Good morning.
It is time for us to begin Bible class this morning.
As you can see, I am not Aaron.
He is currently on vacation right now with his family, as we all know, and we're praying for safe travels for them.
Today we're going to be looking at Acts chapter 8.
Acts chapter 8.
We want to welcome any visitors we have this morning and especially uh Walker and Aurora as they are beginning their work here with us as interns during their time at school.
And of course we want to also praise God and be thankful that Rios was born and he's so healthy and I know that the family's all happy.
We're happy with y'all too.
As we begin, let's have a word of prayer.
Dear God, most holy Father, Lord, you are so wonderful.
You are so amazing.
Lord, everything you do is beyond our understanding, and yet you care so deeply for us.
Lord, we are thankful for your Word.
We are thankful for the knowledge that we can gain from the study of your Word.
We're thankful that through your Word we can learn more about who you are and why we're here.
Lord, we pray that as we study the early church this morning that we will
Try to apply the things that we learn to our lives so that we may be the church that you established, that we may be the church that glorifies you and honors you with our lives.
Lord, we pray all these things in your Son's name.
Amen.
A bit of a pop quiz, but who here knows what happened in Acts chapter seven?
I think I heard it.
Yes sir, yes that was where Stephen was stoned after preaching a message to the Jews.
He preaches to the Jews this message that they don't want to hear.
A message that they are in fact in the wrong.
That they have crucified the Son of God but he takes them back to the very beginning of Israel.
He takes them back to the beginning of the promises that God made to Abraham and he shows how the Old Testament points to the coming of Christ.
about that since Christ has come, since Christ established his church, Judaism is no longer the religion that God's people should follow.
But rather all God's people are those who are Christians, those who are serving God according to the commandments of Christ.
And in Acts chapter 8 we pick up with this scene of Stephen stoning
We read in verse 1, and 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 Judea and Samaria except the apostles.
Now as we begin we notice this name Saul.
Of course we know a very famous Saul in the Old Testament, that of King Saul, the first king of Israel.
But that, of course, is not the Saul discussed here.
The Saul discussed here is the one we more readily know as Paul.
And Paul is named, whether it be Saul or Paul, is mentioned some 188 times in the New Testament.
Now when a name or a phrase or a thought is repeated many times like that, you begin to think that there's a little importance to this name.
this person.
Paul wrote most of the New Testament.
Many, many souls, millions of souls even have been saved because of the things that Paul wrote, because the life that he lived, and because of the example that he set.
But here we see his beginning.
We see that he was not always on the side that was glorifying God, though he thought he was.
When we notice later
that he was in good conscience.
As he did these things to the church, as he was consenting to the death of this innocent man Stephen, he thought he was glorifying God.
He thought he was stopping the mouth of one who was blaspheming God.
But the truth was he was actually stopping the Word of God from being preached.
And as we read in Acts chapter 9, he learns the error of his ways.
and becomes very zealous for the Lord.
But notice this idea of persecution and we'll see this as we continue.
But the thought of persecution can bring two different aspects.
It can bring two different results if you will.
Some respond to persecution by just cowering down and giving up.
Others respond to persecution by remaining true to God and even growing stronger in their faith in God.
We'll notice later that that is exactly what this church did.
That's exactly what the church in Jerusalem did.
Does anyone have an idea of roughly the number of those that were members of the church in Jerusalem?
We know how many were, or about how many were saved in Acts 2.
That was about 3,000.
But as you continue reading in Acts, you'll find that the number becomes somewhere around, and this is estimates because we don't have an exact number, but it was somewhere around
20,000.
20,000 Christians all in Jerusalem.
Now when we think about this concentration, when we think about what we read in Acts chapter 1, Jesus tells his apostles that they are going to first preach in Jerusalem, yes,
but then they were to spread to Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the world.
At this time the church had not spread yet.
They were consolidated to Jerusalem to learning from the apostles, to learning the doctrines of Christ, and they were all
in this one area.
And so what this persecution did was it resulted in a similar thing to what we see in the Tower of Babel, an dispersion of the church, a spreading of the church so that those in
Judea, those in Samaria, as we'll read later in Acts 8, and those in the uttermost parts of the world could be saved, could know about Christ because this church went out and
taught.
