ACTS 7-11 THE SPIRIT CONTINUES TO WORK2014 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Acts 7-11 The Spirit Continues To Work

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2014. All right, we are in the book of Acts. We'll be looking at chapters 7 through 11 as we continue looking at the chapters that we read this week going through the Bible in three years.

The book of Acts is written by Luke, who also wrote the Gospel of Luke. He was a physician, probably a servant of a high Roman official named Theophilus, who he addresses this and the previous Gospel that we studied, the Gospel of Luke, to Theophilus.

who probably is the one who paid for his education and made the way and asked him to put down and record these things of the life of Christ and then the things that took place after Christ as the church was beginning.

We also know from the book of Acts chapter 16 that Luke becomes part of the story in chapter 16 where he joins with Paul on the missionary journey and then continues with him throughout the remainder of the book. And so he's telling, you know, what he's heard and what he's researched. But then also he's telling what he's seen and observed while he's with the Apostle Paul from Acts chapter 16 on.

The book of Acts was written around 63 AD, which is when the time period that he's covering concludes. So he covers from about 32 AD, which is when Jesus resurrected and then ascended into heaven. And he covers all the way up through about 30 years, 63 AD, when Jesus,

Paul is in prison in Rome and awaiting his trial to appear before Caesar. And so he's covering this period of time and getting us all the details of the things that God was doing. Of course, there's much more that God was doing, but giving us some insight into the way that God was moving throughout the apostles and Peter and the church and then through the apostle Paul and the expansion of the gospel throughout the region.

The timeline of the book of Acts we looked at and considered last week. I won't go through all of it, but just highlighting and mentioning where we are this week. So we're picking it up.

In chapter 7, as Stephen is about to be martyred, we're a couple years after Christ has ascended, probably about 35 AD. And then we'll be going through about 40 AD at the end of our chapters this evening, where Cornelius and his household turn to the Lord and are baptized with the Holy Spirit. The geography of Acts.

Acts is here. This is a look at the Roman Empire. And so, of course, you have Jerusalem, which is where the church began as the Holy Spirit was poured out. And we saw that last week in Acts chapter 2. But then the church is expanding and people are going out. And

And so it's spreading and Antioch is about to become an important city, an important place where God is going to be sending out from there to other parts of the Roman Empire. And then of course you have Rome there to the top left.

which was the capital of the Roman Empire. And so the gospel is going to make it to there by the end of the book of Acts as Paul goes there in prison, but the gospel is preached nevertheless. Well, that brings us now to Acts chapter 7 and verse 59 is the key verse. It says, And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Now,

Now we concluded last week in chapter 6, looking at a problem, a situation that developed within the church, where there were widows who were not getting their fair share of the food that was given. And so there was this dispute that broke out. And the disciples or the apostles said, you know, our ministry is to be devoted to the Word of God and prayer. And so here's what we suggest. You guys pick one.

Seven guys who are full of the Holy Spirit and we'll appoint them to this task and they'll manage this and make sure that people get their fair share. Well, Stephen was one of those seven that was selected and the apostles laid hands on them and prayed for them and set them to work in managing the distribution of the resources to these widows.

Well, Stephen, as he's about his work and doing this new ministry that God has given to him, got into a dispute with some of the Jewish leaders. And that's how chapter 6 ended. And so there was this dispute and people were accusing him of blasphemy. They brought these false witnesses in. And so as we enter into chapter 7, Stephen is on trial.

And the Jewish leaders are, you know, getting ready to deal with him. And so they ask him to give an account. The high priest says in verse 1, Are these things so? Have you really been blaspheming as these witnesses are declaring? And so what we have as it goes on now in chapter 7 is Stephen's defense.

And instead of really trying to defend himself and say, no, those guys are lying. You know, I didn't say those things. Instead, what he does is he recounts Israel's history.

And he goes through the major highlights of the history of Israel. And so as you read through this, as you look at this, if you've been with us going through the Bible in three years, you can kind of remember our time in Genesis and Exodus and Numbers and Deuteronomy and see the flow of history that he's recounting for them.

