"Devoted" - Preaching at Harderwyk - Acts 8 - May23, 2021

Resources For "Devoted" Series From Each Harderwyk Preacher

I. New For This Week

Corrie Ten Boom on "How To Forgive" - For my tastes, you can skip the schmaltsey beginning and ending, but from :35 to 5:55, you hear Corrie Ten Boom in her own voice telling the story I summarized at the close of Celebration today, - CLICK HERE for the video

II. From The Commentaries On This Passage

In regards to controlling the Holy Spirit NT Wright says in “Acts for Everyone”

“Luke is not interested in Simon’s fate, so much as in the general point, that any attempt to bring the spirit under human control is a nonsense and to be rejected outright. The spirit is the spirit of the sovereign God, who blows where he wants and how he wants. Neither Peter, nor John, nor Philip, nor any human being then, since or now can do other than be open to what the spirit wants, ready to be blown along by the rushing mighty wind.”

In speaking on evangelism John Stott says in “The Message of Acts”

“A notable feature of this chapter is the currency it gives to two distinctively Christian words for evangelism. Luke has already described the apostles as bearing witness to Christ, announcing (katangellein, 4:2) their message, devoting themselves to the ministry of the word of God, and teaching the people. But now he introduces the verb kērysso (‘to herald’) in relation to Philip’s proclamation of Christ (5), and popularizes the verb euangelizō (‘to bring good news’). The latter he has used once before (5:42), but in this chapter it occurs five times. Twice the object of the verb is the towns or villages evangelized (25, 40), while the other three times the object is the message itself, namely the good news of ‘the word’ (4), of ‘the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ’ (12), and simply of ‘Jesus’ (35). This is a salutary reminder that there can be no evangelism without an evangel, and that Christian evangelism presupposes the good news of Jesus Christ. Effective evangelism becomes possible only when the church recovers both the biblical gospel and a joyful confidence in its truth, relevance and power.”

In regards to the pivotal moment Acts 8 plays in the advancement of the gospel beyond Jerusalem John Stott says in “The Message of Acts”

“It is hard for us to conceive the boldness of the step Philip took in preaching the gospel to Samaritans. For the hostility between Jews and Samaritans had lasted a thousand years. It began with the break-up of the monarchy in the tenth century bc when ten tribes defected, making Samaria their capital, and only two tribes remained loyal to Jerusalem. It became steadily worse when Samaria was captured by Assyria in 722 bc, thousands of its inhabitants were deported, and the country was re-populated by foreigners. In the sixth century bc, when the Jews returned to their land, they refused the help of the Samaritans in the rebuilding of the temple. Not till the fourth century bc, however, did the Samaritan schism harden, with the building of their rival temple on Mount Gerizim and their repudiation of all Old Testament Scripture except the Pentateuch. The Samaritans were despised by the Jews as hybrids in both race and religion, as both heretics and schismatics. John summed up the situation in his simple statement that ‘Jews do not associate with Samaritans’. Jesus’ sympathy for them, however, is already apparent in Luke’s Gospel. Now in Acts 8 Luke is obviously excited by the evangelization of the Samaritans and their incorporation in the Messianic community.”

“The apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God (14). This is more than a matter-of-fact statement; it seems to be almost a technical expression by which Luke signals an important new stage in the advance of the gospel. He has used it in reference to the Day of Pentecost when three thousand Jews ‘accepted his [Peter’s] message’ (2:41). He uses it here of the first Samaritans who ‘accepted the word of God’. And he will use it again after the conversion of Cornelius, when the apostles heard that ‘the Gentiles also had received the word of God’ (11:1). Further, in all three developments Peter played a decisive role, using the keys of the kingdom (though Luke does not refer to this) to open it successively to Jews, Samaritans and Gentiles.”

“He [Luke] regards the Ethiopian’s conversion rather as another example of the loosening of bonds with Jerusalem (foreseen by Stephen in his speech) and of the liberation of the word of God to be the gospel for the world. It is especially significant that this African, who had gone to Jerusalem to worship, was now leaving it and would not return there. The story ends with Luke’s statement that ‘he went on his way rejoicing’ (39), distanced from Jerusalem although accompanied by Christ.”

 

III. Ongoing Resources

1) Spiritual Formation Resources Page - CLICK HERE - This is still a work in progress, but be a part as we look to build.

2) Scotty Smith’s Heavenward Daily Prayers - CLICK HERE to see the daily prayer blog of Scotty Smith.  You will see an option to have them delivered to your email inbox each day as well.  

3) Simple Lectio Divina Overview - CLICK HERE for a simple introduction of the spiritual practice of a more personal way of experience the Word through contemplation and reflection.