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9 Sermons on Acts 8:4-8 Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria
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.
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Contents Sermon 1
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3
Leading By Example
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3
Sermon two
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6
Evangelizing through Good Acts
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6
Sermon 3
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9
God Will Light Up Our Ways
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9
Sermon 4
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12
Benchmark in Proclaiming the Truth
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12
Sermon 5
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15
All are Welcome into The Kingdom of God
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15
Sermon 6
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18
The Days of Many False Prophets
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18
Sermon 7
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21
The Ways of The World
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21
Sermon 8
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24
Hints about The Kingdom of God
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24
Sermon 9
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27
Faith In Actions
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27
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Sermon 1
Leading By Example
1. Quote
“We must seize every opportunity we can to speak the truth and
proclaim peace. Especially
now. There's so little time for many.” Francine Rivers
Power Truth But when they believed Philip, who was proclaiming
the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus
Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Acts 8:12 NRSV
Trouble in the Text
Philip as an apostle of Jesus Christ lived up to his will to
spread the Gospel. As ordinary beings,
apostles get weary and human worry creeps into their hearts. But
Philip, who is under the power
of the Holy Spirit, fearlessly proclaims Jesus as Lord and
Savior. The Holy Spirit1 did perform
many miracles. He makes us cleaner and more sacred for his sake.
The powers we get from the
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Holy Spirit makes us achieve more than ordinary in our lives.
His presence is among the true
living hearts of Christians.
Trouble in the World
The life in the Holy Spirit was new both for the Apostles and
their new converts. However, the
Apostles themselves had solid proof of Jesus and his promises.
Philip made proclamations
preaching out Christ as John the Baptist made way2 for Christ as
Messiah to come and find a
ready ground for his mission on earth.
Grace in the Word
In very special ways, the Holy Spirit3 empowered the apostles to
preach out and make news congregation for the worship of Jesus
Christ. The Apostles did perform the miracles with the guidance of
the Holy Spirit. A divine hand is seen through the high level of
intellect in the epistles. At some point in the mission of Paul,
his shadow was enough to heal a sick one.
The proclamations of Jesus in life made turning points to the
lives of his Apostles. There was
fear and silence after the death of Christ. However, after the
Holy Spirit4 took over, the disciples
became fearless and ventured out of Jerusalem to as far as Asia
and right into the heart of the
Roman Empire.
In our Lord’s Prayer5 we say that” Thy Kingdom come.” So our
proclamations are not in vain
when the Holy Spirit has taken over in our life. His presence is
a consolation as the Helper in our
life. God means well for us in the Holy presence of the Spirit,
for God the Father and the Son are
one in him and in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Grace in the World
The presence of the Holy Spirit is a manifestation on God’s own
presence. For the first church,
the relationship between God Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit
was confusing. At some point, the
church in Corinth6 was taken over by drunken believers. It must
have been hard for Paul to try
and explain everything in writing. But the Spirit led him to
comprehensively write out and
address the issues at hand.
The new churches had the faith but had some incomplete parts,
some without a clear focus on
what to do. The Holy Spirit was the guide of the early churches.
Beyond the foundations, the
Church spread all over the world with believers from every
nationality worshipping one God.
Since the call to serve Christ is universal, some people like
the Jewish community had authority
issues with the oppressive Roman rule at the time. At one point,
Jesus explained the question
whether to defer taxes to Rome or Caesar the Emperor at that
era.7 Christ put it clearly, that he
did not come to resist the Roman rule at any point. So, every
Christian is subject to state
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authority and to pay taxes to them. And everywhere the apostles
preached, they did not incite the
believers to shun authority. The message of salvation has no
rebellion against authority. It starts
with a change in habit, from sin to righteousness.
What Now
1. Which miracles took place in Samaria when Philip was
there?
2. Is Christ’s call limited by geographical boundaries?
3. What was the position of Christ regarding payment of
taxes?
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Sermon two
Evangelizing through Good Acts
2. Quote
“Closed mouths only lead to closed gates. Share your
salvation!”
Anthony Liccione
Power Truth But he was silent and did not answer. Again the high
priest asked him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed
One?” Jesus said, “I am; and
‘you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the
Power,’ and ‘coming with the clouds of heaven.’”