He goes back to Abraham in verses 1 through 8, and he reminds them of how God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. This all began with Abraham, and his descendants were God's chosen people. Then he talks about Joseph in Egypt, and the work that God did there in preserving the people, and then leading them out of Egypt under Moses in verses 17 through 36.

And then setting up the tabernacle in the wilderness and then the temple after that. But then he also points out in verse 37 through 43.

The worship of the golden calf. That although they had all these miracles and great works, that there was this great rebellion at Mount Sinai as they worshipped this idol that they had created. And so as he recounts the history to them, he's making a point. And what is that point? Well, I like the way that Warren Wiersbe puts it. He says, Israel's history reveals the patience of God and the hardness of man's heart.

Throughout this history, he's pointing out how the people have rebelled against God, but God has continued to work and God has been patient with them. Well, he concludes his defense, which is really not a defense of himself, but really, you know, an opportunity to declare the gospel and to declare the glory of God. And he concludes that in verse 51 through 53, saying, "...you always resist the Holy Spirit."

He says in verse 53, "...you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears."

This is very firm here. Now, remember, Stephen is on trial. This isn't like a casual discussion. He's not joking, you know, with some friends. And, you know, sometimes you're a little bit more casual and able to kind of, you know, use a little bit stronger language, you know, with your friends. You kind of tease them and prod them a little bit. He's on trial. He's standing before the judges who are going to, you know, issue a sentence at the end of this.

And he says to them, you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. Now, I don't know if you've ever stood before a judge, but try to picture that. Standing before your judge and saying, you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. He says, you always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did. So that's the point. Here's I recounted the history and how your fathers resisted the work of the Spirit and

You're following in their footsteps and you're resisting as well. He says, which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they, those prophets that were persecuted talked about Jesus and

He you have crucified. You've become betrayers and murderers of the one that those prophets were prophesying about. And you received the law, but you have not kept it. And so he brings, instead of defending himself against their accusations, he brings an accusation against them to help them

Be aware of their condition and their relationship with God. Well, the Jews were not receptive to this. And so in verse 54 through 60, they stone Stephen. And he is the first martyr of the church. He is put to death for his testimony of Jesus Christ and what he has done.

Well as we finish up this chapter, chapter 7, that concludes the first section of the book of Acts. According to the outline that's presented in Acts chapter 1 verse 8. Where Jesus says to the disciples, you will have power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem forever.

So that's the first section. Then all Judea and Samaria, that's the second section. And then to the end of the earth. And so now as we go into chapters 8, 9, 10 and the first part of 11, we're going to see the gospel spread now. It's primarily been here in Jerusalem that this work is going on, but now it's going to expand outside of that to the surrounding regions.

We saw last week that the religious leaders were upset with the disciples and they said, you filled Jerusalem with this doctrine of Jesus. That you filled us, you know, this whole city, this whole town. Everybody knows about Jesus. And so now that that has been done, it's filled in Jerusalem. Now it's spreading out and God is going to be using the following events to bring the gospel to other areas.

So that brings us to Acts chapter 8 now. Verse 4 is the key verse. It says, In verses 1 through 4, we have a man named Saul who begins to persecute the church. Now, Saul was there when Stephen was stoned. And the way that Luke addresses this and talks about this here in the book of Acts is,

It indicates that this was a turning point in the life of Saul. Saul was very religious. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees. I mean, he was trained in religion and in Judaism. And he was very zealous for Judaism. And as Stephen here is put to death in this way, it tells us that he was holding the clothes of those who were stoning Stephen.

And it seems to have had an impact. And this starts him on a rampage. It says in verse 3 that he made havoc of the church, entering every house and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.

And so this event of Stephen being stoned makes a big impact on Saul. And instead of turning to the Lord, which we know that's what God is wanting him to do, he's fighting against God. And so he does that by making havoc of the church.

And so he is arresting Christians, trying to get them to renounce their faith and turn against Jesus and doing great harm and damage to those who proclaim the name of Jesus Christ.

Well, God uses this. And there's this great persecution that breaks out. Saul's, you know, leading the charge. But then in verse 4, we see that God uses this and he scatters the disciples everywhere and the word goes with them. And so now the gospel message is being spread out beyond Jerusalem.

