Title: The Gospel Comes to the Gentile Lands
Contents
The Gospel Enters Samaria
Acts 8:14-24
Even if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about, because it is something I must do; woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.
Look at 1:8, which is called the main verse of the book of Acts.
When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be the first to be surprised. Perhaps in the book of Acts, it was Peter who was surprised by the Holy Spirit. Of course, they would have thought that the gospel was Jerusalem-centered and Jewish-centered.
He would not have even thought that the gospel could enter the Gentiles.
The apostles must have felt the same way.
Look at verse 14.
But the Holy Spirit thinks differently. The Holy Spirit is the word that tells us that the Holy Spirit is working in Samaria beyond Jerusalem. I heard that Samaria also received the word of God.
This verse means that they thought that the word of God did not enter Samaria.
Dear saints,
Often we say this. It is said that that person is the person God forsaken.
But God works on the person we think so. People say that I am a God-forsaken person. But God is interested in that person,
The Holy Spirit goes where we hate, even where we refuse to go.
He transcends the region, the race, and the ideology. There are no barriers in the sight of God.
The work of the Holy Spirit transcends our stereotypes and common sense.
He is the one who changes the fundamental and basic values of justice that we think of.
In verse 14, we should note that when they heard it, Peter and John sent them.
These two men were the leaders among the apostles at that time. So, it is very important that the apostles in charge went to Samaria. Their actions were taken immediately.
They did not hesitate, hesitate, or doubt. I didn't have a meeting.
Rather than making decisions with skepticism like us, people who are filled with the Holy Spirit can act immediately because they hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.
In order for the church to revive, many people filled with the Holy Spirit must gather like this, so that the church comes to life. Those who have received the Holy Spirit can take action immediately beyond their limits.\
Dear saints,
The church is said to be the body of Christ, and the saints are said to be its members.
However, if we do not receive the filling of the Holy Spirit, we are not free to act as if we are obese.
see verse 15
Peter and John immediately went to Samaria and the first thing they did was pray to receive the Holy Spirit.
The mistakes we make are that we fail to distinguish between what is important to God and what is important to people. It's not about prioritizing properly.
If it is God's will, it is a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit to give up even if our thoughts are right.
We say that we have been guided by the Holy Spirit and made a prayerful decision, but later on, we often do it with our own thoughts and our own calculations. There is much more to do to your advantage.
Not everything we say is good. A person who is guided by the Holy Spirit is to do what God wants and is in harmony with God's heart.