Well good morning, Gospel City. How are you guys doing? Praise the Lord. If you have your Bibles, let me encourage you to make your way to Acts chapter 8 this morning. Acts chapter 8. We’re going to be in verses 9-25 for our text this morning. My name is Tyler Holder. I’m our pastor of mens’ and young adult discipleship, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to walk with you through this wonderful passage of Scripture. I hope you found your way to Acts chapter 8.
This is what God’s Word has to say to us this morning. Starting in verse 9.
But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you. Say, “That’s harsh Peter. You don’t need to say things like that.” But he does.
May your silver perish with you because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. (Acts 8:9-25)
This is God’s Word for us today. Praise the Lord. Now I wonder if you could quickly go with me back to the year 1991. Specifically Jamuary 27, 1991. It’s a day that will live in infamy in the mind of my dear wife Janelle. I don’t know if many of you were around in ‘91. I think a lot of us were. We are at the pinnacle of the Gulf War. We are experiencing strife and turmoil in our country. And yet on January 27, there is this moment that happens for my wife, who was five at the time.
Travel back with me and remember this is the golden era of NFL football. And her iconic team, the Buffalo Bills, had made it to the benchmark of footballery. They had entered into what would become the first of four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. Do you guys remember this? All right, do you remember the old school, retro, throwback Buffalo Bills that was on their jerseys and helmets? It was so fun. The pads were bigger than the people. It was a beautiful moment, right?
My wife and her love for the Buffalo Bills even at five exceeded all that should have been at the time. And with Jim Kelly at the helm, the Bills rally and they win their final playoff game, giving them the birth into the SuperBowl. And as kickoff approached, the Bills looked promising. No huddle offense running against the New York Giants. And quickly they got on the board, and the Bills progressed with such promise. Right?
I don’t know if you remember this, right? The Bills are just hitting it and they’re going hard. And at halftime they go into the locker room with a lead. And then it happened: the second half. It comes in every football game and the New York Giants rally. And when the dust settles and the teams exit the fields, the Giants win 20 to 19. And in that moment the sting of defeat pierces from the tube tv into the heart of five-year-old, thirty-five pound Janelle, and she weeps uncontrollably on her father’s lap. Right, aw?
There’s no “aw.” It’s the Bills. It happens every year, right? Like four straight consecutive Super Bowls and never won any of them. That’s a record, ok, just so you know. Even to this day, the youngest member of the Bills mafia, my wife, still loves the Buffalo Bills. You’ll see my kids wearing jerseys for some reason reppin that logo. You’ll see her van with the iconic symbol. Every subsequent year the Bills showed promise. They advance, they advance, they advance only to let down this poor upstate New York girl every single year.
I have a video of my wife jumping up and down in elation last year when the Bills make it to the playoffs. And man, it’s the funniest video. Because I’m like, “Babe, what are you doing?” And she’s just dancing and jumping. She’s so excited. And then they lose to the Chiefs. Every single time, the advancement that they have leads to her subsequent disappointment.
And when we look at Acts chapter 8 this morning, what we see is we see a great advance that is guaranteed to win at the end of the day. We see this advance that’s taking place that’s a sure bet for victory. It’s an advance that offers something far more lasting than the Lombardi trophy. It’s an advance of the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and now to Samaria.
In Acts chapter 8 we see a gospel advance going into new territory, engaging new people, the Samaritans, proclaiming the message of life and freedom and joy in Christ. We see this new missionary endeavor that is advancing leaps and bounds from where it was but a mere few verses ago. You see the gospel doing something beautiful in the lives of the Samaritans.
And remember how this all started. It starts back in acts 1:8 when Jesus declares, “You will be witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” In fact, Acts 8:1 is in some part a fulfillment of Acts 1:8. You see the gospel going forth and advancing unlike never before. There’s this central core, this group of people, that have been obedient to what Jesus has declared and now it has gone to a people and a place that it never would have gone before.
