Introduction

In last week's study titled "The First Gentile Church (Embodiment of Love)" we saw some dramatic changes pre-planned by the Almighty God Himself for the sake of the propagation of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ

We saw selflessness of Barnabas - the Encourager and we also saw that in the first gentile church, their love was a verb!

In as much as there are interesting occurrences in this chapter that would make interesting reading and present several learning points, we would focus only on the "acts" of the apostles and the early church. We will in the study of the following verses treat some Dos and Don'ts

THE DOS

1. Pray when in difficult situations

Verse 5 - "So Peter was kept in prison, but fervent prayer for him was persistently made to God by the church (assembly)."

What they could have done and what we sometimes do

• Carry placards and burn candles outside the prison and chant and protest against the wrongdoing; this however is not entirely wrong but not for a maniac looking to increase his popularity rating with the Jews. He would have arrested everyone one of them and most probably killed them! Eccl 3:1-8 (Emphasis on 7b)
• Nothing! Simply give up and prepare for his burial. The Bible does not record that when James was taken to be killed the church prayed - You lose nothing when you pray but you could lose a lot of you don't!

2.      Trust God; even when the world is crumbling around you (Isa 50:10, Job 13:15 )

Verse 6 - "The very night before Herod was about to bring him forth, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, fastened with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison"

Ps 121: 4 - "Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps" [NLT]

Peter must have thought to himself "it is pointless for two people to lose sleep on the same matter" His trust for God was of the highest form!

3.      Fear Not!

Peter was not afraid of dying. Fear and sleep don't go together! He made himself comfortable and slept (see verse 8)

Matt 10: 28 - "And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; but rather be afraid of Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

What he could have done and what we sometimes do

Stay up all night worrying, panicking and creating a foul atmosphere that may hinder God's plans.

However, God cannot be boxed in our little minds; neither can we undermine the Holy Spirit's move. How else can you explain these two similar situations?

·         Paul and Silas prayed because they trusted

·         Peter slept because he trusted

They did as they were led!

THE DON'TS

1.      Insensitivity - they were praying but not watching (Luke 21:36a)

Verses 14 & 15: "And recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she failed to open the gate, but ran in and told the people that Peter was standing before the porch gate. They said to her, you are crazy! But she persistently and strongly and confidently affirmed that it was the truth. They said, it is his angel!"

2.      Faithless prayers - they were not praying in Faith (Matt.21:22, James 1:5-8, Hebrews 11:6)

They clearly didn't believe God could do what they were asking for. Although they were fervently and persistently praying - they were simply going through the motions

3.      Praying without expectations

Unlike the father of the prodigal son who was expecting his son to return (Luke 15:20) they were not expecting an answer to their prayers - see verse 15

"I call to You, God, because I'm sure of an answer." Psalms 17:6 (MSG)

CONCLUSION

So what have we learnt? We can safely say that God showed Peter mercy on the basis of his faith and trust in Him. It is possible that we can sometimes follow the motions when we pray without putting our hearts to it; we could be insensitive, faithless and not expectant. However, there still remains one possibility that we should objectively consider - "their expectation of how God will answer their prayers" They could have been expecting God to answer in a different way! So it is therefore vital that when we pray, (and as the 4^th DO):

"We should be open to receive from God in any way He chooses!"

Having learnt all these we will now touch on the other learning points and useful prayers we can adopt from this chapter

1.      That God will not allow us to be used as pawns in the Devil's chess game [James and the soldiers]

2.      Always give God the glory - He gave us His only begotten Son and everything else with Him but He will not share His glory with man Acts 12: 23

3.      God's work will continue to advance - no one can hinder it! Better to be a part of it than be against it. Verse 24

Introduction: Another opportunity to learn more of the work of God in the lives of the men who turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6) is here!

Last week's topic, titled "Handling Criticism" was remarkable. We learnt about how matured and worthy of emulating, Peter handled the Hebraic Jews' criticism of his association with the Gentile centurion and the ultimate conversion of his household and himself. As we will see today, God's ways are higher than any man's and His thoughts are past finding. This was the beginning of a new phase of movements which has since continued till this very present moment - The Gentile Church!

