Passion for the Gospel
Unstoppable - Join the Movement • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsAs the power of the Gospel takes root, lives are changed for the glory of God!
Notes
Transcript
Recap:
Last week we looked at Acts 8:1-8 and it was here that we saw God use unexepected and uncomfortable circumstances to bring about His will and His desire for the Gospel, the Church, and His glory!
With the death of Stephen, the Sanhedrin opened the flood gates fo their hatred for Jesus and His followers and sent Saul of Tarsus to persecute the church
Saul was a Pharisee (A Zealot)
Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin
Saul was convinced that what he was doing was actually God’s will
Saul went door to door, arresting men, women and children who professed faith in Christ!
So the disciples of Christ fled Jerusalem into Samaria and Judea.
Philipp:
One of the 7 chosen by the church to help with the daily distribution in the church
A man of God
A man of faith
A man full of the Holy Spirit
As we can see from what Luke records for us it is pretty clear that God had a plan and a purpose for Philipps life
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 where no good Jew would have dared to go, Samaria
But it was here that God used Philip
To preach the Gospel
To heal the crippled and paralyzed
To drive out demons in those who were possessed
The Result was that the Gospel and Spirit of God brough joy to the city where Philip preached!
A couple of things worth noting and reminding ourselves of!
God seldom uses comfort and a life of ease to grow His church or move His people!
God is not willing that any should perish not even one
God’s purposes, mission, and word are not meant top be idle but on the move, see people come to the saving knowledge of the truth!
Introdution:
Amazing Grace:
Amazing Grace
Verse 1
Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind but now I see
Verse 2
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Verse 3
Through many dangers toils and snares
I have already come
'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home
Verse 4
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun
These words have become iconic in the church
relatable to so many of life situations and circumstances
reminding us of God’s grace when we deserve condemnation and Hell
illustrating God’s great love for us through Christ
What I find profound about all of these words is the story of the one who wrote them: John Newton
A slave trader
Who became a slave himself
Found Christ
After seeing the horrors of the slave trade, standing firm in teh grace of the Cross
John Newton dedicated his life to abolishing the slave trade
One has to ask why?
But we know the answer, because he once “was lost but now is found”!
That simple and profound truth shoudl be enough to transform the most vile of sinners
It should be enough to motivate our hearts to move, to take full advantage of the life we have been given in Christ
To no longer be idle, wasting the time we have!
Tonights passage speaks to exactly that!
A Great Transformation:
A Great Transformation:
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.
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.
A Guy Named Simon:
A Guy Named Simon:
Simon was a Magician and a Heathen
Not like a kids magician with slight of hand
This would have been like actual magic of the occult
Which we know is satanic and Evil
Example:
16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 And this became known to all the residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was extolled.
18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.
19 And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
So this guy simon had a following:
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.
With his pagan arts he had won ovet the attention of the people!
He had used this to promote his fame as someone great!
Insight to the City in Samaria:
This speaks to the peoples attention to occult and pagan practices
This also speaks to the condition of their soul and need for the Gospel
But it shows us that where the Gospel was going was tearing down the strongholds of our enemy, setting people free with the truth!
A Captive Audience:
A Captive Audience:
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.
The people were captived by Simon’s magic
people are drawn to things that seem to be filled with unexplainable power
It is why our societies are obsessed with paranormal things
Or when people appear to be able to do thing that are unexplainable
And the people in this Samarian city were no different:
They saw and were captivated
They saw and gave this guy more credit then they should have
At any rate, this Simon of Samaria did practice sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. Because of his “sorcery,” the ability to exercise control over nature and/or people by means of demonic power, people called him the Great Power. They may or may not have thought of him as possessing deity. At any rate Simon boasted that he was someone great, and the people of Samaria believed him. Furthermore, he accepted their adulation.
11 And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
True Power Lies With Christ:
True Power Lies With Christ:
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.
When the Gospel hit the ground it changed everything:
Philip Preached:
The Good News
That Jesus, the Son of God, came to this earth
Died on the Cross for the sins of the world, for their sins
Rose again on the 3rd day, in victory over sin and death
And is now seated at the right hand of the Father
The Kingdom of God
Eternal life
That they could be sons and daughters of God
That they by faith would be co-heirs with Christ
All through faith in Jesus
John 14:6
Acts 16:31
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Luke Contrasted the saving and life changing power of the Gospel with the so called power of Simon and the result was stunning!
13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
Simon with all his magic, all his demonic power, looked at the truth of Philipps message and surrendered his life to Jesus!
This is true power!
Power that can take a sinner, lost and condemned, and bring him into the family of God
Power that can redeem a soul
Power that can grant new life and deliever from darkness and sin
Power to set one free from being enslaved to sin and now able to enjoy a new relationship with God!
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
The Life of Philipp was so changed that he abandoned his following, abandoned his previous life of fame and fortune to follow Philip who had brought the truth of Jesus!
What greater picture could we have a transformed life:
God didn’t save us becuasec he wanted us to keep on living the way that were before we got saved
God didn’t send his son to redeem us and set us free from sin
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
The old man, our sin nature is contrary to our new life!
We shoudl run from our old ways and embrace the Spirit of God in the new life we have been given
We shoudl abandon the lies we were told by our enemy and cling to the truth of Scripture
We should desire what God desires for us over what we selfishly pursued and loved before Christ!
But we have to note the transformation in verse 13
13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
Before people used to be amazed at the things that Simon did, at the the things done under the guise adn influence of demons
But now Simon stood amazed at true power!
Example:
Today I recieved a phone call from Elizabeth, a woman who has attended our church with her son!
Her son had overdosed and she called me, a brother in Christ to pray
As we prayed over the phone, I knew that the only way william would live is if God intervene supernaturally
I called back and he was breathing and in Emerg.
I believe that the God we serve is pwoerful, able, and willing to show himself and reveal his love and goodness!
He wants the transformed life of a beleiver to a powerful statement to His Power:
Power to save
Power to transform
Power to redeem!
What does this mean for us?
What does this mean for us?
Never underestimate the power of the Gospel as you share it with your unsaved friends, family, and co-workers.
There is not one person who is beyond that ability and power of the Gospel to save!
God truly is not willing that any should perish!
Your life is, and always should be, a powerful statment of the life changing power of God!
We will never regret abandoning our former life for a life with Jesus