Persecuted to Preach (Part B)

Should alert everyone should let you know cause everyone to think this was going on and why is it the Jewish people against the world because of Satan attacking God. God singling out his people and the reason why Satan is attacking the Jewish people is because he wants to attack the prophecies and the promises in the work of God. He still thinks he can win because he's insane. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of acts. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. Today we continue with pastor Rick and his message called persecuted to preach in acts chapter 8 wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death.

I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. That delivers from sin, then he writes in the very next verse. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit and we see that acted out in life of Saul areas persecuting the church he could say there is now therefore no condemnation on him. Wretch can be saved.

Heaven will be filled with one-time wretches were wretches no more will who are wretched, no more truly the wretched of the earth.

The sinners, God makes a way of escape verse four. Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. You would think that they would be irritated by that.

Where's God I gave my life to Christ and now this is what I get on the preaching. This can invite others to suffer with me maybe. Maybe God has let you down in your eyes and your little angry with him or a lot of angry with him and you saw the light on the sermon, I'm not doing this on my reading, and you just sort of you know, flying as you know low as you can beneath the radar of service hoping to get away with that you're hurting yourself to cutting off your nose to spite your face. As the saying goes, this word here for preaching in verse four is where we get our English word evangelism is telling the good news I got Molly L had predicted. He said it in all these guys these Christians are going to go the way, if it's not God is going to go the way of all these other upstarts you know that they were the upstarts died and then the followers were dispersed. Well, these their leader was crucified and risen again there persecuted they are dispersed they are scattered, but there still serving churches scattered but instead of dying out. It will flourish. Persecution has a way of filtering out those who are not true believers but make believers or those who just given to the persecution and not Christ. Verse five then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them and so is the other Christians regarding going out to different places, escaping Jerusalem and preaching Christ. Philip does too. But now, as we are focused on Philip because he's a bit of a dynamo BDC. You can even say he's got spiritual dynamite with him as he moves forward were not for the persecution in Jerusalem.

Philip would not be here preaching the word in this region of Israel where this culture and these people are looked down upon and aren't really worth saving in the eyes of Judaism, even though the law the Old Testament the prophecies of the Old Testament sent the Jewish people to be a light to the Gentiles.

It never got traction not to the New Testament, until the New Testament, and even then it's a struggle. It was not an easy transition. Paul doesn't just become an apostle is is under start reaching Gentiles in the church and risen go to back me is almost seemed like at times.

James did whatever he can design the slope all down get them out of Jerusalem.

Since a B+ to investigate what he's doing and adjust in all this. This very real fight. The Samaritans, they were half breeds. This resulted from the intermarriages with the Gentiles.

They live the northern part of Israel and the armies, the invading armies of Gentiles almost always came from the North.

While there was the Egyptians and Ethiopians to the south.

Of course, but mainly they they would come from the north, Israel being a land bridge to Africa, northern Africa, and we can read about it in second Kings chapter 17 verse 24 to 26 is tells us what the Assyrians are doing the Syrians came from the north and they would relocate the Jews and they would above put in the promised land.

Other people who they had conquered. They were Gentiles, and out of that was this half cast people, Jew, Gentile, and in the they rejected the Scripture except for the first five books that own version of the book of Joshua and had other met many other traditions and things like that and as a result, the Hebrews to the Jewish people who were not half cast or mixed breed. They rejected them.

The day came, and is in the story of the book of Ezra and the Jews were coming back to Israel from their captivity and Babylon was a lot of that many of the said you know what was stay in Babylon work economy is good and they were just very few relatively very few that did come back to the promised land, and when they did this one of the first works they undertook was to rebuild their temple. Well, the Samaritans is this mixed breed of people. They said we want to help build Yahweh's temple and they said no you can do this. You're not part of this faith you've got some sort 11 thing going on. We want no parts of an error right for doing that. Consequently, animosity continued between these two even into the days of Christ and the church. So when we look at John chapter 4 says that Jesus must needs go to Samaria.

He had, he knew is going to reach people there need can assess encounter with the woman at the well and everybody.

Everybody comes out there's one thing about that woman. She was no liar.

She may have been just had a bunch of broken romances in her life.

She wasn't a liar where if she were the whole town would not have come out at her words that I spoke to a prophet that told me everything about myself that he embarrassed me say that part but that's what happened. So this area of Samaria that Jesus went to Philip, you know, probably well aware of the story this before the Gospel of John was written, they would've had the story from the life of Christ being alive at that time. Now the messages for the first time really being proclaimed outside of Jerusalem and Judea into what will others would've been put forward to consider this enemy territory. And yet he's going to be the champion preaching to Gentiles, so this is a further step in the transition from the Jewish church to a Christian church is not a transition from a Jewish church to a Gentile church, if any, wasn't what anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. There is no longer Jew nor Greek, Cynthia know that prodigious would Christians. It's interesting that the world doesn't say what what how did that all get divided into one people versus every body else should net alert everyone should net written, you know, cause everyone to think how did this happen was going on and why is it the Jewish people against the world because of Satan attacking God and God singling out his people and the reason why Satan is attacking the Jewish people is because he wants to attack the prophecies and the promises and the work of God. He still thinks he can win because he's insane as as we would register the insanity.

