Book of Acts - Ch. 8, Vs. 1-34 (03/02/2003)

Park Meadows Church

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We're in Acts the eighth chapter, but first Did God invent evil?

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Now before you answer that I Want to read you

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Incident That I think explains it At a certain college there was a professor

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With a reputation for being tough on Christians At the first class every semester he asked if anyone was a

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Christian and Proceeded to degrade and mock their statement of faith One semester

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He asked the question and a young man raised his hand When asked if anyone was a

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Christian did God make everything young man

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Yes, sir, the young man replied The professor responded if God made everything then

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God made evil And if we can only create from within ourselves in God is evil.

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I Hope you've progressed beyond that point The student didn't have a response and a professor was happy to have once again proved the

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Christianity To be a myth Then another young man raised his hand and asked may

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I ask you something sir Yes, you may respond to professor the young man stood up and said sir

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Is there such a thing as cold? COLD Of course there is what kind of question is that haven't you ever been cold?

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Young man replied actually sir cold does not exist What we consider to be cold is really only the absence of heat

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Absolute zero is when there is absolutely no heat, but cold does not really exist

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We have only created that term to describe how we feel when heat is not there

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Young man continued sir. Is there such a thing as dark? Once again the professor responded of course there is and once again the student replied actually sir darkness does not exist

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Darkness is really only the absence of light Darkness is only a term man developed to describe what happens when there is no light

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Finally the young man asked sir Is there such a thing as evil? The press professor responded of course we have rapes murders

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Violence everywhere in the world these things are evil The student replied actually sir

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Evil does not exist Evil is simply the absence of God Evil is a term man developed to describe the absence of God God did not create evil

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It isn't like truth or love which exists as virtues like heat and light

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Evil is simply the state Where God is not present? like cold without heat darkness without light

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And the professor had nothing to say I Thought that was a pretty good explanation of did

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God invent evil All right, let me start off by making the statement

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There is no such thing as being late being late

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You cannot come to this service with and be late You cannot go anyplace and be late that's a term that man has invented

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But there is no such thing And I challenge you to think of that and all the ramifications of it

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As it exists in our world all right chapter 8 verse 1 and Saul was consenting unto his death talking about Stephen and At that time there was a great persecution against the church

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Which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the

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Apostles Now I want to start off with the word consenting

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Roger what does that mean to you? All right

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Fred what does consenting mean to you? Joy Mrs.

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Fisher Now we come to David Explain consenting.

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All right a new word Well, you pronounce it in the

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Greek and soon you'll doke Oh And it means allow

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Have pleasure in to be pleased to approve together with others To be pleased at the same time with consent

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Agree to to applaud being pleased with his murderous work you see how dangerous a misguided zeal can be

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All was zealous for God. He thought

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You could not convince him. Otherwise That what came from the

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Greek? Well, I don't know if okay is a real word or it's a concoction

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The word in the

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Greek, maybe you misunderstood Soon you doke a oh

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And we have digressed to the low level

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All right, come back to these people in Jerusalem Now there was a great persecution against the church at Jerusalem Why David?

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All right, the

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Jews could not bear the doctrine of Christ's resurrection now

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How do we know That these people didn't flee because of the persecution or did well, if they had scattered because of the persecution

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Then they wouldn't have mentioned that subject wherever they went

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That's rude. A lot of them did So we know it was not because of persecution some of them

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I'm sure did but They scattered in obedient obedience to the

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Lord they The church in general because the

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Apostles stayed there well

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Yes All right, they were driven out.

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But the reason they went Was as the Lord had directed them to scatter now on the surface and the

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Primary reason to them was because of the great persecution that was taking place

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But it really wasn't because of the persecution I was thinking today about death

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I Don't know how this pops in my mind But it makes

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God no difference whether you're alive or dead. You're still is That true

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So then to die is nothing all right

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Those Of different countries that had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost Returned home and proclaimed this wonderful News to their countrymen.