Well, an example of that, as we continue on in chapter 8, is a man named Philip. In verses 5 through 13, we see that he preaches Christ in Samaria. So he goes north of Jerusalem, and he's preaching the gospel there, and people are believing. Even this notable sorcerer who is in the area believed in Jesus Christ as a result of Philip's preaching.

Well, as Jerusalem hears about that in verses 14 through 25, they send Peter and John to lay hands on the believers who are there in Samaria. And so they hear about the work that's going on there and the people who are believing. And so they send out Peter and John. And it tells us that as Peter and John are headed up there, the disciples, those who have believed in Samaria, have not yet received the Holy Spirit. They've believed.

They've been baptized. We would say that they are saved or they're born again, but that they've not yet received the Holy Spirit. Not talking about the indwelling of the Spirit. That happens at conversion. We talked about that last week.

But they hadn't received the empowering of the Holy Spirit. And so in verse 17 it says, Then they, so Peter and John got there, they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. And so there's this work that God does as these apostles lay hands on the people and now they receive the Holy Spirit and there's this new work of the Holy Spirit that is taking place in their lives.

We also see in this passage the sorcerer who believed earlier tries to pay them to get that power to lay hands on people that they would receive the Holy Spirit. And Peter has to deal with him and reveal his heart. The work of the Holy Spirit is not for sale. It's not for show.

it's to be a testimony. It's for the glory of God. And so as we seek to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, we need to remember that it's not for sale, it's not for show, it's for God's will, it's for God's purposes that we would be empowered to do what He has called us to do. And so there's this great work that's happening here in Samaria with Philip and the disciples and those who are believing. But then God calls Philip away. In verse 26 through 40,

We see that Philip preached Jesus to an Ethiopian eunuch. God says, get away from there, go down to the desert, go to this road, and you're going to see this guy. Well, actually, he didn't tell him ahead of time. He just says, go down to this road. And then he gets there, and the Holy Spirit says, see that guy? Overtake him. And he does. He hears this eunuch who's in this chariot leaving Jerusalem, going back to Ethiopia.

and he's reading the prophet Isaiah. And so Philip says, hey, do you understand what you are reading? And the Ethiopian eunuch says, well, how can I understand unless somebody explains it to me? And he invites Philip up. And so Philip then gets to share the gospel with him, and he believes, and immediately, well, he sees some water. He says, look, here's some water. What's stopping me? Why can't I just be baptized right now? I believe.

And Philip says, well, if you believe with all your heart, you may. And he says, yes. Verse 37, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. That's the prerequisite for baptism, that you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And so he's baptized, and then Philip is taken away, and he makes his way to Caesarea.

Now, this passage here is one of the passages that, you know, the Lord stirred up in our hearts regarding the flashlight fellowships. It's part of the, you know, the vision for that. That Philip here made this connection as the Lord led him, the Holy Spirit led him. And so I just want to take a moment to encourage you and remind you of that. That the vision for the flashlight fellowships is similar to this. That we would go to a place that God directs.

So maybe in the Eastvale Gateway this coming Saturday, you know, the Lord says, all right, go there. And then you see that Philip got there and it's only then...

That the Lord indicated the person that he wanted him to talk to. It says that the Holy Spirit told him, go to that guy, talk to that guy. And so that's what we seek to do. We meet there, you know, in the parking lot. And then we break up and the idea is that we be praying as we're walking around. And we're looking for God to minister to us and give us some direction. That the Holy Spirit would say,

That person. Go talk to that person. And as we follow and respond to what the Holy Spirit directs us in, then we're able to make a connection. Now, the connection develops according to how the person responds. So, Philip's method of connection was, do you understand what you are reading? And then it was up to the Ethiopian eunuch. And if he said...

No, I don't, but get away from me. Then the story would have been different. He says, you know, I don't understand. Why don't you come up and share with me? In the same way as we seek to make a connection, we're approaching people not with, do you understand what you're reading? But, hey, can we pray for you?

And then it's up to the person. If they receive it and say, yes, I have a need. I'd love for you to pray for me. Then you can go further and see what God develops. And if they say, no, thank you, then no problem. You just keep on walking and keep on seeking for God to minister to your heart the person that He wants you to talk to.

