Amen, so we're continuing on in acts here and of course acts verses 1 through 4 are really just kind of
Summary of what we've seen over the last couple chapters verses 6 chapter 6 and 6 and 7 of course last week
we saw Stephen being martyred and
Verse 1 it says there at Saul was consenting into his death if you remember that was who they they had laid his
Clothes at his feet right and at that time there was a great persecution against the church was at Jerusalem
And they were all scattered abroad throughout all the throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the Apostles now
Of course you know there's a couple things here right in this first verse won't spend a lot of time on it, but
The great persecution is kind of kicked off by the fact that Stephen has been martyred
So we're kind of moving forward in the story
It's not like it's just from one day to the next so it's telling us
You know what really got this great persecution going was the fact that Stephen had been martyred okay, but
Also the other thing I want to point out before I kind of make some of my first points here
Is that at the end of verse 1 it says except the apostles right?
That's a really key verse or a portion of that scripture right there
What says except the apostles the bible is very clearly pointing out the fact that the apostles?
Stayed behind they were not spread out through the regions of Judea and Samaria
They didn't go into the regions outside of Jerusalem. They kind of hunkered down there and stayed there, and if you remember
That's not what they were supposed to do they were told
You know of course to go to the lost house or the lost sheep of the house of Israel and to preach to them
But we also know that Jesus taught that if they would not were not to be received they were to you know
Shake the dust from off their feet and move on to a more receptive area
But the apostles here they kind of make an error right and it's whereby sitting in there and not being spread out not going
Out into all the world as they were commanded to do okay
And you might kind of just read over that and think oh, that's just you know
It's just telling us what they did, but the Bible. You know doesn't record everything that everybody does obviously
So when it points out something that somebody or a group of people did it's for a reason
So you have to kind of ask yourself. What's the reason that it's telling us that everybody else went?
Except the apostles why you know why is the Bible pointing that out? Well? It's trying to show us I believe
That they kind of fell short in this area, and that's why you know the latter half of acts
You know very shortly here because from being the acts of the apostles the acts of Paul basically
You know a few other characters
But really the book the bulk of the book of Acts is about who we read about in verse 1 right and Saul
This can't say you know who later becomes Paul, right?
You know he's the one that kind of carries the mission going forward. He's the one that's sent in the Gentiles
He's the one that takes the gospel in all the world of course there were others that joined him
But God kind of had to use him to
Do what the apostles failed to do and that's a whole sermon in and of itself
You know we are given the opportunity to serve God
You know and if we don't if we're not gonna serve God you know God might just shelve us and go find somebody else
That's willing
Maybe even somebody that at first glance. We would kind of dismiss as unusable. I mean Saul here is
He's the one that's bringing break cross persecution
Verse 3 Saul he made great havoc of the church entering into every house and hailing men and women
And committed them to prison
So when you first read about Saul if you hadn't read the Bible already you've kind of scratched your head
Or you would at least think you know this guy isn't probably the guy that God's gonna use he seems to me of course
Is an enemy of the gospel at this point, but you know God goes on to use them the application
I'm making here is that when the Apostles decide to just kind of
Sit on their duff and just be comfortable and just take it easy and not go into all the world as they were commanded to
Do you know God eventually starts to work to find somebody else that will carry out his mission
That's how important God's mission is you know getting the gospel out is that he wants to use people he's gonna use whatever
Vessel is willing to carry the message. You know and that should be a great encouragement to us
We should never think that we can't be used by God no matter who we are no matter
What kind of background we have no matter what kind of mistakes?
We may have made you know or things we haven't done in the past
Maybe it's you know even things that we would feel unqualified because we didn't have a certain
Background or certain upbringing or something like that. You know Saul here is somebody that's making havoc of the church
You know he's literally hauling men and women to prison who are probably gonna be first you know put to death eventually, too
I mean he's a murderer essentially he's having people and he's an enemy of the gospel
But who pens most of the New Testament?
Who is probably the greatest Christian that has ever lived outside of Christ?
Gospel Paul you know I mean that's I understand some matter opinion, but it's a pretty popular one, and I haven't heard anybody argue that
You know when you're being used to pen the vast majority of the New Testament. You know you are a very
You know influential and person that's being used mightily by God right, but how does he start out right?
He starts out an enemy, but why does God use him well because the people that God had trained
We've got people that God had ordained the guy the people that God had charged to go out and preach God's gospel
You know they just kind of sat around
They didn't really want to go out and do the hard work going to these different places of course
We're gonna read about a guy that does do that Philip and some others
But let's so let's get into that but first of all the other thing
I want to point out here is that notice what the persecution led to right there was the great
Persecution against the church was that which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad right at first glance
You might look at that and say man the persecution is bad the persecution
This is a this is a setback to the gospel right, but in reality
That's what that persecution that God allowed to come in is what you know accomplished the mission of bringing the gospel the rest of the world
So you got to learn to kind of always look on the bright side sometimes. You know God will use
Negative things in order to accomplish his will right
Look at the end of verse 4 therefore they that were scattered abroad. You know they weren't going of their own accord
They were you know the idea of being scattered is like someone's taking you and throwing you right
It's like being scattered in the wind that persecution is essentially just thrusting and they not out rather than you know
Giving up their lives or being hauled off the prisoners that well
Let's just get out of here, but that led to what them going everywhere preaching the word
Okay, so the persecution leads to what more preaching, okay?
It kind of reminded me of Exodus remember when they had the cruel task masters
And Exodus chapter 1 and the more they afflicted them the more the children of Israel multiplied
You know that and that's how you have to that's a really good way to look at persecution
You know obviously we've never gone through anything even close to this no one
I don't know anybody personally that's been well. I got to take that back
I do know somebody that's been hauled off to jail for preaching the gospel right, but you know it's not like they're being you know
Killed or you know it's not to this level obviously where the whole church is being scattered right?
