4. Acts 6
Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders
and miraculous signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however,
from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—
Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and
Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand
up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.
11
Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard
Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.”
12
So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the
law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They
produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops
speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard
him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the
customs Moses handed down to us.”
15
All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and
they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
6. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
– Stephen
– Diaspora (Acts 8:1-3) “On that day a great
persecution broke out against the church at
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 men and women and
put them in prison.”
7. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
– Stephen
– Diaspora
– Intentional evangelism (Acts 8:4) “Those who had
been scattered preached the word wherever they
went.”
9. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
– They preached the Word
οἱ μὲ ν οὖ ν διασπαρέ ντες διῆ λθον
εὐ αγγελιζό μενοι τὸ ν λό γον
10. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
– They preached the Word
– Variety … ‘ο λό γος
11. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
– They preached the Word
– Variety
– Appropriateness to context
12. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
– They preached the Word
– Variety
– Appropriateness to context
• Appropriate to the preacher
• Appropriate to the hearer
• Appropriate to the message itself
13. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
14. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
– A city in Samaria … & Simon the pagan
15. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
– A city in Samaria … & Simon the pagan
• The message is Jesus, v. 5
16. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
– A city in Samaria … & Simon the pagan
• The message is Jesus, v. 5
• The message creates its own interest, v. 6
17. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
– A city in Samaria … & Simon the pagan
• The message is Jesus, v. 5
• The message creates its own interest, v. 6
• The effect of Him is COSMIC, v. 7
18. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
– A city in Samaria … & Simon the pagan
• The message is Jesus, v. 5
• The message creates its own interest, v. 6
• The effect of Him is COSMIC, v. 7
• The outcome is joyful, v. 8
19. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
– A city in Samaria … & Simon the pagan
• The message is Jesus, v. 5
• The message creates its own interest, v. 6
• The effect of Him is COSMIC, v. 7
• The outcome is joyful, v. 8
• The results are always mixed, v. 9 ff.
20. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
– A city in Samaria
– A desert road in Southern Judea … a God fearing
Ethiopian
22. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
– A city in Samaria
– A desert road in Southern Judea … a God fearing
Ethiopian
• Dependence on the direction of God, v. 26-29
23. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
– A city in Samaria
– A desert road in Southern Judea … a God fearing
Ethiopian
• Dependence on the direction of God, v. 26-29
• Asking open questions, v. 30
24. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
– A city in Samaria
– A desert road in Southern Judea … a God fearing
Ethiopian
• Dependence on the direction of God, v. 26-29
• Asking open questions, v. 30
• Answering questions on the Bible, v. 34 ff.
25. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
– A city in Samaria
– A desert road in Southern Judea … a God fearing
Ethiopian
• Dependence on the direction of God, v. 26-29
• Asking open questions, v. 30
• Answering questions on the Bible, v. 34 ff.
• Calling directly for conversion
26. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
– A city in Samaria
– A desert road in Southern Judea
– And onwards … Azotus to Caesarea
27.
28. Acts 8:4
• Introduction
• The situation
• The message
• Two worked examples with Phillip
• Conclusion