And so this is the model, you know, and we get to see here, demonstrated by Philip, what God wants us to do in making connections, making ourselves available, being led by the Holy Spirit to minister to people around us. Well, here's a quick look at the geography of what we're looking at here in Acts chapter 8.

In Acts chapter 8 verse 1, again it was that Saul was consenting to the death of Stephen. And then this great persecution broke out against the church. And the church was scattered, it says, throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.

Now, we saw Acts chapter 1 verse 8 where Jesus said, you'll be baptized, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, that's happened, then Judea and Samaria, that's what's happening now, and then to the ends of the earth. And there's a saying I heard a Bible teacher give a long time ago, that is wherever you have Acts chapter 1 verse 8 written,

you will also have Acts chapter 8 verse 1. That is, wherever the work of the Holy Spirit is happening to be a witness to Jesus, you will also have Acts chapter 8 verse 1, which is the persecution that follows.

And so that's one reason sometimes Christians are hesitant to be really radical for the things of God and be filled with the Spirit and be moving forward in the things that God has called them to because, well, very often, as you have the Acts 1-8, you have the Acts 8-1 and the persecution and difficulties that arise as a result. However, what I'd like to point out here is that the persecution that is brought against the church at this point

the cause or is the way that God fulfills the prophecy that Jesus gave. Because Jesus said, you'll be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. Now there's no indication in the passage here that they had any plans to go to Judea or Samaria. This came about, they were reacting to the persecution that took place.

And as a result of this persecution, God used this to spread the gospel from Jerusalem to further parts, to Judea and Samaria. Remember Acts chapter 8 verse 4? Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. And so it's important to remember that God takes the enemy's plans and turns them for good and works them out for his plans.

And so the persecution happens and God uses that to fulfill His word and to bring others to the knowledge of God. And so this is what we need to remember. Yes, there is often opposition as we step out in faith and do what God has called us to do. But even in that opposition, whatever the enemy tries and throws at us, of course we know that God is greater, but then also it's

He is so much greater that He uses that opposition to accomplish His work, His will for His glory. I know as we look at the news and some of the people who are kind of foretelling what might come for us is the United States and the things that are turning against the church and our culture and in our nation and the political scenario. Some people are really freaked out about that. Me personally, I wonder maybe...

persecution in the United States

Could be the best thing for the church in the United States. Maybe it's really what we need. Maybe it's really, you know, something that's going to bring revival. We've been praying for revival. But maybe, you know, the thing that God's going to use to accomplish that is persecution. So it's not something I get very freaked out about in that sense. Because I know that God is bigger than all these things. And He's going to accomplish His purposes.

It's interesting, I was checking out an article recently which was declaring that China is on course to become the world's most Christian nation within the next 10 to 15 years. Think about that. Can you imagine that? The article is tracking the trends and it's showing that, yes, there's great persecution in China against Christianity, against the church, right?

But the church is growing. And at the rate it's growing, if it continues at that rate, then there's going to be more Christians in China, as far as percentage of population is concerned, than anywhere else. That there's going to be a greater percentage of Christians in that nation, which...

persecutes Christians than in other nations like ours where our nation was founded but we're not there anymore. And so it's interesting how God can even use persecution in China to spread the gospel and do a work even in the midst of that.

Well, continuing on to look at the geography of Acts chapter 8 here, we see in verses 5 through 13, Philip goes from Jerusalem to Samaria. As his persecution breaks out, he was one of those seven who was appointed, but this persecution prompts him to pack up and move. He heads out to Samaria. It's about 35 miles north, and he's preaching the...

And so verse 40, you can see that journey that he takes. It's about 53 miles from the city of Nazareth.

up the coast there. And so now he's starting kind of a new ministry in Caesarea. He's not going back to Samaria, but now he's going to be doing a new work there on the coast of the Mediterranean. All right, chapter 9 is the next chapter. Verse 17 is the key verse. It says, And Ananias went his way and entered the house. And laying his hands on him, he said, Brother Saul...

In verses 1 through 9, Jesus appears to Saul. Now, chapter 9 of Acts is one of those classic chapters that we should visit pretty frequently. And I say that because, well, think about this. Is there a person in your life that you think...