We've never been through that right, but it's a good principle here about persecution well when that comes you can either get frightful
You can get scared you could quit the Christian life. You could quit the church
You know you wouldn't be the first one to do it
Or you can look at it this way that hey, maybe God's got a greater purpose
Think about some of the people that we do know that have gone through what we would call persecution today
You know our mild form of persecution and look I'm not saying I'm not making light of it
You know I I personally have experienced a little bit you know
Online blowback you know when people start to you know threaten you and say hey
We're gonna you know expose you for all the preaching that you've done
It's like well
I'm the one that put it out there to begin with right, but when you start to get that blowback
You know when people are tagging the local news agencies in your sermons and trying to get you know the public at large to take notice
And there's that potential that you're gonna go viral for something that you said some you know controversial subject
you know I'm not gonna say you're lying that that might not make me a little nervous right and
Obviously we've seen other people
You know who've gone through similar things that have preached hard sermons that have taken a righteous stand for the white word of God
And have got against you know the the tide of our culture
And have been you know blasted out there
Internationally even where they're you know just being taken out
You know and just just put out there all across the world even and having you know
Protests and all kinds of things happening right
You know you could either think about that and go well that makes me nervous
I don't know if I want to be a part of a church like that
You know that might meet me as a preacher say oh, I don't know if I want to preach a sermon like that
I don't know if I want to go through that kind of persecution obviously no one wants to go through that right
But you know if we're gonna go through it
And we will all they that live God in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution to some degree or another
We're gonna go through it anyway
So you might as well you know learn something from the story that when they went through persecution
They were scattered abroad and went preaching right and same thing today when we go viral or whatever
It's just more you got to look at it like that more people are hearing the word
More people are gonna hear the preaching of God's Word more people are gonna be tuned into
You know got biblical preaching right?
So you got to kind of think of it that way you say well
You know for every 10,000 people that leave some negative comment or dislike for the you know for every 100 emails or voicemails
Or whatever for every every bit of persecution we get if like out of those 10,000 one person
Gets saved or one person
You know gets curious about the things of God or one maybe even backslidden
You know lukewarm Christian gets fired up or maybe one person learns the truth
You know that's worth it
You know I doubt anybody in this early church is saying man. It would have been nice to just stay at Jerusalem with the Apostles
Looking back at the time. They might have thought that'd be nice
Hey if this persecution happen we get to sit here, and we could just continue to you know provide every man
We could just continue to pool our resources and just give to every man as he has need and just have a great big mega
Church here in Jerusalem, and just have a great time
You know and just preach the word here
But you know they might have thought that that a time
But after the persecution came after they were scattered abroad after they saw you know all of these
Gentiles get saved they saw churches started all across the world there. They probably would look back and say no
It's worth it all
It was worth all the you know every person I got hauled off of jail
You know everybody that got persecuted you know it was worth it because the word of God went forth
And that's I have to look at it
Reaching other people comes at a price
You know if we're gonna reach great multitudes of people a lot of times it comes at a price
That's the way you got to look at it
You know if this church is something I preach or something like that eventually one day perhaps goes viral
And we get a bunch of black thing you know backlash of persecution
you know if news crews search new news crews start showing up at my front door if
protesters start start showing up on our sidewalk
What we need to do is just say hey at least we're reaching more fit good the message is getting out there
There's no such thing as bad press
That you got it, and you got to settle these things. I'm preaching this
I know it's nothing new, but you have to think about this and you have to settle this in your heart beforehand
Otherwise when it does come you know you're gonna. You're gonna quit. I mean I have to do the same thing
I have to sit there and say hey, I'm gonna continue to put the preaching out there
I'm not gonna hold back
I'm gonna continue to preach the whole counsel the Word of God and whatever happens happens because if you start to you know if you don't
Predetermine these things when that does come
And then you'll say you know it might be one of those guys. Oh, sorry
You know I was young and immature
You know I was zealous, but I didn't have knowledge
You know be one of these preachers that backpedals on a on the Word of God. Okay. We don't want to be that guy
Reaching people comes at a great price and the greater the reach the greater the price okay, but you know that and obviously
That's talking about you know
You know that's in a very specific context that application about you know
Preaching some hot sermon that just goes out there and a lot of people get saved, but think about
Maybe even reaching people on a smaller scale okay like soul winning
Soul winning reaching people getting the gospel out there. It's gonna come at a price
You know that that's that's a good application for all of us
You know if we're gonna reach this city in Tucson if we're gonna see soul save
It's gonna require us having to pay some price. We're gonna have to sacrifice our time. We're gonna have to sacrifice our energy
We're gonna have to go out there and preach the gospel if we're gonna reach people. That's the only way it's done
I mean, that's what we see in the story. I mean, that's what Philip the evangelist is doing okay
Well, let's move along here verse 5 then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them
And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake hearing and seeing the miracles what you did
for unclean spirits crying with loud voice came out of many that were possessed with them and
Many taking with palsies and that were lame were healed and there was great joy in that city
And I just I love verse 8
You know it's like all these great things are happening
It's like and then God just puts that in there, and there was great joy in that city
But what brought the joy?
What was you know what initially got the joke that that verse 8 what what what made that happen? What made verse 8 possible?
verses 1 through 4
People being persecuted people being scattered people going out there and preaching abroad right that's what led to great joy
Yeah, I know it's Philip and all the healing that he did
But the only reason he's there because he was scattered abroad. He's one of the servants in Jerusalem
He's one of the you know the deacons we saw ordained in chapter 6 the only reason he's here in
City of Samaria preaching to them and doing these miracles is because he was scattered abroad with the rest of them the persecution is
Ultimately what led to joy in that city, okay?
