Nobleton Community Church
29084 Sentinel Street PO Box 224
Nobleton, Florida 34661
Rev. Paul V. Lehmann, Pastor
813-389-8683
Nobletoncommunitychurch.org
info@nobletoncommunitychurch.org
OUR VISION IS:
To experience SPIRIT-FILLED WORSHIP AND PRAYER
To be involved in EVANGELISM, DISCIPLINING AND TRAINING PEOPLE
To use our SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To SERVE AND REACH PEOPLE FOR CHRIST, BOTH
“ACROSS THE STREET AND ACROSS THE WORLD”
Nobleton Community Church
Date September 1, 2024
Text: Acts 8:4-8; 26-39
Pastor Paul Lehmann
The title of my message this morning is The Power Of One. In sports, one player is often times dominant. It was true in the days of Michel Jordon when he played basketball for the Chicago Bulls in the NBA. Sometimes one person isn’t enough. Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points himself in a game, but he never won the NBA championship. In order for one superstar player to lead a championship team, the one player must make all the others better. This is what is happening in the WNBA league, where Katelyn Clark is breaking all kinds of records as a rookie player, and with her overall play and assists everyone on the Indiana Fever team has now reached 16 w and 16 losses. They are now 6th in the league, and will probably make the playoffs. It is the first time since 2013 that their record has been 500. They were the last-place team last year. She has demonstrated:
HOW THE POWER OF ONE CAN AFFECT OTHERS
What is it that has to happen for one person who is strong or skilled to be successful? Well, the answer is, usually there has to be co-operation from others. I
IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM,
WE MUST COOPERATE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
The early church in Jerusalem suffered great persecution, after the first martyr, Stephen was stoned. The people scattered everywhere preaching the gospel. These were ordinary people like you and me, doing the ministry that they were taught to do by the apostles, who stayed in Jerusalem, at least for a while.
Then we see today in our scripture reading that Phillip had a tremendous healing and deliverance ministry in Samaria, where multitudes were coming to Christ. So let’s look at: Three significant events in our text.
FIRST, THE JERUSALEM CONGREGATION WAS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT JUDEA AND SAMARIA (verse 1)
Sometimes God has to use force to get us to do what is in His perfect plan Oh, I don’t mean he will force you to do something you don’t want to do, but He uses other people and circumstances to threaten our position like sending persecution.
When the church is persecuted, the church always becomes stronger.
God wants us to go out where the people are. Where the unbelievers are. We must get out of our Jerusalem, out of the four walls of our church. Out of our comfort zone, and out of the status quo. When we go, Jesus said, (or as you are going, is the more accurate rendering of the Greek in Matthew 28:18,19), we are told to make disciples.
This presupposes that there is witnessing, now that we have the Holy Spirit to give us that power. (Acts 1-8 says; “after the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power, to be my witnesses.” In Jerusalem in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
Verse 4 says; “…those who were scattered abroad, preached the word wherever they went.” Now do you think all of those were the equivalent of Bible School or Seminary trained witnesses? Of course not. They simply “preached” what they had heard and what they had experienced.
THE SECOND THING IN OUR TEXT THAT IS SIGNIFICANT IS THAT:
SOME ARE CALL TO SAMARIA.
Our Samaria will always be a “stretch” for us, just like it was for the early church who as Jews —wouldn’t have anything to do with the Samaritans. But they went wherever God told them to go. Verse 5 tells us that Phillip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed Christ there.
First, it was only Phillip—ONE PERSON—who started the revival.
Many of you are aware of the fact that Samaria is that area a little north of Jerusalem The quickest way to go from Jerusalem to Galilee would be to walk straight north, but the Jews would go another way. They would avoid going through Samaria, cross the river Jordan, and go up the east side of the river through Perea into Decapolis, so as to avoid Samaria completely. It would take them twice as long, but such was their extreme prejudice against the Samaritans. It was because the Jews felt they had lost their racial purity when centuries before the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom and Samaria were carried away to Media. They never came back and were assimilated into the country into which they were taken. Those who remained in the country inter-married with the incoming strangers and lost their right to be called Jews at all. When Nehemiah came to Jerusalem to build the wall that was destroyed, the Samaritans came and offered their help in this sacred task. They were contemptuously told that their help was not wanted. Because of this, they turned bitterly against the Jews of Jerusalem. It was about 450 BC when that quarrel took place, and it was as bitter as ever in the days of Jesus. So this was still the situation at the time of this persecution. So going to Samaria was really a cross-cultural effort. They were certainly different, even though they spoke the same language. Have we reacted contemptuously against those of another religion or ethnic group? Thinking they have rejected Christ—they aren’t interested we think. Who are your Samaritans today?