CHANGE IN TIME (Vs 19)

Interestingly, beginning from this verse down, we are going to see some dramatic changes pre-planned by the Almighty God Himself for the sake of the propagation of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Personnel change from our beloved Apostle Peter to Barnabas and Paul, location change from Jerusalem to Antioch and time referral to the persecution of Stephen.

It's amazing how God orchestrates events simultaneously. In Acts 8, while God was preparing the Ethiopian eunuch for salvation, He was also guiding Philip to their meeting place in the desert. While God was preparing Saul for conversion, He was preparing Ananias for meeting with Saul to restore his sight and while God was preparing Cornelius for the arrival of Peter, He was also preparing Peter to go to the home of a Gentile. Same is true for our text today, while the Jews in Jerusalem were debating the legitimacy of the salvation of Gentiles; God was already at work saving Gentiles.

HELLENISTIC JEWS, NOT THE HEBRAIC JEWS (Vs 20 - 21)

Of course, God is not partial, neither is there discrimination in Him. "He knows us inside and out.." (Psalm 103: 14a MSG)

In reaching out to the Hellenistic Jews, God used their fellow brethren (Stephen, Philip, Paul and Barnabas etc). "God was pleased with what they were doing and put his stamp of approval on it?quite a number of the Greeks believed and turned to the Master." (Vs 21 MSG)

Supports the truth that God was the one orchestrating this.

HEBRAIC JEWS DECISION ACTED UPON (Vs 22)

What the Jerusalem church leaders (including the apostles) had decided in principle, they now had to act upon in practice - by sending Barnabas to Antioch.

BARNABAS, A MAN SUBMITTED TO THE HOLY SPIRIT (Vs 23 - 26b)

Real Name, Joses of Cyprus. First mentioned in Acts 4:36 as the fore -runner in the act of charity.  Nicknamed Barnabas (Son of encouragement) by the apostles. This verse implies that he has been in the background doing what he knows to do best - encouraging! Know any Barnabas in the house? Now finding themselves in the way they have not been used to, the Gentiles needed some cheering. Who else is most qualified to do this than our man? He's always done a good job in the lives of the Apostles when they needed to be encouraged. An incurable optimist! Nothing ever weighed him down! Barnabas was delighted at the salvation of these Gentiles. See what the word says about him;

When he arrived and saw what grace (favor) God was bestowing upon them, he was full of joy; and he continuously exhorted (warned, urged, and encouraged) them all to cleave unto and remain faithful to and devoted to the Lord with [resolute and steady] purpose of heart. (Acts 11:23 AMP - Emphasis Mine)

Continuously! A true encourager is diligent in what he does. The source of this attribute is not far-fetched;

For he was a good man [good in himself and also at once for the good and the advantage of other people], full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit and full of faith (of his belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal salvation). And a large company was added to the Lord.

(Vs 24 AMP- Emphasis Mine)

It's not enough, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, with an evidence of speaking in tongues! The ultimate is to be led (controlled) by the Holy Spirit;

The true children of God are those who let God's Spirit lead them. (Rom 8:14 NCV)

We need to consciously train our spirit to obey the voice of the Spirit in little things. This is a sure way to grow. When we learn to obey little instructions, we will not struggle in obeying some destiny determining instructions as we grow in the Lord.

Barnabas did not only encourage these Gentile Christians, he also went to Tarsus and sought Saul. He was not threatened by God's gift in Paul. In fact, if you recall in Acts 9: 26 - 30, he was the one that recommended Paul to the leaders in Jerusalem. He also took Mark with him when rejected by Paul in Acts 15. Barnabas was indeed a very good man who always sought after the good of and what will benefit and be of advantage to other people. This is the legacy we should all leave for the coming generation!

ARE WE TRULY LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE? (Vs 26b - 30)

I believe that the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch because of the sudden change in the Lifestyles of the Gentile believers! Sudden, because these have only been converted and taught the word of God for a Year! They were all very united in purpose and ultimately, LOVE! It was this love that compelled them to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea at the prophecy of an impending famine.

CONCLUSION

 One of the first signs of the truly saved is in their undeniable willingness to give sacrificially (out of pure love). Giving in all forms. No wonder they were called Christians! The foundation upon which the Christian faith is built is LOVE! This is the ultimate and the highest walk! The very first response of the Gentiles to the faith that they have come to sincerely embraced was in their showing of Agape Love through giving.

