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Acts 8 | The Upward Way | Bible Study with A. Z. Adams — Transcript

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0:00So, in the previous chapter, we have
0:02heard the story of the first martyr,
0:04Stephen.
0:06And we've heard that as the religious
0:10rulers and zealots are stoning him,
0:14the murderers are laying their jackets
0:17at the feet of a young man named Saul.
0:21And so, this chapter 8 begins in the
0:24middle of that story.
0:26Acts chapter 8, verse 1. Saul was in
0:31hearty agreement with putting him,
0:35Stephen, to death.
0:37And on that day, a great persecution
0:41began against the church in Jerusalem.
0:45And they were all scattered throughout
0:47the regions of Judea and Samaria, except
0:51the apostles.
0:53Some devout men buried Stephen
0:56and made loud lamentation over him.
1:01But Saul began ravaging the church,
1:06entering house after house and dragging
1:09off men and women.
1:12He would put them in prison.
1:16Therefore, those who had been scattered
1:20went about preaching the word.
1:22Philip went down to the city of Samaria
1:25and began proclaiming Christ to them.
1:29The crowds, with one accord, were giving
1:31attention to what was being said by
1:33Philip
1:35as they heard and saw the signs which he
1:37was performing.
1:39So, here we have
1:42a flash point,
1:43a persecution erupting,
1:46starting against a deacon, ending in his
1:49death,
1:51activating evil people, but one of these
1:54evil people
1:56is Saul.
1:59And
2:00it says,
2:01"Therefore,
2:03because of the persecution, because of
2:06the hardship, because of the the death,
2:09the threats, therefore, those who had
2:12been scattered went about preaching the
2:15word. Philip went down to the city of
2:17Samaria
2:18and began proclaiming the Messiah to
2:21them."
2:22So, the persecution does not produce a
2:26recession of faith. It does not cause
2:29them to pull back and go away. It causes
2:32them to go out and spread the word even
2:36farther.
2:39A godly church, a godly group of people
2:42who are harassed and berated and
2:45persecuted will grow through it. They
2:48will spread the word further. Their
2:51message will reach cities that it never
2:53touched before.
2:55It will grow through persecution. It
2:57doesn't mean it's right.
2:59It doesn't mean it's not evil.
3:01It just means that it will reveal
3:05the metal of character and faith in the
3:09people.
3:10It says that the the devout Christians
3:14put up a loud lamentation
3:18over Stephen.
3:19They were weeping. They were so hurt.
3:22They were grieved.
3:25But they knew this was a war.
3:27And they went to the battlefield and
3:29started pushing the frontier.
3:33In Samaria, the crowds with one accord
3:36were giving attention to what was said
3:39by Philip as they heard and saw the
3:41signs which he was performing.
3:44For in the case of many who had unclean
3:47spirits, they were coming out of them
3:49shouting with loud voices. And many who
3:52had been paralyzed and lame were healed.
3:56So, Philip is down in Samaria, and he's
3:59operating in the same gifts of the
4:00Spirit that the apostles are operating
4:03in, even though he's a deacon like
4:05Stephen.
4:07It's meaningful to me that he's the
4:09second deacon named after Stephen.
4:11Stephen is just killed, and Philip's
4:13saying, "I'm not going in a hole. I'm
4:15going down to Samaria. I'm going to move
4:17in more faith and more grace and power
4:19of the Holy Spirit than I've ever moved
4:21before."
4:22And so, in his faith, miracles start
4:25happening.
4:26And the Samaritan people are giving heed
4:29with one accord. Entire crowds are
4:32believing.
4:34So, there was much rejoicing in the
4:37city.
4:38Now, there was a man named Simon, who
4:40formerly was practicing magic in the
4:44city
4:45and astonishing the people of Samaria,
4:47claiming to be someone great.
4:50And they all, from smallest to greatest,
4:52were giving attention to him, saying,
4:55"This man is called the great power of
4:57God."
4:58So, this guy was a trickster. He was a
5:00magician.
5:02And he, through slight of hand and
5:04trickery,
5:05he's pretending to be the great power of
5:08God. He's called The man himself is
5:11called the great power of God.
5:15And they were giving him attention
5:17because he had for a long time
5:19astonished them with his magic arts. So,
5:22twice it tells us that they were giving
5:24him attention.
5:26But, it's just told us that they were
5:27giving Philip attention.
5:30But, when they believed Philip's
5:32preaching, but when they believed Philip
5:34preaching the good news about the
5:36kingdom of God and the name of Jesus
5:39Christ, they were being baptized, men
5:42and women alike.
5:44So, Luke is setting up a conflict here.
5:47He's saying they used to really attend
5:50the
5:51uh Simon the sorcerer program, and then
5:55they tuned in to Philip the gospel of
5:57the kingdom program.
5:59And
6:01he was preaching the good news, the
6:04gospel of the kingdom.
6:06So, the kingdom has not disappeared.
