Judea and Samaria
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Introduction: Review chapters
Up to this point in the book we have seen the church grow by leaps and bounds. However, it has only been in Jerusalem and we know that the gospel is going to the ends of the earth. Ironically, it is the death of Stephen that ends up being the catalyst in causing the spread of the gospel. It is also witnessing the boldness of Stephen that causes Saul to conclude that the followers of the Way were the enemies of God who spoke disrespectfully of the law and the Jewish leadership and so he becomes the sworn enemy of the church. So Saul stretches out his hand to wreak havoc on the church going into houses and dragging off men and women and mercilessly throwing them into prison. As a result the church is forced to leave Jerusalem and as this great persecution arises (with Saul at its head) they respectfully bury Stephen and flee to Judea and Samaria.
The Plan
The Plan
Christ is preached in Samaria (8:4-8)
Christ is preached in Samaria (8:4-8)
Note: Samaria was inhabited by Samaritans who were hated by the Jews, and so now the gospel has transcended racism and prejudice.
Simon the Sorcerer (8:9-25)
Simon the Sorcerer (8:9-25)
Christ is preached to an Ethiopian
Christ is preached to an Ethiopian
The fact that the Ethiopian was reading Isaiah is hugely significant
Do not let the son of the foreigner
Who has joined himself to the Lord
Speak, saying,
“The Lord has utterly separated me from His people”;
Nor let the eunuch say,
“Here I am, a dry tree.”
For thus says the Lord:
“To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths,
And choose what pleases Me,
And hold fast My covenant,
Even to them I will give in My house
And within My walls a place and a name
Better than that of sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
That shall not be cut off.
Isaiah 56:
The leading of the spirit is stressed throughout this account.
The Power (9:1-19)
The Power (9:1-19)
The Purpose (9:20-25)
The Purpose (9:20-25)
Saul Defended in Jerusalem (9:26-31)
Saul Defended in Jerusalem (9:26-31)
The Power and Purpose (9:32-43)
The Power and Purpose (9:32-43)
Look at map
Conclusion: As you can see the gospel is beginning to spread to other regions, and it cannot be stopped. God is intent on fulfilling His Great Commission and he proves that the spread of the gospel cannot be stopped by taking the sworn enemy of the gospel and of Jesus Christ and makes him possibly the most influential missionary of all time. Something else we can observe is this cycling outline which is the thesis of the book: the power, the purpose, and the plan. However, mixed in there is persecution. Come to find out in the beginning of it is actually persecution that becomes the greatest blessing because the blessing is the spread of the gospel and persecution makes it possible. The blessing is not building a large and influential church it is the spread of the gospel. It is not building a comfortable life it is the spread of the gospel. It is not the absence of hardship it is the spread of the gospel. So, far we have seen the gospel go from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria. Next week we will see it continue to spread as it breaks the boundaries of the Jewish world and the church becomes a multi-ethnic international movement.