Latest / HBCWestminster / 4.7.24 Acts 8:5-25 Pastor Danny Gardner

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4.7.24 Acts 8:5-25 Pastor Danny Gardner · HBCWestminster

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And I've asked this morning if Elisa Olarte, Pastor Jerry's wife, would come and read the
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scriptures for us this morning.
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She's going to come now.
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And you guys know, a couple of weeks ago in Acts chapter 8 and verse 4, we talked about
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that the gospel has been, the church has been scattered and is now spreading the word.
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And I said, for the remainder of the book of Acts, and even today, we trace the history
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of the church as those two words, scattering and spreading beyond Israel, beyond the borders
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of Jerusalem, and beyond even the ethnic borders of the Jews into the Gentiles.
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And so I've asked very specifically if Elisa Olarte would read the scriptures, but to read
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them in her native language.
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And so she's going to read the scriptures.
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Chapter 8, verses 5 to 25 in Tagalog, as we read along on the screen in English, would
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you stand in honor of God's word as she does?
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Verse 5.
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Verse 6.
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Verse 7.
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Verse 8.
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Verse 9.
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Verse 9.
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Verse 10.
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Verse 11.
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Verse 12.
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Verse 13.
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Verse 14.
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Verse 15.
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Verse 20.
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Philippi. Humanga
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si Simon nang makita niya
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ang mga himala.
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Verse 14, nang mabalitaan
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ng mga apostol sa Jerusalem
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na tinanggap ng mga Samaritano
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ang salita ng Diyos,
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isinugu nila doon sina Pedro
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at Juan. Verse 15,
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pagating doon,
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pinapanalangin ng dalawang
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apostol ang mga Samaritano
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upang sila'y tumanggap din ng
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Espiritu Santo. Verse 16,
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17, sapagkat hindi pa ito
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bumababa sa kanino man sa kanila.
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Sila'y nabautismuhan pa lamang
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sa pangalan ng Panginoong Jesus.
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Verse 17,
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ipinatong ni na Pedro at Juan
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ang kanilang kamay sa mga
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Samaritano at tumanggap ang mga ito
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ng Espiritu Santo.
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Verse 18, nakita ni Simon
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na ang Espiritu ipinakakaloob
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sa pamamagitan ng pagkapatong
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ng kamay ng mga apostol.
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Kayat inalok niya
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ng salapi sina Pedro at Juan
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Verse 19,
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bigan ninyo ako ng kapangirihang ito
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upang ang sino mang patungan ko
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ng kamay ay tumanggap din
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ang Espiritu Santo, sabi niya.
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Verse 20,
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sinagot siya ni Pedro,
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mapapahama ka ikaw at ang iyong salapi
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sapagkat inaakala mong mabibili
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ng salapi ang kaloob ng Diyos.
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Verse 21,
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wala kang bahagi
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ni karapatan sa bagay ni ito
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sapagkat alam ng Diyos
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na marumi ang puso mo.
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Verse 22,
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pagrisihan mo ang iyong kasamaan
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at manalangin ka sa Panginoon
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na naway patawarin kanya
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sa masama mong hangarin.
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Verse 23,
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dahil nakikita kong inggit na inggit ka
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at bilanggo ng kasalanan.
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Verse 24,
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sumagot si Simon,
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idalangin ninyo ako sa Panginoon
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para hindi ko sapitin
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ang alinman sa mga sinasabi ninyo.
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Verse 25,
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bumalik ka sa Jerusalem
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sina Pedro at Juan
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pagkatapos magpatutoo
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at mangaral ng salita ng Panginoon
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sa lunsod ng Samaria.
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Ipangaral nila ang magandang balita
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tungkol kay Cristo
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sa maraming nayon sa Samaria
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na kanilang dinaanan.
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May the Lord bless our hearts
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upon the reading of His Word.
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Amen.
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Thank you, Elisa.
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Would you pray with me, Church?
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Lord,
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give us clean hands and pure hearts
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that we may worship You truly
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in all that we say
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and serve You faithfully
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in all that we do
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and bless us this morning
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as we look to Your holy,
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powerful, and effective Word.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen.
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Thank you, Church.
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You can be seated.
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And thank you again to Elisa.
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And that is a reminder.
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I don't know what it does for you
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hearing it in another language,
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but it's a reminder to me
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that God is at work
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all around the globe.
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He is at work
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on the other side of the world
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even as we sit here this morning.
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He is worshiped.
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He is worshiped in all languages
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and by all peoples
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and is the God of all peoples
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and deserves to be praised
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in all languages.
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And I pray that you were blessed by that.
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And as I began to make a list of people
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who I wanted to ask
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to do our Scripture readings
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into the future,
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now that the Gospel has broken out of Jerusalem
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and into other languages,
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it's beginning to be scattered,
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I began to write down
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just the list of people we had in our church
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who speak other languages.
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And it's incredible.
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And so,
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I hope that,
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I hope that that blessed you
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because you're going to hear
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some other languages in the future as well
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as I ask our folks to come and read for us.
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But the next three weeks,
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we're studying three mini-biographies.
