Acts Chapter: 8

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CHRIST IS PREACHED IN SAMARIA
Acts 8 : 4 – 25 – Linked
Philip was the first missionary to be named in Scripture and the first to be given the title ” evangelist.” This text also has a lesson for us in evangelism. 
* Philip went to the city of Samaria and preached about Christ. He showed many miracles and signs that people heard him with one accord.
* “And there was great joy in that city.”

THE SORCERER ‘S PROFESSION OF FAITH
* There was a sorcerer named Simon, who boasted himself to have the divine power. He remained powerful till Philip’s display of God’s power.
* Later Simon had seen the belief of the people, baptism of the Samaritans and the receiving of the Holy Spirit.
* Simon too was baptised and believed in Christ.
* Peter and John witnessed the God’s work.

THE SORCERER’S SIN
* Why wasn’t he receiving the Holy Spirit? Simon wanted to buy the gift of Holy Spirit.
∗ God gives His Spirit freely to those who are righteous at His sight.
∗ Holy Spirit is costly, but it can’t be bought by money; can be bought with one’s own obedience to His Word.
* Simon was not good at the sight of the Lord.
∗ Somehow, in Simon’s “profession” there was a lack of repentance, a lack of complete turning around, a failure to reject and forsake the evils of his past.
∗ Instead, Simon continued to think and to act as a magician, rather than as a Christian.
∗ He was interested in “spiritual power” at a price, not in servant hood as his own expense.
∗ He did not seek those gifts which would build up and benefit others, but those which would be a source of gain to himself.
∗ He did not think in terms of grace, but in terms of magic and manipulation.
* Peter rebuked and asked him to repent, pray, and he might be forgiven from his iniquities. Simon asked them to pray for his sins.

CHRIST IS PREACHED TO AN ETHOPIAN
Acts 8 : 26 – 39 – Linked
The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip to go to Gaza. It’s a desert. A eunuch of great authority under the Candace the queen of Ethiopian. He was in charge of all her treasury. He had come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem. While returning, he was reading the book of Isaiah the Prophet.
As he was riding on the chariot, Philip appeared to him. So Philip explained to him all about the Scripture in Isaiah 53 : 7 – 8. The eunuch knew about the importance of seeking God through the Scripture. (Luke 24 : 25 -27; John 5 : 39, 46; Romans 10 : 12- 15)
The eunuch was cleared of his doubt and when he saw water on the way and he wanted to get baptised. Verse 37 says about the eunuch’s confirmation on his belief, he was baptised by Philip and the eunuch saw him no more.
The eunuch……filipus-dan-sida-sida-dari-etiopia
∗ …..was a strong believer,
∗ …..trusted in Jesus,
∗ ……loved Jesus
∗ ……was baptised
∗ ……and he went on rejoicing.
Philip……
∗ ……was guided to Gaza by the Holy Spirit.
∗ …….guided the confusion of the eunuch in Scripture.
∗ …….baptised the eunuch in Holy name of Jesus.
∗ …….. was taken away by the Holy Spirit in a miraculous fashion to Azotus.
So Philip was God’s representative.
We have seen two different men with different attitude. One is a believer and the other one believed, but he craves for his fame, name and popularity. It’s our choice how we live in this world.

SAUL PERSECUTED THE CHURCH
Acts 8 : 1 – 3 – Linked
* Saul had murderous hatred towards believers.
* That attitude had been shown to Stephen.
* After Stephen’s death, his full-scale attention turned towards the persecution of believers.
* He was cruel, heartless, going house to house and dragging off both men and women to be imprisoned.
* He did all in his desire to destroy the church.
Paul’s story abruptly ended there. But it would be picked up in Acts 9.
Let’s check, what happens, when we study Chapter 9.

Let’s pray……..
Lord, Let’s believe, repent, pray and receive Your Holy Spirit. 
Lord, let’s be Your representatives all through our lives. Amen.
Glory be to God

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