Mark 14:61-62 NRSV
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Trouble in the Text
Evangelizing is not the hardest of tasks. The first and best
line is to change our actions and
behaviors. We cannot carry the message while we are not
witnesses to the transformations. When
Philip healed in Samaria, it was not new to him. He had
undoubted faith that Jesus the Savior
through the Holy Spirit is a carrier of healing. The miraculous
acts would greatly convince
prospective converts. Coincidentally, our actions speak louder
than words. The faith in Jesus for
Philip bore forth transformation to those whom he preached
out.8
Trouble in the World
The good news in Christ is not for us to enjoy in solitude. We
cannot be selfish at whatever
point. Let us welcome others to share in the great news. That
way, his graces will be multiplied
for others to have the opportunity to sit at the table of life.
The new believers take time to
conform to the new habits. Older believers with experience can
take up mentorship roles to
facilitate them to settle and conform to the new ways in life.
This is why communities and
churches are important in salvation.
Grace in the Word
The proclamations in Samaria by God’s servant Philip is in line
with the wishes of God Himself.
During creation, God authorized mankind 9 to perpetuate
generation after generation and have
dominion over the earth. In a special way, Philip fulfilled this
command by bringing life and joy
to the suffering in Samaria.
Many received healing and exercised dominion over the evils
spelled unto them here on earth.
The claim of healing is a manifestation of the presence of the
Spirit of God. The Spirit of God
has forever been with us since creation.10 It is our duty to
welcome him to take refuge in our
souls. When our hearts are able to welcome the Holy Spirit, we
are free from sin and our close
friendship with Christ will lead to our salvation.
The joy that was in Samaria from the miracles performed by
Philip is also a manifestation of
faith in action. In Mark,11 Christ refers to good faith like
salt for adding taste to food. Food well
prepared without salt is tasteless. So is faith without actions,
miracles, and manifestations. Philip
is like a pinch of salt added to the faith of Samarians. They
could see, hear, and were witnesses
to the power of God in Samaria
Grace in the World
When Christ laid out an example for us, our role was to simply
fulfill his wishes by following in
his footsteps. The matters of faith are complex, but we can
simplify them by seeking answers
from Christ. Fortunate enough, the responses set out by Christ
to many queries set out at his time
on earth are still very applicable. Again, Jesus12 requested us
to believe just as kids do. That’s
without asking a hundred and one questions. If we ask too many
questions in faith, we lose focus
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and procrastinate too long or even forever. Kids believe and
have no reason not to. That was
what Christ requested of us when it comes to the matters of
faith.
As Christians, we should be aware of the times in the calendar
of the Kingdom. Although Christ
gave a hint about the end of times,13 we should not be afraid
all through. The hour of the return
of the son of man is not known. But that should not worry us.
Since we do not know it, we
should be ever ready to receive him at any one moment in our
life. Instead of languishing in fear
and worry, let us all follow his commands and there’ll be no
doubt that the kingdom of God is
ours.
What Now
1. In the parable of salt, salt that can’t add taste to food
should be_______?
2. How ready should a Christian be in waiting for Christ’s
second coming?
3. In Genesis, what powers was man accorded to by God?
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Sermon 3
God Will Light Up Our Ways
3. Quote
“People who truly serve God embrace light, they
fall in love with light, and they proclaim light, they fight
with light.”
Sunday Adelaja
Power Truth The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the
Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the
oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the
captives, and release to the prisoners;
Isaiah 61:1 NRSV
Trouble in the Text
Philip, by bringing good news to the Samarians, acted like a
torch for travelers in a night of
darkness. There before, was suffering and pain. When the Holy
Spirit descended upon Samaria,
they believed in Christ. In the Gospel, Christ counseled us to
believe in him and God the Father
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even without seeing. One of his disciples, Thomas,14 could not
believe. Jesus said to him, happy
are those who believe without seeing.15 Christ invited Thomas to
see and placed his fingers into
the holes in his hands. Should we be like Thomas, doubting until
we see?
Trouble in the World
Philip, under the Holy Spirit, went all the way to Samaria to
proclaim Christ Jesus as Lord and
savior. The urgency in Philip saw many healed, baptized, and
became believers. That is the
urgency in which we should treat the good news. In Luke,16
Christ appeared to two men who
were walking to Emmaus. They did not recognize him and talked
all the way. Eventually, Christ
was to stay with them for that night. They did recognize him,
and they could not hold the good
news. That very hour, they left for Jerusalem where the twelve
were.
Grace in the Word
Philip gathered the courage to get to Samaria and preach from
the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
When we are alone, Christian living may be seen as very hard.
But the power of the Holy Spirit
makes things easier for us to attain in our life. Christ said
that many struggles will face us, but
we will be strong.17 Poisoning shall not destroy believers in
Christ. Such will be the strength in
the believers, talking in tongues and driving away demons.
