World Changers
Acts 8:1-25
"On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria."
(ACTS 8:1)
I've been reading in Acts of how God moved through the early church to spread the Gospel. Suffering and persecution had forced the Christians in Jerusalem out of their comfort zone and into Judea and Samaria, fulfilling the second part of Acts 8:1.
It's true that some are called and commissioned to preach the Gospel, but all of us who belong to Him are commissioned to live the Gospel. I recently read somewhere that ordinary people can become extraordinary world changers. God may move us out of our comfort zones, taking us ordinary people and doing His extraordinary work through us. What greater honor could there be than representing Him to others?
As I pen these words, a colleague is in China teaching and preaching to thousands. Out of his comfort zone? Absolutely! And just last night we visited two "retired" Christian friends who serve Christ as they volunteer driving residents wherever they need to go. Through one person at a time living out the joy of Christ in their lives, the world is being changed!
INSIGHT
WE ARE HIS BRANCHES THAT TRANSMIT THE FRUIT OF HIM, THE VINE, TO THOSE WHO ARE SPIRITUALLY HUNGRY.
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
2 Chronicles 27-28
Psalm 21
Matthew 28
Acts 8:1-25
New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)
8 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
Philip in Samaria
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ[a] there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 With shrieks, evil[b] spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
Simon the Sorcerer
9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into[c] the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
25 When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
Footnotes:
a. Acts 8:5 Or Messiah
b. Acts 8:7 Greek unclean
c. Acts 8:16 Or in
JESUS IN THE PSALMS
Jesus is always present. He's with us in big and small details of life. And even though he is never mentioned by name, this truth is powerfully evident in the book of Psalms.
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