1 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:10,760 Open your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 8. 2 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:17,360 The book of Acts chapter 8, Chapter 7 we know ended with the 3 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:21,800 first martyr Stephen stoned to death. 4 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,920 Praise for forgiveness for those who are killing him. 5 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:32,200 Saul, member of the Sanhedrin of Pharisee, is standing there. 6 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:35,520 He's got all the clothes of those so they can free them up, 7 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,880 so they can throw stones and kill this person, Stephen. 8 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:44,600 And that's where we left off. And now we move to chapter 8. 9 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:49,240 And it says now Saul was consenting to his death, to 10 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:50,760 Stephen's death. Think about that. 11 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:53,360 Yeah, I agree with that. Yeah. 12 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,760 I think this is just great. You need to understand this and 13 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:03,000 learn this about Saul because then when you realise for me, 14 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:09,240 especially when he gets saved, he meets the Lord on the road to 15 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:17,640 Damascus Sunday and he spends those three days alone and the 16 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:23,120 rest of his life. He's a driven man because he 17 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,480 knows he's passed his blood on his hands. 18 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:31,480 But for the grace of God, he tells us in one Timothy, but for 19 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:35,000 the grace of God, God chose him. Me a blasphemy. 20 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:43,880 And so this was the fire that drove Saul to become Paul. 21 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,000 And as you and I study it tonight, we have this 22 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:50,840 understanding. So then when we get to Chapter 9 23 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:53,120 and Sunday, you'll have the background. 24 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,440 It's important. So Saul was consenting to his 25 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,160 death. There's another thing that we 26 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:04,400 want to touch on. The death of a St is never 27 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:10,320 pointless. The death of a St is never 28 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,040 pointless. When someone dies who's a 29 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:17,840 believer in our family, in the church, Billy Graham, Chuck 30 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:23,120 Smith, there's always an impact that it has. 31 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:28,840 Death is the doorway that opens us to go home, to be with the 32 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:32,720 Lord. It's the medicine that stops 33 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:35,680 pain, sorrow and grief for the person who's dying. 34 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:41,520 And the death of a St is never pointless. 35 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,720 The Bible says precious in the sight of the Lord is the death 36 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:49,600 of his Saints. So Stephen's death was not well. 37 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:56,280 That's a waste of a young life because no, because Stephen 38 00:02:56,280 --> 00:02:59,720 prayed and it was about to fuel something. 39 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,400 We're going to read what Stephens death did. 40 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,880 Philip James Elliott, most of you know him as James Elliott. 41 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:14,400 Jim Elliott 1956, on his first missionary journey, flies down 42 00:03:14,400 --> 00:03:19,440 to Ecuador to reach the Orca Indians, hops up the plane and 43 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:26,680 is speared to death was a waste. No, because the gospel after his 44 00:03:26,680 --> 00:03:32,800 death flooded that nation. So a Saints death is never 45 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:36,720 pointless. We would want that for our own 46 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:41,360 lives. When you die in particularly in 47 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,400 your family, you're a believer. You're here when you pass. 48 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:56,520 We want our deaths have an impact, we want our life to have 49 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:04,120 been lived for God to its maximum, and each day God gives 50 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,640 us to live on this earth is a day for us to achieve that. 51 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:13,640 And at that time, the time of Stephen's death, a great 52 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,320 persecution, not persecution, not just persecution, a great 53 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:21,440 persecution rose against the church hasn't had this. 54 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,640 It's only been against the apostles previously, hasn't it? 55 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,200 The apostles been Peter and John and then the 12 they've been 56 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,280 beaten up told don't preach in Jesus. 57 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:38,720 Now it's on, it's it's it's a released Satan is now releasing 58 00:04:38,920 --> 00:04:42,160 his persecution on everyone who names the name of Christ. 59 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:49,040 This is a massive change. And they were all scattered 60 00:04:50,760 --> 00:05:01,680 throughout the regions of notice, Judea, Samaria, and 61 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:09,960 we're going to see later on somewhere else God allowed this 62 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:13,880 persecution. Acts chapter one, verse 8. 