This church faced persecution and rose to the occasion.
Now as we continue reading in verses two and three, and devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him.
As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house and hauling men and women, committed them to prison.
When we face a loss in the church, there is sorrow.
Just as there is sorrow when we face the loss of any dear loved one.
Stephen was a great man of faith.
We see in Acts chapter 6 just the reputation and the type of character that Stephen had even in Acts chapter 7 when he is speaking to those who are a very unfriendly audience.
Those who literally acted as children stopping their ears and you can almost see them saying, la la la, I'm not listening, I'm not listening.
Acting like children at the preaching of God's Word.
But Stephen preached.
And in Acts chapter 7, the end of it, we find him looking up into heaven and seeing Christ standing at the right hand of God ready to receive his servant, ready to receive a
faithful child of his.
And so yes, there was mourning.
But look with me at 1 Thessalonians chapter four.
1st Thessalonians chapter 4.
Starting in verse 13.
But I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord." And notice verse 18,
wherefore comfort one another with these words.
So let me ask you this, after reading this passage, 1st Thessalonians, do we as Christians have to sorrow as the world does?
Do we as Christians have to look at death as if it is the end, that there is nothing else?
No.
We have hope.
And so while this is a great loss for the church to see Stephen stoned and to lose this great man of faith, the truth is he was far better off.
He was far better off because he was in paradise.
He did not have to go through further persecution.
Yes, he faced pain at the stoning.
But his reward was far greater than any suffering he faced.
And so there is joy even in death.
There is hope even in suffering.
And that's the life of a Christian.
That's the life that was lived by these souls who were Christians in the early church, in the early first century.
But then in verse 3, we turn back again to Saul and to what he was doing to the church, to the havoc that he was...
pouring out on the church and causing for the church.
If you were to give one word description, just one word description to the Apostle Paul, who at this time we refer to as Saul, what would you give?
One word description.
Dedicated.
That is a great word.
That is the kind of man Paul was, the kind of man that Saul was.
He was dedicated to the Lord, to what he thought was right.
Now at this time, of course, what he thought was right was wrong.
but he was still dedicated.
He was dedicated to the Lord so much so that when he learned the truth, when he learned that the church was not a heretical organization but rather what God had set up, the
kingdom that had been prophesied for thousands of years, when Paul learns that he is just as dedicated
the Lord and to His church as He was to destroying it.
Well, you even before the blinding the light coming down from the light shining from heaven and the voice he heard from heaven.
I'll get your attention too.
But yes, Paul was was so dedicated and God knew that and that's amazing thing to look at when you when you consider who God is that he knows each of us individually.
He knows what we think.
He knows what will prick our hearts.
And it is amazing.
see that throughout Scripture we have so many examples of people being converted and yet while everyone is different, they're all being converted by the same message.
And that just shows the wisdom of God in creating this message and giving us this message that can prick the hearts of anyone who hears if they have a willing heart, if they have
ears to hear.
In 1st Corinthians chapter 15 verse 4, Paul regards himself as the lowest of the low.
He regards himself as least of the apostles and the reason why is because of what he did right here in Acts 8.
Because of the persecution that he uh brought about on the church.
This was Paul's greatest regret.
And you know, when we think about our lives, we of course are reminded of things that we regret.
Things that we look back on and we say, I should have done that better.
I didn't handle this situation correctly.
Maybe we think about those moments and the embarrassment, you know, rises, the heart rate starts racing a little bit.
But Paul didn't let this regret hold him back.
Though Paul was sorrowful that he had done these things, we also read that he forgot those things which are behind, that he pressed towards those things which were before, that
while he regretted his actions, he did not let that stop him, rather he used that to spark him on to be even more faithful to God.
to be even more dedicated to the Lord and to his work.
point of application, do we do the same?
When we look back on our lives and we see things that we regret, missed opportunities, maybe a moment we could have evangelized that we did not, do we look back on that and say,
know what, next time the Lord opens up a door, I'm going to take it.
The next time that I have a chance to tell someone about the gospel, I'm going to take that chance.
I'm going to reach out to them.
That's what Paul did.
And it's amazing to see his 180 degree turn, the about face that he does, and the dedication that he exhibited to the Lord.
