TEXT: Acts 8

SUBJECT: Acts 8

Acts 8 is a pivotal chapter in the history of salvation. For in it, we find the Gospel breaking out of Jerusalem and penetrating "Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth". The man who carries the Word is Philip. But the story is not about him or his missionary adventures. It's about Jesus Christ and what He's doing in the world.

CHRIST IN JUDEA, VV.1-4

The story begins with the Church mobilized for evangelism. What's behind the outreach? It is not the command of Christ; it is not the cries of the lost; it is not the visionary leadership of the Apostles.

In fact, the Church gets into the world because someone pushes them out of Jerusalem. That "someone" is Saul of Tarsus. Luke gives us a feel for the man. A few weeks earlier, he was

And now, picking up the pace, he is

In other words, he's going door-to-door looking for Christians. When he finds them, he hauls them off to jail. His ruthlessness is underscored by the word, "women". He's tearing mothers away from their children! Later he admits to doing more than that. He's also

Do you know what this means? Saul was torturing them! What he was doing, we don't know, but it must have been extremely severe. Pliny was a Roman Governor a few years later. In a letter to Trajan the Emperor, he wrote,

This he knew--not by rumor--but by first hand experience. Not even a pagan judge could force believers to speak evil of their Lord. But Saul could. What cruelty! He was

The deadly pogrom scatters the Church. And...

The Apostles are still in Jerusalem. But everyone else--both men and women--are out in the world, witnessing for Christ.

This tells us something about the Apostles and the Church. The Apostles did not make their people dependent on them. Quite the opposite! They "Equipped the saints for the work of the ministry". They didn't say, "Invite your lost friends to church and let us preach at them". But rather, "Here's the Gospel. Now go out and tell your lost friends about it!"

Few things hinder the Church more than a dependence on pastors. Yet many Christians feel that way. And pastors encourage their dependence. But the Apostles didn't. And the Early Church went forward.

And not just the "Church". It is Jesus Christ advancing His cause in Judea. He is not a local god, but a Universal Lord. His work began in Jerusalem. But it will not stay there.

"He went forth conquering and to conquer".

CHRIST IN SAMARIA, VV.5-25.

Having taken Judea by storm, the Lord moves into Samaria. Not in Person, of course, but through His messenger, Philip.

Philip turns into the capital, performs miracles, preaches Christ, and

The whole city turns to Christ. This is quite amazing. Not only have thousands come to faith, but they're Samaritans for Pete's sake! The Jews called them "dogs" and did not think they could be saved. But here they are--finding salvation in the Seed of Abraham.

The Apostles hear the good news and send Peter and John to have a look-see. What they find makes them very happy, indeed. The former heretics are now worshiping God through Christ. They are genuinely saved.

But something's wrong. The Samaritans had not received the Holy Spirit. He had convicted them, of course, and brought them to faith in Christ. But He hadn't come upon them as He had the believers in Jerusalem; He had not filled them or conferred His special gifts upon them.

Peter and John lay hands on the disciples, and the experience of Pentecost is repeated in Samaria.

...And I think they spoke in tongues (cf. Acts 10:44-45).

Some have taken this to mean all Christians in every age speak in tongues and--if they don't--they're not Christians at all. This cannot be supported from the Bible and is often contradicted.

The Spirit Baptism that occurred in Samaria (and later in Caesarea and Ephesus) simply prove that Jesus Christ has one Church and it's made up of Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles. In short, everyone who believes the Gospel belongs to the People of God.

This is an historic event in the history of the Church. Jesus Christ has gone into Samaria and made it His own.

But, you know, wherever Christ is at work, the devil is soon to follow. He has placed a hypocrite among the disciples of Christ. He is a man well-thought of by the Samaritans. And had he not been exposed for the fraud he was, he might have destroyed the Church in Samaria.

His name is Simon. He's a witchdoctor and for many years, people have called him, "The Great Power of God". He's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve, but he's never seen anything like this! Can you imagine how much money he could make if he too could confer the Holy Spirit? He pulls Peter aside and asks the price.

Peter replies, "Your money perish with you!"

What a scoundrel! Thinking the Spirit of God could be bought like one of his cheap tricks! Simon is alarmed by the rebuke, but instead of repenting himself, he asks the pastor to pray for him.

The Kingdom has come to Samaria. The lost are now saved and the devil is thrown out.

Jesus Christ is at war in the world. And winning big.

CHRIST IN ETHIOPIA, VV.26-39.

Having conquered Samaria, the Lord turns His eyes toward Africa. He tells Philip to leave the big city and take a walk in the desert.

He hits the road going south and is soon passed up by a chariot, moving very slowly. The man in the carriage is an Ethiopian and a member of his Queen's Cabinet. He's poking along because he's trying to read. And what he's reading is Isaiah 53:7-8,

The Ethiopian is a highly educated man. He knows what the words mean, but one thing he doesn't know: To whom they refer. He wants to know,

Philip is happy to tell him: It's Someone Else he's talking about. And that Someone Else is Jesus Christ!

The Ethiopian believes in Christ and wants to be baptized. Philip takes him down to the water, dips him in it, and is caught up God's Spirit and put down miles away in "Azotus" or the old Philistine capital of Ashdod. There he preaches and works his way back though all the towns until he reaches Caesarea, where he lives.

As for the Ethiopian?

The Savior who brought joy to Samaria has now given the same to Ethiopia. The Samaritans and Ethiopians were a miserable lot, sitting in darkness and despair. Until Christ came to them. But now, He has given them,

MESSAGE

That's the story. What does it mean to us? It means Jesus Christ is active in the world and is bringing His Elect to salvation. Not some of them, but all of them. Not only Jews, but the whole world. And not through the work of angels, but through the efforts of His people.

APPEAL

This means you and I ought to be busy evangelizing the lost. Telling them plainly what the Gospel is and pleading with them to accept the Christ who is offered in it. The command has not been repealed, "Preach the Gospel to every creature".

Nor has the promise attached to it, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world".

When you witness to sinners, it is not you only who are doing it. Jesus Christ is with you and turning your words into His Word. Thus, we can evangelize with confidence!

Our efforts are as small as a boy's lunch. But with Christ there to bless them, they can feed a multitude.

Sinners are hardened against the Gospel. But no harder than the Samaritans; no harder than the Ethiopian. Yet Jesus Christ broke through their unbelief and stubborn love of sin, to save them. He'll do the same for those you evangelize.

The Gospel has not changed. Jesus Christ has not changed. But has the Church? Have we lost the fire the old believers had? Have we become too comfortable for our own good? Lukewarm, maybe? If so, God forgive us.

And use us to bring Christ to the world. May the Lord walk in our steps and speak in our words.

Amen.