In fact, when you think about the book of Acts, think about it in terms of a bullseye with this central core being 120 in the upper room. Jesus gives the eleven apostles this declaration, “Don’t leave Jerusalem.” They go back and there’s this 120 in the upper room that are praying and seeking the Lord and the church is established in Acts chapter 1. The Holy Spirit comes. This 120 is obedient and they take the gospel to Jerusalem. They take the gospel to their immediate sphere of influence.
Then you see it progress from Jerusalem to Judea. Man, they are on fire. They are sharing the good news of the hope of Jesus. Thousands are coming to know the Lord. It is a fire that cannot be contained. It’s an advance that cannot be stopped. They are going hard and fast and then Stephen happens. Persecution hits in Acts 8:1. And the gospel goes from Jerusalem to Judea and then ultimately to Samaria with a faithful disciple named Philip traveling as he is with a message of hope and repentance.
And ultimately what we’ll see as we continue to walk through the book of Acts is that he doesn’t just stay in Samaria. It progresses even to the uttermost parts of the earth. You see the gospel going from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria, to the ends of the earth. You see faithful, committed disciples passionately pursuing the proclamation of the good news of Jesus.
And here’s the reality. As we look at our text this morning and we see this Samaritan explosion of repentance and faith and belief in the gospel, what we’ll see is that God has, God is, and God always will provide advances with the gospel. God has, God is, and God always will provide advances with the gospel. In fact, in our text today we’ll see three advances that the gospel takes and we’ll just ask ourselves three simple questions that will help us as faithful disciples in Michiana take steps to advance the gospel here and now.
The first advance that we see is simply this: The gospel advances always face opposition. Gospel advances always face opposition. Look at verses 9-11.
And there was a man named Simon who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria saying that he himself was somebody great. And they all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called great.” And they paid attention to him because of a long time he had amazed them with his magic. (Acts 8:9-11)
Realize that the gospel had come into Samaria in the first 8 verses of Acts chapter 8. And the Samaritan response was beautiful. Remember last week when Pastor Brent’s unpacking the passage for us and verses 6-8 declare that the crowds in Samaria were all paying attention to what Stephen said. And as they listened and they saw the signs he was performing, for unclean spirits crying out with a loud voice came out of many who were possessed and many who were paralyzed and the lame were healed. So there was great joy in the city. (Acts 8:6-8)
The Samaritan response to the gospel was great joy. Oh, they were elated to hear freedom from sin, freedom from bondage, to experience the joy that comes with faithfully following the risen Jesus. And then Luke bridges into our passage and declares to us this man named Simon.
This Simon, by the way, in Acts chapter 8 is referred to elsewhere as Simon Magus, the great magician. How would you like to have that as a last name? Man, talk about just bad luck, right? Simon Magus. Who is he? I’m the Mag. I don’t know if he would say that. I would’ve said that were it my last name. I would’ve changed it.
Anyways. He’s Simon Magus. He’s this great magician. He was known near and far. In fact it said that there was a statue erected in Rome to Simon Magus, the great magician. And on this read this inscription. This inscription is to Simon: “A holy God.”
Simon was well-known. He was varsity level player in Satan’s army. He’s not a JV sidelines type of guy. Simon was well-known for his power, his magic, his deception. And do you see what Luke says? Luke declares that he amazed the people of Samaria. I love that he uses that word, amazed. How many of you have been amazed this past week?
On Thursday morning I got together with about twenty old men. I say old; they were in their mid-30’s. And we played football together. I was amazed that nobody ended up at the hospital. I was also amazed at how much I hurt the next three, like even today I’m like, “Gosh, what happened?” Did I get hit with a Mack truck? No, I just played football. That’s once a year. That’s all I do.
The word amazed here in Acts chapter 8, it carries with it this idea to cause to be astounded to such a degree as to nearly lose one’s mental composure. Man, Simon did some crazy stuff, yo. He amazed the people of Samaria. In fact he had such a following, he had such power that when people saw the wonders that he was doing, they declared that he is the power of God that is called great. He had convinced them that he was a God.
It could be said that whatever Simon says…took you a second. Took you a second, but you got there. Whatever Simon said, the Samaritans believed. He had bewitched them for years. He had created a cult following. He was able to, whether by sleight of hand or demonic influence, perform magic that amazed the people.