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This morning,
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we have Simon the Magician.
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Next week,
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Philip the Evangelist.
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And then the week after that,
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Saul the Convert.
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And our text this morning
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has three takeaways.
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And if you want to write these three down,
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you can kind of take notes all at once
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right at the beginning
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and then completely zone out.
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Three takeaways this morning, okay?
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First,
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that ordinary everyday people
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doing ordinary everyday things
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can be used by God
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to accomplish His extraordinary work.
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Ordinary everyday people
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doing ordinary everyday things
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can be used by God
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to accomplish His extraordinary work.
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Second,
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that Christ did not come
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to set our cities ablaze.
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He came to set our hearts ablaze.
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And then third and finally,
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you can't just watch the guy on the tightrope.
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You got to get in the wheelbarrow.
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You can't just watch the guy on the tightrope.
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You got to get in the wheelbarrow.
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Those are our three takeaways this morning.
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And if you were a believer living in Jerusalem
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during the time of Acts chapter 8,
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what we just read,
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you would have lived under the constant threat
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of arrest,
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of oppression,
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of tyranny,
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always wondering if this was the day
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your spouse or your children
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would be taken away from you.
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That you would be arrested
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or beaten in an effort to force you
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to recant your newfound faith.
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This diogmas megas,
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mega suffering,
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mega persecution we read in Acts chapter 8
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in verse 1
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caused the church in Jerusalem
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to scatter to the surrounding regions.
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But neither persecution
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nor the threat of death
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could stop the gospel's advance
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because as the church scattered,
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it spread the good news.
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The Lord sparked a fire in Jerusalem.
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We read in Acts chapter 8,
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with the resurrection of his son.
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And that small ember took hold
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and spread as news about Jesus
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was shared throughout the city.
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And then in Acts chapter 7,
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it's like the Lord put a great bellows
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to the resurrection flame
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in order to kick the gospel spread
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into high gear.
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And church, maybe you remember
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from a couple of weeks ago,
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three weeks ago,
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what great bellows did he use?
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But persecution and the fire.
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But persecution and the fire.
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But persecution and the fire.
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Using the great windstorm of persecution
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that the church's enemies thought
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would actually muzzle
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and contain the gospel,
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the Lord spread the wildfire
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of the story of Jesus Christ.
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In their effort to stamp out
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what they believed was a virus
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called Christianity,
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Christ's enemies inadvertently
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spread that virus everywhere.
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And our text this morning
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begins in verse 5,
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but just for a moment
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for sake of review,
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look back with me at verses 1 and 4.
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We pick up in verse 1,
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it says that Saul approved
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of this execution of Stephen,
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the first recorded Christian martyr.
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And then it says in verse 1,
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there arose on that day
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this great persecution,
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that mega suffering
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against the church in Jerusalem.
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Remember until that point,
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it had been primarily
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the church's leadership
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that had been persecuted,
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the apostles, the deacons like Stephen.
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But now,
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there is this persecution wave
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against the church members themselves
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and it says
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they were all scattered.
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They were all scattered.
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The apostles remained in Jerusalem,
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but the church body was scattered
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all over the place.
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Look down at verse 4.
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It says those who were scattered,
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all the church,
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went about preaching the word.
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Who was it
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that the Lord,
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used to spread the word?
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It was ordinary
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and everyday Christians.
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It was ordinary,
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everyday Christians
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doing ordinary,
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everyday things.
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And they were used by God
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to accomplish his extraordinary work.
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Notice it wasn't the apostles.
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It wasn't the clergy.
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It wasn't the guy in the black robe
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with the white dog collar thing.
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It was normal folks.
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Am I right?
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Michael Green has worded it this way
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in his commentary.
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He says as early as Acts chapter 8,
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we find that it is not the apostles,
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but the amateur missionaries.
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That would be you and I.
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The many evicted from Jerusalem
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as a result of the persecution
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which followed Stephen's martyrdom.
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These are the people
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who took the gospel with them
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wherever they went.
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This was not formal preaching,
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but informal.
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Chatting to friends
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and chance acquaintances
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in homes and wine shops,
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on walks,
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and around market stalls.
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They went everywhere.
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And look at that next phrase.
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Gossiping the gospel.
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I love that he words it that way.
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I've stolen that phrase
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for the title of our sermon this morning.
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Gossiping the gospel.
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They did it naturally.
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They did it enthusiastically.
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And with the conviction of those
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who are not being paid
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to say that sort of thing.
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In other words,
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they weren't professionals.
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I said,
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I said two Sundays ago
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that the remainder
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of the book of Acts
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is an elaboration
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on Acts chapter 8 and verse 4.
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The rest of the book of Acts
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is about how the church
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was scattered
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and spread the word.
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And remember,
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the story doesn't end
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in Acts chapter 28.
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You and I continue
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that very work.
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We continue to scatter
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and spread the word.
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It's like we're living
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in Acts chapter 937.
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And I wonder if you view
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your life that way.
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Do you consider
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the providence
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and sovereignty of God
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over your life?