And
Philip you know he's a great example of somebody that's that's just a minister. He's out there. Just doing the work
he's out there helping people and
He's a great example of that okay of being somebody that ministers for the sake of others, okay?
I mean, that's what it means to be a minister. Why do we do what we do? Why do we preach? Why do we?
You know
Get involved in local church. Why do we get involved in program?
For others that's what the ministry is you minister for others?
Look at verse 9 there
It says, but there was a certain man called Simon which before time in the same city used sorcery
And bewitched the people of Samaria giving out that himself was some great one now
It's important to pay attention to the details when it comes to Simon the sorcerer because there's controversy around this character
People will teach you that this guy who really didn't get saved okay, so pay attention the details here
He gave out of himself that he was some great one, okay?
So he's out there kind of he's a self promoter right and he's out there saying
I'm so great and he's using sorcery to do it right the dark arts
And it worked verse 10 to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest
Saying this man is the great power of God, so that's his reputation. He's a great one. He's the great power of God
Everybody thinks this about this guy. He's got him all bewitched. He's got them all fooled
verse 12
Well verse 11 and they and to him they had regard because of that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries
But when they believed Philip
Preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ
They were baptized both men and women so Philip kind of comes in and breaks the spell
right he gets them saved and
As a result Simon is kind of losing his clout. He doesn't have as much pull right
They're saying oh this you're no longer the great one. It's Jesus. It's Philip. That's preaching Jesus right
He's converting them away from him now notice verse 13
Then Simon himself believed also so was say with Simon a saved guy
Yes, right why because he believed right isn't that the standard we'd hold everybody to
What we say hey, you know are you are you sure you're hundred percent your way to heaven you know yeah
Well, I because I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
You think you could ever lose it no
We would we anyone said that to us if that was the just if anyone else was described this way that they believed on Jesus
Christ we'd say they're saved
You know and a lot of even Baptist will say that right that a lot
I mean, that's a that's a sound Baptist doctrine salvation by grace through faith right faith alone
And yet so many Baptist when they read Simon the story about Simon the source will say well. He wasn't really safe
Right but who is telling us first of all that Simon believed well, it's the narrator of Scripture
You know this isn't some third part. You know this isn't some character within the story saying oh Simon believed
This is the Bible saying it. This is the Holy Spirit saying Simon believes so we know Simon believed
so Simon saved
right we know that about it and
When he was baptized so then you have Philip who's a pretty good soul winner I?
Mean he's the guy that God he's gonna use to go to the Ethiopian eunuch in just a few verses right
He's the guy that's gonna later become known as Philip the evangelist
This guy knows when he should baptize now obviously we might baptize unsaved people from time to time. I'm not saying that
But he's not just out there. Just you know he's not Billy Sunday
Just like come down the path and just shake my hand brother. You're saying
You know he's not just dunking people willy-nilly right. He's not just trying to rack up numbers
Okay, obviously Philip here
Knows what he's doing, and he's this guy's getting so Simon gets saved then he gets baptized likely all likelihood
It was Philip that baptized him all right, or you know he was approved
So we've got some pretty good evidence so far that Simon was saved. He believed the gospel right we know baptism doesn't save
But you know that's just a sign that probably the people around him said yeah, he's saved
Let's go ahead and baptize him. We're baptizing him because he is saved right. We don't baptize unsaved people
He continued with Philip and wondered beholding the miracles and signs which were done so now he's hanging around with Philip
Okay, now some people say oh well
He's just in it to try to get you know this power that he has and he does want the power right
But what does the Bible tell us about him he believed?
he was baptized and
Then he continues with Philip
What and wondered beholding the miracles and the signs which were done, okay, so he's just hanging out with Philip
He doesn't necessarily say that the reason why he hung around with Philip is just so he could try to get this
Purchase the holy the power of the Holy Spirit with money
So you could kind of get back as former prestige right the people
The Bible is making it real clear here that he is a saved man
I believe that no one will ever convince me this guy wasn't saved
Okay because the Bible's the one that's telling us he believed I mean how many scriptures tell us the only thing you have to do is
believe
It's the some of the most famous ones right. I mean should we just go to John 1 and start reading tonight
Because we'll be here all night. Just going through every verse that tells us. It's by faith alone
Whosoever believeth you know he that believeth is not condemned. You know he that believeth hath everlasting life
So there you know that's why I believe he's saved because the Bible says he believed
Let's move on with the story there, okay
So now when the Apostles verse 14 which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God
They said unto them Peter and John
Who when they were come down prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost for as yet?
He was fallen upon none of them only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus
Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost
And when Simon saw that the delaying on of the Apostles hands that the Holy Ghost was given he offered them money
Okay, so who is it that gives the power of the Holy Ghost in the story?
It's not
Philip right, it's the Apostles Peter and John
So he's hanging out with Philip, and then the Apostles come and he sees this laying on it
So it's not like he even knew this was a possibility
Right because some people might say oh, that's why he continued with Philip right because he wants to just get this power or something like that
Well, we see that the power comes later and not by the hand of Philip, okay?
So he sees this and
He offers them money saying give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands
He may receive the Holy Ghost right
Now that's not necessarily a bad request is it I
Mean I wish it were that easy as a preacher
You know someone is pastoring a church to be able to say receive the Holy Ghost
Just walk up individuals. Just put my hands on them and just fill them with the spirit
You know it's not really a bet on the surface. It sounds good right I mean wouldn't that be great
Just I mean I thought I could get every person in the room filled with the Holy Spirit by just putting my hands
On them and saying receive the Holy Spirit just filling with the spirit
I mean
How much
You know that's one
You know I but I think there was maybe some other motives here that he had we'll see here in a minute
And Peter kind of sees through it, right?