63 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:21,040 You shall be witnesses for me in Judea, Jerusalem, Judea, 64 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:26,440 Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world. 65 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:31,760 And so as you and I read the texts and Scripture, we now see 66 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,200 God is allowing this because what's going to happen? 67 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:42,920 A devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great 68 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:46,040 lamentation over him. That's just kind of inserted in 69 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:47,920 there. Why is that? 70 00:05:48,840 --> 00:05:53,120 Far too many times when a Christian has died, I've seen 71 00:05:53,120 --> 00:06:01,320 many unwise Christian brothers and sisters go up to the 72 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:05,080 grieving family. Go well, you know, you know you 73 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:06,720 well. He's, you know where he is now 74 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:11,800 and he's now wanting, you know, hang on a minute, hang on a 75 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:15,800 minute. Wise as serpents, gentle as 76 00:06:15,800 --> 00:06:20,920 doves. You know, when a Christian dies, 77 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,680 the family weep. There's grief. 78 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:27,760 It's not like, well, he's a Christian. 79 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:29,000 So we don't grieve. We don't cry. 80 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:31,160 I know we're very stoic. No, no, no. 81 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:33,600 It says there was great lamentation. 82 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:40,360 And so I want you to always be aware of that. 83 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:44,880 And also when someone dies who is a believer and someone is 84 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:46,720 telling them, you know, all the good stuff that's going to 85 00:06:46,720 --> 00:06:50,120 happen, they can read that, they can learn that they can talk 86 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:57,600 about that in a in in the right time, but weep with them, sorrow 87 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:03,120 with them. You know, it's allowed by God. 88 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:08,440 It's OK for believers to lament over those who have died. 89 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:14,840 It's part of how God has made us tears. 90 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:18,000 It's, it's God allowing us to grieve. 91 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:20,000 We have this emotion called grief. 92 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:24,480 And many times maybe in your situation, you're, you're, 93 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,680 you're able to say to something, you know, it's, it's, it's all 94 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:32,000 right. It's all right to weep. 95 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,200 And then there's this other classic that often people come 96 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:39,360 up and say as well, you know, over time you'll get over it. 97 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:42,480 Don't say that. And there's this other word, 98 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:47,480 closure. Don't say that because when 99 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:55,960 someone dies, those who are left will have good days, bad days, 100 00:07:57,240 --> 00:08:08,000 good months, bad months, good hours, bad hours and and there's 101 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,560 no such thing. Oh well, it's been 10 years now. 102 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:14,000 Don't don't even worry about it. Stop that. 103 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:20,320 Who who made this stuff up? We can grieve. 104 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,720 There are times and moments in your life you'll think of 105 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,440 something that comes up and you just that moment again. 106 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:31,080 So we need to be sensitive around our brothers and sisters 107 00:08:31,080 --> 00:08:33,360 in Christ. We need to to give them wisdom 108 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,080 and understanding in how grief works. 109 00:08:37,320 --> 00:08:44,360 And so the best time that Job's counsellors gave him when he 110 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:49,040 lost his family and his wealth and his health, they really 111 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:51,280 comforted, you've heard the term Job's comforters. 112 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:56,560 They helped him immensely by being there until they open 113 00:08:56,560 --> 00:09:01,600 their mouths, until they open their mouths. 114 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:11,080 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house 115 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:15,840 without having studies and prayer, dragging off men and 116 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:20,720 women, committing them to prison, beating, having them 117 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:28,200 beaten and killed. This is Saul and he was on a 118 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:34,800 personal vendetta. Therefore, those who were 119 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:38,400 scattered when everywhere preaching the word note that you 120 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:42,640 see, if you're saved, you love the Lord no matter what happens 121 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:46,760 to you, you still preach the gospel, you still preach the 122 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:49,520 gospel. Corrie, 10, Boom's sister, still 123 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:51,920 preach the gospel on concentration camp. 124 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:57,200 They went everywhere preaching the God. 125 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:00,320 They didn't quit, they didn't go oh, OK, we let's learn a lesson 126 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,480 everybody where we go, Don't tell them we're Christians. 