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How God has orchestrated
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every detail of your life
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in order to bring about
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his glory.
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That every promotion,
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every demotion,
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every advance and setback,
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every start and finish,
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every twist and turn
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has been used by God
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in order to give you
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opportunities to share your faith.
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Do you view your life that way?
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Every name,
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every neighbor,
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every friend,
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every co-worker,
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every acquaintance
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has been given by God
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as an opportunity for you
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to share the good news.
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In about three months
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we'll be in Acts chapter 17.
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The apostle Paul in Acts chapter 17
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is preaching to a group
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of Greek philosophers in Athens.
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In Acts chapter 17 in verse 26
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he says this,
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and God made from one man
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every nation of mankind
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to live on all the face of the earth.
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And then look at what he says.
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Having determined allotted periods
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and the boundaries
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of their dwelling place.
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In other words,
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God chose when and where
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you would live.
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When and where?
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He chose the time and place
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where you would live on purpose
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so that you would seek God
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and perhaps feel your way
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toward him and find him.
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Yet he is actually not far
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from each one of us
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for in him we live and move
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and have our being.
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If the cities of Westphalia,
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Westminster and Thornton
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and Arvada and Broomfield
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are to be reached for Christ,
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they will be reached by you.
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Not anybody else.
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You are called to reach your neighbors.
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You are called to reach your friends.
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If your co-workers and your loved ones
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are to be reached for Christ,
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they will be reached by you,
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not me.
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I'm called to reach my neighbors
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and my friends and my family,
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but the Lord has called you
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to reach yours.
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Ordinary Christians
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living ordinary lives,
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gossiping the gospel.
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Now one of those ordinary folks
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was Philip.
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Notice we pick up in verse 5
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with this new cast member.
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Philip, it says,
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went down to the city of Samaria
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and proclaimed to them the Christ.
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And the crowds with one accord
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paid attention to what was being said
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by Philip when they heard him
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and saw the signs that he did.
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For unclean spirits crying out
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with a loud voice came out
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of many who had them
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and many who were paralyzed or lame
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were healed.
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So there was much joy in that city.
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And like Stephen,
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Philip was a deacon
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in the Jerusalem church.
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He helped with the distribution of food
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to the church's widows.
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But one day,
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Philip decided he would leave Jerusalem
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and go to Samaria.
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Samaria.
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Of all places.
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The Samaritans were by and large
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despised by the Jews.
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They were in the minds of the Jews
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the unholy offspring
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of those ten northern tribes.
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Do you remember your Old Testament history?
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The ten northern tribes
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who were taken captive by the Assyrians
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some 700 plus years before.
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Those tribes were taken in captivity
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back to Samaria
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and were eventually bred out
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of their ability to track their own lineage.
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And so in the minds
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of the Judeans
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this made them less than Jewish.
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They were kind of half-breeds
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Jewish and Assyrian.
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And so despised were the Samaritans
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even though they actually lived
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within the boundaries of Israel
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that they established their own temple
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on top of their own mountain,
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Mount Gerizim.
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Because they knew they were not
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welcomed in Jerusalem to worship.
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Now this of course
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was not the first time
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the Samaritans are mentioned
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in the New Testament.
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When Jesus spoke to the woman
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at the well in John 4,
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she was a Samaritan.
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Jesus in fact used the Samaritans
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to tweak the noses as it were
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of the Pharisees repeatedly.
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Jesus said there were ten lepers healed
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and only one came back to say thank you.
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And then he notes
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and he was a Samaritan.
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A man was walking from Jerusalem
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down to Jericho
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where he was set upon by gangsters.
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He was beaten and robbed
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and left for dead.
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And the hero of the story,
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the one who cared for the man
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and his own,
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his own expense
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was a Samaritan.
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In Luke chapter 9,
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Jesus one day
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took his disciples through Samaria.
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I think he just liked to do that
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because it was annoying to them.
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But he took them through Samaria
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on an evangelistic venture.
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And in Luke chapter 9 verse 51
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it says this,
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when the days drew near
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for him to be taken up,
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that is ascending into heaven.
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So toward the end of his ministry
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he set his face to go to Jerusalem
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and he sent messengers ahead of him
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who went and entered a village
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of the Lord.
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The Samaritans.
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Their job was to make
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preparations for him.
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But the people did not receive him
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because his face was set
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toward Jerusalem.
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And so he sent his guys ahead
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and the Samaritans said,
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where are you headed?
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And they said, Jerusalem.
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And they said, in that case,
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there's no room for you here.
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And when his disciples,
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James and John saw it,
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they said, Lord,
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do you want us to tell fire
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to come down from heaven
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and consume them?
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Jesus,
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can we just set this place ablaze?
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Lord, they're not interested in you.
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They don't like you.
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And because they don't like you,
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they don't like us.
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And so let us just hit
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the reset button in Samaria.
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We just want to go scorched earth.
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Let us turn this place into glass.
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But look at what Jesus says
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in the next verse.
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Verse 55.
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But he turned and rebuked.
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He rebuked them.
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No, Christ declared,
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I didn't come to set their cities ablaze.