The call to follow Christ starts with one step, softening of the
heart.18 Christ finds a home in a
soft heart and is able to guide us through the joys and sorrows
in life encounters. A hard heart is
resistant to change and strives to remain in sinful states in
life. A soft heart is repentant and
minds God and fellow human beings.
In the Bible, the Pharisees and scribes had hard hearts.19 Jesus
refers to them as blind for
cleaning the outside of a cup only. Likewise, for a Christian,
purity of the heart being the inner
being is critical. A pure heart is the best measure; an outer
body has little or no meaning. So, the
ways of Christ and the Holy Spirit are of the unseen ways of the
hearts of men. It’s hidden from
ordinary eyes; only God can tell the innermost states of a human
heart.
Grace in the World
The evangelical missions of the Apostles in the early church
were not simple. They were met
with the full force of resistant authorities. In the book of
Acts,20 preaching the gospel’s truth
landed Paul and Silas in prison. And God, up above in His own
amazing ways, stood firm with
them at their hours of tribulation. As they were singing praises
to the Lord, He in the form of an
earthquake set them free from the prison cells and the chains
fastened to their hands and legs.
So, Paul and Silas were set free to go proclaim Jesus as the
Lord and Savior in the faces of
peoples of many nations. We too have been set free from the
bondage in our lives.21 Being free
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from the forces of evil requires us to claim that position
faithfully by living true to our calling in
Jesus himself.
According to Jesus,22 there is no greater friendship than one
who lays out their life for us. This is
what Christ did when he completed the journey of salvation. He
suffered, died, and resurrected
against the powers of death as he had promised. In our
proclamations, we can offer Christ the
best gift by loving him unreservedly and by obeying his commands
to love God and fellow
humans as one’s own self. All iniquity is neutralized by
Christ’s love. Through love, the Spirit of
God lives amongst us. Through Love, we fearlessly proclaim Jesus
as our Savior.
What Now
1. Why is Jesus’ disciple Thomas referred to as the “doubting
Thomas”?
2. Did the two who were walking to Emmaus with Jesus spend the
night there?
3. God rescued Paul and Silas from prison. He came in a form
of?
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Sermon 4
Benchmark in Proclaiming the Truth
4. Quote
All the religions of the world, while they may differ in other
respects, unitedly proclaim that
nothing lives in this world but Truth.
Mahatma Gandhi
Power Truth “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God,
believe also in me.
John 14:1 NRSV
Trouble in the Text
Philip defended the truth in Samaria. His act had nothing to
hide other than the goodness of God
that rained Joy to the Samarians. In Corinthians,23 the truth
are not lies and it requires no defense.
Much has happened over the two millenniums that the church has
been alive. And that much is
the truth in Jesus as the last and everlasting covenant. Let our
hearts never grow weary at his
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service, upon whose command the dead come to life and storms
calm down. In other words, the
truth is what sets people free.24
Trouble in the World
The surface of the earth shall tell the truth in the Holy Spirit
forever. The Bible warns us against
a more critical sin, that of Blasphemy. According to Matthew,25
the sin of blasphemy against
Jesus is forgivable, but not against the Holy Spirit. That is
very clearly put. And, as a
confirmation to this, in the Book of Acts,26 Ananias and his
wife Sapphira conspired to lie to the
church, which was a lie to the Holy Spirit. None of them
survived, they died instantly upon
delivering portions of proceeds to the Church. They lied that it
was all the parcel of land had
cost.
Grace in the Word
Our proof of Christianity lies in the proclamations we make of
God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.27
Any proclamation we make of the lord ascribes greatness to God
the highest. In our praises, God
finds a moment to be amongst us as His presence is welcome
amidst our togetherness. In a
unique way, what we can offer God in return is praise, worship,
and adoration. Most especially
when we worship together peacefully and harmoniously as a
church.
The Psalmist28 also makes a proclamation that he will not die
but live. And in his life, he will
proclaim the amazing works of the most high, God. If we emulate
the Psalmist, here and then
Jesus will find a place in our hearts and we will rejoice of his
works and presence amongst us.
The unique presence of God does not appear randomly; it’s
invited by powerful proclamations
like those of Philip for the Samarians. And when the Spirit
comes down upon people, miraculous
happenings take effect, and there’s healing, salvation, and
being born anew.
