Acts 8:1

Saul was consenting unto the death of Stephen. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. (Acts 8:1–4)

When the church grows lazy, God can use even persecution to purify His people and send them where He always meant them to go.

From Stephen's Service to the Sanhedrin

Several weeks ago in Acts chapter 6, we saw a need within the body of Christ: a group of widows was not being ministered to. So Peter and the other apostles gathered the church and instructed them to choose out seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom, to handle this administrative task of distributing to the widows as they had need.

One of those chosen was Stephen, a man full of the Holy Spirit. But God had a plan much bigger than administering among the widows. Stephen was brought before the council, the Sanhedrin—the very group that had condemned Jesus to die. There Stephen declared the gospel powerfully, beginning with Abraham and moving through the patriarchs, revealing the work of God in the Old Testament. They could not contend with his wisdom.

When they heard him, they were cut to the heart and gnashed at him with their teeth. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up into heaven and said, "Behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." This was exactly what Jesus had told the Sanhedrin they would see. They cried out, stopped their ears, ran upon him with one accord, cast him out of the city, and stoned him.

Saul, Pleased With the Death of Stephen

The witnesses laid their clothes down at the feet of a young man named Saul. As they stoned him, Stephen called upon God, saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," and kneeling down he cried, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." And so he died.

Verse 1 tells us Saul was "consenting" unto Stephen's death. He was one of Israel's leaders, a disciple of Gamaliel, and he presided over this judgment. The word "consenting" can also be translated that he was pleased with Stephen's death. As stones were hurled and Stephen looked into heaven, Saul of Tarsus stood there pleased, because he desired to destroy the work of God.

It is striking, because Saul's own teacher Gamaliel had told the Sanhedrin in Acts 5:38 to leave the apostles alone: if this work is of men it will come to nothing, but if it is of God you cannot overthrow it, lest you be found fighting against God. Yet his disciple Saul became the very man fighting against God.

Saul was zealous for Judaism and the law of Moses. In Philippians 3:5 he gives his resume: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness in the law, blameless. From the very beginning—before he could even consciously keep the law—his parents made sure he did. He saw following Jesus of Nazareth as heresy that needed to be crushed, which is why he was happy to see Stephen die.

Persecution Sends the Church Out

After this, Saul brought about a great persecution against the church. The word speaks of a direct onslaught, seeking to destroy the church and put them to flight. As a result, verse 1 says they were all scattered abroad throughout Judea and Samaria.

This is exactly what Jesus had told them to do. In Acts 1:8, before ascending, He said, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." He told them to wait in Jerusalem until they received power, but then to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.

By Acts 8, three to five years had gone by, and the church was still in Jerusalem—until persecution came. I do not believe God directly sent Saul or caused the persecution, but God was certainly able to use it. He allowed it and used it to send the church where He had wanted them to go all along.

What Persecution Does to a Lazy Church

Often, when the church faces difficulty, it is purified and a fire is ignited within the body of Christ. Study revivals throughout history and you find they frequently began after real low points, after the church had grown lax, relaxed, and lazy, and then hard times came. I believe the church in Jerusalem had grown somewhat lazy, not spreading out as the Lord had called, so He allowed persecution.

When the church loses sight of the commission—to go into all the world and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that Christ commanded—it is no longer moving forward. And if the church is not moving forward, it is falling back. Every one of you understands this personally: if you join a gym on January 1st, work out for thirty days, then stop, those muscles atrophy quickly. The same is true in the body of Christ.

When we lose ground to the enemy, the result is increased difficulty and ultimately persecution, because our adversary is actively seeking to destroy the work of God. Yet, as Acts 8 shows, God can use persecution for good. Like a fire, persecution purifies dead growth and produces new growth. Here in Southern California we understand fire season—the flames sweep through and destroy the dead underbrush, but they leave behind rich nutrients in the soil so new growth can come. The Lord allows persecution in His church to do the very same thing.

A Church That Is Not Advancing

Look at our nation over the last sixty years and you will see the church at large has not been actively fulfilling its mission. I'm not speaking specifically of Calvary Chapel of Escondido, but of the church in the United States. As we lose ground, there is more difficulty—more legislation and public outcry to "just keep that religion in the pew."