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I came to set their hearts ablaze.
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And Philip,
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following the example of our Lord,
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went to the Samaritans.
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And friends,
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there is a lesson for us here.
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Where is your Samaria?
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Who have you written off
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in your heart
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as beyond God's ability to forgive?
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Who has the Lord put
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in your gospel path
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that you would rather
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just call down fire upon?
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And maybe it's an individual,
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a person who has wronged you
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or a person who has hurt you,
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or maybe it's just a person
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who gets on your nerves.
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You're like, you know what?
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I would rather just
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not talk to them.
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My mom taught me when I was young,
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if I don't have anything nice to say,
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I'm not going to say anything.
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So I'm just not going to say anything.
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I'd rather not talk to them.
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I'd rather not be kind to them.
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I'd rather not express love to them.
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Maybe it's an entire group.
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Maybe it's an entire political party.
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Am I allowed to say that?
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That you just think
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not only has lost their minds,
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but is beyond redemption.
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And as we consider those
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who are enemies of the gospel
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and enemies of the church
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and enemies of our Lord,
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may we not condemn them
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in our hearts to burn
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the way that James and John
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did the Samaritans.
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Let us not be quick
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to call down heaven's fire
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to consume them,
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unless it's with the fire
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of the gospel.
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And don't get me wrong.
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We will stand against lies.
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We will.
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We'll stand against deceit
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and manipulation
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and false doctrine.
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But our ultimate end
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is not to set their cities ablaze,
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rather to set their hearts
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ablaze for the truth.
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And our prayer must be
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that those who are our enemies today
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would become our brothers
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and sisters tomorrow.
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Amen.
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And this is exactly what happens
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in Samaria in verse eight.
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The Samaritans believed.
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And here the author
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has set up the reader
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to anticipate a great
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and glorious gospel tale.
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It's like you get to the end
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of verse eight
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and then he says,
19:57
let me tell you a story
19:58
about what happened in Samaria
20:00
and you think this is great.
20:01
I want to hear
20:02
the great testimony.
20:04
But instead,
20:05
he begins verse nine
20:07
with a very specific word.
20:09
You guys have your Bibles open?
20:11
What does verse nine start with?
20:12
But.
20:13
You're like,
20:13
I don't want a but.
20:14
I want an and.
20:16
The whole city was filled with joy
20:18
and let me tell you about it,
20:20
but that's not what it is.
20:20
That's not what he says.
20:22
As we know,
20:23
the word but
20:23
is meant to pose a contrast.
20:25
There was great joy in the city.
20:26
The gospel is spreading.
20:28
The people's lives
20:28
are being transformed.
20:30
New churches are being birthed.
20:31
But there was a man named Simon
20:36
who had previously practiced magic
20:38
in the city.
20:39
He amazed the people of Samaria
20:41
saying that he himself
20:42
was somebody great
20:43
and they all paid attention to him
20:44
from the least to the greatest
20:45
saying this man is the power of God
20:48
that is called great.
20:51
And they paid attention to him
20:52
because for a long time
20:54
he had amazed them
20:55
with his magic
20:57
and almost like a Messiah
20:59
kind of figure.
21:01
Simon had gained
21:02
a massive following
21:03
by using sorcery.
21:06
Simon bewitched
21:07
the people of the city.
21:09
He was proclaimed as great.
21:11
He was the great power.
21:14
He had proclaimed himself
21:15
almost like a reflection of Christ.
21:18
Like a God man.
21:20
The great channeler
21:22
of divine power and revelation.
21:25
And then we encounter another but
21:27
in verse 12.
21:30
But.
21:32
So despite the work of Simon
21:34
there was this great sorcerer
21:37
this great magician
21:39
in the city in Samaria.
21:41
But despite his influence and power
21:44
verse 12 says
21:45
when they believed
21:46
the Samaritans
21:47
as he preached the good news
21:48
about the kingdom of God
21:49
and the name of God.
21:50
And in the name of Jesus Christ
21:51
they were baptized
21:51
both men and women.
21:54
It is clear that
21:55
Philip's converts
21:56
came at Simon's expense.
21:59
And this is a significant verse.
22:02
It becomes a key transition
22:03
in fact verse 12
22:04
in the unfolding story
22:05
of the gospel's advance
22:06
because
22:07
and if you want to circle it
22:08
you can.
22:09
Verse 12 becomes
22:11
the first biblical record
22:13
of non-Jews
22:15
responding to the gospel.
22:18
If you were here
22:19
for Good Friday
22:20
a week and a half ago
22:21
maybe you'll recall
22:22
my message about
22:23
what makes the new covenant
22:24
in Christ's blood so great.
22:27
One of my points
22:28
was that the new covenant
22:30
is individual
22:31
rather than national.
22:33
And until Christ came
22:35
the assumption was
22:36
that in order for
22:36
you to be included
22:38
in the covenant
22:38
you must first convert
22:39
to Judaism
22:40
and there are examples
22:41
of that throughout
22:42
the Old Testament.
