Elevation of Self vs. Elevation of Jesus

In one paragraph

The pastor walked the congregation through Acts 8:1-25, the story of the early church being scattered from Jerusalem by persecution and Philip's ministry in Samaria, including his confrontation with Simon the Sorcerer. The passage shows how the very pressure meant to destroy the church actually pushed it outward, exactly as Jesus had said it would go. The figure of Simon the Sorcerer gave the...

Read together

1. Acts 1:8 Jesus promises the disciples they will be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth
2. Acts 8:1 a great wave of persecution swept over the church in Jerusalem and believers were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria
3. Acts 8:2 devout men buried Stephen with great mourning
4. Matthew 24:9 Jesus on the Mount of Olives warns disciples they will be arrested, persecuted, and killed
5. John 16 upper room discourse where Jesus warns believers will be banned from the synagogue and killed by those thinking they are serving God
6. Deuteronomy 18 Moses says to look for a prophet like himself, which the Samaritans connected to their expectation of the Messiah
7. Romans 11:36 quoted as the scriptural source behind the song lyric about all things being from, through, and to God
8. Colossians 3 let the message about Christ in all its richness fill your lives, read before the offering song
9. Isaiah 55 come and receive bread and wine without cost, connected to the idea that God's gift cannot be bought
10. Numbers 6:24-26 used as the benediction, the Lord bless you and keep you

Talk about it

1. The pastor described the believers scattered by persecution as people who 'couldn't help' preaching the good news wherever they went. What does it look like in your own life when your faith is something that comes out of you naturally rather than something you have to force?
2. The pastor talked about prejudice against the Samaritans and said 'everywhere I've ever lived, it's had a prejudice against somebody.' Where have you seen that pattern, and how does the gospel push back against it?
3. The crowds in Samaria listened to both Philip and Simon Magus partly because of the signs they saw. The pastor drew a contrast between Philip pointing to Jesus and Simon claiming to be great himself. How do you personally guard against following a message or a messenger for the wrong reasons?
4. Peter told Simon to pray directly to God, but Simon asked Peter to pray for him instead. The pastor said he hears that same dynamic fairly regularly. Why do you think people sometimes prefer to go through a middleman rather than going directly to God themselves?
5. The pastor ended by asking whether our focus is Jesus or self, and whether we are trusting God for the right reasons. Where in your own life do you notice those two motivations competing with each other?