The Lord has set times for us to proclaim Him.29 If we fail to
praise Him,30 the stones will do on our behalf. We are worth all
our body parts when we praise God. All our praises must be to God
who
is most high. For if we fail, His might has the power to make
rocks cry out to His glory.
Grace in the World
Our calling to serve Christ is a binding relationship to live by
the commands of his words. We
may not be a very perfect thing in it, but it’s our duty to
follow him. His ways are simple, but
hard to unwilling hearts. Christ did many things on earth,
including the miracles that descended
on Samaria. All that has been documented in scripture which is
God’s own breath.31
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The word of God is our compass in earthly life as we endeavor to
make steps towards God’s Kingdom. In Psalms,32 the word of God is a
light that lights our steps on a dark night. We therefore do not
triple or hurt our feet on the rocks planted on our path. Light
takes away darkness and the eyes find delight in following the
lighted up path for safety. The messages in the bible are from
actual witnesses who have gone ahead of us. We have no excuses. We
have Jesus to follow, and the amazing disciples and apostles, too.
And in case of all difficulty, the Holy Presence of Christ in the
Spirit is there for us to follow all along!
Taking good action33 is the foundation of our salvation. It is
upon us to listen well but to act in
every point for the sake of our souls. Listening is great, but
only acting will see us transform. For
the case of Philip in Samaria, it was action and not mere
listening that yielded to that glory
What Now
1. What is blasphemy?
2. Can stones sing for God?
3. Why is blasphemy against Jesus forgivable, but not against
the Holy Spirit?
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Sermon 5
All are Welcome into The Kingdom of God
4. Quote
How indifferent are men to this carpenter or that fisherman, who
has no word to speak of
adventure or of wealth, but has only the word of God to
proclaim, and has no credentials but
that he comes in the name of the Lord.
Edward Everett Hale
Power Truth To the one who conquers I will give a place with me
on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my
Father on his throne.
Revelation 3:21 NRSV
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Trouble in the Text
In the Jewish history, Samaria was a place of outcasts. Philip
had no reservation about that, for he was under the law of Christ
to love all. The mercies of God do not follow Jewish or Samarian
roots. To Christ, we are all human and worthy of his Kingdom.
Psalms34 reminds us that God’s love is priceless, and we all have
an opportunity to seek refuge in it. To God, we are all His sons
and daughters enjoined in the new covenant of love. The new
covenant is bound by the blood from His own begotten son,
Jesus.
Trouble in the World
Following closely in the teachings of Christ is the only sure
way to get the in-depth knowledge to
become a solidly matured Christian. Every Christian should
follow the teachings and instructions
passionately.35 Thriving in the knowledge and perfection of the
leanings will place us in levels of
confidence with the Messiah as we await his second coming.
Whoever follows knowledge gets
wiser and wisdom is more precious than the silver and gold
around. Wisdom helps us discern his
ways and their promises. Wisdom from God marks the growth in
love, faith, and hope.
Grace in the Word
The happenings in Samaria were not new to those in the kingdom
of God. Jesus is always close
and walking alongside us. Sometimes, shouting at Christ to come
to our help doesn’t work. Yet,
what he requires is just a whisper! At one time36 terror gripped
the disciples of Christ when a
storm broke their boat and they almost got swept away. Jesus
woke up from his sleep and
commanded the wind to calm down. That was the Messiah,
instilling confidence and faith in his
disciples and in a special way for us at the current times.
Isaiah37 speaks about a high way of the righteous where the
wicked and foolish cannot step
along. The holiness in the followers of Christ pulls them closer
to him. Even when trials befall
them, he has divine ways to save them from destruction. For the
chosen ones,38 there are no
shortcuts. They have but to follow in that highway of
faithfulness. Christ too never took
shortcuts in our salvation. As a human being, he was born and
brought up amongst ordinary
humans. We, therefore, cannot attribute any special qualities to
him in the journey of salvation.
He felt pain, hunger, got weary, cried and bled just as we do.
Every ordinary virtue that he
accomplished, we too have it in our abilities.39
Grace in the World
If we are abundantly blessed in wisdom and knowledge in Jesus,
it’s our role to share the same.
Philip did not keep mum with the good news. A flame from a
single candle can light up
thousands of candles. This is what Philip did, and in his final
end, fire is fire; no flame is hotter
that the other. Christ makes us sparkle in faith without regard
to our past sinful pasts. In
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Matthew,40 the Kingdom of Christ is like a dot of yeast that
makes changes to a whole measure
of flour. We therefore can’t and should never underestimate the
power of faithful brethren.