127 00:10:03,560 --> 00:10:06,680 You know, they proclaimed the gospel. 128 00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:11,600 So we see the Lord driving this, allowing this. 129 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:17,120 Then Philip, he's one of the seven, Remember, he's a waiter 130 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:20,440 in the church. He's just passing out the bread. 131 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:23,720 That's all he's doing. But he was a man full of honest 132 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,080 report, full of the Holy Spirit. Remember qualifications. 133 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:30,280 Philip went down to the city of Samaria. 134 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:34,680 Samaria was hated by the Jews because they were considered 135 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:39,600 half breeds in the bread. The Jews that had been there had 136 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:42,680 been attacked by many people over the years. 137 00:10:42,680 --> 00:10:47,600 The northern part of them when the 12 tribes separated and then 138 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:52,520 10 went to the north and called themselves Israel and they had 139 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:56,720 many invasions and, and then finally the Syrians came down 140 00:10:56,720 --> 00:10:58,080 and they would take them captive. 141 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:00,320 They would have them in to marry with everyone. 142 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:05,480 And then eventually there was only a small group of Jews in 143 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:08,920 that area and and they became into bred. 144 00:11:10,480 --> 00:11:18,560 So the Jews from Judea, the other two tribes didn't like the 145 00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:20,600 Samaritans. They said they were unclean 146 00:11:20,680 --> 00:11:25,440 because they basically became classified them as Gentiles, as 147 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:29,280 Gentiles. Philip went down to the city of 148 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:31,440 Samaria and he preached Christ to them. 149 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:33,520 Wow. Why did he do this? 150 00:11:34,280 --> 00:11:36,720 Because of the persecution. He goes down there. 151 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:41,960 For Philip, this was the work of God. 152 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:51,160 He went from serving tables to preaching to multitudes, and 153 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:55,520 multitudes with 1 accord heeded the things spoken by Philip. 154 00:11:55,680 --> 00:11:58,000 Why is that? Because what had happened in 155 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:01,960 Jerusalem was an act of God. The persecution, the death of 156 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:06,320 Stephen was the catalyst. God was new was this, this was 157 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,000 on. He welcomes Steven home. 158 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,480 He says don't worry, Steven, your death, this is what's going 159 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:13,320 to happen. And boom, off they went 160 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:16,000 everywhere. Philip goes to a place where no 161 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,040 Jews went. Revival breaks out down there 162 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:24,720 and they're coming to the Lord, and miracles are being performed 163 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:28,440 by Philip for unclean spirits. Crying with a loud voice came 164 00:12:28,440 --> 00:12:32,560 out of many who were possessed. Many who were paralysed and lame 165 00:12:32,560 --> 00:12:36,360 were healed, and there was great joy in that city. 166 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:43,080 Now we come across this fellow called Simon. 167 00:12:43,440 --> 00:12:47,360 There was a certain man called Simon who previously practised 168 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:51,840 sorcery in the city and astonished the people of 169 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:55,400 Samaria, claiming that he was someone great. 170 00:12:55,800 --> 00:13:00,640 This was his ego, to whom they all gave heed from the least to 171 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,280 the greatest saying. This man has the great power of 172 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:07,160 God, and they heeded him because he had astonished them with his 173 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:10,040 sorceries, his magic, for a long time. 174 00:13:11,320 --> 00:13:15,040 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things 175 00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:18,920 concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, 176 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:22,760 both men and women were baptised. 177 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,360 Then Simon himself also believed. 178 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,960 Now hold that because the question I want to ask you is if 179 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:34,880 we stop there, is Simon a Christian? 180 00:13:36,520 --> 00:13:41,200 That's why you need to read the context of all the Bible. 181 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:45,360 And he was baptised. Well, does that make him a 182 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:48,440 Christian and continued with Philip. 183 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:53,440 He hung out with Philip was amazed seeing why was he amazed? 184 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,960 He saw the miracles and signs which were done. 185 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,480 You see the good news always brought joy and joy came to 186 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:05,080 Samaria. But you know, as the enemy 187 00:14:05,080 --> 00:14:08,120 brought persecution. I want to tell you tonight also, 188 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:13,440 there is true faith and there is false faith, and this is my 189 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:17,640 greatest fear for the Church of Calvary Chapel, Secret Harbour 190 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:21,520 prior to the Rapture and to the coming tribulation period. 