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They took it Broadcast it verse 2 and devout men

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Carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him

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What do we learn from this verse joy, all right, the

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Jews would not bury Someone that was condemned in their burying place

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We get a clue from the word carry Now when we carry something means that we have it in our hand and we go

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To them the word carry Included not only transporting but gathering up Stephen was beaten perhaps to pieces

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So he was not considered guilty by his followers

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They had a separate special place for those who were stoned

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For those who were buried according to their law these The stone wherewith they were stoned was buried with them the post on which he was hanged was

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Buried with him the sword that cut off his head was buried with him

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And if you were strangled The strangling instrument was buried with you as These persons died under the curse of the law the instruments by which they were executed was considered to be unclean

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Therefore they must be buried with the victims Now great lamentation was made for him

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This was never done Over any condemned man by the Sanhedrin This is proof that Stephen was not convicted by the court

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He probably fell a sacrifice to the fury of the bigoted incensors or to the mob

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The Sanhedrin did not interfere to prevent the illegal Execution that must have been something

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They just they didn't like what he was saying and somebody picked up a stone three as for Saul He made havoc of the church entering into every house and hailing them men and women

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Committed them to prison now You're a Christian in Damascus First let's go with the word havoc.

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What's that mean David? All right

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Havoc to fix The stigma to dishonor defile to treat shamefully or with injury to ravish

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To devastate ruin Hailing To draw or to drag before the judge to prison or to punishment

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Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word

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This was the ultimate outcome Stephen was simply a spark this

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Very That's the very means devised by Satan to destroy the church became the very instrument of his diffusion and Establishment, that's what we are to do

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When the Satan puts up a roadblock, let's use it Always let's use it to further

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Christ's Message Well water counsel or might or cunning or rage or malice against the

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Lord? Whether they are excited by men or devils

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Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them

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Samaritans formed a bridge between the Jew and the Gentile These were a mongrel people

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Made up of both sorts they held both Jewish and pagan rights and The people with one accord gave heed unto those things which

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Philip spake Bearing and seeing the miracles which he did

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For unclean spirits crying with loud voices came out of many that were possessed with them and many taking with taking with palsy and That were lame and healed were healed now

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The Lord is working in a mighty way Joy, why doesn't he do that today?

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All right Know this all healing is of God.

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He has developed a medical field today We have good doctors good hospitals

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Some not so good Well, there was great joy in that city and we can understand why but there was a certain man called

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Simon Which before time in the same city used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria giving out that himself

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Was some great one Now, where did he get that idea

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David? Yes It's really a simeon

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All right The devil will always have somebody available an ancient reign of Tiberius in the person of the

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Soma that he descended on the Apostles on the day of Pentecost in flames of fire

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In quality of the Holy Spirit that the women whom accompanied him called

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Hellas Was Minerva Or that first intelligence

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Well, you don't need to our word sorcerer comes from the same root word

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And I don't want that all in your computer 10 to whom they all gave heed this simeon from the least to the greatest saying this man is the great power

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We have come into Samaria a new city A new country new people and we find that there was somebody there

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Claiming to be of God Only he wasn't how were the people

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Before The Apostles came how were the people?

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How did they succumb to such a teaching? All right, what does that teach us about people

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David and they're always looking even the most ignorant the most uneducated are looking for something higher than themselves 11 and to him

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They had regard because that of the long time he had bewitched them with sorceries

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He'd been added a long time But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ That they were baptized both men and women so it's evident that Philip's word came with greater power than out that of simeon and That his miracles stood the test in such a way as the feats of simeon could not 13 then simeon himself believed also

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And when he was baptized he continued with Philip and wondering Beholding the miracles and signs which were done

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When he was baptized Phil this sorcerer believed and Was baptized it would seem that this man was saved

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Like so many today his motive was wrong David can we see the motives of people?

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Do we know we cannot

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And I force myself every day to know that It says that simeon believed and was baptized

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But we find out something different a little bit later now when the Apostles which were at Jerusalem Heard that Samaria had received the

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Word of God. They sent unto them Peter and John Who when they were come down?

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Prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost When they were come down They always spoke of going up to Jerusalem and going down when they leave

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Far as yet. He was fallen upon None of them only they were baptized in the name of the

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Lord Jesus Then lay they their hands on them and they received the

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Holy Ghost And they received the

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Holy Ghost How can you explain all right?

