY TO HIMSELF. NOTICE HIS EFFORTS ARE ALL ME-ME-ME!

PAUL HIMSELF LATER TAUGHT ON THIS MATTER IN 2 COR 4:5:

“WE PREACH NOT OURSELVES BUT CHRIST JESUS THE LORD, AND OURSELVES YOUR SERVANTS FOR JESUS' SAKE”.

THIS MAN SIMON MAGNUS CONTENDED AGAINST PETER THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND IN THE BOOK OF THE LESSER GOSPELS NOT INCLUDED IN THE BIBLE, ACTUALLY ONCE TOOK A MAN'S LIFE BY HIS WORD ALONE IN FRONT OF A CROWD, CHALLENGING PETER TO RESTORE HIM, WHICH AFTER PRAYER, PETER DID.

SHORTLY THEREAFTER, IN THAT SAME BOOK, KNOWN AS THE ACTS OF PETER, PETER ASKED THE LORD TO BRING DEATH UPON SIMON AND THE LORD GRANTED THE REQUEST.

SCRIPTURE IS VERY CLEAR THAT THOSE WHO LOVE THE LORD WILL NOT ALLOW THEMSELVES TO BE INVOLVED IN WITCHCRAFT OR SORCERY FOR IT IS AGAINST THE WILL OF GOD.

2ND CHRONICLES 33 TEACHES OF THE LORD’S DISDAIN FOR EVIL WORK BY KING MANASSEH, PROVOKING THE LORD TO ANGER.

THIS EPISODE IS THE THIRD EXAMPLE OF SATAN'S WORK IN THE EARLY CHURCH:

1. ANANIAS & SAPPHIRA

2. THE DISSENSION BEFORE THE GRANTING OF DEACONS.

3. THE SORCERER SIMON MAGNUS.

ALL WERE OVERCOME BY THE WISDOM AND WORK OF THE APOSTLES, GUIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.

NOW THE EARLY CHURCH IN SAMARIA WAS EMPOWERED BY GOD'S CHOSEN ONES TO FULFILL THE COMMAND OF JESUS.

NOW WE SEE THE CONTINUED WORK OF THE LORD BY THE SENDING OF HIS ANGEL TO PHILLIP COMMANDING HIM TO GO TO GAZA IN THE DESERT.

HERE HE FINDS AN ETHIOPIAN ENUCH, THE TREASURER OF THE QUEEN OF ETHIOPIA, WHO WAS RETURNING HOME AFTER VISITNG JERUSALEM TO WORSHIP.

AS THE EUNUCH SAT IN HIS CHARIOT READING THE BOOK OF ISAIAH

THE HOLY SPIRIT DIRECTED PHILLIP TO JOIN HIM.

PHILLIP RAN TO THE MAN, AND SEEING HE WAS READING ISAIAH, ASKED HIM IF HE UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE WAS READING.

NOTICE THAT THE VERSES 25 & 26 ARE SPIRIT LED WHILE DIRECTING THE DEACON TO DO GOD'S WILL.

THE MAN REPLIED TO PHILLIP THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND UNLESS SOMEONE GUIDE HIM.

HE ASKED PHILLIP TO JOIN HIM IN THE CHARIOT, AND TOLD PHILLIP THAT HE WAS READING WHAT WE NOW KNOW AS ISAIAH 53:7.

THE QUESTION THE MAN ASKED PHILLIP WAS WHO WAS THE PROPHET DESCRIBING, HIMSELF OF SOME OTHER MAN?

PHILLIP BEGAN TEACHING HIM AT THE SAME POINT IN SCRIPTURE, PREACHING JESUS CHRIST TO HIM.

AS THEY WENT ON THEIR WAY TOGETHER, THE MAN SAW WATER AND ASKED PHILLIP IF HE MIGHT BE BAPTIZED, AND PHILLIP ASKED THE QUESTION THAT IS STILL ASKED EVEN TODAY TO ONE UNDER CONVICTION: IF THOU BELIEVEST WITH ALL THY HEART...

NOW THE MAN CONFIRMS HE BELIEVES THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD.

BOTH WENT INTO THE WATER AND THE MAN WAS BAPTIZED.

THE FINAL MIRACLE IN CHAPTER 8 HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE TOLD THAT AS BOTH MEN CAME OUT OF THE WATER, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD CAUGHT AWAY PHILLIP AND THE EUNUCH SAW HIM NO MORE.

PHILLIP WAS TAKEN BY THE SPIRIT TO AZOTUS, CONTINUED PREACHING AND MADE HIS WAY INTO CAESAREA.

WE SEE IN ACTS A MOST POWERFUL LESSON CLEARLY TAUGHT THAT THOSE WHO BELIEVE SHOULD STAND AND SPEAK BOLDLY FOR THE LORD.

THE SPIRIT TRANSFORMED PETER AND STEPHEN AND PHILLIP AND OTHERS WHO WERE GIVEN BOLDNESS TO BE READY TO CONTEND FOR THE FAITH, WHICH THEY DID STRONGLY.

AS SOON AS THE APOSTLES WERE LOCKED UP IN PRISON FOR PREACHING JESUS THE ANGEL OF THE LORD RELEASED THEM AND THEY WENT RIGHT BACK TO THE GIVEN MISSION.

EVEN THEIR BITTER ENEMIES SAW THE BOLDNESS OF THEIR APPROACH AND ADMIRED THEIR STRENGTH.

THIS WAS THE POWER PROMISED BY JESUS.

THE BOOK OF ACTS IS AN UNFINISHED WORK. IT WILL REMAIN AN UNFINISHED WORK UNTIL THE LORD RETURNS.

THE HOLY SPIRIT HAD BEEN GIVEN AND WILL LEAD AND TEACH ALL BELIEVERS TO STAND BOLDLY FOR THE LORD.

IT IS AN ONGOING EFFORT, OF WHICH WE ARE A PART.

THAT SAME SPIRIT GIVEN IN ACTS IS STILL GIVEN EACH OF US AT OUR MOMENT OF SURRENDER TO JESUS.

WE ALSO ARE TO BE BOLD IN THE FAITH.

JUDE 3 TEACHES US THAT WE ARE TO EARNESTLY CONTEND FOR THE FAITH.

BY THE GREAT COMMISSION WE ARE STILL UNDER THE SAME COMMAND OF JESUS TO SPREAD THE WORD.

HE PROMISED TO PROVIDE THE MEANS FOR US TO DO SO IF WE WILL SIMPLY OBEY.

THE MEANS HE GIVES IS THROUGH HIS HOLY SPIRIT WHICH LIVES WITHIN EACH WHO HE CALLS TO FAITH, AND THEN LIVE TO BEAR FRUIT FOR HIM.

IN OUR NEXT STUDY STOP WE WILL LEARN OF THE MOST RADICAL SALVATION OF PAUL AND WE WILL BEGIN THAT STUDY STOP DISCUSSING HOW THE FREE WILL OF MAN APPLIES TO THE DIVINE WILL OF GOD.