Preaching, Praying & Sharing the Word

How do our neighbours in Goderich process new ideas? I would expect that most new ideas gain traction only in the context of trusted respected relationships.

For that reason, when God asks us to cross the street with something that might be considered new we are best to do it by building a bridge rather than a moat or a fence.

Many of the believers in Jerusalem were forced to cross the street and some geographic boundaries to new places of perceived safety. If they had had their way they would have staying in Jerusalem longer. Something special was happening. Thousands had repented, had come to faith in Jesus, the promised Messiah. New relationships had developed within this new community that did not have the Temple as its only place of reference.

But for all that this new found faith was exhilarating, it also involved pain and increasing persecution. The religious leaders in Jerusalem were supporting the persecution, imprisonment and killing of those who called on the name of Jesus.

Having been scattered by that persecution many believers from or who had been in Jerusalem went to what they perceived to be safer placed. During the course of those transitions some of them came to city of Samaria. Because of deeply entrenched ethnic tensions Samaria was not high on the list of where most Jews wanted to go.

Because of what the Gospel had done in their lives, the believers who came to the city of Samaria, came to build a bridge and proclaim Christ. One of those who proclaimed the Christ was Philip.

Had been appointed to serve the Hellenist widows -

Later Philip was referred to an evangelist - Acts 21:8

2. Preaching, Praying and SHARING -

With the stoning of Stephen and increased persecution, believers were scattered.- Most scattered except the Apostles - 8:1- Those - all - scattered went about - everywhere (KJV) - preaching - proclaiming good news - the Word Philip went to the city of Samaria proclaiming - preaching - to them the ChristSharing and preaching Christ was natural in the course of having been scattered, Philip went to Samaria and preached.WHILE THE PERSECUTION WAS PAINFUL, THROUGH THE SCATTERING OF 1,000’S THE BELIEVERS WERE SCATTERED TO SHARE THE GOSPEL.At the same time as we pray and ask our Lord to guide us, we could also pray for our Lord to bring others to repentance to strengthen our hands. In that same realm it would not be wrong for our Lord to bring other missionary/ missionary minded believers to proclaim Christ with us in Goderich. The crowds with one accord paid attention to two things: What was being said by Philip - emphasis first on the Word Samaritan theology expected a future deliverer

ESVThe woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”

For them, the expected person would have had more the character of a teacher and giver of the law than a ruler

ESV“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen— just as you desired of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ And the Lord said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.

Signs being done - unclean spirits crying out and coming out of many - many who were paralyzed or lame healed.These signs were probably seen not as an end in themselves but as a validation of the message preached. This would have been seen as a connection with the Apostles like Peter.

ESVNow many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.

WHAT ABOUT THE WORD AND SIGNS TODAY? DO WE PRAY FOR BOTH?NO - The Word answers our questions.

In the NT, these signs as such were performed only by the Apostles or a few of the first time witnesses preached the Gospel in a new area. The signs were never ends in themselves but validated/affirmed the message and messenger. The early church never prayed for more signs, but instead for power in sharing the Word.

ESV

“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

With the proclaiming of Jesus and the message affirmed, there was much joy in the city.

much joy - rejoicing - see Acts 8:12

Because verse 9 begins with a “BUT”, Luke transparently noted that in the midst of the much joy there was some consternation in involving a man called Simon Magnus. The reference can serve as a reminder of the need to focus on the Word, repentance and faith in Christ, the account before recounts that a Magician - Simon Magnus - the great one -professed faith and was baptized with others.

ESV

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. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

There has been much debate as to whether Simon was genuinely converted or not. Unpacking the reasoning of those would are convinced of the “Yes” and the “No” would take much more time than we have today. What is clear is that Simon’s concern was that he be able to perform signs and offered to pay some silver to be able to lay hands on ANYONE so that they could receive the Spirit.

Anyone is the key word here -whomsoever (KJV). Simon’s focus was on something that he could sell and market. But I am getting ahead of myself. News of many in Samaria receiving the Word of God reached Jerusalem - to this point all believers were ethnic Jews - either Hebrew or Greek speaking.The Holy Spirit had fallen on believers in Pentecost - HS continued to energize and fill believers there. Once the Holy Spirit had fallen on the believers in Jerusalem there was no mention of another Pentecost kind of event in Jerusalem. The Apostles in Jerusalem sent Peter & John to pray for the believers in Samaria that they might receive the Holy Spirit - for He had not fallen on them - Baptized only in the name of Lord Jesus. The Samarians were descendants of those left behind from the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities and had intermarried with non Jews moved into the area. The resulting descendants were a mixed Jewish ethnic group who had set up a parallel system of worship that focused on Mt Gerizim rather the Temple in Jerusalem - see - Samarian women at the well whom Jesus met. In this instance crowds in the city of Samaria paid attention to what Philip proclaimed about the Christ - 8:5 - believed the good news of the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus and were baptized. This was because the believers who were scattered preached the Gospel with those with whom they had no dealings with before.

ESVThe Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

Not only did they share the Gospel with the Samaritans, they prayed that the Holy Spirit would empower them and those who came to faith through their ministry. So Peter and John came and prayed and the Samarian believers received the Holy Spirit. What we have here is found only in three other situations in the NT, the day of Pentecost, when the first Gentiles were added to the church ; ), and when some disciples of John the Baptist who had not yet heard of Jesus (). THAT WAS IT! 6 or more common denominators with believers in Jerusalem- involved preaching the Word and conversions, an Apostle present, the first converts to Christ in that ethnic group, never repeated again, tongues/language that one time but not repeated, as a result of prayer (8:15 is not grounds for wondering if we need to receive the Holy Spirit after we receive Christ).

Compare Peter’s report of how the Holy Spirit fell on those of the household of Cornelius - the first Gentiles to believe.

ESV “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”

Another wonderful result of the Word being preached in the City of Samaria was that the Gospel was also preached in other villages of the Samaritans.

So, for those of us as believers who affirm the need to preach, to pray and to share what has been entrusted us, what do we need to remember - to do?

When God nudges us out of our comfort zones we need to preach the Word.

Not all who profess to believe in Jesus fully understand the Gospel.

Where possible bridges accomplish more than fences.

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