Although most of Christ’s followers were after only his good
deeds, he cautions us to follow him
for the true salvation of our souls. Healing impressed the
followers of Philip, but a bigger
question their ultimate salvation. In Luke,41 Jesus cleansed ten
lepers, but of the ten, only one of
them came to say thanks to Christ. This also applies to us. Do
we offer praise and thanks when
greatness happens in our lives?
The writings to the Colossians42 refer to being dead with
Christ. We are not alive to the tasty
lures of the evils on earth. We carry our cross and follow
Christ’s way, sailing through storms
that rock our boat of salvation.
What Now
1. Why were Samarians outcasts?
2. What were the exact words of Jesus when he calmed the
storm?
3. Of the ten lepers cleansed by Jesus, how many came back to
say thanks?
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Sermon 6
The Days of Many False Prophets
6. Quote
As a preacher, my charge is to proclaim the message of the
Scriptures. To help the people in my congregation become a people
of the book. I
love getting to do this.
John Ortberg
Power Truth First of all you must understand this, that in the
last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own
lusts 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever
since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the
beginning of creation!”
2 Peter 3:3-4 NRSV
Trouble in the Text
Philip in Samaria proclaimed the greatness of God, and that is a
testimony to Acts.43 After the
death of Christ, there was silence and fear. The stealing of
Christ’s body from the grave was the
rumor going around. But in our faithful understanding, no one
stole the body of Jesus. After his
resurrection, Christ appeared several times to his disciples. In
one instance, he walked with the
strangers towards Emmaus. Upon discovering who he was, he
disappeared and reappeared as the
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men from Emmaus brought the good news to Jerusalem. Again, here
at Jerusalem, Christ
appeared and asked Thomas to believe, even without seeing.
Trouble in the World
Every work that we perform with our hands should be a dedication
to God.44 If we dedicate all
our works to His presence, all glory shall arise up to Him, who
is the fountain of every life. So,
the teachers and ministers should work hard, not for material
things but for the first command
that is for the glory and honor of God. When honor and praise
rise up to God, blessings, healing,
and cleansing fall back to us on earth.
Grace in the Word
The promises of God are unfailing. We have a duty to invoke them
upon our lives by following
closely through His teachings for us. In Philippians,45 if we
lose all our precious belongings and
keep the command of God and His love, then we have not lost in
any way. For whatever is
commensurate to us is everlasting life with Christ himself.
According to Paul, in his letter to the church in Corinth,46 all
of God’s promises have a yes in
them that is further affirmed by an Amen for that. God is life;
His breath made Adam alive. God
is the truth; He never lies to mankind. In His wisdom, He
creates all seasons for us in life and
also makes us aware that none of those seasons shall never come
to pass. Joy shall reign within
the man that acknowledges God in his heart and in all his ways.
For such a soul has the assurance
of finding favor in the eyes of the most high, God.
Ideally, Philippians47 offers consolation and the power to
rejoice in the peace from God that surpasses all the knowledge of
man. The wisdom of God is beyond that of man, for God sees into the
righteousness and equally the wickedness in our hearts. God sees in
silence and also rewards a steadfast heart.
Grace in the World
The release of healing by Philip in Samaria was a fulfillment of
the command of Christ. Christ
awarded to the disciples the powers to bless and curse. Through
the gift, healing flows forth
while binding happens to the forces of the evil one.
God is love.48 Whoever loves a fellow human definitely loves
God. The love of God for man is beyond explanation. Besides
offering to save man, more precious rewards await us in His
Kingdom. God allowed His one and only Son Jesus to die for the
cause of our salvation. The crisis between Jews and Samaritans was
a long history. Jesus requested a woman from the
Samaritan village to offer him some water to drink.49 But the
Samaritan woman did not
recognize that she was engaging with the son of God.
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The preaching of Christ is all about love.50 That was the
ultimate command that Jesus set out for
us- the love for man and God. It’s not hard for us to know when
we wrong others. It’s not wrong
to request for forgiveness from both man and God. Due to our
weaknesses, we fall into
temptations. In reality, we fall into temptations many times.
For our salvation, we have to stay
clean by looking back at our moments of sin and requesting for
forgiveness always.
What Now
1. How much did Christ command us to love others? 2. Is it
possible to love God and hate man?
3. How is the wisdom of God beyond that of man?
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Sermon 7
The Ways of The World
7. Quote
He who sees the truth, let him proclaim it, without asking who
is for it or who is against it.
