Scattered to Spread the Good News

In one paragraph

This sermon walked through Acts 8:1-25, the story of the gospel spreading into Samaria through Philip and the arrival of the apostles Peter and John. The pastor traced how persecution scattered the Jerusalem believers and what happened when a practicing sorcerer named Simon encountered the power of the Holy Spirit. The contrast between Philip's message and Simon's motives ran through the whole...

Read together

1. Acts 8:1 Starting point of the passage, believers scattered after Stephen's martyrdom, Saul agreeing with the killing
2. Acts 1:8 Jesus' promise that believers would be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth
3. Acts 8:2 Devout men buried Stephen with great mourning, pointing to the injustice of his death
4. Acts 8:4 Scattered believers preached the good news about Jesus wherever they went
5. Acts 6 The seven men chosen to distribute food, including Philip listed second
6. Acts 21:8 Luke and Paul stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist in Caesarea
7. John 16 Jesus warning disciples they would be banned from synagogues and that those who kill them would think they were serving God
8. John 14-17 Upper room discourse where Jesus told disciples how things would be, including 'I am the way, the truth, and the life' and the vine and branches
9. John 4 Woman at the well in Samaria, the prejudice between Jews and Samaritans, and her recognition of Jesus as the prophet
10. Luke 10 The Good Samaritan parable, acknowledging the prejudice that existed toward Samaritans
11. Acts 8:5-8 Philip went to the city of Samaria, proclaimed the Messiah, performed miraculous signs, and there was great joy
12. Acts 8:9-11 Simon Magus had amazed the people of Samaria with sorcery, claiming to be someone great
13. Acts 8:12-13 Many men and women believed Philip's message about the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ and were baptized, including Simon
14. Acts 8:14-17 Apostles in Jerusalem sent Peter and John to Samaria; they prayed and laid hands on believers who then received the Holy Spirit
15. Acts 8:18-24 Simon offered money to buy the power to bestow the Holy Spirit; Peter rebuked him and told him to repent
16. Acts 8:25 Peter and John testified and preached in Samaria then returned to Jerusalem, stopping in Samaritan villages along the way
17. Romans 9 Paul saying he would die for his people if his blood could save them, but acknowledging it could not
18. Numbers 6:24-26 Benediction: the Lord bless you and keep you, make his face shine upon you, and give you peace

Talk about it

1. Pastor Mark pointed out that the believers scattered by persecution 'preached the good news about Jesus wherever they went,' and described it as 'one beggar telling another beggar where bread can be found.' What does that image say about whose job it is to share the gospel, and what gets in the way of ordinary believers doing that?
2. The sermon described the deep prejudice between Jews and Samaritans, and noted that Philip went straight into that tension to preach. Where do you see similar kinds of prejudice today, and how does the gospel challenge us when it sends us toward people we are inclined to look down on or avoid?
3. Philip's message lifted up Jesus, while Simon Magus lifted up himself. Pastor Mark used that contrast to close the sermon. In your own life, what are some honest ways that self-promotion can creep into how we talk about our faith or serve in the church?
4. Peter told Simon that his heart was not right with God even though the text says Simon believed and was baptized. What do you think the passage is showing us about the difference between a belief that leads to repentance and a belief that is really just self-interest in a religious disguise?
5. Simon told Peter to pray for him rather than going to God directly himself. Pastor Mark said 'we make pitiful saviors' and pointed people back to Jesus. When are you most tempted to lean on another person's relationship with God instead of your own, and what would it look like to bring that to God yourself?