And here in Acts chapter 8 with this introduction of Simon, we see a shadowy, dark, Voldemort type character introduced into the story of Acts. And do you realize that Simon’s presence represents a manifestation of opposition that is more sly, more cunning and more stealthy than any opposition we’ve seen so far in the book of Acts?
With Simon we see a person of influence, a person with a following, a repertoire of magic that amazes countless numbers of people. With Simon we see someone in the exact place where Satan would have him, at the exact time to counter and contradict the beauty, the freedom, the truth, of the gospel that’s being proclaimed in Samaria. We see someone in direct opposition to the message that Philip is proclaiming. And I wonder. I wonder if that type of opposition is still present in Michiana today.
When we open our mouths as faithful disciples of Jesus to proclaim the good news of the gospel. I wonder if opposition still exists. I think about the opposition that a teacher might have in a school trying to lead from a godly, Christ-centered place. I think of the opposition that a seventh grade young girl might have when she becomes known as that Jesus-follower when walking her halls Monday through Friday.
I think of the opposition that a varsity level athlete has when he puts aside parties and picks up FCA to lead his peers in loving and obeying Jesus. I think of the opposition that arises when you as a faithful disciple of Jesus decide to open your mouth and proclaim something different than the sports, the weather or the news. I think of the opposition that arises.
And the reality is that a faithful disciple, whether you’re that teacher, that seventh grader, that athlete or anybody else, a faithful disciple of Jesus who’s lived the beauty of the gospel, opposition is always guaranteed. I know that that brings excitement this morning to hear that. Right?
There will always be people who want to confront and battle against the beauty of God’s Word. That’s a reality for the life of a faithful disciple. That’s a reality for you. But please understand this. Your enemy, your name isn’t those who are contentious about what you’re saying. Your enemy is Satan. Your enemy is not that co-worker next to you that you can’t stand. Your enemy is far greater, is far more cunning, than that person ever could be.
And what sets us apart as disciples of Jesus is that we realize that our opposition is not flesh and blood. Our opposition is not a political party or a side of town or whatever it might be. Our opposition is far greater. Paul declares to us 1 Corinthians that we fight a battle not of flesh and blood. We fight a battle that is spiritual in nature. It has been raging since before you were born, it’s raging today, and it’ll be raging if the Lord tarries till after you’re dead. There is a battle that is being fought.
And what sets us apart as faithful disciples of Jesus, what sets you apart as a family of disciples here at Gospel City, isn’t the opposition we face. But what sets us apart is this simple question: How do I respond to those who oppose the gospel? Every gospel advance will have opposition. How do you respond? How do you respond?
Do you respond by leveling up in your own strength? Do you respond with more anger or hate than the other? Or do you root yourself like Psalm 1 would declare, like a tree planted by streams of living water? Do you root yourself in the vine, staying connected to Him, John 15 would declare? Do you root yourself in Scripture and the Word so that whatever the opposition might be, whether you’re that teacher, that seventh grader, that athlete, that factory worker, that mom, that dad, that son, that daughter, whatever you might be? Where are you rooting yourself when opposition arises?
And is opposition arising because of your faithfulness to the gospel? Oh church, please hear. May we faithfully root ourselves in the unchanging, unquestionable nature of who God is so that when opposition arises we might respond with truth, with grace, with justice and with love. Your enemy- please hear me again- your enemy is not the person that’s opposing you. Your enemy is Satan. Your enemy has been fighting a war against your Savoir for millenia.
Simon Magus, the Mag, had amazed the Samaritans for years. His lies and deceit had led countless to believe in something false that gave them no assurance. And the only remedy, the only response to such a malfeasance is clarity in the gospel message, which leads us to our second advance.
Look at verses 12-13. And what we see is that gospel advances require clarity in the gospel message. Notice what happens. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. (Acts 8:12-13)
Luke makes another transition here in our text. He transitions from Simon to Philip, and the message that he proclaims. Do you see the message that Philip is proclaiming to the Samaritans? It’s a message that is focused on the good news about the kingdom of God and preaching in the name of Jesus Christ.