Henry George
Power Truth But someone will say, “You have faith and I have
works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works
will show you my faith.
James 2:18 NRSV
Trouble in the Text
The ways of the world do not love the truth; instead, they
glorify the liars, hypocrites, and the
blasphemers. Our way in Christ he guides ways of truth and light
in the paths, not groping about
in darkness, for God is light and not darkness.1 Peter51 says we
must stand firm and be ready to
offer answers on behalf of Christ. In a more precise way, we are
the ambassadors of Christ.52 A
good ambassador is one who is rich in counsel and faithfully
practices his commands. Philip in
the Samaritan emerged as a wonderful representative of Christ
there.
Trouble in the World
Our faith is subjected to our actions when we proclaim Jesus.
What do we say that we do not
do? Are our actions in tandem with Christ’s teachings? Paul53
counsels us to always do our best
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in advocating for what is for Christ amongst us. In each of us,
let’s find the energy54 to doing
what is best of our work for Jesus. In those special ways, our
acts will bear witnesses to who we
are in Christ. So, let our acts speak instead of our words for
the sake of Christ.
Grace in the Word
When we proclaim Christ, it’s not an opportunity to look down
upon others. Let’s look at that as
an opportunity to have them uplifted. What a sinner needs is not
demeaning them, but a rebuke
of the wrong ways they fall into. Humility should surpass all
our ways. In Isaiah,55 God will
bring down the proud and uplift those who observe humility in
their ways. Who does one benefit
from if they take pride in sin?
God hates pride. Instead, one should take that pride and offer
it to the glory of God. Pride makes
a human heart forget that there is God up above in heaven, one
who deserves the pride for all His
marvelous works. James56 still insists that we shun pride and
remain humble. Pride blinds one’s
eyes and they cannot see if they sinned or not. Pride is a
recipe to boasting and self-exaltation.
When we are humble, our minds care for fellow human beings and
God our creator. So, pride
and penance do not boil in the same pot. Penance crops up in
humility, acknowledging that
we’ve honestly done well for God and man.
If a man is proud, do they still need further uplifting from
God? Humility keeps us in our human
plane of weaknesses where God will uplift us as per His will for
us. If we humble ourselves
before God, He will uplift us.57 If we have sinned, let us be
humble for God has spared us death.
Through humility, we discover amazing ways to rise against sins,
addictions, lust, and
fornication. God creates us anew for His kingdom.
Grace in the World
When we take up the role of proclaiming Christ, we are not to
judge others. Judgment belongs to
God alone. Who are we to judge them? Have we become so righteous
to sit in God’s panel and
point fingers at the wrongs of others? What punitive action have
we not fulfilled for the wrongful
acts and thoughts in our hidden minds? Matthew58 clearly tells
us to not judge. For whatever we
condemn others to, we too shall be condemned to the same. In
special ways, Christ requested us
to forgive others before we can think of requesting forgiveness
on our part. We cannot get what
we’ve not planted. If you plant forgiveness, you shall reap
forgiveness. If you sow condemnation
of others, that too will be a portion for you to reap at its own
time.
In a more similar but emphasized way, Luke59 talks of measures
that we offer to others. If you
forgive a small portion, are you worthy of forgiveness to a
larger portion? It all comes down to
humility. Our inner eyes behold the ways of the truth in
Christ’s way when we remain humble.
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Humility too welcomes the Holy Spirit’s presence amongst us.
Luke further points out to inner
personal scrutiny. Let us never claim what we do not
deserve.
What Now
1. How can we be good ambassadors of Christ?
2. If you forgive others all their sins, Christ will do the same
for you. Is that correct?
3. Christ insisted that we should not judge others. Whose role
is it to judge?
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Sermon 8
Hints about The Kingdom of God
8. Quote
The prophets, who were very many, proclaim and declare the one
God; for, being filled with the inspiration of the one God, they
predicted things to come, with agreeing and harmonious
voice.
Lactantius
Power Truth For by grace you have been saved through faith, and
this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result
of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NRSV
Trouble in the Text
When the spirit of God comes, good tidings fall on those whom He
finds. Philips’ presence led to
the exaltation of the Samarian faithful. When Philip receives
the anointing from the Holy Spirit,
he becomes a source of blessings to the Samaritans. God receives
the glory in every miraculous
act in the Samaritan village. God’s spirit strengthens and leads
to multiple graces. During the call
of prophet Ezekiel,60 he too received anointing from the hand of
God. He was transformed from
an ordinary person to a mouthpiece of God’s wishes and commands
over the people.