Whereas agape love is eternal, tongues will cease when we leave this earth. Love (Agape) will cross the barrier of death and go on to Heaven with you. (Dave Roberson)

Introduction

In last week's study titled "God shows no Prejudice" we saw a new wave of the move of the Spirit - away from the traditionalist mind set. A new wave to get the purpose of Christ's death fulfilled - salvation to the whole world!

We saw how "protocol" was bypassed when the Holy Spirit came upon "Gentiles". Today we shall study the reaction of this move and learn a few lessons from what God wanted to achieve and how by His Spirit Peter handled criticism

Verses 1-3 [AMP];

The first three verses of this chapter tell us an undeniable truth - "Every Move of the Spirit always triggers varying reactions" The Amplified Bible makes this clearer.

1.      Verse 1:  "NOW THE apostles (special messengers) and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard [with astonishment] that the Gentiles (heathen) also had received and accepted and welcomed the Word of God [the doctrine concerning the attainment through Christ of salvation in the kingdom of God]."- Acceptance [they were happy to hear that the Gentiles were being saved]. They were excited and were impressed!

2.      Verses 2 - 3: "So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party [certain Jewish Christians] found fault with him [separating themselves from him in a hostile spirit, opposing and disputing and contending with him], Saying, Why did you go to uncircumcised men and [even] eat with them?"- Criticism [instead of seeing the good in what happened, they found faults] they were majoring on the minors. The same still happens today to the point that we miss out on God's blessings!

The fuel behind this fire bothers around pride, selfishness, tradition and religion

Verses 4-16 [AMP];

PETER'S RESPONSE TO CRITICISM

Once again, the Amplified Bible throws the light needed.

Verse 4: "But Peter began [at the beginning] and narrated and explained to them step by step [the whole list of events]. He said:"

Peter narrated the story from the beginning - He explained himself [Read verses 5 - 16]

He revealed how he too fought with the thought of associating with the unclean [Gentiles]

Verse 8: "But I said, No, by no means, Lord; for nothing common or unhallowed or [ceremonially] unclean has ever entered my mouth."[AMP]

And in verse 16, it all made sense to him [WHAT GOD WANTED TO DO]:

"Then I recalled the declaration of the Lord, how He said, John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with (be placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit."[AMP]

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM PETER'S RESPONSE?

a)      Humility: It takes humility in a leader to explain their actions. He could have flipped the coin, turned the table over and attack them for condemning him and challenging his authority.

b)      Sincerity: He did not deny that he struggled as well with this move of the Holy Spirit (Verse 8)

c)      Empathy: He knew what they were going through (he's been there).

d)      Wisdom: He knew (by revelation) what they did not know; and with wisdom brought them to the same understanding by his explanation and he then posed a rhetorical question that stilled them in verse 17:

"If then God gave to them the same Gift [equally] as He gave to us when we believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I and what power or authority had I to interfere or hinder or forbid or withstand God?"[AMP]

His final statement left his critics spellbound! It was Luke 21: 15 fulfilled!

"For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist." [KJV]

The message puts it this way:

"I'll give you the words and wisdom that will reduce all your accusers to stammers and stutters."[MSG]

See verse 18: "When they heard this, they were quieted and made no further objection." [AMP]

THE RESULT

Verse 18b - "And they glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance unto [real] life [after resurrection]."[AMP]

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, we will consider verse 18 in the MSG version, apply our hearts and learn:

"Hearing it all laid out like that, they quieted down. And then, as it sank in, they started praising God. "It's really happened! God has broken through to the other nations, opened them up to Life!"[MSG]

Peter did not feel threatened when he was challenged, hence he did not lash back at his accusers. Let's come aside for a while, what if Peter did not handle the situation humbly and wisely? The enemy would have used the foothold given to him and created a stronghold of disunity, they would have missed the opportunity to praise God, failed to realise what God was doing and completely derailed from the move of the Spirit.  

Introduction

You are welcomed again to the book of the Acts of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Apostles. It's been a very remarkable and impacting experience so far, looking at these ministers of the most High God, breaking traditions and setting Godly standards during their existence on this planet earth.