But Peter said in him thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter for thy heart is not right in sight of God
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee
For I perceive thou in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity
So this is a really harsh rebuke, right?
When he says hey give me this power how much money and he just I mean I mean I've preached some hard sermons
You know and I've had to have some hard conversations
I don't think I've ever sat anyone down and said you know what you're in the gall of bitterness
You're in the bond of iniquity. You know I've never that's a pretty harsh review, right?
But notice how Simon responds verse 24 then Simon answered Simon said pray to the Lord for me
That none of these things that she has spoken of come upon me, right?
So here's a guy who could take rebuke right?
Here's a guy who can be told who can hear something negative about himself and deal with it
Who do you think you are Peter? Oh?
Mr.. Big Shot there, you know
He
Took it
Right which kind of shows you that he's he's actually maybe a good guy. Yeah, I know he starts out as a sorcerer
He's you know he starts out bad, but who else did we just read about verse one guy named Saul?
And he wasn't a very good guy either and God used him
right
I mean
We really want to think about it. You know Saul was way worse than Simon the sorcerer the story
I mean yes, Simon's using sorcery, and he's been witching the people
But at least he's kind of wanting to hey give people the Holy Ghost and he you know he's being able to take rebuke
Saul's like having people arrested and hauled off jail
People always want to pick on this guy, but you know what he's actually at least not as bad in my book as Saul was
And he could take the rebuke
But we know he saved why because he believed
That's the only thing that you have to do right now. Let's say, but why is he telling him to repent here?
Why is Peter telling to repent therefore?
You know of this thigh wickedness
Well look at the words because it seems like Peter's being real specific about what it means repent of right?
Because people hear that word repent
They just want to instantly you know make up to say all that remains means you know just
Repent of your sin feel sorry for you know how bad you are or something like that
And it just means turn means quit doing that right change directions
And Peter says repent therefore of this thigh wickedness to me. It seems like he's being really specific
Your request to be able to give this power by the laying on of hands
You know in trying to buy that with money. That's your wickedness. That's what you need to repent of this foolish notion this mentality
That you can just buy the power of God
right
And look we should all make sure that you know we don't have something similar in our hearts
You know if we really want the power of God. It's not gonna. Just it's not earned with just
cheaply
If we want the fullness of the Holy Spirit, you know we have to keep God's commandments
We have to walk in the spirit. We can't we have to you know mortify the deeds of the flesh
We have to die daily. We have to confess continue to confess our sin and forsake sin
We have to be reading our Bibles and praying it'd be you know it'd be a lot easier to just fork over some money
You know like it was something you know me think all there were subscriptions that people have today
You know the odd of you know audible books, and you know all the streaming services
And you know just all the different people just pay the monthly fee
You know fifteen dollars here twenty bucks here just to be able to download this have that delivered. You know get them Amazon Prime
It's cheap
Right it's easy
That's not how you're gonna get the Holy Spirit
You know you put in your tithe in this high plate does not mean that you're gonna
You know be filled with the spirit you showing up to church
It's not gonna mean that you're gonna walk out of here and be filled with the spirit
That's cheap to think that that's how easy it is to get power the Holy Spirit in your life
It takes work takes effort right
So that's kind of his wickedness here
This is his foolish mentality just thinking oh, I can just purchase the power of the Holy Ghost
You know he wants specifically the ability to lay these lay hands on people and have these you know
He has no part in that matter one. He's not an apostle okay
I'm just making the application that if we want the fullness of the Holy Ghost in our lives
We if we want the fruit of the spirit in our lives
It's not it's gonna take more than money. It's gonna take more than church attendance
It can take an actual authentic real genuine walk with God
That's what God's gonna bless
That's who God's gonna fill with the Holy Spirit, okay?
And there's nothing wrong with wanting that I think you know him wanting this you know was not necessarily a bad thing now
You know maybe I need to kind of back
Maybe I'm at the backtrack a little bit on that one, but because when you kind of look at this you know his
wickedness is
He wants the power right
Because you remember what what was his former reputation this man is the great power of God right?
And
Rather than just saying oh, he's unsaved. You know to me. It just seems like
All that means is that you know he's it's like a Christian who just kind of wants his former life back a little bit
Christians do this
They covet or they miss the old life
Right they get saved you know they get they get on fire
They get they get zealous for God they start coming to church and I start soul winning and start living for things of God
Then enough time goes by and it's kind of and the Christian life gets real, and then it's not a you know the honeymoon ends
So to speak and the real work of living the Christian life begins
And they start thinking about man
You know I kind of miss being able to just go out and sin and not have to show up at church
You know just do whatever I want on my Sundays
I have to worry about sewing they these are starting to think about the former life
People do this all the time this happens in the Christian life
Okay, that's what I kind of see here with
Simon sorcerer give me this power because that's what he was known for that was what he used to have used to have power
That's people said man. This guy's a great power of God. He wants that old status fact
Sometimes Christians do the same thing
Right and and I'll just read to you from Romans 7. It's gonna have you turn there, but
It says in Romans chapter 7. It's a bit of a tongue twister
If you want to turn there in verse 14
It says for we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal sold under sin, okay
Paul said I am carnal not I used to be carnal, but now I'm never carnal anymore
No, he he is carnal
For that which I do I allow not
You know those things that I want to do
I don't I don't do them for what I would that I do not
There's things I want to do there's things I know I should do, but I don't do those things
Because I'm carnal, but what I hate that I do the things. I don't want to do anymore. I end up doing them
If I then do that which is which I would not I consent on the law that it is good
right that the law is right to condemn because I
Do what I would not
Now then it is no more I that do it, but that sin that used to dwell in me
But when I once I got saved I stopped sinning
right
wrong
Sin dwelleth in me we still have sin
For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing
Look, there's no good thing in your flesh. Isn't that what Paul just said?