191 00:14:22,920 --> 00:14:24,760 There's true faith and there's false faith. 192 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,080 There's good soil and there's bad soil. 193 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:34,480 There's wheat and there's tares in the church. 194 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,040 Jesus said you can't tell the difference. 195 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:45,280 In Matthew Chapter 7 verse 13 Jesus says enter by the narrow 196 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:46,800 gate. For why does the gate broader? 197 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:48,520 The way that believes to destruction? 198 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:51,520 There are many who go in by it because narrow is the gate, 199 00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:53,400 difficult is the way which leads to life. 200 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:57,720 There are few who find it. Beware of false prophets who 201 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:00,480 come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous 202 00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:02,320 wolves. You will know them by their 203 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:08,080 fruits and drop down to verse 19. 204 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:11,080 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and 205 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:13,800 thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you'll 206 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:17,080 know them. Verse 21 Not everyone who says 207 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:23,160 to me notice Lord, Lord shall enter the Kingdom of heaven, but 208 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:28,080 he who does the will of my Father in heaven, many, not just 209 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:33,240 a few, many will say to me in that day, the day of standing 210 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:37,160 before the Lord, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your 211 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:41,840 name, cast out demons in your name, done many wonders in your 212 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:45,640 name, and then I will declare this is Jesus to them. 213 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:49,960 I never knew you. We've never had a relationship. 214 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:54,360 I've never been your Lord, I've never been your Saviour, You've 215 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:57,320 never repented of your sin, You've never asked me to forgive 216 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:00,560 me, to forgive you of your sins. You've not accepted that I died 217 00:16:00,560 --> 00:16:03,760 on the cross for you, that I rose from the dead the third day 218 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:08,680 and thrown in and it says depart from me. 219 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:15,880 You who practise lawlessness. Faith must be founded in truth. 220 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:21,400 1 John goes into great detail. John tells us what a Christian 221 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:27,560 looks like, how a Christian acts, and what we see, need to 222 00:16:27,560 --> 00:16:34,480 see is true repentance. In Simon we see ego, man, he 223 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:36,840 said, look at what's happening here, man. 224 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:40,080 Look at the miracles. I'm going to have a bit of this. 225 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:46,160 He'd like to be in control. Now when the apostles were at 226 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:51,600 Jerusalem, heard that Samaria had received the word of God, 227 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:55,320 they sent Peter and John to them, who when they came down 228 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:59,000 prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 229 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:04,079 For as yet He, the Holy Spirit had fallen upon none of them. 230 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:08,000 They had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. 231 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:12,599 Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 232 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:14,920 Good question that comes up is why? 233 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,880 Why is this different? Why? 234 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:22,960 Why wasn't it like with the 2000 with Peter and and the 3000? 235 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:25,599 Why down in Samaria did this occur? 236 00:17:27,079 --> 00:17:35,760 Because the Holy Spirit wanted the church back in Jerusalem to 237 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:40,400 know that Samara, the Samaritans were believers. 238 00:17:40,560 --> 00:17:45,880 The gospel had reached outside of Jerusalem, and as they laid 239 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:51,040 and prayed for the Holy Spirit upon the Samaritans, then this 240 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:54,600 brought the connection of the Samaritan believers to the 241 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:59,120 Jerusalem believers. They were the same now, and it 242 00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:03,120 removed this or there, that's them and where us here. 243 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:13,840 They prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit Now when Simon 244 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:17,600 back to him saw through the laying on when he's so he's 245 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:23,640 watching man as they lay hands Peter and John on the people at 246 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:30,520 the gift of God could be he he he he says give me some if I 247 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:37,760 give you some money, give me this power so that anyone on 248 00:18:37,760 --> 00:18:40,680 whom I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit. 249 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:43,400 Notice the language he's watching. 