Verse 4, Therefore they that were scared abroad went everywhere preaching the word.
This passage is one of most encouraging when you really consider what's being said here.
To make the point, let's read it again and you guys let me know when I read it wrong.
Therefore the preachers...
Let me try again.
Therefore the elders, wrong again.
Come on now.
Sleep anomic.
Therefore the apostles, no.
Therefore they or those as the King James or New King James says.
Therefore they that were scared abroad.
Is it the job of the preacher alone or the elders alone or the deacons alone
to preach the gospel?
No.
At least the early church didn't think so.
If you were to go up to one of these faithful brothers or sisters who were going out and were teaching the gospel with their lives, with their actions, having Bible studies,
living the Christian life no matter where they were, if you were to say, well hold on a second, why are you teaching the gospel?
That's the preacher's job.
They would have looked at you like you have three eyes.
That's the job of every Christian.
The job of all of us as Christians is to proclaim the good news of Christ.
And isn't it good news?
Isn't it an amazing message that we have to share?
The early church.
decided not to let persecution break them, but rather they said, well, I can't be here, so I'll go make some brothers and sisters over here.
I can't stay in Jerusalem.
but I can go to Samaria.
I can go to Galilee.
I can go to Ethiopia, as we'll see later.
And everywhere they went, they taught the Word.
They taught the Gospel.
as Rob points out, they hadn't been told Bible studies don't work.
They hadn't learned you don't know enough to teach the gospel.
because truly if we know how we were saved, we know enough to teach the gospel.
Verse 5.
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them.
And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them.
And many taken with palsy and that were lame were healed, and there was great joy in that city.
What do know about Samaria?
When you think about Samaria, what's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the Jewish perspective of Samaria?
woman at the well.
We think about that account when Jesus taught the woman at the well, the Samaritan woman, but focusing on the cultural thought process here.
Because remember, most of these early Christians were Jews.
So what was the thought process concerning Samaritans?
Prejudice.
That's a great word.
Does someone else have something else?
half breeds and that half breed mentality that thought of well you're lesser led to that prejudice and that was the thought that was governing the minds of so many Jews to the
point where they would go out of their way to avoid Samaria.
but like the Master Christ, like the King of this kingdom, Philip goes to Samaria.
Philip goes and preaches the gospel to Samaria.
and what an impact that made.
We'll notice a connection here between verse 5 and verse 12 as to what the preaching of Christ is.
Let's go ahead and look at verse 12.
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women.
So what does it mean to preach Christ?
Based on this first, what goes into preaching Christ?
I'm half deaf y'all so you're gonna have to speak up.
That's right, death, burial, and resurrection.
We learned in I believe it's 1 Corinthians that that is the gospel of Christ.
But what else goes into it?
Baptism.
Why were they baptized?
Did they say, well, you know, we're hearing this great message and we just think we need to be immersed in water.
No, they didn't just come up with this on the fly.
That's part of preaching Christ.
That's part of teaching others who Christ is.
But what else goes into it?
What else is a part of uh preaching Christ?
repenting, but specifically staying on verse 12, looking at verse 12, what goes into preaching Christ?
Could it be preaching about the kingdom of God?
Preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, how to enter, which repentance is part of, baptism is part of, but also showing the fact that there is not a future kingdom
coming.
There is not an earthly kingdom to be established, but rather the church is the kingdom of God.
We also look at the fact that he preaches the name of Jesus Christ.
Now this goes into what was said earlier about the death, burial, and resurrection, but it also goes into the authority that Christ has.
When we think about saying, for instance, a police officer saying stop in the name of the law, well he is telling you that he has the authority based on the law to tell you to
stop, and you ought to pay heed to that.
You ought to listen.
And so when we're teaching the name of Jesus Christ, we're teaching that He has authority to tell us what to do.
That as the Son of God, and we read in Matthew 28: 18 that He has all authority in heaven and earth.
Based on that authority, He has the right to tell us to be baptized, to repent of our sins, to confess His name.
Now know that's out of order, but that's what he has the right to tell us to do.
And we do not have the right, just as mere humans, to say, well Christ, you know, I just don't think that that's what we need to do.
We can't go up to the omniscient and say, know better.
yet sadly so many people do.