6:08They just understand what it is now.
6:11And of the name of Jesus Christ, and
6:15they were being baptized men and women
6:18alike. It's meaningful that Luke is
6:20connecting the name of Jesus Christ to
6:23being baptized.
6:25Even Simon himself believed, and after
6:28being baptized, he continued on with
6:30Philip. And as he observed signs and
6:33great miracles taking place, he was
6:36constantly amazed.
6:39Now, when the apostles in Jerusalem
6:41heard that Samaria had received the word
6:44of God,
6:46they sent them Peter and John,
6:49who came down
6:51and prayed for them
6:53that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
6:57For he, the Holy Spirit, had not yet
7:00fallen upon any of them. They had simply
7:03been baptized in the name of the Lord
7:06Jesus.
7:09Then they began laying their hands on
7:12them, and they were receiving the Holy
7:15Spirit.
7:17Now, when Simon saw that the spirit was
7:20bestowed through the laying on of the
7:22apostles' hands, he offered them money.
7:27So, this is an important fact here.
7:32We know that Philip has been performing
7:35miracles. We know that the entire
7:37multitude is receiving it. We know that
7:40all of them, men and women, it does not
7:43say babies, but just men and women, were
7:46being baptized in the name of the Lord
7:49Jesus. It says that explicitly. Even
7:52Simon was baptized.
7:55And we know that the apostles heard that
7:59they had received the word of God.
8:03When the apostles in Jerusalem heard
8:05that Samaria had received the word of
8:07God,
8:08they sent them Peter and John. Why did
8:11they send them Peter and John?
8:13Because even though they'd heard and
8:15received the word of God, even though
8:17they believed and been baptized in the
8:19name of the Lord, even though they'd
8:21seen miracles and had healings, none of
8:24them had received the Holy Spirit.
8:28The apostles believe that what happened
8:31on the day of Pentecost is going to
8:33happen to new believers. That the same
8:36power that baptized them is going to
8:38baptize new believers and must baptize
8:41new believers. And so they sent
8:46Peter and John.
8:48And when John and Peter began laying
8:50their hands on them,
8:52something happened to them
8:55that apparently was more powerful
8:58than the healings, the baptisms, the
9:01preachings,
9:03paralytics and demons being cast out
9:06because
9:07Simon never offered money for those
9:09things.
9:11But suddenly, when he sees people
9:13baptized in the Spirit and begin to
9:15speak in other tongues,
9:18like happened in Pentecost,
9:21he pulls out his purse.
9:23Now, when Simon saw that the Spirit was
9:26bestowed through the laying on of the
9:28apostles' hands, he offered them money
9:31saying, "Give this authority to me as
9:34well so that everyone on I lay my hands
9:39may receive the Holy Spirit."
9:42But Peter said to him,
9:45"May your silver perish with you,
9:50because you thought you could obtain the
9:53gift of God with money.
9:57You have no part or portion in this
10:00matter, for your heart is not right
10:04before God.
10:07Therefore, repent of this wickedness of
10:10yours,
10:11and pray the Lord
10:13that if possible, the intention of your
10:15heart may be forgiven you.
10:18For I see that you are in the gall
10:20of bitterness
10:22and in the bondage
10:24of iniquity."
10:26But Simon answered and said, "Pray to
10:28the Lord for me yourselves, so that
10:31nothing of what you have said may come
10:34upon me."
10:36Now, I want to ask you, why did Peter
10:38perceive that he was
10:42in the gall
10:45of bitterness?
10:49What What would you say was the sin
10:52that manifested
10:54when he goes up and whispers to the
10:56apostles, "Hey, hey, could y'all give me
10:59that power?"
11:02It might be jealousy.
11:05What What other sin is it?
11:09It's cynicism.
11:12It's the inability to believe
11:16that God is actually working
11:20in this real and supernatural and
11:23gracious way.
11:24It's cynical.
11:26He thinks the apostles are manipulating
11:29the people like he manipulates them.
11:33Does that make sense? So, the cynicism
11:37indicates to the Apostle Peter
11:40that he is a bitter man.
11:42That he's lost his faith somewhere along
11:44the way.
11:45And he is starting to look at God like
11:49the
11:50the wicked servant, I knew that you were
11:52a harsh master. So, I'm just going to
11:54manipulate people.
11:56He's in the gall of bitterness and the
11:59bondage of iniquity.
12:03And the iniquity
12:05is the intention of his heart to
12:07manipulate people in the name of God.
12:11This is taking the name of the Lord in
12:13vain.
12:15And this is true iniquity.
12:17So, when they had solemnly testified and
12:19spoken the word of the Lord,
12:21they started back to Jerusalem and were
12:24preaching the gospel to many villages of
12:26the Samaritans.
12:28But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip
12:31saying, "Get up and go south to the road
12:36that descends from Jerusalem
12:39to Gaza."
12:41And Luke puts a parenthetical, "This is
12:44a desert road."