22:43
But the new covenant
22:45
in Christ's blood
22:47
offers grace
22:48
as individuals
22:49
meaning
22:50
your individual faith
22:52
in Jesus Christ
22:53
is what makes you
22:53
a member of God's people.
22:55
It's not what family
22:56
you belong to.
22:57
It's not what church
22:58
you attend
22:59
or what school
22:59
you graduated from.
23:01
It's who you have
23:02
your saving faith in.
23:04
That is what makes you
23:05
a member of the body of Christ.
23:08
But that truth
23:09
that you can be saved
23:11
by grace
23:11
through faith in Jesus Christ
23:12
that truth
23:13
that we all nod
23:14
heartily in agreement
23:16
to today
23:16
that truth
23:18
was brand new news
23:20
to the church
23:20
in Acts.
23:22
And so when Christ predicted
23:24
that the apostles
23:26
would take the gospel
23:27
to Jerusalem
23:29
they probably all
23:31
nodded in agreement.
23:32
Well of course
23:32
we'll take the gospel
23:33
to Jerusalem
23:34
but then when he added
23:37
and to Judea
23:39
and Samaria
23:42
and to the ends
23:43
of the earth
23:45
they must have
23:47
gulped nervously
23:48
and wondered
23:49
but how are we
23:51
going to do that?
23:52
They're not Jews.
23:55
How are we going
23:56
to accomplish that?
23:57
That's impossible
23:58
because they're not Jews
24:00
and in order to become saved
24:01
in order to become
24:02
the people of God
24:02
you've got to be Jews
24:04
and verse 12
24:05
is the very definitive answer.
24:07
In verse 12
24:08
men and women
24:09
who were not Jews
24:10
believed
24:10
and were baptized
24:12
and verse 13
24:13
even includes
24:14
Simon among
24:15
Philip's followers.
24:16
And you can imagine
24:19
that that would have
24:20
caused quite a stir.
24:22
Philip had been preaching
24:23
people had been repenting
24:25
and who should show up
24:26
at Philip's baptism class
24:27
but Simon the magician.
24:30
Verse 13 says
24:31
even Simon himself believed
24:33
excuse me
24:34
and after being baptized
24:35
he continued with Philip
24:37
and seeing signs
24:38
and great miracles performed
24:39
he was amazed.
24:42
As Simon had been
24:43
the most influential man
24:44
in town
24:44
Simon the marvelous
24:46
had been the most influential man
24:47
now marveled
24:48
at Philip's power.
24:50
The amazing Simon
24:51
now stood amazed.
24:54
And Philip's preaching
24:55
was so effective
24:56
that word reached
24:57
to the Jerusalem apostles
24:58
they sent a delegation
25:00
Peter and John
25:02
to check things out
25:03
to continue the work
25:04
of making these new converts
25:05
true disciples of Christ.
25:06
Notice verse 14 says
25:08
when the apostles
25:08
at Jerusalem heard
25:09
that Samaria
25:10
had received the word of God
25:12
they sent to them
25:13
Peter and John.
25:14
Those are the big two.
25:15
Right?
25:16
Those are the heavy
25:16
as hitters in the church.
25:18
They came down
25:19
and prayed for them
25:20
that they might receive
25:22
the spirit.
25:23
And it's interesting
25:23
in verse 16
25:24
because verse 16
25:25
makes a really peculiar statement.
25:27
In fact one author
25:28
calls it the most peculiar verse
25:30
in the whole book of Acts
25:31
when it says
25:32
for he the Holy Spirit
25:35
had not yet fallen
25:36
on any of them
25:38
but they had only been baptized
25:40
in the name of the Lord Jesus.
25:43
The literal Greek phrasing
25:45
would be
25:45
for not yet fallen on them
25:46
for not yet
25:46
had the Holy Spirit
25:48
fallen upon none of them.
25:50
For not yet
25:52
none of them
25:53
had the Holy Spirit.
25:54
That double negative
25:55
is included for emphasis.
25:57
You're like not even one?
25:58
Not even one
25:59
it says
25:59
had the Holy Spirit.
26:01
None had received
26:02
the spirit of God
26:03
the way believers in Jerusalem
26:04
had received him.
26:06
You think well
26:07
what does that mean?
26:09
The word only
26:10
in verse 16
26:11
implies that these two things
26:14
baptism into Christ
26:16
and reception of the Holy Spirit
26:18
typically went together.
26:20
When you were in Christ
26:21
you were also baptized
26:22
in the spirit.
26:23
And so why the disparity here?
26:26
And the New Testament
26:27
is clear
26:28
that upon saving faith
26:29
in Christ
26:30
the believer
26:31
is given the Holy Spirit
26:32
who indwells him or her
26:35
illuminates the scriptures
26:36
convicts of sin
26:37
advocates on their behalf
26:39
whispers the loving kindness
26:40
of the Father
26:41
and that that happens
26:43
upon expression
26:44
of saving faith.
26:46
You receive the Holy Spirit.
26:48
2 Corinthians chapter 1
26:49
says it this way.
26:50
It says
26:51
and it is God
26:52
who establishes us
26:54
with you in Christ.
