Our Jesus Wildfire Mission
The Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Have you ever seen a wildfire? Living out west we seen our share.
A wildfire can consume acres in seconds with the right conditions. With low humidity, high winds, and lots of fuel to burn, a wildfire is impossible to contain.
This morning we are going to be talking about a wildfire.
In Acts 8, this fire is spreading quickly and is impossible to contain. The church in Jerusalem was the tender box and with one spark on the day of Pentecost caused this fire to burn and because of the wind of the Holy Spirit, the fire spread very quickly.
The religious leaders tried to control it, they tried to contain it through fear and persecution but God’s mission moved forward.
Last week we learned about Stephen, the first martyr in the early church. This was the beginning of an onslaught of persecution within the church in Jerusalem.
In Chapter 8 we are immediately introduced to a young and powerful man by the name of Saul. He was greatly feared by the Christians because he was trying to contain the church. Saul was on a mission to roundup all the Christians and throw them in jail.
Acts 8:1–3 (ESV)
1 And Saul approved of [Stephen’s] execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
PRAY
The church was dealing with chaos.
The church was dealing with chaos.
When life is full of chaos, the pressure to give up is real. They were not safe, even in there own homes. They were targets because they were followers of Jesus.
The pressure to give up was real because it would be so much easier to stop being a witness for Jesus so they could enjoy a life of safety and security.
However, they choose to live in that pressure… chaos… because it was worth being a faithful witness for Jesus no matter what. To this church, it was never even a choice because giving up on Jesus, to them, was giving up on life.
If we were facing those options, what would be our choice? How would we handle the pressure?
The church had the right conditions to spread like wildfire. They were unified, full of faith, they had an unwavering love for Jesus and one another and they were full of the Holy Spirit.
The way we are going to overcome in the midst of pressure is to recognize the fact that…
We need the Holy Spirit to empower us to live in that pressure.
We need the Holy Spirit to empower us to live in that pressure.
This pressure is not just “a NT church” issue but it is reality for so many in our world today. Even within Branch County, we have a Muslim community who would have to risk banishment or even death in order to follow Jesus…
We have an Amish community who could be shunned if they would give up there man made laws in order to follow Jesus.
We have broken codependent families who are bitter against God and bitter against the church so there kids are forbidden from following Jesus.
Being raised in the church we see the love and encouragement that comes from being in a healthy church. But people get hurt, they get offended, people are prideful, they become bitter, jealous, angry and lash out against other people.
And sometimes they think they are doing God’s bidding.
God used a passionate yet bitter Saul to continue HIS mission.
Remember Jesus’ mission for the church…
Acts 1:8 (ESV)
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
God used persecution to spread HIS Wildfire Mission
God used persecution to spread HIS Wildfire Mission
Persecution brought on phase 2 of God’s wildfire mission. The church was scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria because of persecution.
So now we are introduced to another one of the 7, Philip the evangelist.
4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.
Philip went to the city of Samaria to preach Jesus and he drew an attentive crowd who was eager to hear about Jesus. God showed up powerfully through signs, wonders, miracles, deliverance, healings, and there was much joy in the city.
There was no doubt that God was doing a powerful work but when God does HIS work, it can be very messy.
Like opening up an infection… it takes cleaning it out from the inside to bring complete healing.
But also, when God shows up powerfully, there is an enemy who wants to steal the show.
So let me introduce you to our next character, Simon the magician…
9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
Simon the magician had influence over the people. The people of the city saw that he full of the power of God but he was also full of himself.
Scripture says that “he said that he himself was somebody great.”
Simon loved the attention, he loved to toot his own horn. So when Phillip came to town, Simon the magician wanted to learn some of those tricks that Philip was doing (even though it wasn’t Philip but God).
Through Philip’s ministry, Simon encounters the Gospel.
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
Simon became a believer, he was baptized, and he continued to support the ministry. But we learn that Simon was more focused on the miracles that were being performed then the inward transformational work that Jesus really wanted to do in Simon.