Do you feel the tension in the text? The tension between darkness and light, evil and good, sin and righteousness. There’s a tension that Luke is drawing out for us. And in the midst of this tension, Luke tells us that the people of Samaria, they believed the good news of the kingdom and the name of Jesus. In fact, Simon, our text even declares, believed.
But what we’ll see here in a moment is that Simon’s belief, Simon’s belief, didn’t have as its object the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus. Simon’s belief had as its object Philip and his signs and miracles. But the Samaritans, oh boy, you’d better believe that the object of their faith was the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.
Samaritans are finding new life in Jesus. They’re finding freedom from bondage to sin. They’re hearing for the very first time that there is hope, that there is life, that there is a reason for living. And they’re hearing this and they’re responding in droves. Men and women are being baptized. Their hearts are being opened. Their hearts are being renewed. The gospel is advancing because of the clarity that Philip has with the gospel message.
Do you realize how important clarity is in your life? I mean, I don’t know about you. There’s probably not many of us that would thrive in a lack of clarity, is there? Like we have clarity when we go to work. We have clarity when we go to school. There are expectations and roles, job descriptions. We thrive in clarity.
Do you want to know what lacks clarity? Furniture instructions. Absolute worst, right? I don’t know about you, but I’m not a smart guy. So because of that I struggle continually when there are 453 steps to a simple end table and all I have is pictures and that miniature wrench that breaks. Y’all know what I’m talking about? You know it and some of you are going to get it for Christmas. Right?
And as you’re putting it together and you’re going, you’re on setp 452, step 453 and then you look and you’ve got 15 screws and bolts still and you’re going, “Sweet Lord, how is this going to stay up? I have no idea.” And you know who the worst is, right? Those sweet Nordic people and their Ikea. They are the absolute worst.
And I know what you’re saying. There’s some engineer in here that’s going, “Tyler, if you only knew, pictures are far greater. Words are harder.” I get it, but I’m an idiot and I can’t do either. Right? There’s just this lack of clarity for me.
And I love that Phlip isn’t a Nordic Ikea salesman, right? I love that Philip, when he is presenting the beauty of the gospel to the Samaritans, is doing it with such clarity. Do you see it in our text?
There are two things he’s saying, that’s it. He’s only declaring to them two things that are essential for them to have eternal life. He’s preaching good news about the kingdom of God and good news about the name of Jesus Christ. That’s it. I love that the gospel is that clear. It’s not 453 steps to how to become a Christian. It’s two. Let me preach to you the good news about the kingdom of God and let me preach to you the good news about the name of Jesus Christ.
The gospel is what renews. The gospel is clear. The gospel is simple. The gospel is what we need and what we must have for eternal life. And Philip is declaring it to the Samaritans and they are responding because of the clarity that’s in the gospel. The gospel gives dirty, rotten sinners like you and me the opportunity to respond.
And as you listened to baptisms this morning, I hope what you heard was the resounding gong that God is holy and He’s different than you. He’s different than me. That His kingdom, it’s not of this world, that His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. He is holy, He is perfect, He is sinless, He is altogether righteous and ust. That’s who our God is.
But do you realize that man, you and me, that we are sinful? We are created in God’s image, but sin has marred that image. Sin has fractured our relationship with God and has bound us, much like it bound the Samaritans. It has bound us from birth and our destination apart from Jesus Christ, our destination is hell because our sin has condemned us.
But realize that Christ is our Redeemer, that His perfect, sinless life is necessary as the substitute for your sin and mine. So as we sit and we listen to baptisms this morning, we listen to these testimonies, we’re experiencing what Philip experienced in Samaria. And Christ is our Redeemer, this beautiful bridge to bridge the gap between sinful man and a holy God.
Were it not for this perfect life, this sacrificial death, this resurrection and ascension of Jesus to His rightful place in heaven, we have no hope. We would not be reconciled to God the Father. But because of that, because God is holy, because you are sinful, because Jesus His Son came to be the sacrifice for our sins and the invitation is given to the Samaritans and it’s given to you to repent and believe today.