Man, they could never be saved. There's just no hope of them responding to the gospel message. There's just no way that they're going to turn and get right with God. The Apostle Paul, previously known as Saul...

this kind of person. And it's a great reminder for us that God can break through to the ones that we think are impossible. Remember, this is the guy who is, well, he says, making havoc in the church back in Acts chapter 8. That he is persecuting believers. He is attempting to get people to blaspheme the name of Christ. He is attempting to get people to turn away from God. To

To turn away from Christ. And yet this is the guy that we see in Acts chapter 9. Where God breaks through, reaches his heart, and he turns to follow Jesus Christ. Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 1. He says, This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.

Paul didn't forget where he came from. He remembers what he had done and what he continued to do. He was still sinful even though he was saved. But he remembers where he came from and what he was involved with and the way that he persecuted the believers in Jesus. And so he tells Timothy, going on in 1 Timothy 1 verse 16, he says, "...for this reason I obtained mercy."

That in me first, Jesus might show all long-suffering as a pattern to those who are going to believe on him for everlasting life. Paul says, I'm a pattern. Look at my life and think about how long-suffering Jesus is. Look at my life and think about how merciful God is.

He says, look at my life and consider the grace of God. I'm a pattern that God set. He got a hold of me, the worst of the worst. And He showed me mercy and He showed me grace and He was patient and long-suffering with me as a pattern so that we might know how God works. So don't give up praying for those that you think, wow, it's impossible.

Sometimes we don't even pray for people because it's like, why even bother? Because they're just too bad. They're too far gone. But Paul says, no, I'm the example. I'm the pattern so that you know those who believe in me, or those who believe in Jesus rather, receive his mercy because God is long-suffering and merciful and gracious. And so he appears to Saul and he says, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he says, who are you, Lord? And he says, I'm Jesus, the one

You're fighting against. It's hard for you to kick against the goads. Now that indicates that God had been speaking to Paul, or Saul at this time, but he was fighting against it. The goads were what they would use to kind of keep the animals from kicking whenever they were using them, you know, to plow fields and such. And so it would help keep them doing what the farmer wanted them to do. And God's been speaking to Paul, working in his life, and Paul is fighting against it.

He doesn't want to submit to the Lord. And it's hard for him to kick against the goats. It's hard for him to resist the work of God. But Jesus says, it's hard for you to resist. And Saul, he submits. He says, what do you want me to do? He calls him Lord. At this point he says, you are Lord. What do you want me to do? This is where we all need to come. This is where we all need to be. Where we say, Lord, you're the master. You're in control. You're the boss.

what do you want me to do? This was the turning point for Saul. His life is changed from this point on as he comes to this declaration. Lord, what do you want me to do? And the Lord tells him, go into the city and then I'll tell you what you're going to be doing. Well, then in verses 10 through 19, the Lord sends Ananias to Saul.

The Lord gives Ananias a vision. He also gave Saul a vision that Ananias was going to come. And Ananias now is called to go and pray for Saul that he would receive his sight and receive the Holy Spirit. Ananias is a little freaked out, as you could imagine, right? He's heard about Saul and what he was there to do. But God says, go. I've called him. He's my chosen vessel. And so Ananias goes and prays for him and he receives the Holy Spirit.

Then in verses 20 through 25, Saul preaches the Christ. And so Saul is converted here. It says in verse 20, immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues that he is the Son of God. And so immediately Paul began to preach. He began to declare the truth about Jesus that he is the Son of God. But that

started causing some trouble and they wanted to kill Saul and so he had to escape. They let him out of a wall, you know, in a basket and he escaped from that. So then he went down to Jerusalem and verses 26 through 30 he tries to join up with the disciples and the disciples are freaked out. They

They don't want anything to do with him. They're scared of him. But Barnabas comes in the scene and brings him in and kind of introduces him. Saul begins to minister. He begins to preach. And now there's some trouble. They want to kill him again. And so they send him off for his safety. They go over to Caesarea and then send him up

to Tarsus, which is his hometown. And so he's going to spend a good amount of time there, really being prepared by the Lord for what he has in store for him next.