Last week, we started the study on the encounter of Cornelius, a centurion of the Italian Regiment, with an Angel of God. His life was going to be changed forever. Not only this, but any Judaism related mindset was also going to be broken in the lives of the Apostles too. Hitherto, the Apostles have been in their comfort zones - preaching Christ to the lost sons and daughters of Israel, Cornelius encounter introduces them to a God that shows no prejudice!

In our study today, we shall be looking at this portion of Acts 10 through series of questions and we trust God that this will break the mould in the church today, take us from our comfort zone, and propel us into the harvest which is already very ripe (Matthew 9:37).

ARE WE READY FOR CHANGE?

Do you like change? Few of us do. It is so easy to settle into a comfortable rut rather than endure the discomfort of change. This lesson is about changes that were necessary for the early church to grow. Ask God what changes are needed in your life for you to become your best.

You see, nothing can be liberating than the truth! Remember the words of Jesus in Mark 2:22? This is the purpose of today's study.

THOUGHT PROVOKING QUESTIONS

Q1

The next day Peter and his six companions set out for Caesarea. How sure was Cornelius that Peter would come? Who arranged this meeting?

Q2

What was the first thing Peter said to this Gentile crowd? What had Peter finally come to realize through this experience?

Q3

How did Peter begin his sermon? What are some subtle ways we "show favoritism"?

Q4

Can you recall a time when you felt separated from others because of social, economic or racial differences?

Q5

Which of the following groups are represented in your church? Irish, Poor, Physically Challenged, Divorced, Widowed, Homeless, Addicts, Orphan, Former Convict, e.t.c. Does your church "look like" the nation?

Q6

How have you observed people react when someone of different race, dress, looks or economic status joins? How do you react? Why do you think churches are still so segregated?

Q7

How are prejudices formed? How does God view our prejudices? (James 2: 8-9) How can we relinquish them? Share your struggles and/or victories.

Q8

Reread verse 35. Does this mean Cornelius' good deeds had earned him salvation? If so, why did he still need Jesus? What is the most crucial "right" thing to do in life?

Q9

In what way was this event (Acts 10:44-46) similar to (Acts 2:1-4)? What is the significance?

Q10

What did Peter and his companions do to show confirmation of Peter's new revelation from the Lord? [Compare this with Acts 2:38]

Q11

Throughout this lesson we have observed two men who were open to change and new ideas. What is the lesson for you from their example? What change in your life required the most adjustment? What do you need to change now? Discuss your struggles and/or victories.

Q12

Throughout this section, Peter is taken through a process to end his prejudices. Trace the process. What process has God taken you through?

CONCLUSION

Consider how difficult it is to change yourself and you'll understand what little chance you have when you try to change others! This is the job of the Holy Spirit.

Introduction: Saul thought he was "the man", Oh how wrong he was! Chapter 8:1 says "Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen" [NLT]. He set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem, Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. He must have thought he was destroying the work but forcing believers to leave home base, made all of them missionaries! Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus! He must have found out that the Gospel had reached Damascus (probably by the ministry of Phillip) so he went to obtain arrest warrants for believers in Damascus. (Vs. 1-2)

This set the stage for one of the greatest conversions the body of Christ will ever witness. Reading through the verses we ask ourselves . . .

"What can we learn?"

1. God will build His church and the gates of hell will not prevail (Matt. 16:18)
2. God will use anything, anyone, even the devil to accomplish His plans (Phil 1: 15-18), (Rom.8:28)

Let's look at these two maps and see God's hand at work:

·         Stephen was killed in Jerusalem

·         This sparked off a great persecution and the people became missionaries preaching everywhere they fled to

·         Philip headed for Samaria and caused a spiritual shaking; with people turning to Christ

·         The Spirit teleported him to the road to Gaza where he preached to the Eunuch after which he was dropped off in Azotus

·         Philip continued to preach along the way from Azotus until he got to Caesarea as accounted of in Acts 8:40

·         I strongly believe that he continued to Damascus because 9:1-2 says Saul was getting arrest warrants for believers in Damascus

Conclusion:

Following from the last study, God saw something in Saul (He saw zeal that could be appropriately channelled) so He set him up (big time!) Remember what He did to Pharaoh? He set him up as well. God can use anyone, anything, any situation for His glory. Trust Him, He can use you too. Just be willing, obedient and sensitive to His spirit.                                                         

Introduction

Two weeks ago we looked at Acts 8: 1-25 "Satan's Intrusion to the Camp" how the persecution of the church led to the spread of the Gospel to Samaria. Focus was on Philip's ministry, Simon's conversion and sin and how the apostles handled the situation. Today, we are going to play "catch up" as we deal with last week's study as well as today's. First, last week's:

One of the things we notice about Philip was that he was used by God to perform wonders. He was the only one the Bible recorded was teleported. His ministry affected not only Samaria but Ethiopia as well as other cities. We all want to be used by God and today's study about Philip will shows us characteristics of people who could be used by God.