On Thursday I was part of a web conference in San Diego, and a speaker shared some statistics. Only about 15% of people in San Diego County regularly attend a Christian church—lower than I expected for a conservative area. Adjusted for population growth, the church here is shrinking by 2.5% every year, a steady downward trend.

He also noted that weekly church attendance in America was about 51 million in 1990 and rose to 51.7 million by 2000. That sounds encouraging—700,000 more. But the U.S. population grew by 51.8 million in that same span, so the church is not growing nearly as fast as the population. Secular reports over the last couple of years say Christianity in America is on the decline.

Every year for the past several years, 3,700 churches close their doors, while about 4,000 are planted—a net of only about 300 new churches in a nation as big as ours. We need to be actively moving forward. When we are not, secularization increases, and persecution moves from verbal—talking down to and against Christians—to viewing the church as an obstacle to progress, and finally to physical persecution, as we see in Acts.

That may make some of you fearful, but remember: persecution purifies and produces new growth. Churches throughout history that endured trials were the stronger for it. For several years we have been involved with the work God is doing in the persecuted church in China, and He is doing an amazing work there. I do not pray for persecution, but I do pray God would purify us and produce new growth, even through difficult times. We are more than conquerors in Christ; greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world; and the gates of hell will not stand against the church—if we are actively fulfilling the ministry He has given us.

Saul's Mission Backfires

Verse 3 says, "As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison." He had no regard for whether you were male or female—if you followed Jesus, he threw you in jail. The word "havock" means he was violent, unyielding, and tearing the church apart, seeking to destroy it.

But verse 4 reveals the result: "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word." Saul's mission had the inverse effect. He must have been frustrated—it was like trying to put out an oil fire with water. Every time he tried to tear the church apart, it only spread. As Gamaliel had warned, he would ultimately find himself fighting against God, as we'll see in Acts 9.

Philip: God Uses an Average Joe

Verse 5 says, "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them." Philip was another of the seven men chosen in Acts 6 for the administrative task of caring for the widows. The apostles laid hands on him and prayed for him and sent him to distribute goods to the poor—an everyday task anyone could do. Yet it was only the first step into a much larger ministry.

Many of you have experienced this. From this pulpit you've heard us say we need help with children's ministry, the cleaning crew, or construction down in Tecate, and you thought, "I know how to use a vacuum," or, "I can swing a hammer." You stepped out, and the Lord opened new doors until you were doing something you never imagined. God's plans for you are much bigger than the plans you have for yourself. For me it started with a knack for computers—Pastor Richard asked me to help build the church website, and the next thing I knew, God had something else planned.

Isn't it awesome that the Lord uses average Joes like you and me? Peter, James, and John were just fishermen—and not very good ones at that. But they spent three years with Jesus, were filled with the Spirit, and God used them to turn the world upside down. The Sanhedrin called them "unlearned and ignorant men," yet they had been with Jesus. Paul said God has chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the wise, the weak and the base and the nothings, to do something great in His kingdom—because that is how He gets the most glory. God is most glorified when we are emptied of ourselves and filled with Him.

Signs Following the Gospel

Verse 6: "And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed." It was not Philip in his own strength but God working through him.

Jesus had promised this in Mark 16:15–18: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel... And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils... they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Where the gospel goes forth, good signs follow. In fulfillment of that promise, Philip preaches in Samaria and God performs miraculous signs through him.

I guarantee that as you step out by faith and obedience to the work God has called you to, you will see Him move in miraculous ways. God still performs miracles. I have seen healings myself and heard testimonies from friends on the mission field. A couple of months ago a gentleman from our church shared how, years ago, he and friends went to Asia to preach the gospel and saw people healed of sicknesses on the spot as they prayed. God still moves mightily—and He desires to do so through us as we go in faith and obedience.

And the result in Samaria? Verse 8: "And there was great joy in that city." The gospel brings great joy. As Psalm 16:11 says, "In thy presence is fulness of joy." This city experienced that fullness as the gospel came to them.

Simon the Sorcerer

As always, opposition arose. Verse 9: "But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one." Have you ever met someone who tells you right off that they're something great? Simon the magician had seduced the people, and they were taken with him.