Well, then in verses 31 through 35, we kind of take a break from the life of Paul and we look at the things that God is doing with Peter. And a man named Aeneas is healed. And then Dorcas in verses 36 through 43, or also known as Tabitha, is raised from the dead by Peter. And so Peter is there ministering in and around Joppa and working these miracles. Here's a quick look at the geography of these things in chapter 9.

In verses 1 through 9, Jesus appears to Saul as he's on the way to Damascus. It's about 150 miles from Jerusalem to Damascus. And so he's on this journey. He's on the way. It says that he's near Damascus. He's almost there when the Lord appears to him. And so he spent some time there. Then he has to escape because of the persecution against him. And so he goes back to Jerusalem in verse 26.

He tried to join the disciples in Jerusalem. There was some issues with that. And then there was another attempt that was going to be happening on his life. And so then in verse 30 it tells us that the brethren send Saul to Tarsus. And so he goes to Caesarea, gets a boat, and then goes about 300 miles north to Tarsus.

which again was his hometown where he grew up. And so he goes and he's going to spend some time there in preparation for what God has in store for him next. Well, now we are in Acts chapter 10, verse 44 is the key verse. It says, While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.

Now we're looking again at the work that God is doing in Peter here in the next couple chapters. And we'll pick up the life of Paul in a few more chapters after that. But in verses 1 through 8, we're introduced to a man named Cornelius. He's a centurion. He's a Roman soldier who has charge of, well a centurion usually was in charge of about 80 to 100 men.

And he fears God. He knows about God. He doesn't know the full gospel. He doesn't have an understanding of who Jesus really is yet. But he fears God. And so God begins to minister to him. And an angel appears to Cornelius and tells him to summon for Peter. Well then...

kind of simultaneously or as these messengers are on the way to get Peter verses 9 through 16 God prepares Peter for this encounter and Peter has a vision of unclean animals he's there praying on the the the roof of the house where he's at and he sees this this cloth come down and on it is all kinds of unclean animals and the Lord tells him arise kill and eat and

Now, these unclean animals are things that, back in Leviticus, in the law, the Lord had said, these are unclean animals, you're not to eat of these. And so, there's these kinds of animals on this cloth. And the Lord tells Peter to arise, kill, and eat. He said, no, I don't eat unclean things. You know, I'm faithful to the law. I'm faithful to, you know, what God spoke through Moses. And then God tells him, don't call...

what God has cleansed. And so he's indicating here there's been a change. There's a transition from the law to a new work that God is doing. And this happens three times. And Peter's trying to figure out, what does this vision mean? Does this mean I'm supposed to go downstairs and have some bacon right now? Or is there something more significant? Well, as he's pondering this, he's praying about this, these guys, these messengers from Cornelius show up.

And they say, hey, we've been sent by Cornelius and we've asked to summon you because God gave us this instruction. And so verses 17 through 33, Peter goes to Cornelius and begins to have this discussion with him. And Cornelius tells him about what God did and the angel that appeared to him and the instruction that was given. And so Peter in verse 34 through 43 says,

Says, okay, well I guess the Lord has me here to preach the gospel. And he begins telling them about Jesus. And the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And who he is and the work that God did. And as he's telling them, this is Cornelius and those who are in his household.

It tells us in verse 44 through 48 that the Holy Spirit fell upon the whole household. In verse 44 it says, while Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And so Peter here is delivering this message and saying,

He doesn't get to finish. You know, it kind of ends with a dot, dot, dot, because then the Holy Spirit falls upon them and there's this great move of God, this great work of God that begins here in Acts chapter 10.

Now, this is really huge, and we'll deal with that more in Acts chapter 11, because this changes everything as far as Peter and the rest of the disciples are concerned. But a quick look at the geography before we get to that. So, Peter...

Cornelius is in Caesarea, which is there in the northern part of Israel on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Peter is in Joppa. He's at the house of Simon the Tanner. He's there. That's where he gets the vision. And so the messengers come down from Cornelius to get Peter and they go back up and this brand new work of God happens there in Caesarea where God does this amazing thing in pouring out

Well, this also begins as we go now further now into chapter 11. We're going to be expanding into the final section of the book of Acts. So, we're going to be talking about the book of Acts.