In your flesh, there's no good thing. So if you just start living your life for the flesh
No, nothing good is gonna come of it. You might have the pleasures of sin for a season
You might have some fun. You might not have the burden of bearing your cross daily, but you know what?
There's nothing good. Nothing spiritual is gonna come out of it
If you live for the flesh all that's gonna come out of it is carnality and sin
That's all you're gonna get out of it
And people have to be reminded this because they do what Simon the sorcerer does
They start thinking about their former prestige
I started thinking about the way things used to be I used to have this power
I used to be able to do this sin
I used to be able to go out and do this and do that and I didn't feel guilty about it and
I didn't have to have all these rules. I didn't have all these commandments
I have to worry about filled with the Holy Spirit, you know
It was just life was so much easier. The way of the transgressor is hard
But Christians get you know, these foolish notions in their head that you know
Oh going out and living a life of sin must be so much easier. It must be so much easier than living the Christian life
They start to covet the things that are out there in the world
They start to covet the things that you know, the unsaved are doing. They're envious at the wicked
They start to think oh it must be nice not have to go to church
It must be nice not to have to dress this way
It must be nice to be able to just watch whatever I want listen to whatever I want drink whatever I want smoke
Whatever I want and sleep with whoever I want to
Must be nice to be able to go out there and just indulge in all the sin
That's a that's a dumb way of thinking
Because it's the flesh. It's carnality and there's no good thing in it
You know, that's kind of why
Peter's rebuking this guy so hard. So that's a wicked way to think
Repent of this wickedness repent of this desire to just go back to your old ways and look old habits die hard
Old habits die hard, you know, just cuz you get saved doesn't mean all those bad habits just go away
It just means you have the power now to actually get the victory over them
You have the promises of Scripture you have the indwelling the Spirit if you want the victory it's there
But you're gonna have to pray you're gonna have to find that way of escape that you'll be able to bear it
You're gonna have to go after that that's gonna take effort
He says, you know, he's in the gall of bitterness he's coveting the former life
You know, I don't want my Christian life to be described as that
Just live at me living in the gall of bitterness
Just bitter about all the things that I don't get to do anymore now that I'm saved and I have to have these standards
Just bitter about all the things that I never got to do that
Everybody else got to do because I'm a Christian and we have these standards
That's the gall of bitterness
It's a bitter way to live
Just go go through life just envying the wicked
Just wishing I could go do that and wishing I could do that and not have all these rules
And look Christians do this young people do this older people do this they all do it
From time to time. We've probably all been guilty to some degree or another, you know, I just don't want this to be the
You know the overall
You know description of my life just a bitter person who's just bitter about the fact that they couldn't do everything all the wicked do
Then you just start wishing for sin wishing things are different. Well, you know what be careful what you wish for
You might just get it probably heard that one for hey the backslider and heart shall be filled with his own ways
Where does that start in the heart the backslider in heart
You know if we start wishing for all these things and getting the golf bitterness and start desiring all these things
You know what? We're probably just gonna end up right in the midst of it
And we'll probably get all that sin and all those things so we can just drop all those standards and quit
You know serving God, you know, you can have that you can go do that
Be careful what you wish for you might just get filled with it
You might just end up with it
you might just end up out there partying and drinking and
sleeping around and cut and you know what else you get you get to have all the sin and you get to have
all the consequences too and
Because you're saved and because you know better because you've been under the preaching like this
You
Know what the God's punishment will be even more harsh
Unto whosoever much is given of him shall also much be more be required
The more, you know the more
Accountable you are
That's why you got to preach this because that's a scary thought think about it
You know if fear is the only thing that's gonna keep you in line in the Christian life. So be it
And if you have to get to the end of your Christian life kind of bitter
But all the things you didn't get to do or had to do
You know what that bitterness is still better than what the world is gonna the stuff it's gonna bring to you
But it's gonna fill your life with
the heartache
And his problem he was in the gall of bitterness right and he was in the bond of iniquity the bond of iniquity a
A
Bond is like something that you know binds you right? It's like it's got a hold on you iniquity has got this guide nailed down
What what is it that Simon the sorcerer it wants here? He's company
You know covetousness is something that will find you it will reach out and grab you and take hold of you and just
Just you know have you go in all kinds of different directions
We have you know take heed and
Beware of covetousness for a man's life consists if not in the abundance of his possessions
You know our life is not just the things that we own
But isn't that exactly what the world wants us to do to just chase after things and money
Cars and homes and games and pleasures, and that's that's all the world has to offer stuff
things
pleasure
Look I'm not against those things. I kind of like having a house
You know I like having a car you know my life doesn't revolve around that stuff
You know and if that's what we find ourselves chasing you know it might be that we're just in the bond of iniquity
Because that's what Simon the sorcerer is doing he's just coveting what he can't have
Give me the Holy Ghost get here. Here's some money
Give me what I can't have that's covetousness
You
Say you know that's that's the proper way to apply Simon the sorcerer
We could say or debate or was he saved wasn't he say well
Let me tell you why it wasn't safe and completely missed the point
Bible says he believed he was saved the warning that we get from Simon the sorcerer is is that even a saved person?