The Scripture is clear and I love it about Scripture. I love the clarity that it gives us that if we confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved. That same offer that’s extended to the Samaritans, that same offer that you heard testified to this morning is extended to you. Oh, that you would believe in the gospel and repent and believe.
The message of the gospel is the same message of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ that Philip is proclaiming. So realize, realize this morning if you are a disciple of Jesus, the only reason you are a disciple of Jesus is because somebody at some time somewhere opened their mouth, preached to you the good news. That’s why you are a disciple. It only comes by the hearing of God’s Word.
If you’re a disciple of Jesus this morning, somebody was faithful to obey what Scripture commands. Somebody was faithful to open their mouth with clarity and preach the gospel to you. So if gospel advances require clarity in the gospel message, can I ask you? What are you preaching? What are you preaching?
Realize that there is a message that’s falling upon your lips each and every day. Your family knows it, your co-workers know it, your friends know it, the students in class next to you know it, that there is a message that you are preaching each and every day. What is it? What are you as a disciple of Jesus preaching to those around you? You’ve been given a platform. You’ve been given an opportunity wherever you might be. What are you saying?
What are you saying, mom, when that five-year-old child of yours flushes a dishrag down the toilet again? Doesn’t happen to you in your house? What are you saying, dad, when anger flares in you at work or at home? What are you preaching in that moment? What are you saying, young adult, when you walk into your job for your very first day of work and you’re fighting the cultural view that you’re lazy and entitled? What are you praying?
What do you preach to those around you? How do you use the platform that God has graciously given you? Because realize, if you’re a disciple of Jesus Christ, you’re God’s plan A for the redemption of the world. It’s not me standing on a stage at Gospel City opening my mouth. It’s you standing next to that neighbor, that friend, that co-worker, that family member, opening your mouth to proclaim the beauty of the gospel.
There’s clarity in the gospel message and you have been given an opportunity to speak, to preach, to open your mouth. So will you, will you be a gospel advancer in your home, in your neighborhood, at your homeschool co-op, at your workplace, at Meijer for pete’s sake? C’mon. Everyone waits there. Will you be a faithful, committed disciple of Jesus, advancing the gospel?
As a disciple of Jesus, you have this active role to play. You have a platform that’s been given to you that’s different than mine. You have relationships and spheres of influence that are far different than mine. Leverage them and use them for the beauty of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. That’s the second advance that we see.
The third advance we see in our text and our final advance is seen in verse 14-17, and it’s simply this, that gospel advances are evidenced by lives filled with the Holy Spirit. Notice our text. Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen on any of them. But they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. (Acts 8:14-17)
News of this new missionary endeavor has reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem. I love that. It’s not a tweet that they send out. It took some time to go from Samaria to Jerusalem. What’s happening there is creating such a stir that the church in Jerusalem hears about it and they dispatch Peter and John as participants to this new endeavor.
And keep in mind what Jesus has declared again in Acts chapter 1. He’s declared that the gospel isn’t a Jewish gospel only. He’s declared that the gospel begins with 120 in the upper room, begins with the filing of the Holy Spirit, and appeared at Pentecost and Jerusalem, and it’s to expand to Judea, to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Peter and John, they’re dispatched as participants to Samaria. Peter and John come to experience and unify this new church in Samaria with the church that God had established at Pentecost.
In fact, here in Acts chapter 8 it’s often referred to as the Samaritan Pentecost, the pouring out of the Spirit onto believers here in Samaria. And do you notice something in our text? Do you notice something in our passage? As faithful students of the Bible, when we read Scripture we should ask questions.
As Peter and John arrive in Samaria, they pray that they might receive the Holy Spirit for he had not yet fallon on any of them. But they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
So for a moment let’s take a step out of preaching and let’s go to the classroom and let’s ask a few questions as we should as faithful students of God’s Word. We should ask the questions here in Acts 8. Why is the Holy Spirit doing this? What is happening and is this significant for us to know?