So many people look at the scriptures and they say, I know it says that but I don't want to do that.
We don't have the right to say such things and to act on such things.
In verse 6, we see what can be titled the four actions of conversion.
So first, you notice that they gave heed.
They had an open mind willing to listen to what Philip was saying.
As hard as we try and as much as we would like to, we cannot force anyone to listen to the gospel.
We cannot force anyone to open up their hearts.
and to hear God's Word.
And so the first step in conversion, the first step in showing the gospel to someone is to find that someone that has a willing heart.
Maybe aid them in cultivating that willing heart that will listen to what God has to say.
That will take heed to what God has told us to do.
We also notice that Philip had to speak.
It's kind of hard to hear something when there's nothing to hear.
It's kind of hard to obey a message that you don't know.
And so that's why in verse four, or just as we read in verse four, we need to be sharing the gospel.
Wherever we are, we need to be that shining light.
We need to be spreading God's Word.
because people need to hear it.
People need to hear the gospel.
And that's why that's our obligation.
That's why it's our duty.
That's also a joy that we have.
Because what joy it is when a sinner is saved.
Luke 15 tells us that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than 99 just persons that need no repentance.
Well, we also notice hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
In other words, they saw the proof.
They heard the proof.
They heard the arguments that were made.
They heard of the example that Philip was setting, of the miracles that he was doing which were confirming his word.
But they not only heard it, but they saw it.
Oftentimes when we hear of something we can say, I'm not sure if I believe that or not.
And you just turn on the news and you have about 20 different opinions on the same thing and you never know what's right and what's a law.
But when you actually see it, there's a different story.
When you actually see it, you can say, no, no, I know that that's what happened.
You think about those who look at the Bible and they say, well, I know it says that Jesus healed all these people, that he performed all these miracles.
I don't know if I believe it.
That's a lot different than if someone were watching Christ performing these miracles.
It's undeniable proof.
Now granted, the Bible is undeniably true.
But the point is that they had no excuse.
They had no excuse but to regard Philip as a teacher of God, as a teacher of the message that God had given him to teach.
And we see some of those miracles that he did in verse 7.
But notice verse 8, and there was great joy in that city.
Now in the immediate context concerning miracles, there would have been joy over a loved one who had been lame, who now can walk again.
A loved one who had an unclean spirit, but was demon possessed, being delivered from that.
Being of sound mind again.
Yes, there would have been joy over that, but there was also joy in that city because of Christ being taught.
Because of Christ...
being preached and in such those being converted.
We'll read we read later of the joy that the Ethiopian eunuch had that he did not just go on his way saying well I'm baptized so you know we got that done but no no no he went on
his way rejoicing
I find it hard to believe that those in Samaria would not of the same mind.
Having this joy that they are saved.
That though at one time they were lost in their sin, they now had salvation in Christ.
Brothers and sisters, that's a joyful message.
And yet how many times are we ashamed of Christ?
Many of us wouldn't say that.
We would never say, well, I'm ashamed of Christ, but we practice that in our actions.
My mom tells the story of when she was in high school, believe it was.
She had grown up around this girl that they were friends.
They did things every now and again together, but she never knew that she was a Christian.
Neither one of them knew that each other was a Christian because they were ashamed to say it.
They were ashamed to open up about the gospel.
as you look back on your friends, on your coworkers, those with whom you have contact, do they know you're a Christian?
Do they know where you will be on Sunday and Wednesday?
Do they know that you serve the living God?
It's a joyful message and we have no reason to be ashamed of it.
We have no reason to be ashamed of our God.
Verse 9, But there was a certain man called Simon, which before time in the same city used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one,
to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
And to him they had regard, because that of a long time
He had bewitched them with sorceries.
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, in the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women.
Then Simon himself believed also, and when he was baptized he continued with Philip and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
Simon is very rarely mentioned without the sorcerer following his name.
That's how we remember this man.
But what was a sorcerer, a biblical sorcerer?
We're not talking about Harry Potter, you know, with the wands and everything.
What does this mean here?
Come in.
Practice witchcraft.
an idol worshiper.
But more specifically.
drug dealer basically.
He used pharmaceuticals to create illusions.
