Begin with 2 minutes of stillness and silence before God.

So, we ended yesterday with Saul not only serving as the coat check attendant but we learned he was also in “hearty agreement with putting him [Stephen] to death”. That day marked “open season” on Christians. It was not just a political dislike but an all-out attack on believers, literally dragging them from their homes with Saul leading the charge.

Verse 8 says, “Those who had been scattered went about preaching the Word”. A couple of things here. First of all, these were not preachers or apostles, they were ordinary house church people going about everyday life preaching the Word. I remember a word from Byron Malone when he spoke on the Great Commission, “Therefore go and make disciples…”. We frequently think of this as being sent out to foreign lands. But the word “go” here really translates to “as you are going”. That means as you and I are “going” about our everyday routine, we should be teaching and making disciples. The second thing here is the Word scattered. I always envisioned men and women fleeing and scurrying for safety. It was probably some of this, but the Word scattered here in Greek (so I am told as I can assure you, I did not take Greek at Kosciusko High School in the 1970’s) is the word for “scattering seed”. Not fleeing but planting. Looking for new soil to sow. Seeds that produce. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

I thank God every day that I get the freedom to go to House Church, not out of fear of worshipping in public, but just to enjoy the company of believers and sow some seeds outside the church walls.

Now Phillip went to Samaria proclaiming Christ. We all know that Samaria was not a place any preacher would be caught dead in. They were the dregs of society considered unworthy and not to be included in anything remotely associated with God. But here is Phillip - healing, casting out demons, and baptizing. He was creating a serious buzz in the city. Such that a man named Simon, who made his living as a magician (con artist) saw what was happening. Initially, he looked very sincere. He believed, was amazed, followed Philip, and got baptized. That wasn’t enough though. He wanted the full meal deal. He wanted to be able to lay hands on others like he saw Peter and John (reinforcements sent to Samaria) doing. As a businessman, he just thought: I can buy that. Verse 18-19 states, “He offered them money saying, ‘Give this authority to me as well’”. Really. Are you really going to say that to Peter? I can see Peter now: "Where’s my sword? I only got the last guy’s ear." Peter refrained from violence and told him that his heart's intention was wicked and that unless he repented, he would die with his money. And the real Simon shows up. Instead of humbling himself and repenting, he holds on to his pride, and asks Peter to “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves”. The story does not give us the ending but sounds like he went to his grave with a bag of useless silver.

Do you know there is a word coined for his action? Simony. It basically means to buy a religious position. What a tragedy. To live your whole life and 2000 years later your name represents an unacceptable behavior. Not the legacy I am looking for. What legacy do you want to leave behind?

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Reflection:

• What can you do today “as you go” to sow some seeds?
  
• Is there a new garden God is nudging you to till and scatter seeds of faith in?

Reclaimed:

Have you experienced the life-changing grace and mercy of the Cross in your life? Do you have questions about following Jesus? If you or someone you know has questions about salvation or baptism, Venture’s Salvation & Baptism Booklet is a written guide to walk you through an understanding of who God is and what He did for us. To learn more or contact someone from our staff about baptism, go to www.venturechurch.org/baptism.