Philip could hear God and was faithfully obedient (Vs. 26 - 30)

To be used by God, we need to have a relationship with Him and be able to hear Him speak to us and not only to hear Him speak but to obey whatever He asks us to do (1 Sam 15:22)

He was prepared for the task and was sensitive in delivery (Vs. 31-35)

He started a conversation; in verse 30, he asked the Eunuch if he understood what he was reading. He did not just join the chariot and began to preach. Though approach may differ, it is vital not to force the Gospel down people's throat because they will naturally resist it. The Eunuch's answer created the right environment and Philip seized it and preached Jesus

Philip was not religious (Vs. 36-38)

He did not wait for a ceremony before he baptized the Eunuch; sometimes, we miss the opportunity to do what we are expected to do because we want to follow protocol and tradition. The heart of the Eunuch had been prepared by the Spirit of God and the Word of God, it was his time to be saved; and God needed the words of Philip's testimony to complete the salvation process. Having said that, baptism is only for people who understand God's word and choose baptism on the basis of their own faith in Jesus

Philip was in tune with the Spirit & extremely zealous (Vs. 39 - 40)

When it was time to go, he was ready to go, the Spirit took him away and dropped him off in Azotus where he continued preaching until he got to Caesarea. He caught the momentum and continued with it. He did not rest on his oars or hold on to yesterday's glory. He trudged on with zeal similar to the one that consumed Christ.

Conclusion

God can use anything to do His work. But He wants to use us; He needs to see something in us (that the ordinary man cannot see) before He uses us. One vital characteristic is a right, willing and obedient heart. Having been chosen to be used by God, we should then endeavour to keep the "environment" right, be sensitive to His voice, be willing and ready to faithfully obey His commands, be prepared - ready to go when He calls, put away tradition and religion that could stand in the way of the move of the Spirit and remain in tune with the Spirit; excited at the opportunity that God would want to use you!

Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

Introduction

In our last lesson, Stephen preached in the Greek-speaking synagogue, which led to his arrest and trial before the Sanhedrin. Instead of defending himself, Stephen indicted his accusers, showing their charges to be inconsistent with Old Testament teaching, and their resistance to God's Spirit to be entirely consistent with Israel's rebellion against God and His appointed servants. We saw his boldness and forgiveness even when he was being stoned to death. He received a standing ovation from the Lord as the first recorded martyr of Christ.

1) PERSECUTION AND SPREADING OF THE GOSPEL: Act 8:1-3 "And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison."

It appears the persecution began the day Stephen was stoned. The mob intensified in fury. While the Scriptures do not say, there are various historical accounts as to how many believers were put to death. With this in view it is no wonder it is called a "great persecution". Saul was the chief player in this furious persecution of the believers. What was the major effect of this persecution?

a) The believers were scattered abroad throughout the region of Judea and Samaria. From Act 1:8, this will be in fulfilment of the word of the Lord; ". and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth". Despite the persecution, the eternal purpose of God for the spreading of the gospel of Christ was on course. What will you do in the face of persecution? Can you believe God to work it out for your good?

2) PHILIP THE EVANGELIST IN SAMARIA: Acts 8:4-8 "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city."

Vs 4, As the believers left Jerusalem, they continued to preach the Gospel everywhere they went. This is a practical example of our primary assignment as believers today. To preach the gospel anywhere we find ourselves. Matt. 28:18

Vs 5, the preaching of Christ was the focus of Evangelist Philip. We shall see the effect of his method.