26:55
So there is a new us in Christ.
26:58
It's us and you.
26:59
He has anointed us.
27:01
He has also put his seal on us
27:04
and given us what?
27:06
His spirit in our hearts
27:09
as a guarantee.
27:11
When you come to Christ
27:12
God gives you his spirit
27:14
the indwelling Holy Spirit.
27:17
Ephesians chapter 1
27:18
In him Christ you also
27:21
when you heard the word of truth
27:23
the gospel of your salvation
27:25
and believed in him
27:26
were sealed with the promised
27:28
Holy Spirit
27:29
who is the guarantee
27:30
of our inheritance
27:31
until we acquire possession of it
27:33
to the praise of his glory.
27:35
And so the scriptures are clear.
27:37
When you come to Christ
27:39
you receive the spirit.
27:40
Then why in this instance
27:43
does the Holy Spirit
27:44
wait for the apostles hands?
27:47
This is a weird verse.
27:49
It's peculiar.
27:51
Is there an answer?
27:51
And I think
27:52
F.F. Bruce in his commentary on Acts
27:55
gets it correct.
27:56
Why in this instance
27:58
was it peculiar?
27:59
Why the disparity?
28:02
And he says
28:03
that the Samaritans
28:05
had become so accustomed
28:07
to being despised as outsiders
28:10
by the people of Jerusalem
28:12
that the Holy Spirit of God
28:15
intentionally waited
28:16
to anoint them
28:17
until the apostles showed up.
28:21
God waited for the biggest names
28:23
in the Christian church
28:24
Peter and John
28:26
in order to validate
28:28
the faith of the Samaritans
28:30
and to prove
28:31
that they were being received
28:33
by the Jerusalem church
28:34
as legitimate.
28:35
The Holy Spirit
28:36
intentionally pumped the brakes
28:38
and waited for Peter and John
28:40
to get there.
28:41
And I think for two reasons.
28:42
Number one
28:43
so that the Samaritans
28:44
would be validated
28:46
and number two
28:46
so that any discrepancy
28:49
in the hearts of Peter and John
28:50
the apostles
28:51
the foremost apostles
28:52
in the Jerusalem church
28:54
would know
28:55
that the Spirit
28:56
had also fallen upon
28:57
the Samaritans.
28:58
Does that make sense?
29:00
This is a legitimate
29:02
outpouring
29:03
of the Holy Spirit
29:04
and so he waited
29:05
for Peter and John
29:07
so that he could prove
29:08
to them as well
29:10
that this was valid.
29:12
And so in verse 17
29:14
it says
29:14
they laid their hands on them
29:16
and they were able to see
29:16
and they received
29:17
the Holy Spirit.
29:18
Now if the story
29:20
had ended here
29:21
we would be tempted
29:22
to conclude
29:22
that Simon
29:24
the magician
29:25
had become
29:26
a genuine follower
29:27
of Christ.
29:28
Right?
29:29
We might also expect
29:31
maybe his name
29:31
to even show up
29:32
because he gets
29:33
a couple of paragraphs
29:34
this guy.
29:35
We might even expect
29:36
his name to show up
29:37
later in the story.
29:38
Maybe he becomes
29:38
a traveling companion
29:40
of the apostle Paul
29:41
or maybe Philip
29:42
becomes the evangelist
29:43
to another region
29:44
and Simon goes with him.
29:46
He's his
29:46
right hand man
29:47
but unfortunately
29:49
that's not how
29:49
the story ends.
29:52
Verse 18 says
29:53
when Simon saw
29:54
that the spirit
29:55
was given
29:55
through the laying on
29:56
of the apostle's hands
29:57
he offered them money
30:00
saying give me
30:01
this power also
30:02
so that anyone
30:04
on whom I lay my hands
30:05
may receive
30:06
the Holy Spirit
30:07
and it turns out
30:08
that all Simon
30:10
had done
30:10
was changed
30:12
one external
30:13
profession of allegiance
30:14
for another.
30:16
He framed
30:18
that so-called change
30:20
with professions of belief
30:21
and baptism
30:22
but the gospel
30:23
never truly penetrated
30:24
his heart.
30:26
Simon I think
30:27
is an example
30:27
of the difference
30:30
between professing
30:31
to believe
30:32
and genuinely believing.
30:35
There are all kinds
30:36
of people
30:36
and we know many
30:37
probably who claim
30:38
to be Christians
30:39
but don't actually
30:40
follow Christ
30:41
and this is the same
30:42
this is the example
30:43
we see in Simon as well
30:44
and Apollotipus
30:46
we know
30:46
have become famous
30:47
for their sudden
30:49
church attendance
30:50
during election years
30:52
right couldn't care less
30:53
during any other years
30:54
but suddenly
30:55
it's an election year
30:56
and you see them
30:56
taking pictures
30:57
in the church lobby
30:59
they become famous
31:00
for making spiritual claims
31:02
about their faith
31:02
saying things like
31:04
I'm a devout believer
31:06
I'm a devout evangelical
31:08
I'm a devout church goer
31:09
I'm a member of my church
31:10
I'm a devout Catholic
31:12
even offering prayers
31:13
when it suits them
31:14
but when one looks at them
31:16
their lives
31:16
they realize
31:17
the whole thing is fake
31:20
perhaps you heard recently
31:21
it was just in the last week
31:23
the Catholic Archbishop
31:24
of Washington D.C.