Could still be subject to being a bitter covetous person
You
Let's move on story though because we got you got to wrap this up tonight
says in verse 25 and they when they had testified and preached the word of Lord returned to Jerusalem and
Preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans
And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip saying arise and go to the south which unto the way
unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem to
Gaza which is desert
I love I love verses 26 and 27 right the angels spake unto Philip and said arise and go
Arise and go verse 27, and he arose and went I love Philip Philip is such a great example of just obedience and just
Whatever it takes, and he's just no questions asked and just does it
You know that that's that is the truth you want to be blessed be obedient
Do what God says and you God will use you
You know God will use you in a great way
I believe that if we would if we would arise and go if we would just do what God said
And stop being like Simon the sorcerer and coveting and being bitter and being you know
Held in the bond of iniquity and just wishing for all the things we can't have and just you know wanting to be
like other people
You know if we'd stop doing that and just do what God told us, you know, we'd be used mightily by God
You know, I love I love that I wish it was that simple of people man
I wish I could get people to go soul winning that easily
Go soul winning, okay
Well, I could just preach it one time as I had to say it once every person hey arise and go done
You know then we could move on to a lot of other things when it comes to preaching, right?
But obviously this is a bit of an ideal
So he rose and went verse 27 and behold a man of Ethiopia a
Eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of Ethiopians who had charge of all her treasure had come to Jerusalem for to worship
So he's there worshipping, you know, he's seeking after God and it says in verse 28
He was returning and sitting in his chariot in his chariot read Isaiah's the prophet
Then the spirit said unto Philip go near and join thyself to this chariot
Verse 30 and Philip ran thither to heat him to him. Excuse me and heard him repeat
Prophet Isaiah's now it says he ran to him
You know, this would probably exclude me from you know, if I was there they'd be like, let's get on a guy
If I was Philip, it wouldn't be me because that running bit it happened
But did the spirit tell him to run? Hey run, you know, no Phil just did it right
Obviously he ran because he needed to this is a chariot. It's probably going faster than you could walk, right?
it's kind of the whole point and
It's like and Philip didn't go. Well, could you've gotten me closer?
You know, why did you drop me off so far?
I mean think about it the Holy Spirit could have just taken Philip and put him immediately in the chariot
Just right next to this guy
right
But you know Philip had to put forth some effort
He
Had to rise and go because we see at the end of the chapter like that after he gets this guy saved the spirit just
Catches him up takes him away. He just disappears right? It's like well, why couldn't we start out that way?
Why doesn't the story why don't you just why do you have to be have make me a rise and go?
No, why do I have to run to the chariot?
right
Because we have to put forth effort in order to see great things from God
You know, we have to endure persecution
We have to go we have to put forth effort and that's when people are gonna get saved and look there's divine appointments out there
That's what this is. I
Mean the Holy Spirit knew where the Ethiopian eunuch was. He knew where he was gonna be. He's telling Philip to go
And I believe that you know, if we'll arise and go God will just engineer things
Just make people cross our paths. He'll cause the tire to go flat. He'll make the phone ring
You know, someone will get that random call you God can do I mean God can do anything
And God can engineer if we'll rise and go God will just start to use us
Maybe not every single time
But if we continue to give God opportunity to use us God will use us
You know, this isn't we didn't just meet Philip. Philip was serving remember where did Philip start?
Just serving right just being humble servant
And now after he's been faithful after he's been dutiful after he's been doing what he's supposed to just being obedient now
God's gonna use him in this great way. He's got this divine appointment
I mean, how many people have you heard preach how many people have you heard talk about the story?
One of the most famous stories in the Bible in the New Testament at least if not the whole Bible
The Ethiopian unit it's one. It's a very well-known story. So many servants been preached about Philip in a positive light
I
Mean what you know, what a great way to be used by God as an example of somebody who's being used mightily by God
But where did he start serving being faithful?
Rising going putting forth the effort if we'll do the same thing
God
Will make divine appointments for us
You know and I'm thinking about other
Experiences other people have relayed to me. I've heard over the years
I'm thinking about in my own life times
I've got out soul-winning and run into people or was like they were a spot in life where it was just like they were primed
But you know the pump was primed they were just the low-hanging fruit and they're so grateful that you came
I mean, I remember being on the reservation
Mike was the guy's name
You know just west of window rock
Remember knocking this guy's door just going about our business. I think Karen you were with me got a bag of clothes from him
Right. I knocked on his door guy didn't answer and then I so I start to leave because it's down this little two-track
You know, it's out there and another car is coming towards us and it's the guy's wife
And she says well you he's there when you please go back
He's because he's like he had gotten jumped in town a couple weeks earlier
Like carjacked like pulled out of the car and beaten nearly to death. They had a life flight him to some hospital
he almost died and
So he's he's dealing with trauma like PTSD
He didn't want to come to the door because he didn't know what he was like he was afraid
But his wife, you know, we I mean if I had left five minutes earlier if she had left five minutes earlier
We would have missed each other
You know, I'm just doing I'm supposed to do just go out there taking people on the rez serving God just going knocking the doors
You know just going to this door and I believe God just makes people cross paths
Look that lady his wife came and and stopped us on the two-track talking
She said will you please go back and talk to him? I went back the guy got saved
The guy was so grateful
I pretty sure I went and visited him again the next trip and he told me he's like all I'm not afraid anymore
He said before you came and knocked on my door that day like things I would hear things outside
And I was I was scared like guy was having serious
Trauma because he had gone through this, you know traumatic event. I mean getting yanked out of your car and beaten to an inch of your life
That's not something just get over
Okay, very fearful person
But it all happened, you know, and I'm not trying to lift myself up
I'm just saying look if if God can use me like that he can do with anybody
Anybody any fillet can be a fillet
Anybody can just arise and go and be faithful and God will start to use them in ways
That they never thought possible
You know, maybe they're not gonna have the power to just lay hands on people and fill up with the Holy Spirit like Peter and John
But you know what there might be some Ethiopian eunuch out there that you can go join yourself to and
and make clear the scripture and get them saved and
Change their eternal destiny. I mean that's a pretty big deal. I
Mean think what would I rather do? I'm just thinking out loud right now
What would I rather have the ability to do just go around on each one of you and just lay my hands and just
Fill you with the Holy Spirit
Or to go out there and get people saved if I had to choose one or the other
You know what? I choose to go get people saved
They said oh you could you could fill everyone in the room with the Holy Spirit
Just by you know laying hands on them
If you did you could do that or you can go out and preach the gospel
But you can't do both which is I'd say I'd go preach the gospel
Because you might I might fill you with the Holy Spirit today and tomorrow you just grieve the Holy Spirit
Next day you could you know, not be filled the Holy Spirit who knows what we're gonna do day to day
You know, if I go out and preach the gospel and get people saved that's permanent that's a condition that's never gonna change
They're not gonna go to hell
Right and look there's people out there that if we would just arise and go they would get saved and they would not go
to hell I
Think that's sometimes what we lose sight of
Is that if we don't go our gospel is hid to them that are lost
We'll still be saved, but people are literally gonna die and go to a literal hell for eternity and suffer
unimaginable torment
For eternity
Right, they're gonna go there and there's people that would would would not go there if we would go
Not Calvinists here. Oh if they're gonna get saved they'll get saved
If God really wants him saved hello God wants everyone to get saved
So why isn't everybody saved then?