250 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:46,520 He's man. I, I, this, this is a gig I want 251 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:49,920 to give into. I want to have people see me as 252 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:54,800 the one who comes down and as his power, you know, how much 253 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:58,920 does it cost? So his mask comes off. 254 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:02,160 He was interested only in the ritual. 255 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:06,080 Yes, he had believed. Yes, he'd been baptised. 256 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:11,120 Didn't make him a Christian because his belief wasn't real. 257 00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:14,440 Why is that? Peter tells us. 258 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:19,600 Peter rips into him. Peter said to him, how by the 259 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:22,720 Holy Spirit's discernment, your money perish with you. 260 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:25,200 Why? Because you thought that the 261 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,600 gift of God could be purchased with money. 262 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:32,360 How could you think that? You have neither noticed Peter's 263 00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:34,280 telling him you aren't a believer. 264 00:19:35,160 --> 00:19:41,280 You have neither part nor portion in this matter for why 265 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:46,840 your heart is not right in the sight of God. 266 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:50,640 In other words, you haven't repented. 267 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:53,960 You know all the words. You've come along, you've hung 268 00:19:53,960 --> 00:19:56,680 out with us. You're only interested in having 269 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,400 this, this power. You're not a believer at all. 270 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:02,240 You're interested in the ritual, but your life hasn't 271 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,680 transformed. You're still same, the same 272 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:08,720 Simon who wants power and ego popularity. 273 00:20:09,360 --> 00:20:15,960 Notice that. Because here Peter now tells him 274 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:17,640 what to do to become a Christian. 275 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:20,640 Repent. He hadn't done that. 276 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:23,280 See that that's the only way you get saved. 277 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,600 You know, we we so often people come to the front and and we've 278 00:20:27,600 --> 00:20:30,760 got to get them to repentance. Otherwise they're just having a 279 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,080 religious experience. There's got to be a true 280 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:37,120 repentance. You can't have the salvation and 281 00:20:37,120 --> 00:20:40,760 forgiveness of God until you repent and proclaim I'm a 282 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:42,880 Sinner. I need saving. 283 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:52,320 Peter says repent therefore of this your wickedness and pray if 284 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:56,720 perhaps the thought of your heart maybe notice the words 285 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:04,240 forgiven you ask God to forgive you of your sins, for I see that 286 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:09,560 you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity. 287 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:11,480 See he's not a he's not a Christian at all. 288 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:21,200 He's playing the game. That's then Simon answered, He 289 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:25,000 hasn't got it. Notice this, he said, pray the 290 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:29,160 Lord for me that none of the things which you've spoken may 291 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,160 come upon me. Here's the deal. 292 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:34,800 No one can repent for you. You've got to repent yourself. 293 00:21:35,400 --> 00:21:39,840 We have kids, we have grandkids. We can't save them. 294 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:44,040 They need to. And we have a baby dedication. 295 00:21:44,040 --> 00:21:47,640 That child, when it grows, it needs to come to a place where 296 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:53,960 off its own lips it will say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. 297 00:21:54,440 --> 00:21:58,000 I ask you now to forgive me, come into my life. 298 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:01,280 I receive you now as my Saviour and my Lord. 299 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,560 Nobody else can do it for for anybody else. 300 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:10,120 Too often I see with well meaning parents with a runaway 301 00:22:10,120 --> 00:22:13,080 son or runaway daughter and they're trying to live the 302 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:16,480 Christianity for them and it's it's it's like chalk and cheese. 303 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:19,800 The kids not there, they're not into it. 304 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:27,320 It's got to be an act of God. No one can repent for us. 305 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:33,520 So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, 306 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:36,200 they returned to Jerusalem. Why? 307 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,360 Preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. 