Well, the second word that's used here to preach in verse five is Caruso in the Greek, not the opera singer but to Harold to proclaim it's an important word that the Carew mother is an important word for us to proclaim the gospel, not to debate it not to ask permission of people to like it, but to proclaim it and that's what he's doing is going up and he saying Jesus came from heaven to earth, he was crucified, returned to heaven. The leftist church you is alive right now anything you hear me say or see me doing this because of him. His active participation and they believed it, they believe it and embraced it. So he invites them to come to this Jesus Christ so walls are being broken down. This is not little businesses, cultural, and racial and this is heavy duty when Paul says in the Ephesian letter that the walls of the apartheid. The walls are being broken down. He's talking about reaching people that are not just the covenant people of Israel. We are reaching the world and there are walls up and they are fortified they are guarded people and those walls are armed they will hurt you if you try to bring the gospel message at the wrong time without godly urge even if God sends you and that's what we saw and Stephen.

Stephen was up against that wall so the Jews who viewed the Samaritans as impure.

The gospel doesn't see it that way. There's no room in the gospel for races this done in the Old Testament when the whole story of Joan of this program for this is what God was telling Joan, I want to reach a people what you care about who they are. Your your focus is on what I'm telling you to do great story.

The book of Jonah. And I think when we read the story of Jonah to our children or for ourselves, deemphasized the fish.

The emphasis is on the prophet and his mission under the authority of God. It's all about God, but it has everything to do with people in the wrong things that go with us because of sin and the curse, race, religion, culture and history are being overruled by the gospel here under the Ministry of Philip who proved himself faithful in the little things is not provoked or promoted. God is now got him as an evangelist, one who goes around leading people to Christ because God is found what he needs and that person the ingredients to be successful at doing this. I think all Christians can lead someone to Christ. With those with that gift. Lead a lot of people to Christ. They just have same with Bible teaching. Not everybody can be a teacher of the Bible to assemblies but everyone can teach the Bible. This is something that Satan likes to model up our feelings are not the compass that Jesus sales by Jesus and how do you feel Jonah about the Ninevites he gave him a command and the will of God. That is our Compass. That's where we find which direction to go in and this is unfortunate that all of us are susceptible to letting our feelings get the upper hand.

But we can beat that back it just hurts to do it, but it's worth it. The consequences of allowing your feelings to run the shipper worse I would say I would go so far to say most of the problems in in the church.

Local and global lease speaking come from feelings in professed believers. That is, you don't have to be loyal if you go by your feelings of you know who needs loyalty. If I feel at all like this again loyal to Christ. First, always that dictates who were going to be loyal to in the service amongst men. Paul had such men as Silas as Titus is Timothy as you pack for dioceses is the so many men and women, Phoebe and end of Lydia that you know since so many will loyal to him because they saw him loyal to God.

That's what works.

It's a failure when it doesn't work that breaks down this man. Philip will cover over 150 miles Jerusalem to Samaria, Samaria to Gaza Gaza to his orders as Otis to Caesarea is moving around and will hear more of him through this chapter because it gets more exciting when we come across Simon the magician because that's what was he was a magician and then will get to him later on when Saul goes to visit him at his home. Caesarea verse eight verse six. Sorry and the multitude with one accord here with a heated the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did for unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice came out of many who were possessed and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed just from the bottom up.

The paralyzing Lehman heel does not insist that they were demon possessed, but others were.

They could've some of them could have been but there's there's no. You certainly can be paralyzed or lame without the use the help of demons, but here he is the multitude with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip not by debate but by proclaiming by preaching, by letting the Holy Spirit take it further.

How did the Holy Spirit take it further will in this case the signs and wonders.

He used as helpmeets to the preaching of the word, the preaching of truth. Jesus says of Jesus because miracles on enough you can do find one that Simon doing his tricks. There they thought they were signs and wonders. But they were sleight-of-hand. No one came to Christ in order to God through this. Is it only has the power of God. But it didn't doing more for them. Jesus says of Jesus, but although he had done many signs before them.

They did not believe in him we don't need signs and wonders to save souls in this age of the church need truth truth from the word Faro saw and felt the miraculous powers you not only witness it with his eyes. He felt it when that darkness hit the land Aramaic there was no solution, and they just suffered through that darkness and it's been said of the ancient people that without one of their great fears was darkness just we may take for granted the electricity that we have. Anyway, back to the Faro. He remained adamant in spite of the signs and wonders and grew violent. He pursued the people what you're trying to catch them. As of the sea. You think he would've looked at the sea parted and say wall.

I will stop right here. I think I'm going to let Yahweh be my God.