12:47So, he Philip got up and went.
12:50Now, I want to point out
12:53that this messenger from heaven who
12:55tells him, "Get up and go."
12:57He does not tell him to go to Gaza. He
13:00does not tell him to go to a city, a
13:02person, or a place.
13:04He tells him to go on a road.
13:08A road is not a destination.
13:11But Philip is willing to just get up and
13:14go out not knowing where he is going.
13:17Just like the patriarch Abraham. It says
13:20of Abraham, "He went out not knowing
13:23where he was going."
13:25So, the angel tells Philip, "Go on the
13:27road."
13:28Philip doesn't say, "Why that road?
13:31Where Where is it leading to, Lord?" He
13:34just gets up and goes out. So, he got up
13:38and went.
13:39And there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a
13:42court official of Candace, queen of the
13:44Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her
13:47treasure,
13:49and he had come to Jerusalem to worship.
13:52And he was returning and sitting in his
13:56chariot and was reading the prophet
13:59Isaiah.
14:01So, Philip gets up and he goes out and
14:04while he's walking down the road,
14:06he realizes that it's not a place or a
14:09city that he's heading toward.
14:12It's someone who's traveling on the
14:14road.
14:15And there's this guy who is likely a
14:18Jewish believer
14:20visiting from Ethiopia.
14:23And he serves in the court of Candace,
14:25queen of the Ethiopians,
14:27and he's reading the
14:30the prophet Isaiah.
14:32Then the spirit said to Philip,
14:35"Go up and join this chariot."
14:40Philip ran up and heard him reading
14:44Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you
14:47understand what you are reading?"
14:52And he said,
14:54"Well, how could I
14:57unless someone guides me?"
15:00And he invited Philip to come up and sit
15:03with him.
15:05Can you picture Philip jogging alongside
15:08the chariot
15:10coming up to this stranger from another
15:12country?
15:13"Do you know what you're reading?"
15:17Now, the passage of scripture which he
15:20was reading was this.
15:24And he begins to quote from Isaiah.
15:27He was led as a sheep to slaughter.
15:30And as a lamb before it shears is
15:32silent.
15:34So he does not open his mouth.
15:37In humiliation
15:39his judgment was taken away.
15:42Who will relate his generation?
15:46For his life is removed from the earth.
15:51The unique answered Philip and said,
15:53"Please tell me of whom does the prophet
15:57say this?
15:58Of himself
16:00or of someone else?"
16:02Then Philip opened his mouth.
16:06And beginning from this scripture
16:09he preached Jesus to him.
16:13As they went along the road, they came
16:16to some water.
16:17And the unique said,
16:19"Look, water.
16:22What prevents me from being baptized?"
16:26And Philip said,
16:28"If you believe with all your heart, you
16:31may."
16:32And he answered and said, "I believe
16:35that Jesus Christ is the son of God."
16:39And he ordered the chariot to stop. And
16:41they both went down into the water.
16:45Philip as well as the unique. And he
16:48baptized him.
16:51When they came up out of the water, the
16:53spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away.
16:58And the unique no longer saw him.
17:01But went on his way rejoicing.
17:06But Philip found himself
17:08at Azotus.
17:11And as he passed through, he kept
17:14preaching the gospel to all the cities
17:17until he came to Caesarea.
17:21Philip
17:22seems more like an evangelist by this
17:24point than a deacon.
17:27He moves in the power of the spirit.
17:30When the spirit prompts him, he moves
17:32and goes down to Samaria. When the
17:34spirit prompts him, he starts preaching.
17:37He starts healing. Paralytics are
17:39healed. He starts baptizing.
17:41And he's already moving on, going
17:44somewhere else.
17:46And then the spirit comes and says, "I
17:47want you to just go out on the road to
17:49Gaza." He doesn't question the spirit.
17:51He doesn't ask, "Is that where I should
17:53really go? Where does that lead? Who am
17:56I going to find there?" He just goes
17:58because his destination is to be in the
18:01movement of the spirit. That's his goal.
18:04That's where he wants to be. That's
18:06where he wants to stay.
18:08And when he's there, he sees someone
18:10reading the Bible and understands that
18:12they don't understand and runs up along
18:14next to their chariot because the spirit
18:16tells him to ask.
18:19And then he sees some water. Now, I want
18:22you to notice that they saw water and
18:24they went down into the water. That's
18:27not throwing some sprinkle on somebody.
18:29That's going down into the water. Then
18:31they came up out of the water.
18:34Do you understand? Baptize means to
18:37immerse, to dunk, to submerge, to soak
18:40completely. It does not mean to get wet.
18:44It means to figuratively or symbolically
18:47drown, to bury oneself
18:50in a new identity. And it was the name
18:53of Jesus Christ.
18:56So,
18:57that's how the church is spreading
19:00through the second deacon who didn't
19:02lose faith when the first one was put to
19:05death.
19:25>> Mhm.

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