Paul warns in Galatians 6:3, "For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." And in 1 Corinthians 10:12, "Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Simon was self-deceived and positioned for a great fall. From the least to the greatest the people said, "This man is the great power of God"—not that he had it, but that he was it.

For many years Simon had seduced them with sorceries, yet in all that time he never cast out a demon, healed the sick, removed a disease, or brought anyone to liberty. His magic never helped them. But when the gospel and the Spirit of God came—and "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Corinthians 3)—people were set free, healed, and delivered. So they believed Philip and were baptized, both men and women.

Verse 13 says Simon himself believed also and was baptized, continuing with Philip and wondering at the miracles and signs. Outwardly he appeared to be a convert.

A Heart That Is Not Right

News reached Jerusalem that Samaria had received the word of God, so the apostles sent Peter and John, who prayed that the believers might receive the Holy Spirit, "for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." Notice it says he—the Holy Spirit is not an impersonal power, but God Himself. When Peter and John laid hands on them, they received the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, "Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost." Now his true heart as a false convert is revealed. He had been hanging around to figure out how Philip did these things, because he had lost his privileged position in the city and wanted power back. He wanted the work of God so he could profit from it—in finances, power, or prestige.

Peter answered in verse 20, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money." The Phillips translation renders it bluntly: "to hell with you and your money." Peter continued, "Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God."

Two thousand years later, people still think they can purchase the gift of God by good works, finances, or money. But we are not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold—we are redeemed with the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is a gift that cannot be purchased, only received by faith. If today you think you'll get to heaven because of what you've done or given, your works and your money will perish with you. There is no other way to salvation but through Jesus Christ and His finished work.

The Only Way

Some say that's awfully narrow. Yes, it is—but I didn't make it up; God did. Some say it's exclusive. It is, for "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Some say it's not politically correct or all-inclusive. But it reveals God's love powerfully, for He who knew no sin became sin for us, and "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." To come another way, refusing the work Jesus did, is to spit upon what God's Son accomplished on our behalf.

So Peter tells Simon what to do—verse 22: "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee." This was the message of John the Baptist, of Jesus, of Peter at Pentecost, and now of Peter to Simon. "For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity." Man is in bondage because of his sin, dead in trespasses, and unless he repents he will die physically and stand before God for judgment.

God is loving, merciful, and gracious, but He will by no means clear the guilty, and the soul that sins shall die—not only a physical death, but the second death. Revelation describes death and hell cast into the lake that burns with fire, a place of weeping, gnashing of teeth, outer darkness, and torment for eternity. Yet the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Simon's Tragic Response

Notice Simon's reply in verse 24: "Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me." He feared the judgment but would not do what Peter said—he would not repent and pray for himself. He asked Peter to pray for him instead.

But the fact is, no one can pray for you in your place—not your brother, sister, father, mother, or friend; not even "Pope" Peter. You must come to Jesus Christ and confess your sin yourself. As 1 John says, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous"; and "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us." But we must come to Him.

Church tradition holds that Simon never repented but went on teaching false heresy. Meanwhile, verse 25 says the apostles "preached the word of the Lord, and returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans." They went on their way, and Simon went his.

Here is a man with an appearance of godliness who followed Philip and was baptized, yet remained with a wicked heart and would not repent. There are many throughout church history like him. Jesus said in Matthew 7 that many will say, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?" And He will say, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Even Judas cast out demons and did mighty works in Matthew 10, yet he was the son of perdition and died in his sin.

I pray no one in this room is among that group—and you probably would have left by now if you were. But if the Holy Spirit is speaking to you today, don't leave this place without doing what Simon could not do: repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness.

Closing Prayer

Father, I thank You that You are not willing that any should perish. You do not delight in the death of the wicked; You desire that all men would come to repentance. I thank You that You have saved us—thank You, Lord, for saving our souls. We praise You for giving us the inheritance that is only received by turning to You in faith. I pray for my brothers and sisters as we step out of this place today: by Your Spirit give us the strength and power to walk in faith and obedience, and to be bright shining lights in a dark world. Raise up from this church and the other churches of our nation those who will press out into the work, that the body of Christ would be equipped, strengthened, and built up in these last days. For we ask it in Jesus' name, Amen.