Vs 6, the people with one accord gave heed to his message. We need to understand the historical background and relationship between the Jews and the Samaritan to appreciate the breakthrough God gave Philip. There was great hostility between the Jews and the Samaritans. The Samaritans were considered inferior because they were a mixed race. The Samaritan woman at the well was therefore shocked that Jesus would have anything to do with her.1 Kings 17, John 4:7-9. Why did Philip get the same result among them?                             

a) He was full of the Holy Ghost and Wisdom Act 6:3,8

b) They heard and saw miracles, signs and wonders which he did Vs 6-7, Mark 16:15-18, Lk 10:19

c) He brought great Joy to the city Vs 8.                                   

You will always be accepted at the place where God has made you a solution. Men are looking for people with solutions everywhere. Rom. 8:19. Ask God to send you to the people that are waiting for you.

3) SIMON THE SORCERER PROFESSION OF FAITH: Acts 8:9-13 "But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done."

Before the coming of Evangelist Philip to Samaria with the power of God, Simon had bewitched the whole city with the power of darkness. Simon was a Samaritan "messiah." What broke Simon's hold over the people was the preaching of Jesus as Messiah. What an impact his "conversion" made on the people of Samaria. And not only did he profess belief and submit to baptism, he virtually attached himself to Philip, following him wherever he preached. No wonder the Samaritans were listening so intently to Philip. He was absolutely taken back with the power the evangelist had. Simon's amazement meant he was 'charmed' by the power present in Philip. Was he truly converted? Or was he trying to know the secret of God's power in the life of Philip?

4) THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST: Acts 8:14-17 "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost."

 Now the big question: "Why could Philip not lay his hands on the people for them to receive the Holy Spirit?" There is no direct answer to this question in this chapter. There are several suggestions by scholars.                            

a)  First, these new believers must be embraced as full-fledged members of the church by the Jewish Christians (Ephesians 2:11-22). Who better to validate their faith in Jesus than two of the apostles from Jerusalem? The Church was to be built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ being the corner stone.                                                                                                                                                                      

 b) These new Samaritan believers needed the affirmation and confirmation of their equal standing in Jesus by the actions of the apostles sent from Jerusalem. Just as the Jerusalem Jews needed confirmation of the conversion of these Samaritans, so the Samaritans needed confirmation of their acceptance and affirmation by the Jewish apostles, as represented by Peter and John.

5) THE DECEPTION AND REBUKE OF SIMON THE SORCERER: Act 8:18-24 "And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me"

.... Of course Simon the Sorcerer never received the Holy Spirit himself. Our question might me, 'But it says he believed and was baptized.' We have to decide as to what was it was that Simon believed? Simon believed that the miracles were from God, and though he was baptized, his belief was not a righteous belief. To believe unto righteousness implies a repentance of the heart is in place. Simon had no sense of a need for a Saviour. His interest was power for commercial purpose. He wanted to market the manifestations of the Spirit as a commodity. Even when Peter directed Simon towards repentance, the sorcerer's reply reveals only a desire for self-preservation. He said, "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me." We must beware of wolves in sheep clothing that will come to our camp Matt 7:15. 1 John 4:1 we must try every spirit. Acts 8:25 "And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans."

 

Contributor: Alex Alajiki

 

Introduction: The week before last, we learnt that there were still some mind-sets and doctrines still being unconsciously practised by this generation of believers that we need to, like Stephen, correct. We also learnt that we should seek to live consistently impactful lives full of God's determined and already established purpose.

Today, we look at the concluding part of Stephen's message; comparing it with Peter's, the outcomes and his circumstances around his death.

Verses 37 - 62

Reading through these verses, we see that Stephen responded to the allegations tailored against him by reviewing the call of Abraham and God's promise to him and the nation of Israel.  He then described how God used Moses to deliver Israel from Egyptian bondage and led them for forty years through the wilderness.  Yet Israel rebelled against Moses, through whom God gave the Law.  Not only in the incident involving the golden calf, but throughout their wilderness wanderings Israel continued to worship false gods (Amos 5:25-27).  Turning to the matter of God's dwelling place, Stephen acknowledged the role of the tabernacle of Moses and the temple of Solomon, but contended that God does not dwell in temples made with hands (Isa 66:1-2). 

He concluded by charging the council of resisting the Holy Spirit just like their ancestors, for as their fathers persecuted and killed the prophets who foretold the coming of the Just One (Christ), so they became His betrayers and murderers. Indeed, they were the ones who have not kept the Law.