Caesarea up there is, you know, kind of the edge of Samaria. And so we're kind of reaching the limits of the Judea and Samaria portion of the book of Acts. And now as we go on into chapter 11, now it's just going to explode. And we're going to go to the ends of the earth and see the Roman Empire reached with the gospel message in the chapters to come, concluding the book of Acts.

Well, the final chapter for this evening is Acts chapter 11. Verse 18 is the key verse. It says, When they heard these things, they became silent, and they glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life. In verses 1 through 18, we get to understand how big of a deal Acts chapter 10 really is. Peter...

has to explain back in Jerusalem what God did there with Cornelius' household in verses 1 through 18. He goes to Jerusalem and the Jews there in Jerusalem, the believers that are there in Jerusalem say, hey Peter, we got to talk with you man. We got to hold you accountable because we heard you were in the household of this Gentile.

And, you know, we don't do that. We don't practice that. We don't fellowship with the Gentiles in that way. What were you doing in their home? And what business do you have baptizing them and calling them Christians now, you know, and teaching them about Jesus? What business do you have doing these things? Now, here's the way that they thought. The believers in Jerusalem thought this way. In order for anybody to be saved, they had to first be Jews.

So their thought was, it wasn't just the natural descendants of Abraham that could be saved, but anybody who converted to Judaism could then believe in Jesus and be saved. And so in their minds, they thought, you have to convert to Judaism and then you can be saved. And so, Peter, you violated this because Cornelius and his household, yes, Cornelius feared God,

But he hadn't converted to Judaism. Now, the way, the process that they had established at that time for conversion to Judaism required two things. Baptism, not much different than what we, you know, practice in Christianity. But then the second thing that was required was circumcision. Because that was part of the covenant given to Abraham. And so, Cornelius...

feared God, but he hadn't converted. He hadn't, you know, made a commitment to follow the law. He hadn't been baptized as a Jew, and he hadn't been circumcised to become a Jew. And so, he can't be saved, Peter. What do you think you're doing? And so, Peter explains the whole scenario. He explains what God did, and how God spoke to him, and how God prepared the way, and then sent him there. And then, as Peter was just talking about Jesus,

Then God took over and did the work. If it was up to Peter, if it was up to these Jewish believers, Cornelius wouldn't have been saved. They would have been saying, okay, here's a list of requirements. First, go see a doctor, and then we'll dip you in water, and then you can believe in Jesus. And that would have been the process. That would have been the path. But they're surprised. And they conclude in verse 18, well, I guess God wants Gentiles to be saved.

I guess it's different than what we thought. It's good for them to be this flexible. I think we need to remember to be this flexible in some of the things that we get stuck in as well. Our traditions aren't always accurate with the work of God. And so they say, well, I guess God wants Gentiles to repent and have life and be saved as well. That there isn't this requirement you have to become a Jew and then you can be saved. But anybody can believe in Jesus Christ.

And in believing in Jesus Christ, they have everlasting life. And so it was this radical change for the believers at that time as the first Gentiles are born again and receive the power of the Holy Spirit.

Well, God continues to work and explode the church, and it continues to expand in verses 19 through 26 to Antioch. And so Barnabas goes to Antioch, and he brings Saul there to minister there in Antioch. And Antioch is going to become an important, prominent city. God's going to be, you know, working from Antioch and going out and reaching the rest of the Roman Empire.

Barnabas is sent up there though. And I like verse 24 as it talks about Barnabas. It says, For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. Barnabas was sent to Antioch as they heard about the work that God was doing there. And it talks about how he was effective in his work because, well, he was a good man, full of the Spirit, and he was full of faith. He believed faith.

He was filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. And so his work is effective. I really like to look at Barnabas and to see Barnabas as an important individual in the work that God did in the book of Acts. Of course we know the Apostle Paul.

And we know that, you know, predominantly the rest of the book of Acts is going to be about Paul and his ministry. And then the rest of the New Testament is primarily written by Paul and the letters that he wrote to, you know, all the churches that he had established and planted. And so Paul we know very well. And it's, you know, easy to understand that Paul was an important part of God's plan.

But these passages remind me as well that Barnabas is also an important part of God's plan. Because Barnabas is the one who goes to find Saul and to bring him back to Antioch. He goes to Tarsus. He says, Saul, you've got to get involved with this. You've got to be part of this work that God is doing in Antioch.