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Let's see if we can find a dividing place As long as the

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Apostles lived and practiced David could they convey the

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Holy Spirit all right?

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now after They died which They did eventually

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Then what happens to the Holy Spirit all right?

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Why was the difference all right?

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Transitional period it seems from this verse 17 that even the most holy deacons

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Though full of the Holy Ghost themselves could not confer this heavenly gift on others

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It had to be one of the Apostles This was a prerogative of the

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Apostles and it died when they died and they were the instrument

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But they were the only ones by which the Lord chose to work The blessing came from God to the people by way of the

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Apostles This came for the reason of the requirements of the early church and the special work which they must do

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And it ceased with them So many people mix that age in with this age you cannot do that And when

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Simeon saw that through laying on of hands the

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Apostles Laying on of hands the Apostles Holy Ghost was given

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He offered them money so Roger was he a saved man

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All right We've got him off of absolutely to may be confused now

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Saying give me also this power That on whomsoever I lay hands

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He may receive the Holy Ghost Yes, we have

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Simeon judged the Apostles to be mercenary men What's mercenary mean money a mercenary soldier is one who fights for pay

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And he decided the Apostles were doing the same thing But Peter said unto him

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Thy money perish with thee because thou has thought that the gift of God may be perished with money

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Now I ask you to hold your ears but hear what I say Peter told

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Simeon Very bluntly take your money and go to hell he actually

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Use stronger language than that Now has neither part nor lot in this matter

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David. What's the difference in part and lot? That's good joy

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That's right Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray

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God if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity

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Well Simeon overvalued the wealth of the world And undervalued the wealth of the

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Holy Spirit He understood nothing Then answered the

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Simeon and said pray ye to the Lord for me That none of these things which you have spoken of come upon me

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What's wrong with that statement David? He couldn't well

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There's a rather interesting history of this man Simeon He's supposed to have died in Rome after making his boast to the

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Emperor that he could fly But he could hear you're lumping them both together

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They say that He they they think that we say all you have to do is just nod your head

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Yeah 25 and they when they had testified and preached the word of the

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Lord returned to Jerusalem and Preached the gospel in many villages of the

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Samaritans and the angel of the Lord spake unto

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Philip saying arise And go toward the south

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Unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert now

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Philip can't miss the way. There's only one way There's only one road south

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That goes to Gaza or Gaza or Giza But he is not told why is going or what is to do when he gets there

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Now that'd be rather frustrating. We received word from the

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Lord this morning You have to go To Dallas. I know people that have followed that And it has worked out

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Remember one incident that Barney told me he didn't know why he was going

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We won't go into that but in Phillips not told and He arose and went and behold a man of Ethiopia a eunuch

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Let's go back to this David is it still? Is that the way

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God works today in some cases? He tells you to go a certain place and you do or you don't all right, but you didn't answer my question

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Does he move you audibly or through your heart or thinking of it

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To go someplace and doesn't tell you why I Think he still works that way

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All right 27 and he arose and went and behold a man of Ethiopia a eunuch of great authority under Candace Queen of the

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Ethiopians who had the Charge of all of her treasures and had come to Jerusalem for to worship

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Was returning and sitting in his chariot I'll read

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Isaiah the prophet Then the Spirit said unto Philip go near and join thyself to this chariot

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It's good to note that Even while traveling this man is improving his knowledge the

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Ethiopian God has him at the right place at the right time and sends

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Philip to instruct him in the truth You see how thorough

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God is and Philip ran thither to him and heard him read the prophet

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Isaiah and said understandest thou What thou readest? And he said how can

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I except some man Should guide me and he desired

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Philip that he would come up and said with him. Well it did It seems as though the eunuch was reading aloud from the

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Greek version the Septuagint The place of scripture which he read was this he was led as a sheep to the slaughter

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And as a lamb dumb before his shears so opened he not his mouth

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And his humiliation he judged His judgment was taken away and who shall declare his generation for his life is taken from the earth and The eunuch answered

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Philip and said I pray thee of whom speakest the prophet this of himself or some other man

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We need to stop right there We'll find out next week if he's talking of himself or someone else