He convinced people, notice that it says he bewitched them using drugs, using different illusions to say, have a great power.
I have the power of God on my side.
But of course it was a false power.
I think about some of the incredible magic tricks that Justin can do, the illusions that he can create with even a simple card.
And it is amazing and to someone who doesn't know that it is a trick, to someone who is looking for something in which to believe, to someone who is very superstitious as these
people were, that might seem like the power of God.
But really it's just a trick.
And what's one attribute of Simon that permeates his character?
Well, what kind of man tries to get people to believe a lie that he knows is a lie?
Through tricking them.
One that wants power, pride.
That was his active character trait.
He was a proud man.
If you notice, notice all these things that are referring to himself.
That they were giving out that himself was some great one.
They all gave heed to him.
They had regard to him.
This mindset of me first, this mindset of I want power, this mindset of I want to be some big shot was his driving force in life.
And for many of us we would look at this man and say there's no way he would want to hear the gospel.
There's no way on earth that he would be open to listening to God's word and yet what do we read him doing?
He believed.
He was baptized.
He became a Christian.
Is there anything too hard for God?
No.
Is there any soul that cannot be saved with God's Word?
Not if they're willing.
Our job is not to judge whether or not people will be Christians, whether or not people will be open to receiving the gospel.
Our job is to share the gospel.
And because Philip had that mindset, Simon became a Christian.
And it's amazing to see also that as he is a new Christian looking at Philip and the great works that he is doing, the true power of God on display, he's astounded.
He's astonished.
He looks on these miracles with wonder because he realizes he had no power.
He realizes just how small, how petty
his illusions were compared to the true power of God.
and we'll notice that later, that he changes his mindset, but it wasn't immediate.
It took time for him to get away from this pride.
Again, we'll notice that later.
You're jumping ahead of me a little bit.
We'll notice that later, that he goes back into his ways of pride.
Let's look at verse 14 beginning.
and they received the Holy Ghost.
Now this isn't Holy Spirit class, so we won't delve too deep into this discussion, but do notice that these people were Christians without the Holy Spirit indwelling them.
These people were true Christians, New Testament Christians, because they obeyed God and were baptized.
The Holy Spirit did not come upon them until the apostles laid hands on them.
This shows to us that it is not.
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is not immediate with baptism, but rather is only if an apostle lays their hands on you and there are no apostles today walking on this earth.
But what was the point?
Why were they receiving the Holy Spirit?
teach.
When you look at Philip, why was he...
one of the reasons why he was believed was because of the signs that he performed, that he showed, the miracles that he did.
Could he have done that without the Holy Spirit literally, or well I shouldn't say literally, without the Holy Spirit indwelling?
Without the Holy Spirit being received?
No.
We have to keep things in their context.
When we look at any passage of Scripture,
but especially those that the denominational world tries to twist.
The reason for the Holy Spirit falling on these people by the laying on the Apostles hands was so that they could go out and teach others as well, performing miracles to confirm the
word.
Do we need miracles today?
No.
Miracles do not exist today.
we have the perfect Word of God.
We have all that we need to spread the gospel.
We just have to go out and teach it.
Very quickly, let's notice verse 18.
for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray, God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." Then answered Simon and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me that none of these things which ye
have spoken come upon me.
And they when they had testified and preached the gospel,
preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
Simon was a Christian, but he fell back into his old ways.
He let pride take the reins again and lead him to ask for something that he ought not.
He tried to buy the gift of the Holy Ghost.
He tried to buy the ability that the Apostles had to lay hands on people and that they might receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
But what a wonderful show of humility and true repentance when he looks up here and he says, pray for me.
When we have sin in our lives as Christians, we ought to do the same.
When we need the prayers of the church, we ought not to be ashamed to look at our brothers and sisters and say, for me, because I need it.
As Christians, we are the family of God.
And one thing that family should do is love each other and care for each other, lift each other up in our hard times.
thing is though.
If Simon had merely said, pray for me, if he had merely said, pray for me, and did not repent, did not ask God for forgiveness, he couldn't have been restored.
So when we have sin in our lives, let us repent of that.
Turn away from that sin and turn back to God.
Let's strive to be just as the early church was, faithful to God, proclaiming His Word.
Thank you for your attention.