And so he encourages, you know, the name Barnabas means son of encouragement. And so he encourages Saul, brings him, gets him involved and plugged into the ministry. And then God's going to be growing him and developing him to be the Apostle Paul and to accomplish the great things that God wanted to do with his life. But the point I'm trying to make is that we need both.

Barnabases and Saul's. We need those who will encourage and will seek out others and get them plugged in and help them and build them up. And then we also need the Saul's who will go forward in what God has called them to do.

They're both important and that's why we refer to it as the body of Christ. It's all these different members working in different ways. You know, it's not just Saul's that we need, but it's Barnabas's as well. And so maybe you think, well, I can't be a Saul, but maybe you could be a Barnabas. Who can you encourage? Who can you build up? Who can you disciple and raise up that they might fulfill the plans and purposes that God has for them?

Well, as God's doing a work there in Antioch, in verses 27 through 30, the disciples send relief to Judea. There's a prophecy that is brought forth at that time about famine that's coming to the land, and so they send help down there and minister to the believers who are in Judea.

Here's a quick look at the geography of Acts chapter 11. In verse 19, it talks about this persecution that began, and it says that the people were scattered as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. So remember that persecution that Paul began? Well, this pushed the believers to Judea and Samaria, but then it kept pushing them out. And

And so they went out to Cyprus, which was that island there in the Mediterranean Sea. Now all three of these places already had large Jewish communities. And so these were places where other Jewish people were there. And so they go to these different places and they're preaching the word. They're sharing the gospel to their fellow Jews.

Phoenicia is the area on the coast just north of Israel. And so there's a large Jewish population there and people are spread there. And then you have Antioch, which was to the far north, about 300 miles north of Jerusalem.

And also had a large Jewish community. And so this is where Saul is. And so this great work of God is happening now. As these believers are persecuted and pushed out. And they're sharing the gospel in these areas.

In verse 20, it tells us that men came from Cyprus preaching to Antioch. And so the believers, you know, were pushed out to Cyprus. Then they went from Cyprus. And so you can see the gospel progressing and moving and expanding. And so now it comes to Antioch and there's a work there. Barnabas checks it out. Then he goes to Tarsus. He gets Saul, takes him back to Antioch. And they're working and involved there in the work that God is doing.

And then in verse 29, it talks about the relief that the disciples sent to Judah from Antioch. And so this is kind of now a new central place where God is working and establishing this church there in Antioch. Well, this is all accomplished, of course, by the power of the Holy Spirit. And so as we conclude our time together this evening, we want to do what we're going to be doing throughout the book of Acts.

And just spend some time seeking the Lord for, well, Him to work in the power of the Holy Spirit. And so I want to invite the worship team to come back up and they're going to lead us in one last song. And as they do, I want to encourage you to invite the Holy Spirit into your life.

That you would invite God to empower you with His Holy Spirit. We've been looking at that, you know, this last week. We saw in Acts 1 and 2, you know, the promise of the Holy Spirit and then it being fulfilled. And the different ways that it was happening and how it was happening repeatedly. In Acts chapter 4, the church was filled with the Holy Spirit again.

In Acts chapter 8, we saw that the disciples, or the apostles, went to Samaria. They laid hands on people and they received the Holy Spirit. But then also in Acts chapter 10, we saw that the Holy Spirit fell upon people just as they heard the word. And so God works in a variety of ways. And so there's not one prescribed method. And so here's what I'd like you to do. As we sing this song, seek the Lord. And ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit.

and ask Him for any kind of direction. If He wants to give you direction, we're going to have a few people up here, a couple people up here, who would love to lay hands on you, pray for you, anoint you with oil. And if God prompts your heart to fill you with His Holy Spirit by coming up and having hands laid on you and being prayed for, then come on up and there be available. If God ministers to you and just says, just stay there and receive the Holy Spirit, or if God maybe prompts you to pray with someone next to you, that's fine as well.

But let's spend some time looking for God to meet our needs, to give us the strength and the power that we need, to baptize us with His Holy Spirit, that we would be like Barnabas, effective at the work that God has called us to, because we're full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit. Let's worship the Lord and seek God for His power this evening.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.