308 00:22:39,360 --> 00:22:42,120 They've come back with big news. Hey, everybody, You know the 309 00:22:42,120 --> 00:22:42,840 Samaritans? Yeah. 310 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:47,720 We ain't going there. Oh no, the Lord has blessed 311 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:48,960 them. They're filled with the Holy 312 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:51,400 Spirit. See, there's that identification 313 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:53,360 there. We're of 1 body. 314 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:57,280 We're, we're the body of Christ. We're brothers and sisters in 315 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:02,840 the Lord. Now an Angel of the Lord spoke 316 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:09,480 to Philip saying, arise, go toward the South along the road 317 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:13,960 which goes down from Jerusalem. Notice that word Gaza, you know 318 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,760 that occupied place that the Israelis today claim it stairs. 319 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:22,760 Notice this. I just just no, I'm going to 320 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:25,920 that. It just irritates me when I hear 321 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:29,200 of so much. This is desert. 322 00:23:33,680 --> 00:23:36,120 You see, God seeks to save the lost. 323 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:42,960 So we've had Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, what was the next part 324 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:49,800 in Acts 18 out of most parts of the world, Africa, you see this, 325 00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:53,720 this is Acts 18. It's this is God going, this is 326 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:55,800 what's happening, just like I said. 327 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:05,360 And so it says. So he arose and went, oh, if 328 00:24:05,360 --> 00:24:07,120 only we would do what God asked us to do. 329 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:13,120 This is why Philip, he went from serving tables to a revival. 330 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,000 And now from the revival in Samaria, he doesn't say, oh, 331 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:21,800 God, man, I, I, I, I've got, I've got people, you know, my 332 00:24:21,800 --> 00:24:25,360 people need me in Samaria. I've got this great ministry 333 00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:28,360 going on. Now he says I've got one person. 334 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:31,920 He doesn't even tell him he has one person, but he's going to 335 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:34,160 minister just the one person. Why? 336 00:24:34,360 --> 00:24:39,640 Because God is interested in the one person, He's interested in 337 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:43,040 the one person that's lost, who's seeking. 338 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:46,520 Because God has come to seek and save the lost. 339 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:51,120 Judea, Samaria, the outermost parts of the world, Africa. 340 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:57,000 God is leading Philip, and Philip is able to be LED. 341 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:01,480 And this is half the time why we don't end up in the right place 342 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:05,000 because we're not obedient to what God has told us to do. 343 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:10,160 We don't get to Part 2, part three, part four of our lives 344 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,960 because we just can't get past one Part 1. 345 00:25:16,120 --> 00:25:18,920 God's not going to give us any more information. 346 00:25:18,920 --> 00:25:21,120 He says, do you do this one thing first? 347 00:25:22,360 --> 00:25:27,600 And then as you obey, God starts giving you more, from serving 348 00:25:27,600 --> 00:25:31,560 tables to revival. Now an Angel speaks to Philip, 349 00:25:32,120 --> 00:25:36,360 sends him down to Gaza. So he arose, and behold, a man 350 00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:41,040 of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the 351 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:47,000 queen of The Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury and 352 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,760 had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. 353 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:54,280 He was sitting in his chariot. He was reading Isaiah the 354 00:25:54,280 --> 00:26:00,480 Prophet, chapter 53. Then the Spirit said to Philip, 355 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:04,680 Next step, notice, go near and overtake the chariot. 356 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:09,000 So you notice until you do 1, you don't get 2. 357 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:16,400 So Philip ran to him, heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. 358 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:23,160 By the way, in these days, the times of Christ and that time 359 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:29,040 when you read anything, when you read every reading, there was no 360 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:32,880 silent reading. All reading was reading out 361 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:35,800 loud. Anytime someone read, it was 362 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:39,000 read out loud. And so the Ethiopian eunuch is 363 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:45,160 reading out loud as was normal. Isaiah 53 for US versus 7 and 8. 364 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:49,880 And he said, do you understand what you are reading? 365 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:54,920 He's interested, but he's ignorant, doesn't know. 366 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:00,720 And he said how can I unless someone guides me? 367 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:03,760 And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. 368 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:07,000 The place in the scripture which he read was this. 369 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:11,800 He was led as a sheep to the slaughter and as a lamb before 370 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,200 it's cheer is silent. So he opened not his mouth. 371 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:19,400 In his humiliation his justice was taken away. 372 00:27:20,120 --> 00:27:22,240 And who would declare his generation? 