Now you think he would do that but no enraging just pursued forward because he was filled with Satan. Jesus was crucified and buried, risen and alive. He preaches this, that that's what they latched onto and also that Christ retains the power even though he is ascended to heaven he still works only now he uses the hands of faithful believers. His disciples, the believer does not use God's power. God's power uses a believer this always been and always will be. What do you have that you have not been given you. Christ says through his his servants is apostle Paul.

So in the days of the first Christians.

There was indeed unusual spiritual activity that was brought out into the light. Maybe there is as much now. It's just not brought out as it was in the days of the first Christians and of course Christ, but this is a transition. From the work of the Old Testament that God had done to the work in the New Testament that God was developing and wanting to do the New Testament era is here and it is no error right. John's gospel chapter 14, most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me works that I do he will do also and greater works than these he will do, because I go to my father because you by faith, sight unseen Christians preaching the gospel. Loving Christ dying at the stake without ever seeing Christ.

That's a miracle. Stephen probably saw an even sadder the teachings of Christ and he didn't. Others did. We can understand him dying the death that he died.

What about those that would come later. Never met Christ never saw his face never benefited from his tones and his gestures never saw the multitudes healed yet they still believe and still go to their grave with the same authority and gallantry that Stephen did that James would. That is a great miracle. I think that Jesus has in mind what he says most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in me works that I do he will do also. Miracles are not widespread now not as they were in the Scripture, but they will ramp up again during the greats relation. Just an easy one. Yeah hundred and 44,000 Jewish people become evangelist during the great tribulation. And they can't be touched picnic. They have this in our sealed about them.

You tell me if that's a miracle, not while while others are being arrested and beheaded for Christ. They can't be touched, so the age of the miraculous events will return verse eight. There was great joy in that city.

Well, you know, when I entered into ministry. My Pastor Chuck Smith would say that when the word of God is preached.

Ministry will happen will of course hearing that I'm thinking is this going to be wonderful. This is going to be painless. I never would've if you asked me do you think is going to be painless. I was an old course not.

I you know the internals lintels stuff that really is the heavier thing, but it is still true. The word of God is preached us were sitting here in ministry is happening even in the face of resistance, one great Bible teacher said if you have no opposition in the place you serve your serving in the wrong place, you who pull duty here in church. Remember that the days you feel like you don't want to serve the days that you're in a foul mood was something going on in your life. Just maybe you don't like with the decision that was made a policy that was set. Remember that. Remember loyalty. Loyalty shines in the darkness, when the pressures on these first Christians. What attracts us about them is their loyalty to Christ persecuted but preaching. That's loyalty. The reason why is the reason why. And the reason why great joy.

It was in that city is because eternity matters in the individuals that recognize that all the ones with the joy of one's essay. I believe his reward is with him and I will see him and I will be with him.

There is a place for me in heaven. My name is at the table and I'm going to be there by faith that is miraculous and so these folks here. Great joy was in that city because an eternal matter was established and they knew it. So when David says, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. You see why the Lord was his Shepherd because eternity was taken care of that. When David died he did not enter death with doubt I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart I will enter his courts in praise. While of course it has first to do with the temple on earth or the worship place of birth, but its grandest meeting implies the house of God in heaven which the temple on earth was modeled after.

So now, I mentioned that Simon is a magician with all his tricks and all of his illusions.

He could not bring great joy. The gospel brought the great joy. What is that greatness part. What is so great about it is not emotional.

It's spiritual is by faith I know what things are.

So when I became a Christian I was so sure. Instantly of how things are going to turn out now. I now could know all right there is there is a God and his name is Jesus Christ. And there is a heaven for me and there is the Trinity. All these things just came into place and it was happening for them to take and cannot bring great joy he can bring carnal pleasures that is not great joy because it doesn't last.

Sorcery cannot meaningfully impact the lives of people for God so the writer of Hebrews talking about Moses how he turned down the passing pleasures of sin, so the passing pleasures of sin versus the great joy of the Lord, and reason why many of us don't have joy as we begin to lose sight of eternal things we get focused on things right here in front of me as though this were all there were and that can be true from your married life to all your your career to certainly ministry speaking for myself you have. We have ambitions. Things that we want.

We don't take too well that when those ambitions are redirected or canceled. So I close with this verse from Luke's gospel, Jesus speaking and speaking about eternal things nevertheless do not rejoice in this loop.

10 verse 20 that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven. What always comes back to soul of man. Where is it going. May God give us a chance to be part of that process to put people in heaven who you've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia. As we mentioned at the beginning of today's broadcast. Today's teaching is available free of charge at our website. Simply visit cross reference radio.com that's cross reference radio.com would also like to encourage you to subscribe to the cross reference radio podcast subscribing ensures that you stay current with all the latest teachings from Pastor Rick you could subscribe to cross reference radio.com or simply search for cross reference radio in your favorite podcast to the next time as Pastor Rick continues teaching through the book of acts right here on cross reference radio