So here in Acts chapter 8 we’re going to see from this and in the rest of the New Testament how the Holy Spirit moves here and in the New Testament. And the first thing we should notice is simply this, that Acts 8 is not the usual pattern. Acts 8 isn’t the usual pattern for how the Spirit usually moves and works throughout the New Testament.
It’s been said here in Acts 8 that the reason why this happens is so that Peter and John as chief apostles and as founding members of the church in Jerusalem come to Samaria and they unify the two churches together by the laying on of their hands and their praying for this new missionary endeavor. Because remember that the Jews hated the Samaritans. And when Peter and John do this, they’re putting to bed any past racial hate. They’re putting to bed any past distinctions between the two, that in Christ they are unified. So Acts 8 is not the usual pattern.
Realize, number two, that the Spirit is closely joined to conversion, baptism and commitment to Jesus. That for us today and when we look at the New Testament, that the Spirit is closely joined to conversion, baptism and commitment to Jesus.
Which leads us to number three. There is no normal pattern. You know what I love about the Holy Spirit is that He’s part of the Trinity and He can do what He wants. And you don’t need to know why. In fact, when you look at the rest of the New Testament, sometimes the Spirit comes by the laying on of hands. Sometimes the Spirit precedes baptism. Sometimes the Spirit follows baptism.
Ultimately the lesson that we learn in acts and throughout the rest of the New Testament is that the Spirit cannot be tied down to any manipulative human scheme or experience. That’s why Philip responds as he does to Simon. You can’t buy this power. It’s not yours to have. He’s a member of the Trinity. You aren’t. Get over it.
I love this moment in Acts 8. So here within Acts 8 is a beautiful example of God unifying what could have easily been a divided church. And it’s demonstrating to the Samaritans that the generations of hostility are now put to rest. Because in Jesus they are unified.
But realize that the believers in Samaria had filled their lives with the fruit of wickedness, sin, deceit at the feet of Simon. And now they are filled with the Spirit. Their lives are drastically different because God’s Spirit is in them. They have received His Spirit. Here’s the deal. For those in Samaria and for us today, we’ve spent our entire lives from birth to our repentance and belief in Jesus filling it with substitute Saviors. You know that right?
Like my six-year-old daughter is filling her heart with substitute Saviors, except right now it looks a lot like dolls and Barbie. Right? But for you, you’ve spent your life from birth to whenever you encounter and repent of your sin and place your faith in Jesus filling it with substitute Saviors. And then once you encounter the beauty of the gospel and respond in faith and repentance, what happens is you begin to fill your life with something else.
Imagine if you would if there was a coffee cup sitting here that was half full of decaf coffee. You’re not sure why it would be right now, but let’s just say it was. And I had spent my entire life drinking that thinking it was satisfying, which it’s not. Let’s just be honest.
And then all of a sudden I stumble upon this pure black gold, this organic, single-origin South American or Central African coffee. Let’s just assume that’s the case. And as I brew it I take my half-filled up of decaf and pour that beautiful black gold into it, and I fill it to the brim. Have I replaced my decaf coffee? No, I’ve created this horrible thing called half caf. Again, doesn’t need to exist. I just don’t understand it.
How do I get the decaf out? I continue to fill, I continue to pour, I continue to replace what was once there with what should be there as a disciple of Jesus. Did you know the same is true for you? That gospel advances are evidenced by lives filled with the Holy Spirit.
So as a family of disciples this morning we should be asking this question: What am I filling my life with? What am I filling my life with? What substitute Savior still tries to sit on the throne of your heart? What is it that you still cling to? What vestige of the sinful man still reigns in your life?
And how do you replace it? How do you fill your life with something other than what used to be there? When you’re squeezed, what comes out of you? How do we do it? How do we fill our life with the Holy Spirit? How do we fill our life with what should be there as a disciple of Jesus?
I would start with these four things. It sounds simple, but the first thing I would do if I’m trying to replace the substitute Savoirs, because I’ve been sealed with the Holy Spirit, I’ve believed the gospel and it’s who I now am (my identity is no longer a sinful man, but a redeemed sinner who loves Jesus) I would first begin by simply praying and asking the Holy Spirit to illuminate my heart.