Our Samaritan ministry may be just someone we are not normally drawn to. Or it may be someone that the majority of other people despise. It may be someone that is a different nationality or race, but it may be a category like the homeless or someone who speaks a different language than you do. Or you don’t know anything about their religion, or they are part of a sect that is intimidating.
What were the things they SAW in Samaria? With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. Wow! This would freak us out or actually cause us to shout and praise the Lord. What was the result of these miracles? There was great joy in that city!
We would like to see revival but on our terms. We don’t want to be uncomfortable or see anything weird.
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria (of all places) had accepted the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. They preached the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
THE THIRD SIGNIFICANT EVENT WAS THAT :
Phillip is called by an angel to leave a successful ministry and go to the desert.
God south take the desert road to Gaza. This is where we see the importance of THE POWER OF ONE. Person. Don’t think in terms of a mass crusade, but rather think about what God is asking you to do, as one person. You can make a difference. The key is obeying the Lord when He shows you what He wants you to do
What is the first thing that Phillip did?
- He obeyed. He started out when the Spirit told him to go to that chariot and stay near it.
- When he saw he had a DIVINE APPOINTMENT, with the Ethiopian who was reading the Word but not understanding, he explained the Word to him
- The result was he accepted the Messiah and wanted to be baptized Sometimes he wants us to just go to one person, whom he has prepared.
In the book Power Evangelism, by John Wimber, you may remember when I told you about Kerry Jennings who when driving on the freeway home, praying, the Lord told him to get off at a certain Exit, where there was a restaurant he was familiar with, He was used to this kind of leading so he OBEYED. God had told him to look for a certain waitress and tell her that God had something for her. God said that what he had for the waitress would be revealed when he talked to her. Here was a divine appointment, arranged by God, and he received a word of knowledge for the appointed time. These encounters are God’s things and are meetings that are ordained to demonstrate His power in developing His Kingdom. (Eph. 2:10_
After being seated in the waitress’ section, he began to ponder all the reasons for not delivering the message. While caught up in anxious thoughts, she approached. Before he could say anything, she cheerfully said, “You have something for me, don’t you? In response (his resistance now gone) he told her that God had sent him specifically with something and then two insights regarding her job and a relationship both areas of trouble for her were supernaturally revealed to him. Asking God for courage he told her. She was stunned. She knew that she was encountering god because the only way this man could know the things he told her was through supernatural means. That scripture calls: a Word of Knowledge I Cor. 12: 8.
At the end of the conversation they prayed. She cried. Later Kerry learned that she was the daughter of a pastor now deceased and that she had turned away from God. Soon after the divine appointment, she gave her heart to the Lord.
Divine appointments are an integral part of ‘Power Evangelism” (especially one person). People who would otherwise resist hearing the gospel are instantly opened to God’s Word. Sometimes even the most hostile individuals turn to God when a significant need is met.
We must obey the Lord who says to go to all ethnic groups (that’s the great commission) and make disciples. Sometimes he forces us (by persecution) or other circumstances. When He says go, we should go, not rationalize, or analyze the situation.
Miracles follow those who believe and then people accept Christ. He demands, faithful witnessing and preaching. Sometimes he wants us just to go to one person whom he has prepared. Just like Phillip did—he went to the chariot and stayed near it. Or maybe, go to a certain restaurant, for instance.
THERE IS POWER IN ONE PERSON WHEN THEY OBEY AND GO AND USE THEIR SPIRITUAL GIFT TO MINISTER TO SOMEONE WHO NEEDS JESUS.
Yes, you can make a difference. If each of us just leads one person to Christ, and they do the same and so on, just like Pastor Wayne says in his book: “Learn from the Master. “The problem is; that we don’t witness to that one person, to begin the spiritual chain of reproduction.
D.L Moody said, “We have yet to see what God can do through one person who is totally submitted to Him.”