ACTS 8 ORILLIA COMMUNITY CH ORILLIA COMMUNITY CHURCH 21 FEBRUARY 2016

ACTS 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere— in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

The early church embraced this call to step out into ministry.

ACTS 8:1 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.

MATTHEW 16:18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.

MATTHEW 16:13-14 Who do people say that the Son of Man is? …some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.

MATTHEW 16:13-14 But who do you say I am? You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

EKKLESIA ek“out from” kalé ō “to call”

CALLED OUT ONES The church is a group of people that God had called out of the kingdom of this world, that God had called out of the kingdom of this world, then sends back into this world, then sends back into this world, armed with the Spirit of God as the people of God armed with the Spirit of God as the people of God

Question: How am we going to change the world? Answer: Through the church that’s armed with the gospel.

MATTHEW 16:18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.

Who do you say that I am?

Proclaim Good News Live in reality of his lordship

lives & words

ACTS 2 We have… strong teaching. strong teaching. passionate prayer & worship. passionate prayer & worship. communal life & liturgy. communal life & liturgy. people meeting Jesus. people meeting Jesus. favour in the city. favour in the city.

ACTS 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere— in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

The gospel is going into the innermost part of their hearts, so it can go out to the outermost parts of the world.

ACTS 8:1 Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.

ACTS 8:2-3 (Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.) But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.

ACTS 8:4-5 But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went. Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.

ACTS 8:6 Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.

ACTS 8:7-8 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.

OPEN DOORS – PRAYER Feb Syria Feb 25 Bhutan Feb 26 Vietnam Feb 27 Saudi Arabia Feb 28 Laos Feb 29 Mexico

A MULTIPLYING CHURCH… …empowers people to do significant ministry

ACTS 2:43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.

ACTS 5:12 The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.

ACTS 8:6 Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.

MINISTRY step out & if God doesn’t show up you’re in trouble

A MULTIPLYING CHURCH… …empowers people to do significant ministry

A MULTIPLYING CHURCH… …reaches diverse people

SAMARIA… …a place of compromise

2 KINGS 17:16 They rejected all the commands of the Lord their God and made two calves from metal. They set up an Asherah pole and worshiped Baal and all the forces of heaven.

2 KINGS 17:17 They even sacrificed their own sons and daughters in the fire. They consulted fortune-tellers and practiced sorcery and sold themselves to evil, arousing the Lord’s anger.

DEAD SEA SEA OF GALILEE Nazareth

ACTS 8:6 Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.

ACTS 8:7-8 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.

God loves broken places, & we’re called to go to diverse peoples

ACTS 8:26-27 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia.

EPHESIANS 4:11-12 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

A MULTIPLYING CHURCH… …responds to Spirit promptings

ACTS 8:27-29 The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”

THE MAIN CHARACTER Holy Spirit

PROMPTINGS… …a dream. …a vision. …an illumination of God’s word. …this inner feeling. …looking at circumstances

ACTS 2:17-18 ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants – men and women alike – and they will prophesy.

ACTS 8:14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there.

ACTS 8:15-17 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit… Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.

ACTS 8:18-19 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”

ACTS 8:20-22 But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord.

ACTS 8:22-24 Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.” “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!”

temptation to take short cuts in our walk with God

simple things

QUESTION 1 Is there diversity in your life?

QUESTION 2 Do you believe that you are in full-time ministry?

QUESTION 3 When was the last time you responded to the Spirit?

Bored Doubts about faith Cynical

a bunch of moral “religious” people