31:26
who I like more and more
31:28
recently called
31:29
his most famous parishioner
31:31
and I'll let you figure out
31:32
who that is
31:33
his most famous D.C. parishioner
31:35
a cafeteria Catholic
31:36
did you hear him
31:37
use this phrase
31:39
a cafeteria Catholic
31:41
and what he meant by that
31:42
was he just goes through
31:43
the cafeteria line
31:45
and pulls the parts
31:46
that he likes
31:47
and leaves the parts
31:48
that he doesn't
31:49
right
31:50
picking and choosing
31:51
the parts of Catholicism
31:53
that suit his needs
31:53
in the moment
31:54
the Archbishop says
31:55
you can't do that
31:56
you can't do that
31:57
you either got to take all of it
31:59
or you can't take any of it
32:00
and Simon the magician
32:01
was like that
32:03
he had a front row seat
32:05
to witness the power
32:06
of the Holy Spirit at work
32:07
and rather than rejoice in it
32:09
and give glory to God
32:10
he sought the glory for himself
32:14
he even went so far
32:15
as to offer to purchase
32:17
a share in the apostle's power
32:18
let me buy it from you
32:21
I want this power as well
32:23
and so here's money
32:25
you give me the power
32:27
it's interesting to note
32:29
that it is this act of Simon
32:32
that has given us the term
32:34
simony in the church
32:36
you ever heard that term
32:36
simony is the act of purchasing
32:40
ecclesiastical favors or offices
32:41
you pay the priest
32:43
or you pay the pastor
32:44
to do you a favor
32:45
that's called simony
32:46
it comes from simony
32:47
Simon
32:48
Simon was quite unprepared
32:50
for the response that he received
32:52
and I love Peter's response
32:53
it sounds a little harsh
32:55
but it just shows how evil
32:57
this man's heart truly was
32:59
Peter said to him
33:00
may your silver perish with you
33:03
because you thought you could obtain
33:05
the gift of God with money
33:06
you have neither part nor lot
33:08
in this matter
33:09
for your heart is not right before God
33:12
repent therefore of this wickedness of yours
33:15
and pray to the Lord
33:16
that if possible
33:17
the intent of your heart
33:18
may be forgiven you
33:19
for I see
33:20
that you are in the gall of bitterness
33:23
and in the bond of iniquity
33:25
and in Simon's mind
33:27
the offer was kind of transactional
33:29
like what are you talking about
33:30
I give you money
33:31
you give me this
33:31
it's a transaction
33:33
and he perhaps didn't realize
33:35
in his ignorance
33:36
what it was he was attempting to do
33:38
but Peter made it plain to him
33:39
when he told him
33:40
that both he and his riches
33:41
could go to the place
33:42
of eternal damnation
33:45
there's a three word phrase
33:46
that our culture likes to use
33:48
the first two words being go to
33:51
that would literally
33:52
quite literally capture Peter's sentiment
33:54
I'm obviously not going to use them here
33:56
for the sake of young ears
33:58
who may not understand my point
34:00
but may your riches perish with you
34:03
may you and your riches
34:04
go to the place of eternal damnation
34:07
and in Acts chapter 3
34:09
these same two apostles
34:09
Peter and John
34:10
were unable to give silver or gold
34:13
do you remember that
34:14
the man is begging
34:14
we don't have any money
34:16
but we're going to give him silver
34:16
what we have we give to you freely
34:17
and here in chapter 8
34:19
these two guys
34:19
refused to take any silver or gold
34:24
Simon's effort to purchase the gift of God
34:26
showed that he had no appreciation
34:28
for the inner transformation of the gospel
34:30
and nor did he have an appreciation
34:31
or understanding
34:32
of the gifting of the Holy Spirit
34:34
he was trying to buy it
34:37
he had the external appearances of faith
34:39
but was still exhibiting his old nature
34:43
Philip in his inexperienced naivety
34:48
may have been tempted
34:49
to buy it
34:49
to embrace Simon the magician
34:51
and incorporate him into the church
34:52
and possibly even into church leadership
34:55
but Peter
34:55
with his vast wealth of knowledge and experience
34:58
saw through the counterfeit
34:59
and called him to account
35:01
and again the language that he uses is stringent
35:04
in verse 21 he says
35:05
your heart is not straight before the Lord
35:08
in other words your heart is perverse
35:09
crooked and broken
35:11
and he says the only remedy
35:12
for that crooked heart is to repent
35:16
and so he calls him to repentance
35:18
pray for him
35:19
pray to the Lord
35:19
he says
35:20
that the intent of your heart
35:22
may be forgiven you
35:24
Simon responds
35:26
rather than praying himself
35:28
by asking to be prayed for
35:31
pray for me he says in verse 24
35:33
to the Lord
35:34
that nothing of what you have said
35:35
may come upon me
35:36
and whether Simon truly repented
35:38
in the end is difficult to tell
35:40
it's the last mention of his name
35:42
in the scriptures
35:42
so we don't actually know
35:43
what happens to him
35:44
church history records
35:45
maybe he became a Christian leader
35:47
of some sort
35:48
but nothing is certain to him
35:49
and so we'll just
35:50
leave it where the scripture leaves it
35:52
but the author then kind of ties
35:54
all of this section up
35:56
with a one verse statement
35:58
a summary statement
35:59
to transition from
36:01
Philip's interaction with Simon
36:03
to Philip's interaction with the Ethiopian
36:06
for next Sunday
36:07
notice verse 25 it says
36:09
when they had testified
36:10
and spoken the word of the Lord
36:11
they returned to Jerusalem
36:12
preaching the gospel
36:13
to many villages of the Samaritans
36:15
this is Peter and John
36:16
so they come and they say
36:18
yes this is the word of the Lord
36:19
he's legitimate
36:19
the Holy Spirit of God
36:20
has come upon the people of Samaria
36:22
and as they returned to Jerusalem
36:24
they preached the gospel
36:26
to the Samaritans
36:29
Philip the deacon
36:31
went to Samaria
36:32
the region
36:33
which had been rejected
36:34
by the apostles
36:34
during Christ's ministry
36:36
and because he did
36:37
the two most famous apostles
36:39
the two most famous apostles
36:40
followed and on their way home
36:42
what did they do?
36:44
they confirmed Philip's ministry
36:46
and that the Holy Spirit
36:48
had indeed come
36:48
to the Samaritans
36:49
and everyday ordinary Philip
36:52
doing everyday ordinary things
36:54
accomplished the extraordinary work of God
36:57
he didn't view the Samaritans
36:59
as enemies
36:59
whose cities needed to be scorched
37:02
rather as people
37:04
in need of the gospel
37:05
and in so doing
37:06
he set an example
37:07
for the apostles themselves
37:08
which they followed
37:11
I could end there
37:12
but I haven't talked about
37:13
the wheelbarrow
37:14
right
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he was curious about the wheelbarrow
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during the summer of 1859
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a Frenchman named Charles Blondine
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walked a tightrope
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across the Niagara Falls
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some 1300 feet across
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25,000 spectators
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from both the US and Canada
