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03 Acts 08 09-25 THE CONVERSION OF SIMON THE MAGICIAN 38 Acts 08 25 Discipling nations
📖 Acts 08:09-25
38 – 02Feb2024 – *Discipling nations* - _Acts 08:09-25_ - THE DELIVERANCE OF SIMON THE MAGICIAN – _Matthew 28:18-20_
_Acts 8:25 So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans._
The deliverance of Simon the magician had been completed. Peter and John had come to encourage Philip and bless the ministry as the Gospel had reached Samaria. They now went about in other parts of Samaria and preached the Gospel.
They were in alignment with the word of the Lord. _Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."_ We can imagine the joy and exuberance that the apostles would have experienced as they saw the fulfilment of God’s word.
As we remain true to His word, the Lord gives us the privilege to witness the fulfilment of His word in our lifetime.
The Gospel must be preached as a witness. A reminder once again that the word ‘witness’ in Greek is martoos from which we receive the word martyr. Therefore, as we witness Christ, we are backing the Gospel message with our lives. Our lives cannot be separated from the Gospel.
Peter, John, and Philip preached the Gospel as witnesses. They testified to the Gospel.
As the church in India, considering the general elections this year, there is a gloom in connection with the probable outcome. Allow me to make a statement. *Whatever the outcome of the elections, as believers in India, DO NOT leave India but choose to remain. Secondly, we will witness the Gospel with our lives.*
_Acts 20:21 testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, *repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ*._ This was the message that they preached as witnesses. This meant that they shared how they had repented of their sin and how they were now walking in faith in Jesus.
This has to be the message that each of us must share with people.
The message of the Gospel is not only about repentance and walking by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the message of the Gospel is the message of His kingdom. This is what our Lord taught us. _Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come._
We will witness repentance and walk by faith in Jesus. We will also witness that this repentance and faith in Jesus leads to life in the kingdom of God. We will demonstrate to people how, in Christ, we are now people of His kingdom.
This will be our witness to nations where we are sent to make disciples. _Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) *Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations*, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen._
*Discipling nations into His kingdom is the task of the church.* Often, we have limited our message as the church to sharing the Gospel of repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the core Gospel message but we must widen the message to fulfil the Great Commission of our Lord, which is discipling nations into His kingdom. *If we fail to disciple nations into His kingdom, we have failed the Great Commission.*
This is what we see Paul doing at the end of his life. _Acts 28:23 So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom *he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening*._
This is the conclusion of the book of the Acts of the Apostles. _Acts 28:30-31 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, (31) *preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence*, no one forbidding him._
Peter and John testified and preached to the Gospel in many villages in Samaria and they then returned to Jerusalem. One more important piece had fallen in place in the grand narrative of God that Samaria had received the Gospel.
Samaria, which was a challenge to the Jews was now part of the Gospel of the kingdom of God. The middle wall between Jews and Samaritans was being broken down by the Gospel of Jesus. They were now being made one. _Colossians 3:10-11 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, (11) where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all._
Two nations were being discipled and brought together by the Gospel of the kingdom of Jesus.
Is this not the great task of the church? ```As we faithfully fulfil the Great Commission of our Lord, we will see the Lord bringing about results that are for His glory. Nations will be discipled```
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