Acts
8:1-4; Acts 1:8
INTRODUCTION: Good
morning! This morning we’re going to talk about having a vision for our lost
world. We see this “world vision”
mentality in the book of Acts throughout the TV series A.D. In virtually every episode, the church is acting upon the final words of Jesus, given to them on His last day
on earth. Have you ever thought about your last day on earth? It’s a sobering thought that most of us try
hard not to think about, but it is coming. Each and every one of us has a trip
to take one day. Death is stalking us all.
“Better
to spend your time at funerals than at parties. After all, everyone dies—so the
living should take this to heart.” Ecclesiastes
7:2 (nlt).
You know
what that means to me? It means that we should be sober minded:
Whether
you are rich, poor, famous, or common, you will have a last day—and that day
should be an exciting moment because your life counted. It was invested in
eternal things. 1 Peter 1:13
Have you ever considered what you will
say in that final hour—your very last words made with your very last
breath—when your time finally arrives?
If you had one last message to convey
to your loved ones, you would probably take the time to clearly communicate
your final wishes, right? You would tell them the most important thing on your
heart . . . your last will and testament.
Billions have already left us and crossed over into eternity. Some
thrilled. Others fearful.
Let’s
consider these final words of some of the most famous:
England’s Queen Elizabeth I: “All my possessions for a moment of time.”
Evangelist Henry Ward Beecher: “Now comes the mystery.”
Hollywood mogul Louis B. Mayer: “Nothing matters. Nothing matters.”
President George Washington: “I die hard, but I am not afraid to go.”
Inventor Thomas Edison: “It is very beautiful over there.”
Pastor John Wesley: “The best of all is: God is with us.”
After four hundred years of silence,
God had something to say too, but He did it in an action . . . one that
launched His invasion plan of earth. Without fanfare or fireworks, the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob penetrated our darkness on the first Christmas, and
He did so in dramatic simplicity to some poor, smelly shepherds in a small town
called Bethlehem. By taking the form of
a helpless baby, a remarkable event that forever changed the history of the world,
He came with one purpose . . . to die at the hands of His own creation and
pierce our darkness.
As Isaiah said, “The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light
has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2).
And now
consider these last words. The last words of Jesus Christ on the cross, perhaps
the most significant of all dying words ever uttered. He said, “It is finished”
(John 19:30), or in the original Greek TETELESTAI, which is a business term
that means “paid in full.” When you make
your last payment on your home or car, the bank acknowledges your debt as
satisfied and stamps your banknote with “Paid in Full.” That is what Jesus
meant when He said, “It is finished.” Your debt is paid.
Imagine that. Jesus, the Creator of all, became the Passover
Lamb of Egypt that the Angel of Death bowed to and had to acknowledge that His
blood was the perfect covering on the doorposts of our heart, where Death would
no longer reign. The end result? His sinless death killed death forever. That’s
Christianity in a nutshell. Death died. God died for us to kill death. Amazing!
Two weeks ago we
conclude the message that day with this passage:
And Saul approved of their killing him. On
that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all
except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men
buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the
church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put
them in prison. Those who had been
scattered preached the word wherever they went. Acts 8:1-4
Last week in Episode 6 of AD The Bible
Continues you saw this portrayal of Peter speaking the church – to be the
church!
But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all
Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
This
is the Pebble plan: The rest of Acts is a Ripple Effect of
this Great Event!
The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in
God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about
it…
1 Thessalonians 1:8
“rang out” is EXECHEO in Greek, it means to sound forth, to ripple as if a
pebble had been dropped into a pond. Paul
is commending the Thessalonians for their example of sharing the good news with
their region, and the Holy Spirit chose that particular word EXECHEO to reinforce the pattern of
their evangelism efforts.
That dropped Gospel pebble creates a
ripple effect that reaches out in a progression of rings. If you picture sound
waves emanating from a source, in this case Thessalonica, you get an idea of
God’s plan to reach the whole world as the Gospel message ripples out from
there. Jerusalem would be the epicenter
of this Gospel earthquake.
Ripple Effect - a situation in which one event causes a
series of other events to happen (Merriam-Webster) Jacob
Kounin coined the term "ripple effect" in 1970 to describe caused
change through a single and simple act.
The Ripple Effect:
The Pebble – The final words
to the Apostles: taken from - Acts 1:8
1. We
need DIVINE
power.
But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit come on you …. Acts 1:8
But very truly I tell you, it is for your
good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you;
but if I go, I will send him to you. John 16:7
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom
the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you
of everything I have said to you. John 14:16
2. We
are called to SHOW and TELL what
He has done.
… and you will be my witnesses… Acts 1:8
And the things you have heard me say in
the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be
qualified to teach others. 2
Timothy 2:2
In
Acts chapter 8 we read the account of Philip going to Samaria and there –proclaiming Jesus the Messiah:
Those who had been scattered preached
the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and
proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the
signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For
with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or
lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.
Acts 8: 4-8
Whenever
you proclaim your faith – be ready for trouble…
Now for some time a man named Simon had
practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He
boasted that he was someone great, and all the people,
both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly
called the Great Power of God.” They followed him because he had amazed
them for a long time with his sorcery. Acts 8:9-11
Philip
continued to be faithful and continued to show and tell what Jesus has
done! Here is the result: You will
see it portrayed this evening ---
Here
is what the Bible tells us: But when they believed
Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name
of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself
believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the
great signs and miracles he saw.
Acts 8:12-13
3. We
need to be willing to MOVE .
…in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts
1:8
Therefore go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:
19-20
PRAYER
Worship: I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever
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