The Unstoppable Force, The Church 08
July 25, 2021

The Unstoppable Force, The Church

Acts 8:1-8 (NLT)

The Unstoppable Force, The Church 08 | Mick Veach | lead pastor | first aired on 07.25.2021

Read Scripture

Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.

A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did. Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city. —Acts 8:1-8

1 ) Review Chapters 1-7

a ) Jesus ascended

b ) The Holy Spirit descended

c ) The church was birthed

d ) Miracles began to occur

e ) Peter preaches

f ) Sin is taken care of

g ) Opposition grows

h ) Stephen martyred

2 ) The gospel begins to spread in spite of all the obstacles and challenges

a ) The more the difficult the challenge the quicker the gospel spreads

b ) It is truly becoming unstoppable

3 ) What is the gospel?

a ) Good News

b ) Jesus came to free us and save us

c ) He took paid our penalty for our sin

d ) He restored our relationship with the Father

e ) The gospel gave us the hope of heaven

f ) The gospel enables us to live victorious

4 ) The challenge for the young and growing church is understanding Acts 1:8 and applying it

a ) The gospel is for everyone not just the Jews

b ) The gospel changes us and breaks down our prejudice against others

5 ) This chapter begins to demonstrate the power and superiority of the gospel

Three Events that Validate that the Gospel is Powerful and Superior

I. The Gospel

Reveal Answer
in the Midst of
Reveal Answer
— verses 1-8

A. Verse 1 — A great persecution broke the same day as Stephen was killed

  1. The believers were scattered through persecution from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria

  2. Only the Apostles remained in Jerusalem

B. Acts 1:8 — Jesus told the believers that they were to go to Judea and Samaria but they stayed in Jerusalem for many reasons

  1. Familiar

  2. Relationships

  3. Prejudice

C. God allows persecution to occur to them to out beyond Jerusalem

  1. Verse 4 — They preached as they preached the gospel wherever they went

  2. They become a band of missionaries in route not refugees — amazing

  3. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church

D. Biblical Example from the Hebrew children in Egypt

  1. God had to cause a persecution to rise up for them to be willing to leave and be the blessing that he had mandated for them

E. We learn that the key to fulfilling God’s call during persecution during persecution is

  1. Being Spirit Filled

F. Verse 5 — Philip one of the seven chosen for the food program gores to Samaria

  1. John 4 — Jesus at the well with the Samaritan woman

  2. They are a hated people because they are half breeds

a. Half Jewish

b. Half Assyrian

G. Verse 6-7 — The Samaritans receive the gospel and experience two supernatural events in the process

  1. Demons cast out

  2. Paralytics/Cripples healed

H. Verse 8 — Great Joy in the city

  1. There is always joy when people allow the gospel to transform them

Key Point — The Gospel is able to withstand persecution and we must hold unto this truth as we move ahead

II. The Gospel is More

Reveal Answer
than
Reveal Answer
— verse 9-25

A. Tarot cards of psychic readers, the crystals of new age devotees and the amulets of a witch doctor are common today

  1. Billions are spent on trying to help in life

  2. People are spiritual but are looking in the wrong direction

B. We see the church advances to other cultures and it encounters a society steeped in the occult magic and syncretistic religious practice

C. The early church learns to be

  1. Missionaries that are theologically astute

  2. They understood the difference between the gospel and magic

D. Verse 9 — Simon is a great sorcerer and had made lots of money on his magic

  1. He is a Samaritan and they were a people that practiced

a. Syncretism in their beliefs

b. He also picked up whatever belief would benefit him

  1. He sees the gospel as just another opportunity

a. Verse 13 — He accepts Philip’s message

b. Yet he keeps his magic too

  1. Verse 18 — He wants to buy he the power from Peter and John

E. Today, we do the same thing after we encounter Jesus, we hold unto

  1. Our lifestyles

  2. Our Secular Thoughts

  3. Philosophy

F. Verse 20-24 — Peter calls Simon out and Simon asks for prayer

  1. We must have the same response—humility

G. The Gospel is showing itself over and over again as superior to all religious challenges

  1. History has proven the gospel is true by its impact

Key Point — The Gospel is more powerful than all practices that come from Satan

III. The Gospel is for

Reveal Answer
— verse 26-40

A. The Ethiopians were believed to be at the southern edge of the earth

  1. The gospel is spreading quickly so it is proving to be TRUTH

B. Verse 26 — Philip is directed supernaturally by an Angel to go to a certain road—Jerusalem to Gaza

  1. Verse 29 — after seeing the chariot, the Spirit tells him to go to the chariot and engage it

  2. The spiritual truth here is important

a. We must be listening to the Spirit’s leading so we don’t miss his promptings in our life

C. Verse 27 — The Ethiopian Eunuch is an important government official

  1. The gospel is for everyone, not just the poor

D. Verse 30-32 — The Ethiopian is already searching and is reading scripture from Isaiah about Jesus

E. Verses 34-35 — Philip explains it to him

  1. Example of Tahir and Muslims

F. It is important to note that Gospel will go to everyone who seeks it

  1. General Revelation—Romans 1

  2. Specific Revelation — John 14:6

G. Verse 36-40 — He asks to be baptized

  1. Philip is taken away supernaturally

  2. He continues to preach and live in the supernatural

Key Point — The Gospel is for everyone

Call to Action

1. Ask the Lord what he wants of your life?

2. Prepare yourself to be ready to share your faith

3. Expect the supernatural as you reach out in Jesus name

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