What can we learn from Stephen? How does his response relate to Peter's message and Jesus' lifestyle?

1.        He capitalised on the opportunity to preach. He must have been "born ready" (Vs. 1-53)

2.        He was bold! (Vs. 2, 2:14)

3.        His Message

• His Message was based on the word of God; quoting the scriptures (Isaiah 7: 37 - 50) Notice he did not defend himself - he never once did throughout his message!

He was quoting from Deuteronomy (18:15, 18), to Exodus (19), Jeremiah (19:13), Amos (5:25-27), Isaiah (66:1-2)

• His message was delivered without fear or favour. (Vs. 51-53, 2:23)

He must have learnt from our man Peter!

4.        The Outcome

His message brought conviction (verse 54)

 "Now upon hearing these things, they [the Jews] were cut to the heart and infuriated, and they ground their teeth against [Stephen]."

From all indications, conviction met with pride in the Jews because it led to guilt and anger

Verse 57

But they raised a great shout and put their hands over their ears and rushed together upon him.

5.      His Character - A Disciple like his Master

(Verses 55 - 60)

Like Jesus, Stephen

·         Was full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by the Holy Spirit  (Vs. 55a, Luke 4: 1)

"But he, full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him"

"THEN JESUS, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led in [by] the [Holy] Spirit"

·         In agony, he prayed (Vs. 59, Luke 23:46)

"And while they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, Lord Jesus, receive and accept and welcome my spirit!"

"And Jesus, crying out with a loud voice, said, Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit! And with these words, He expired."

·         Had a heart of compassion (you will know from his prayer) (Vs. 60, Luke 23:34)

"And falling on his knees, he cried out loudly, Lord, fix not this sin upon them [lay it not to their charge]! And when he had said this, he fell asleep [in death]."

"And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided His garments and distributed them by casting lots for them."

·         Did not retaliate (Vs. 60, 1 Peter 2:23)

"And falling on his knees, he cried out loudly, Lord, fix not this sin upon them [lay it not to their charge]! And when he had said this, he fell asleep [in death]."

"When He was reviled and insulted, He did not revile or offer insult in return; [when] He was abused and suffered, He made no threats [of vengeance]; but he trusted [Himself and everything] to Him Who judges fairly."[AMP]

CONCLUSION

Stephen was a man just like you and I; what made him stand out was the Holy Spirit in Him that is in you and I. However, he allowed the Holy Spirit to control him; well, I wish I could say the same of us. Are we genuinely controlled by the Holy Spirit? Or are we our own masters?

We have also learnt a few other things from the life of Stephen - taking opportunities as they come, his message (Word based, delivered without fear or favour), his heart (loving and compassionate) - a disciple like his Master. And the Master stood for him! Can He do the same for us?

Good news? We can be like Stephen if we allow the Holy Spirit

Introduction

Last week, we learnt that there were still some mind-sets and doctrines in some churches still being unconsciously practised by this generation of believers that we need to stand up to and correct like Deacon Stephen did in his days. We also learnt that we should seek to live consistently impactful lives full of God's determined and already established purpose.

Today's text is an introduction into the second aspect of the doctrine of the Jews that Stephen challenged. Reading through the text, I discovered that the verses do not particularly relate to our purpose for the study of the Acts of the Apostles. And I felt it would be an opportunity to carry out a review of what we have studied of the Acts of the Apostles so far.

WEEK 1

Overview of Acts of the Apostles

In the overview, we learnt that the book of Acts was written by Luke to Theophilus; we also looked at the Importance and purpose of the Book of Acts - the record of the beginnings and development of the early church.

WEEK 2 - Text:      Acts 1:1-14

In the second class - "Dissertation of the book of Acts", we learnt about whom the men and women were, what their accomplishments and failures were, how they ended and what was expected of us.

WEEK 3 - Text:      Acts 1: 15 - 26

The Preparation for Pentecost, we learnt that we can experience Pentecost and the workings of the Holy Spirit as it was in the days of the early church. But that we have to be prepared for it; not just in words of mouth but in the things we do. We have to put our house in order - let's do what is right whatever it takes. We have to, work in unity (agreeing to the fundamentals), and live in absolute obedience to the word of God; not tradition and religion), pray in righteousness (effectual and fervent).

