Saturday, May 10th - Acts 8

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So, the church gets blown up in Jerusalem, and has to spread around the world. Bad news or good news? Tragic, or just what the doctor ordered?

INSIGHTS

“All except the apostles were scattered.” I find myself wondering why they didn’t scatter, too. History tells us that they eventually did…but why did they stick around during those first months and years? Just curious…

Do you see in Philip the marks of a truly powerful, Spirit-blessed ministry? 1. Bold proclamation, 2. powerful works, 3. the close attention of his listeners, 4. genuinely changed lives, and 5. joy for the entire city (not just the church). It looks great — so great that Simon the sorcerer wanted his “ministry” to look like that, too.

Simon seems to be a good guy - he’s excited, he gets baptized, and simply wants to be a part of the action. He has always really wanted to be somebody, and had received a degree of attention through being an illusionist. But now, he has encountered real divine power…and tendency toward self-promotion gets in the way. It’s not enough to be around the power…he wants to be the one that controls and dispenses it.

(Don’t you? Wouldn’t you want to be able to lay hands on people, and have them receive the Holy Spirit? Wouldn’t you want to miraculously heal people? I can’t blame Simon for wanting to be “a player” in the gospel ministry.)

So, he does what any sharp-thinking capitalist would do - he attempts to exchange his wealth for power. This happens in the church all the time. Those with resources tend to think that what they bring to the table in terms of resources should therefore amplify their role in leadership. Needless to say, Peter is not impressed, and is rather repulsed: “May your money perish with you…you have no part or share in this ministry…your heart is not right before God…you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

Simon repents. So should we.

Philip has a great moment of ministry on the road to Gaza in verses 26-40. He leads a man to Christ…and then the Spirit takes him away, and he never sees the man again. No applause, no glory…not even the enjoyment of watching the man walk in His new Christian life. That’s more like it. That’s the kind of ministry Simon should embrace.

CHALLENGES

1. “The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.” The world is full of people who have been through the ritual of baptism, but have not been born again. This is not triviality…this is life or death. Have you been born again? If your answer is, “no”, or only “I think so,” then we need to talk!

2. Talk about an uncomfortable, out-of-the-comfort zone encounter! On a desert road in Samaria, away from his home turf (heading southwest, away from his northeastern homeland of Galilee), a eunuch (kind of creepy weird), and Ethiopian (international strangeness), a rich guy (bigger net worth than a fisherman), and an important official with political power — in the days of massive persecution. If you’re ready to go up to that chariot, then you should be ready for any chariot in Mesa. If the Spirit prompted you, would you even hear Him? And, if you did, would you be willing like Philip to move on it?

3. “On his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet.” There are people out there dabbling in scripture with no clear idea of what it means. Are you ready, spiritually and educationally, to go and explain the Biblical truths?

Meanwhile, another guy is heading north to Damascus…oh, wait…that’s tomorrow!

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