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witnessed Blondine
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become the first person to do so
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he promised that his subsequent attempts
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and there were many
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would always be more daring
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than the last
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whatever I did last time
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I'll do something bigger next time
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on one occasion
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Blondine pushed a wheelbarrow
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full of potatoes across the wire
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can you imagine that
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when he reached the Canadian side
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the crowd marveled
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at how spectacular it was
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Blondine asked the crowd
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how many of them believed
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that he could dump out the potatoes
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and put a man in the wheelbarrow
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and push it back
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the crowd roared with belief
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and then he asked for a volunteer
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laughter
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laughter
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and things got quiet in a hurry
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laughter
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I believe you can do it
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just not with me inside
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laughter
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and the point is this
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Simon the magician
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was like one of those spectators
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who stood by and cheered
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and at the appropriate moments
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he proclaimed yes I believe
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but when the time came
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he refused to get into the wheelbarrow
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and the question I'm going to leave us with this morning is this
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have you gotten into the wheelbarrow
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I know I gave a gospel invitation last Sunday
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anybody who doesn't know the Lord
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who wants the rest and refreshment that he offers
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can come
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and he will by no means ever cast you out
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whoever comes to Christ
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will not be turned away
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but have you yourself
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and now that the visitors are gone
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and the crowds are back to normal
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have you yourself gotten into the wheelbarrow
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when the time comes for you to leave the wheelbarrow
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to leave the relative safety of the crowd
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and to entrust yourself fully to the Lord Jesus Christ
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will you follow him
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and I'm going to close by borrowing language from 2 Corinthians 5
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when the apostle Paul says I implore you
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on behalf of Christ
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be reconciled to God
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for our sake
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he made him to be sin who knew no sin
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so that in him we might become the righteousness of God
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allow me to pray Lord thank you
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for Philip's example
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God that even enemies of the gospel do not
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it should not be our desire Lord
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that even enemies of the gospel be scorched
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but rather that their hearts would be set ablaze
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with the gospel truth
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that our enemies in the faith
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would become brothers and sisters in the faith
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and God I pray that you would remind us
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that we as ordinary people can do extraordinary things
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to accomplish your work
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and that God it is important for us to remember
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that it takes more than just cheering from the crowd
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and the sidelines Lord that you have called us
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to put genuinely put our hope and trust into Jesus Christ
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to get in the wheelbarrow
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and so God I pray
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for every person in the room
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God that we would
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accurately understand where we are at with you
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and that if we've never been forgiven of our sin
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even if we've been part of a church for many many years
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but Lord have never actually entrusted ourselves to you
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Lord that we would do that this morning in Jesus name
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Amen