Because we are ambassadors for Christ. He's committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation
You know, that's the value of the sole winner it's a necessity
You know what makes a soul winner so valuable the fact that he's needed
Right
How should I call on him and whom they have not believed and how should they believe in him who they have not heard
And how shall they hear without a preacher?
You know people would call people would believe but they won't do it without a preacher
And how shall they preach except they be sent saying sure preach about this a lot
Well, you know I'm not the Holy Spirit. I can't just say arise and go and then you just arise and go
People have to constantly be reminded rise and go arise and go arise and go people are going to hell
People are gonna die and go to hell that would didn't have to go there if we would arise and go
That's the reality that we're living in
And it's a sad one it means you break our heart
To think that people are gonna die and go to hell
Because we didn't go reach them and look I understand we can't get everybody saved, but I'm saying this
there are people that would get saved if we'll go and
If we don't go those people will not get saved
fact
And you know what's no matter how much we go and how many people we get saved that's always gonna be the case
Because there's always gonna be people we could have reached that we didn't do that
We didn't reach
That's always gonna be the case right and
I understand we're all busy. We all have lives
We all go through things
And sometimes it's easier than sometimes it's not but you know what the one fact always remains constant
People will get saved if we'll go
Maybe not every single time we go
But if we keep going and going and going and going and going people are gonna get saved
There's gonna be these divine appointments
And God can even engineer circumstances. I believe that just like in the story
God wasn't like hey Philip a rising going. Let's see what happens. Maybe you'll run into somebody
No, he knew where that where the eunuch was he knew where Philip was hey, let's make this happen
But what if Philip had just said well, it's so far
Go running
Somebody else do it
Nobody else would have done it Oh
People will find God if they want to this guy's literally coming back from Jerusalem
He's there worshiping God and he's unsaved
He's literally got the Bible in his lap reading it and he can't understand it
Because it takes a preacher folks. It takes somebody to show them from the Word of God how to be saved
No matter how good their intentions
Look at verse 32 and the place the scripture
He read was this he was led as a sheep to the slaughter and like a lamb done before his shears to open
He not his mouth
and his humiliation his judgment was taken away and who shall declare his generation for his life is taken from the earth and
You the eunuch answered Philip and said I pray thee of whom speaketh the prophet this of himself or some other man
Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus
right
He's expounding the Word of God. That's what needs to happen for people to get saved
Otherwise, you know, let's just let's just rent a helicopter
Let's just go down to Davis math math. Um, I say it Air Force Base and
Just see if we can get a big c130
You know see how much that is and we'll just load it up with a bunch of Bible tracks
And then we'll just go litter the city, right?
Let's just take all the Bibles that we have and just start throwing them at people on their doors and just trying to
Hopefully they'll read it get saved
No, it took somebody the guys literally got the Bible in his lap and and somebody else has to come along
They'll say well, let me explain it to you
So, well that doesn't that that's why did God make it so hard
Well, you know the the hard part was done by Jesus I mean did we just read that
He was the one that was led as a sheep to the slaughter
He was the one that was was judged to take away from the earth his his life is taken
He's the one that literally laid down his life
Sounds to me like he did the hard part. All we got to do is arise and go
Well, I don't know what to say. I don't say it. Well, just you know how to get saved, right?
Well, just tell them how to get saved
The more you do it the better you'll get at it these you'll get and the more you'll enjoy it and the more people get saved
Verse 36 and as they went on their way
They came into a certain water and the eunuch said see here is water
What does hinder me to be baptized and Philip said if thou believeth with all thine heart just like Simon the sorcerer did
Thou mayest and he answered said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, right?
So this is a great proof text, you know, if you're ever out there and someone brings up baptism
You ever explain baptism just have this mark in your Bible
This is such a great picture of you know
This is such a great picture of you know, you have to get saved and then you get baptized
it's not the other way around and
then it's a great picture of the fact that he verse 38 and he commanded the chariot to stand still and
They went down into the water both Philip and the eunuch and he baptized them
It's a great and so it's a great example of baptism that come in the fact that it comes after salvation
And it's by immersion, right? That should be pretty obvious
It's by emergent how you say how's the Bible well they went down into the water because if it's just sprinkling it's like
He would have said hey stay here. You know, I'm gonna just go get some water. He just don't
Just give him a raspberry
You know, I baptized you name of the father the son of the Holy Ghost
It's sprinkling it's water
Right. It's a little crass little crude. That's not how I want to be baptized even if it was by sprinkling
You know
Let me just you know get you got a look at him. I probably he probably had water with him
Done
So it's a great proof text for that, right?