Man, Spirit, I want to know what I am clinging to that isn’t you. I want your Word to radically transform me, convict me of sin. May your Word dwell richly within me. I begin by praying and asking the Spirit to illuminate my heart.
I would continue to pray consistently at work or at school or at home or on the drive or really at any other chance I get, because if you’re like me, when opposition arises, when trouble comes, my tendency is to try to power up in my flesh, in my strength. But man, if I am humbly submitting myself constantly in prayer, then that desire is lessened.
I would replace my old intakes with Holy intakes. That could be how you spend your time. That could be how you spend your media consumption. Whatever it might be, whatever it is that was a substitute Savior for you, I would replace my old intakes with holy intakes. And I would surround myself with others who love God and love me enough to say to me, “Tyler, you’re sinning right now and you are bringing shame to the name of the Savior you declare. You must repent.” Ok.
And let’s be honest. Those relationships are hard to come by, aren’t they? Oh, that we would be intentionally intrusive for the gospel’s sake, that we would lean into one another’s lives as a family of disciples and seek holiness and righteousness and not give a pass to sin.
So realize that gospel advances are marked by lives filled with the Holy Spirit. And the rest of our text we’re going to fly through it really quick. It’s just gospel advancement in technicolor. We see the opposition that arises in verses 18-19 when Simon tries to buy the Holy Spirit. We see that he’s desiring not the glory of God, but his own glory. We see his true colors coming into play. We see the opposition that he has for the gospel message.
We see that gospel advancement requires clarity in the gospel message in verses 20-23 when Peter responds to Simon and says, “Repent.” He responds to him with justice and truth. He essentially says, “To hell with your money, Simon. You must be repent, for you are filled with gual and bitterness. You do not have a heart redeemed.”
And then we see gospel advancement evidenced by lives with the Holy Spirit in verse 25 when Philip, John and Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, leave that town in Samaria. And as they make their way back to Jerusalem they testify and speak the word of the Lord as they return to Jerusalem preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
We see in action in the rest of our text that the three different advances that we saw at the beginning. So this morning as we land the plane and as we are faced with these three questions as faithful displaces, the questions being: How do I respond to those who oppose the gospel? What am I preaching? What am I filling my life with? Realize that as a church, for us today here in Michiana, the level to which the gospel is advanced in our community, in our families, in our workplaces, is dependent upon how we answer those questions.
Remember how it all started. It all started in Acts 1:8 with a central call to the 120 to bring this gospel to different spheres of influence, to go to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and ultimately to the ends of the earth. Faithful disciple at Gospel City can I ask, if you’re at this central core, how is the gospel advancing? How is the gospel advancing to different spheres of influence in your life? How are you responding to opposition? What are you preaching? What is your life filled with?
Because the same declaration that was given to the eleven apostles and the 120 in the upper room is the same declaration that’s given to you. Oh church, be committed to seeing the gospel advance to this sphere of influence in your life, to this family, to your family, to your friends. Be committed to seeing the gospel advance past that to your neighbors, to your co-workers. Be committed to seeing the gospel advance past that to strangers on the street, being in tune with the Holy Spirit, hearing what He has to say, and pray, pray, that God would give you a heart for the gospel to expand to the ends of the earth.
The level of gospel advancement that we’ll see is dependent upon our commitment to gospel clarity, our commitment to our lives being filled with the Spirit and our commitment to responding well when we’re opposed because of the gospel. Would you pray with me?
Father, thank You for Your Word. I pray that You would indeed be glorified today. Father, may the gospel advance. You’ve declared Lord that nothing will prevail against Your church. The gospel is and the gospel has and the gospel always will advance. Father, we simply ask that You convict our hearts and allow us to take part in that advancement.
Lord, we declare that we will faithfully follow you wherever you lead. Direct, guide and illuminate our steps today. It’s to You Father we pray in the name of Your Son, to the power of Your Spirit. Amen.