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Trouble in the World
One of the ultimate promises of Christ is a place in heaven for
each one of us. It’s the ultimate
plan of salvation61 as it was put into the words of prophecies
throughout times. God fulfilled that
with the new covenant. Christ’s blood is the seal of it through
his pain, suffering, death, and
above all, resurrection from the dead. Towards sealing our
expectations of life everlasting,62 he
went to prepare places for us in heaven. That’s from Christ; he
never talked of any other place
other than in Heaven and to the right hand of God the
Father.
Grace in the Word
The way to Christ is not very different from the path the
Messiah traveled along. James63
reminds us to withstand all the trials along that path. At
baptism, we are co-joined as heirs to his
Kingdom in heaven. So what’s the root of the enmity between us?
We are all brothers and
sisters. If anything, we should give up ourselves for the sake
of Christ. In him, with him, and in
the unity of the Holy Spirit we have the reason to live
harmoniously in faith love and hope. But
Paul emphasized more about love64 from which every good gift
finds a root to its nourishment.
Whatever we plan, we shall reap of its fruit. When Cain was
crafting his evil ways, he extended
the same to his brother Abel. He murdered him for a wrong he’d
never committed.65 That is how
evil grows from our hearts, minds, and spirits as individuals.
The pain we reap from evil causes
ripple effects to our relative’s friends and community. Some of
them, even the most undeserving,
feel the pain we planted for ourselves from sin.
Likewise, the gifts showered unto one servant of the highest
overflow in blessing to our lives too.
Philip was a servant who cleansed and showered the Samaritan
village with his righteousness.
Jesus too was a single human, upon whom salvation river flows
from there. We are all welcome
to wash away our sins and follow him back to heaven as righteous
beings.
Grace in the World
All the best things in life flow from God. Just as the river of
life, healing and salvation went
through the Samarian city at the invitation of God’s servant,
Philip. In James,66 every gift that is
perfect comes forth from Him at His throne. God does not sow
imperfections in us. Even at the
churches where we commune with Him, His command is that we use
our best gift for His
worship. That way, we perfect our gifts through honor,
thanksgiving, and worship of the God
whom life comes from.
Matthew67 also re-emphasizes on our reactions to persecutions
and insults laid as traps for us to
fall into. Our encouragement comes from the ways those who’ve
gone ahead of us excelled.
They never bowed down to temptations or weariness of the hands
of evil. Standing firm earns
them the graces to be worth of the Kingdom of God. We cannot say
they were unique; they had
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blood, pain, and feelings like we do. Upon realizing the might
of Jehovah God, the alpha and the
omega, their lives deserve a place with Christ in heaven.
Our God is the source of all abundance.68 When we follow His
commandments, we will reap
from His graces upon us. Following God has no selfishness in it.
We can only thrive within His
overflowing kindness, sharing it out with those who have not
experienced it. And we too have to
spread the same love to others without reservation as to whether
they deserve it or not. For the
question is, are we deserving too?
What Now
1. Why should we withstand trails as Christians?
2. What does alpha and omega mean?
3. How does salvation for many come from one person, Jesus
Christ?
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Sermon 9
Faith In Actions
9. Quote
You get up and you preach a sermon and people walk away thinking
what a great guy – and
that’s a failure as a pastor. Our job is to proclaim Christ.
Joshua Harris
Power Truth There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer
slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you
are one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28 NRSV
Trouble in the Text
The inhabitants of Samaria took action when Philip preached out.
Taking action was not equal to
just listening. The same way a person has faith in God.69 The
faith is that unfailing assurance and
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remaining hopeful; it is finding substance in things never seen
with our naked eyes. James70 calls
us to action, being doers of the word and not just hearers. It’s
deceptive to one’s self to just hear
only. It’s not enough to hear and understand. Taking action from
the knowledge distinguishes
one from laziness and time wasting
Trouble in the World
Now, sin is reproach from God. We are not to watch or remain
silent as others perish in sin. 1
Timothy71 tells us to rebuke a sinner who persists in that
habit. To start, we tell them in solitude
about the sin they’ve committed. However, if they do not accept
to change, then we can get
ahead to rebuke them in front of others.72 Telling the truth
when someone sins against us saves
them. Our silence allows them to suffer the consequences of sin
if they do not confess.
Grace in the Word
Jesus welcomed us all into his Kingdom. He called all, without
regard to whether one is Jew or
Gentile. The acts of the Holy Spirit through Philip are a proof
that Gentiles or not, God is for us
all. To God, we are all equal whether male or female, and His
choice is a being with reproach to
the ways of evil. In Acts,73 salvation to us is from the one and
only Jesus Christ, the son of God.
