Missions Paul

Who is great?

Acts 8:9
“Now for some time a man named Simon had practised sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,”

This man boasted he was someone great.
Many claim to be great but few are.

Last night I was attending the induction of Chris Cartwright as General Superintendent of Elim. I was watching as he and his wife were being prayed for.
What was impressed upon me was the fact that though Chris was coming into a great job and it would take a great man to do that job, Chris himself was acknowledging to us there was only one who is great, Jesus Christ. And it was Christ who was worshipped and adored.

Man can do amazing things, man can perform and amaze the crowds. People can be fooled and convinced.
But greatness belongs to Jesus. With man greatness is just a claim.

Great joy

Acts 8:8
“So there was great joy in that city.”

Where did great joy come from?
How do you quantify great?
A city can be known as dark and dangerous, but it can be known for its joy also.
Are you a giver of great joy?
Do you release joy where you go?
Are people changed because they have been with you?
Are they better for knowing you?
So …. Because of the activity of Philip.
So …. Because of you.
There was great joy.

Noise
Acts 8:7
“With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed.”

Negative things were coming out of people and people were leaving negative things behind.
There was plenty noise! The enemy will not gladly leave us. He will shriek, he will scream, but he will leave. And though it doesn’t say in this verse, the paralytics and the cripples bring healed were most probably making lots of noise too!
For those who like church to be quiet, this was a bad day!
But noise doesn’t automatically mean success.
I have seen a lot of noise from the stages of churches. Shouting certain words in order to see certain actions. I have seen shrieking preachers screaming their mantras.
We don’t need more noise from the stage and pulpits, but we would welcome more noise from the crowd.
So may God move by His Spirit in such a way that the crowd shrieks as the negative is turned around into a positive.

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Hearing and seeing
Acts 8:6
“When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.”

Hearing and seeing equated to the crowd paying attention.
Maybe the reason why the crowds are perhaps today not paying attention is because they are hearing but cannot see any demonstration of God. Or perhaps they are seeing but there is no message, no one is speaking to them.
We do need both. Our words need to be backed up with actions.

Pentecost is for Proclaiming Christ
Acts 8:9

“Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.”

In chapter 6 Philip was chosen as one of the seven deacons who began to minister in the Church so that the apostles could give themselves to prayer and the Word.
Here we see Philip evangelising in Samaria.

The Church needs ministries within but it needs also to be sending ministries out.
The Church doesn’t have a mission if there is no mission.
Today is Pentecost Sunday and whatever Pentecost has become for some, it is not to stay inside a church building. It is to go, it is to send. It is to be where those who don’t accept Jesus as the Son of God and to demonstrate to them that He really is
Philip went to Samaria, it wasn’t an easy place to go to, the people hated the Jew.
So long as you are not proclaiming yourself then it doesn’t matter whether people like or dislike you. Proclaiming Christ is all we need. For He is all everyone needs.

The Church on the move

Acts 8:4
“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”,

A focused Church turns persecution into opportunity.
An obedient Church proclaims less of themselves and more of the Word.
A multiplied Church is scattered to gather.
A sent Church is for the whomsoever is there.

Acts 8:3

“But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.”

The church wasn’t to be found in central buildings.
The church was found in homes.
Saul knew where the church was.
He thought that he could destroy the church. He didn’t need to firebomb a building he just need to go to the homes of the church people and capture them and put them in prison.
It still happens today.
In ISIS controlled areas of the world the U-shaped Arabic letter is scrawled on the homes of Christians, it stands for Nazarene. These Christians are then targeted by ISIS and have to pay a huge fine, convert to Islam or leave their home or face punishment.
Saul began to destroy the church but did he succeed? No.
When the church were thrown into prison they didn’t cease to be church.
It doesn’t matter what the enemy throws at you or what he tries to throw you into. He that is in you is greater. You can withstand the onslaught. Resurrection power is within you. You can comeback.

Acts 8:2

“Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.”

Godly people experience bad things.
When the world seems to be in chaos and the church have all scattered, godly people sometimes have to stay behind to do what needs to be done.
Staying when everyone is leaving is for godly people.

Godly people dignify their defeats.
They may have failed and their heroes may have fallen but they don’t leave the defeat exposed for all to see. They bring closure to the defeat.

Godly people are not afraid to weep.
Sometimes they want what has been taken from them to come back. The godly have no limits to their love for others.

Have you gone?

Acts 8:1
“And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.”

Approximately 5 years after Jesus said GO and even though they had seen Pentecost and further moves if the Spirit. Even though they had experienced a Jerusalem revival and the church had grown to thousands, they still hadn’t ventured out of the city with the gospel.
God can be waiting for us to GO for many years!
What got the Church out of the city? It was persecution. God will get His way. It will either be comfortable for you or not and that probably depends on how long God has been waiting and whether it looks like you are going to do it in any case.
So the church was scattered throughout Judea and Samaria and wherever they went the gospel went with them. The Church finally stepped into the Great Commission. Well all except the apostles anyway but more about that later on!
What’s going to get you moving in mission?

My final prayer

Acts 7:60
“Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.”

When you fall asleep at night what are your final thoughts about?
Are all your prayers about you?
Can you train yourself to stop praying about things that will benefit you in some way?
Can you close your eyes with a prayer of love for even people who are hurting you?
Prayer is the only way to clear the decks. To set things straight. Too many fall asleep and through the night hold prisoners in the cells of their mind.

Can you still kneel? If you can, do you? We should kneel voluntarily, but there are times when the burdens of our lives, the crush of the enemy is so great we fall under its weight. When this happens do we still cry “Lord!”?
Is He Lord when we are on our knees of surrender?

Friends there will come a day when you will fall on your knees, your body will be finally broken and you will lay down for the final time, your eyes will close and you will fall asleep away from this earth. Will you do that with Jesus as Lord? Will you do that free of any unforgiveness or hate and bitterness?
Practice it now as you go to sleep today and on that precious day whenever it is you will find it easier to do.