Simon’s motivation for following Jesus was for the supernatural power, the hype, and the crowds of people who were coming because of all these things.
Those things in Simon’s life were beginning to come to the surface.
Meanwhile, the apostles who were still in Jerusalem, heard how Samaria had received the Word of God sent Peter and John.
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Note in Acts 8:12 & 15-16 we see 2 separate baptisms: Water Baptism and Holy Spirit Baptism.
Water Baptism: (Baptism in the name of Jesus or the Baptism of Repentance.)
When we are baptized in water, in the name of Jesus, we are making a public declaration that as a follower of Jesus the old self is dead and buried with Christ.
The new self has been resurrected with Christ and we are now that living proof of the resurrection power of Jesus.
Water baptism is not a requirement for salvation it is our response to salvation.
Philip baptised the new believers in Samaria with water.
Holy Spirit Baptism: Baptism with power.
This Holy Spirit baptism was given to all believers at Pentecost. This is the baptism that fills the believer with God’s power and God’s presence.
Through the infilling of the Holy Spirit, as believers and followers of Jesus, we can do the supernatural ministry that Jesus is calling us as HIS church to do.
Water baptism is the public stage where we declare, we are now followers of Jesus but we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be effective witnesses for Jesus through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
It says that Peter and John, when they came down from Jerusalem, they laid there hands on the new believers who were in Samaria and they received the Holy Spirit.
The laying on of hands and receiving the Holy Spirit got the attention of Simon:
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Simon’s heart issues were exposed, they came to the surface.
Simon wanted the ability to lay his hands on people to receive the Holy Spirit and was willing to pay for it.
Simon’s heart was in the wrong place and so God used Peter to confront Simon sinful heart.
20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” 24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
The Holy Spirit will give us the boldness to confront sin with God’s truth.
The Holy Spirit will give us the boldness to confront sin with God’s truth.
Peter said that: his heart was not right before God; his behavior was called wickedness; his thinking was called evil; he was said to be full of bitterness; and, in the most sweeping of condemnations, Peter said that Simon was still, despite his conversion, held captive by sin.
It appears that Simon still had an internal spiritual problem that had not been corrected; he was still held captive by sin.
Peter confronted Simon of having the wrong view of the Holy Spirit. He thought the baptism of the Holy Spirit as some sort of ability to perform… a magic trick to amaze an audience. He missed that it is a gift that God wants all believers to receive, including Simon.
Why would Simon ask to purchase the ability to bestow the Holy Spirit on people?
Based on Peter’s response, for selfish reasons: to have power, to make money, or to gain prestige.
God doesn’t give us abilities to enhance our own lives. He grants us gifts so that we may bring HIM glory by building up others.
Be careful when you find yourself wishing for an ability that would put you into the limelight or somehow enrich you personally, check your motives.
But also, instead of sitting around wishing for talents you don’t have, spend your time serving God and others with the gifts that you do possess.
Simon had to acknowledge that his heart was enslaved to self-promotion, pride, and greed.
God wanted Simon to be free of all of that but he had to repent.
1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
We don’t know what ever happened to Simon but we do know that he had to make the choice.
We know that his sin was exposed, the truth was revealed and he had to make the choice. He could either continue to live in the slavery of pride and self promotion or he could repent, to completely let go of all of it and receive the freedom that only Jesus could bring.
John 8:31–32 & 36 (ESV)
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
The truth can be hard to hear but when the truth is out, when sin is exposed, we have to make a choice so God’s true work can begin.
Speaking truth is the most loving thing we can do because that’s when the process of healing that only God can do is can begin.
Take away:
Does chaos define your life and are you under pressure to give up on God?
Are you seeking safety and comfort in this world instead of following Jesus all the way to the cross?
Does the Holy Spirit have all of your heart? Has the Holy Spirit convicted you of areas that need to be surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus?
Are you being filled and refilled with the Holy Spirit?
25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
This is our JESUS Wildfire Mission…