373 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,720 For his life is taken from the earth? 374 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:32,320 So the eunuch answered Philip and said, I want to, I have a 375 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:33,960 question. I love this. 376 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:37,400 Of whom does the prophet say of this? 377 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:41,040 Is it Is he talking about himself or somebody else? 378 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:46,520 Then Philip opened his mouth and began at this Scripture 379 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:50,520 preaching Jesus to him. This is how, this is how you 380 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:54,000 witness. Now as they went down the road, 381 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:58,360 they came to some water and the eunuch said see here is water, 382 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:00,960 what stops me from being baptised? 383 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:06,000 You see, faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God. 384 00:28:06,240 --> 00:28:08,040 And here we have a true conversion. 385 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,400 And you know when you converted and you read about baptism, you 386 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:13,600 know what you want to do, you want to be baptised. 387 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:16,240 We shouldn't have to put up a list to say who wants to be 388 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:19,080 baptised. People should be, hey, I'm 389 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:23,720 saying I am not baptised. That's how it's not like I'm 390 00:28:23,760 --> 00:28:27,360 thinking about it. Well, no, you get saved. 391 00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,440 You want to be baptised. You want to do everything that 392 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,600 Jesus did. You want to do everything that 393 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:34,760 the Bible says. This is what I'm going to do as 394 00:28:34,760 --> 00:28:37,640 a Christian. He says, what stops me from 395 00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:39,800 being baptised? Because salvation. 396 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:43,800 Now notice and we can say this when we have our baptism, but 397 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:46,520 Philip said, oh, you want to be baptised? 398 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:49,240 If you believe with all your heart, you may. 399 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:54,760 And he answered and said, and here's why you can get baptised. 400 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,840 I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 401 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:03,200 He understands that who he was reading about who suffered and 402 00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:06,600 died. Philip has gone into other 403 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:10,400 detail, telling him through the Scriptures who Jesus was. 404 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,920 He's the Messiah who had to suffer and die. 405 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:14,760 But he rose again on the third day. 406 00:29:14,760 --> 00:29:22,400 He says I want, I want him. And so he commanded the chariot 407 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:26,960 to stand still, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into 408 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:29,120 the water, which tells us this is immersion. 409 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:33,160 They go into the water. They go into the water. 410 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:37,680 And he baptised it. Now when they came up out of the 411 00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:42,240 water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away so that the 412 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:46,920 eunuch saw him no more, and he went on his way rejoicing. 413 00:29:47,640 --> 00:29:52,360 So now we have the first Christian convert in Africa and 414 00:29:52,360 --> 00:29:57,800 he takes the gospel to Africa and it's spread all through 415 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:00,440 Africa. Those of you here tonight from 416 00:30:00,440 --> 00:30:05,000 Africa, thank the little eunuch. Probably not little, it's 417 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:08,120 probably a big fella, but the eunuch, you're here. 418 00:30:09,920 --> 00:30:12,960 And notice he went on his way rejoicing. 419 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:16,200 You know, when people get saved and, and, and they come to the 420 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:17,720 Lord, I, I really want to hear them go. 421 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:23,000 I just say, oh, wow. Because salvation always brings 422 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:31,320 joy when it's kind of like, yeah, you've had all your sins 423 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:36,880 forgiven. Salvation always brings joy. 424 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:42,000 But Philip was found as a Zoetis passing through. 425 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:44,840 What did he do? He preached in all the cities 426 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:49,120 until he came to our first stop on our tour, Caesarea. 427 00:30:50,880 --> 00:30:58,160 And so Acts chapter 8, Can you see the hand of God here? 428 00:30:59,920 --> 00:31:02,400 As we look at it, we could think, oh, it's terrible. 429 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:04,600 Look what's going on and terrible things happen. 430 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:07,440 Stephen's death, oh, but Stephen's death. 431 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:09,600 He went home. His job was done. 432 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:13,440 Now the fire was lit. By the way, when Stephen died, 433 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:16,400 there was a fella called Saul and he's doing terrible stuff. 434 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:21,720 The death of a St is never wasted.