And let's wrap it up here and when they're come up out of the water the Spirit of Lord caught away Philip and
The eunuch saw him no more and he went on his way rejoicing
And just like earlier when he came that wherever Philip goes he's bringing joy
Wherever he goes people end up rejoicing he goes that city there was great rejoicing
he goes and listens to God and and it goes under this chariot runs the chariot preaches the gospel and
The unit goes away rejoicing
And this goes back to what I said earlier that we don't minister for ourselves
Look if you're not gonna go soul-wetting if your thought is well, what am I gonna get out of this?
maybe blisters
And the door slam your face you might get called that's what you're gonna get out of it
Have dogs chase you had that I
Mean, there's all kinds of story
There's all kind of we could just start thinking about all the negative things that happen when we go soul-wetting
Is that why we do it though for the positive experiences?
Look, they're not all gonna be Mike out there on window rock
right
There's gonna be some people that's it's not it's sometimes it's not gonna be fun, but that's not why we do it
It's so that other people can go away rejoicing so we can bring joy to other people we can bring the joy of salvation
To other people that's what it means to be a minister of Christ
to minister to others
We don't do it for ourselves
We don't do it because it's fun. We don't do it and look sometimes soul-wetting can be a lot of fun
Honestly again
You make great memories out soul-wetting I've had a lot of fun
You
Know you can spend time with people you go on these missions trips
And look if Tucson's got you burnt out if it's just if it's too hard and I get it Tucson's kind of a tough town
Got gates. I've never seen people with so many dogs and all my life. I
Mean good night. We were down here on the south side, you know a month or two ago
I don't know. It was a few few months back now
You know over here and it's just like I remember we're standing at intersection
It was like you're being barked at by pit bulls from like all on all four sides
Multiple dogs, it's probably like a half dozen dogs all barking at us. It was with my family right? Remember that we're standing just
And then you go to Detroit where it's like it's illegal to have a gate that goes past the front of your house and
Like I did I saw the only dogs I saw were like this big
Everyone's super receptive. It's like this is great
You know, so I get it this isn't exactly the most receptive town but you know what there's still people out there to get saved
You got the numbers to prove it. I
Don't think these people are coming back and lying to me
You know
They can't all be the rez they can't all be Detroit
They can't all be these super receptive areas, but there are people out there get safe, you know, it could be down in Mexico
You can go there, you know, if this has got you worn down
Maybe it's time to think about going somewhere where you can get some people saved and be reminded of why we do what we do
And get that zeal back and get that fire lit again
Instead of just thinking about how nice it would be to not have to worry about any of this and just end up living a
Bitter Christian life. I don't want that for anybody
So he snatched away and
You know unit goes on rejoicing
But Philip was found at as Otis and said well that's enough for me. I'm done
I did my fair share, you know, I'm passing through he preached in all the cities
so they came to Caesarea I
Love Philip the evangelist, you know, I'm getting ahead of myself in Acts 21
I'll just read you in verse 8. Well, we see there when Paul eventually comes to him and stays in his house
He's known as Philip the evangelist. All right. This is how he's described in Acts 21 verse 8 and
We entered into how at the house of Philip the evangelist which was one of the seven and abode with him
So it's like he's got these two kind of things that he's known for one. He's an evangelist and he was one of the seven
Right, but he started out as one of the seven, you know Philip is probably look
Is there other other Phillips in the Bible?
Yeah, there was an apostle named Philip. We don't hear about him after acts one
You know, he was in the upper room and then that's it
You know, there's Philip who was the son of Herod the Great, but he's not a good guy
That's not the Philip. We want to pattern our lives after okay
the Philip that we know best is this Philip and
Why do we know him best?
Because of the fact that he was an evangelist and that he was a servant he gets talked about more than any other Philip
And there was literally an apostle named Philip
But here we're learning about a completely different Philip
He's the one that's better known because the fact that he served and he was a soul winner
He was one of the seven the servant in his local church
Ministering the people in his church and he was going out and winning souls and just spreading joy everywhere. He went
I love Philip. He's one of my favorite characters
He's somebody to model ourselves after you know, sometimes we get some we've learned some things about people
We have characters in the Bible. It's kind of like
Their whole purpose in life was to serve as a warning to others. Right? That's not what we want for ourselves
You know, but then you have characters like Philip. It was like a beacon of light be like this guy
Well, what did he do
He served and he won souls
You know, it's interesting that Simon and Philip in the story. They're both saved
You
Know one was rebuked the other was praised
Right got to save guys the story. That's really what it's about. You got two guys who are saved one gets his face ripped
By the Apostle Peter told him to gets told to repent right called wicked
And then you have another one who's just you know, essentially being praised as being lifted up
Having his greatest works recorded for everyone to read about lift it up as an example
being an evangelist
You know the dip what made the difference their motives?
One asked what's in it for me?
What can I get out of this being saved business? I'm saved
Can I get some of that power you got can I get some of that prestige you got what's in this for me?
You know, that's the guy that got rebuked
That's what made the difference between these two their motives the other guy Philip. He was in it for everybody else
He isn't it to minister he was in it to preach a rise and go I'll go I got a run I'll run
You know one live for self
The other lived for others
Which one are we gonna be? I think that's two great examples of
You know, we as Christians we can go in either direction
And we could just go down the path and end up in the call of bitterness and the bond of iniquity
Or we can forget about self and not make life all about the cares and pleasures of this life
And now let the word get choked out and we can go ahead and be that good and faithful ground and bring forth fruit
You know by living for others and not living for self and be like Philip. Let's go ahead and close in order prayer