It was Jesus alone who died and resurrected as an ultimate
example for our way to God through
the power of the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews74 reminds us to remain in brotherly love. Now, brotherly
love is beyond that bond in
friendship. It means we are born of the same father in faith,
God. To Christ, he referred to as his
brothers and sisters. So, to God, we are all His children. And
the best way to live as His children
is to obey His commands and love other as we do for ourselves.
It’s that selflessness that God
found favor for our redemption. If Christ was selfish, we would
not have that chance to be with
him.
As a reaffirmation, to God, it matters not whether one is
Gentile on Jew. God has and will
always be impartial. To Him, only an upright and steadfast heart
matters. If we meet that
benchmark, that’s it, we are in for His promises in life.
Grace in the World
In special ways, Christ caters for a heart that hungers for him.
And that hunger, though
manifested in earthly life, is a hunger and thirst that’s
genuine for a life that is everlasting in
Christ. Salvaging the lost ones was Christ’s mission.75 The
delight of Christ is for us to join him
in heaven as we glorify God the father in a timeless kingdom.
Jesus76 passed before us through
pain and death so that we may not pass through that again. What
a love! The drinking and
quenching of our thirst for life is through his death and
resurrection. That through his lashing, we
may find a way to stay away from sin, joined with him for the
glory of God, our Father up in
heaven.
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When Philip proclaimed the wonders of God over Samaria, there
were shrieks of joy. He
proclaimed healing to the sick, speech for the dumb, and sight
for the blind. That’s the taste of
the Kingdom here on earth. The kingdom of God shall be like so,
free from the pain and
afflictions that scourge our earthly bodies.
An ultimate ransom for our salvation77 lies in Christ’s
suffering, death, and resurrection. And the
occasion took place at God’s appointed time. God sealed the
covenant of salvation to mankind
by offering Himself to us that way.
What Now
1. What did Christ offer for our salvation?
2. When I see a Christian sinning, I should remain silent or
walk away. Which is the best
way to handle it?
3. Who are best placed to inherit the kingdom of God? Are they
the Jews, Samarians, or
Gentiles?
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1 1 Corinthians 6:11
2 Matthew 3:11
3 Matthew 18:18
4 Acts 2
5 Mathew 6: 9-13
6 1 Corinthians 6:10-11
7 Matthew 22:21
8 James 2:17
9 Genesis 1:28
10 Genesis 1:1-2
11 Mark 9:50
12 Mark 10:13-16
13 1 Thessalonians 5:2
14 John 20:27
15 John 20:29
16 Luke 24:33
17 Mark 16:18
18 Hebrews 4:7
19 Matthew 23:26
20 Acts 16:25
21 Titus 2:14
22 John 15:13
23 2 Corinthians 13:8
24 John 8:32
25 Matthew 12:31-32
26 Acts 5:1-11
27 Deuteronomy 32:3
28 Psalm 118:17
29 Leviticus 23:2
30 Luke 19:39-40
31 2 Timothy 3:16-17
32 Psalm 119:105
33 James 1:22
34 Psalm 36:7
35 Proverbs 9:9
36 Mark 4:35-41
37 Isaiah 35:8
38 1 John 2:6
39 2 Timothy 3:10
40 Matthew 13:33
41 Luke 17:11-19
42 Colossians 2:20-22
43 Acts 4:33
44 Colossians 3:33
45 Philippians 3:8
46 2 Corinthians 1:20
47 , Philippians 4:6-7
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48
1 John 4:7-8 49
John 4:9-12 50
John 15:12-13 51
1 Peter 3:15 52
2Corinthians 5:20 53
2 Timothy 2:15 54
2 Timothy 4:5 55
Isaiah 23:9 56
James 4:6 57
James 4:10 58
Mathew 7:1-5 59
Luke 6 : 37-42 60
Ezekiel 1:3 61
Acts 3:18 62
John 14:2 63
James 1:2-4 64
2 Corinthians 13:3 65
1 John 3:12 66
James 1:17 67
Mathew 5 :11-12 68
Corinthians9: 8-9 69
Hebrews 11:1 70
James 1:22 71
1 Timothy 5:20 72
Matthew 18:15 73
Acts 4:12 74
Hebrews 13:1 75
Luke 19:10 76
1 Peter 2:24 77
1 Timothy 2:5-6