March 23, 2023 | Be On Mission
The Church Extends to Samaria
Scripture: Acts 8:1-25 (NIV)
1 And Saul approved of their killing him.
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
Devotional
We now return to the narrative of the book of Acts as Christianity is spreading rapidly. Jesus had told His followers, “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Up to this point, they had only spread the faith throughout Jerusalem and Judea, very Jewish territory. But they had not yet extended the Christian faith into Samaria or the rest of the world, those non-Jewish territories. With the martyrdom of Stephen, this was about to change.
When Stephen was stoned to death, Jews who were offended that Christian Jews believed Jesus was the Messiah ratcheted up the persecution of the church in the city of Jerusalem. The ring leader was a man named Saul, who later became the apostle Paul. With this persecution, believers became refugees and fled for the countryside of Judea and even Samaria. This was unthinkable to them. Yes, Jesus had ministered to a woman at a well in Samaria. But the disciples just couldn’t grasp it.
God would use this persecution to make them understand. Philip, Simon Peter, and John all ended up preaching the gospel in Samaritan communities, baptizing people in the name of Jesus, and laying hands on them to receive the Holy Spirit. They saw firsthand that nobody is outside the realm of God’s grace and forgiveness if they repented and put faith in Jesus!
Think about the people where you live, work, learn and play. Who are some people in your neighborhood, job, school, or place of recreation that seem far from Jesus? What do they need from God? What do they need from you? How can you pray for them? When could you grab some lunch with them and truly listen? What need in their life could you help with? How can you share your faith with them?
Prayer
Holy Father, through trials and hardships, You are sending us out. Before we are ready, You call us to go and spread the Good News. Give us strength and grace to reach Your children who are different than us. Like Philip, may we show Your love and power to those whom You have called us. Like Peter and John, grant us wisdom to work only in the Spirit and truth. Lord, You are with us at the table of our enemies. Your goodness and love pursue us all the days of our lives. Help us live on earth with zeal, driven by the knowledge that we will live in the house of the Lord forever. Amen.
Poem
Push 'Em Out
Push ‘em out
Spread ‘em out
Get ‘em out of Zion
To the land of the unknown
Bear the fruit
And multiply
Push ‘em out
Spread ‘em out
Get ‘em to the captured
Clean the land of sorcery
Bear fruit
And multiply
Push ‘em out
Spread ‘em out
Bring those dead to life
Persecution’s treasure
Bear fruit
And multiply
Push ‘em out
Spread ‘em out
Get ‘em past their comfort
Be on mission everywhere
Bear fruit
And multiply