WEEK 4 - Text:      Acts2: 1 - 13

On day four we saw how the advent of the Holy Spirit; the conditions that were met for Him to come as well as that the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost was all orchestrated by God Himself.

WEEK 5 - Text:      Acts2: 14 - 39

The Pentecostal sermon, in these verses, we saw the transformation that can happen to an ordinary person filled with the Holy Spirit (Timid Peter changed to bold peter). We learnt that every one of us can change for the better by the help of the Holy Spirit. We also learnt the how a message should be delivered. They should carry hope to the world, not tales, but a message that is relevant, delivered without fear or favour. A message that offers solution to life's questions; preached by our very lives!

WEEK 6 - Text:      Acts2: 40 - 47

Believers' fellowship: Pathway to Growth; here, we learnt the vital rudiments to the growth of the first century church; Steadfastness, dedication of everyone in the ?fold', like-mindedness, unity, continuity, and love. All these existing amongst apostles made it possible for them to receive favour from all the people. It inspired and convicted many to salvation and eventually led to numerical increase in the church.

WEEK 7 - Text:            Acts 3: 1 - 10

Let the Acts Begin, this study taught us lessons and wisdoms from the lifestyles of the as well as the crippled man at the gate. The lifestyle of seeking God's face in prayers and fellowship, the diligence of the crippled man - going daily to the temple, as well as that he was expectant of something. The Apostles remembered the promise of Jesus and dared to go further and the result was a miracle!

WEEK 8 - Text: Acts 3: 11 - 26

The Second Sermon, here we saw Peter's blueprint for impactful messages. Consistency, relevance, delivered without fear or favour and one that offers solution to the hearers. He was also very careful not to take or share God's glory.

WEEK 9 - Text: Acts 4:  1 - 22

The Commission, Mission, Unction, Oppositions and Persecution; in this study we saw the first opposition the church received from the religious rulers by attempting to threaten and intimidate the apostles and the boldness and wisdom with which they apostles handled them.

WEEK 10 - Text: Acts 4:  23 - 37

In this study, we saw the first opposition the apostles and the church experienced and their reaction. We learnt from them what we should do should we face similar oppositions; they went back to God in prayer and asked for boldness to preach the word. Their prayers caused a shaking and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the word of God with boldness and with power, they wrought miracles. The opposition also caused them to draw even closer, they were in one accord and had all things common with people selling their belongings and bringing them to the apostles so that no one lacked.

WEEK 11 - Text: Acts 5:  1 - 21

Satan's intrusion in the Camp; here, we saw Ananias and Saphira's failed attempt to lie to the Holy Spirit and the consequences - negative (death of the couple) and positive (sanity in the church). We also discovered that the Sanhedrin weren't upset because they felt like the One True God was being profaned or because they felt like the apostles were heretics. They were simply jealous! Hence the attack they launched out against the apostles.

WEEK 12 - Text: Acts 5:  22 - 42

In The Face of Challenge; in this study, we see the apostles' response in the face of challenge. They chose to obey God; they didn't fight back or protest; instead they took suffering in Jesus' name with dignity and they were consistently relentless. And once again Peter's message - consistent! We also learnt that when Conviction meets with Pride, it amounts to Guilt but when Conviction meets with Humility, it leads to Repentance

WEEK 13 - Text: Acts 6:  1 -15

Challenges of Growth; in this study we learnt that with growth come challenges both from within and without. We saw how the apostles handled the challenge WITHIN - Nepotism (they did not ignore the problem or reduce its importance, they identified what their duties were; they didn't interfere and become side tracked, they allowed the people choose for themselves (but with criteria) they did not lord it over the people and they let the people know what the game plan was - no secrecy, no deceit. They were transparent. WITHOUT - Opposition & Conspiracy against Stephen that will lead to his death but in his trial, we saw his boldness. He was armed with the word of God he couldn't be argued down!

WEEK 14 - Text: Acts 7:  1 - 22

Living with Purpose, in this study we saw how Stephen, through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, was set to ask the Jewish leaders to re-think change their views and perspectives concerning God. To shift focus from the things they erroneously held dear; one of which was the Land. We also learnt that like Stephen & Esther we should know the reason why we are alive and be ready to die for our beliefs. We should always endeavour to tell the truth and not trade with it!