May 10, 2026

Acts 8:1-25

The Mission of the Spirit

Sunday Sermons

Before Jesus ascended, he promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would empower them to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. In Acts 8:1-25, we arrive at a turning point in that mission. After the martyrdom of Stephen, fierce persecution in Jerusalem scatters the church, and what should have ended the mission instead ignites it. The gospel breaks into Samaria, a region long held in spiritual darkness and separated from the rest of Israel by nearly a thousand years of ethnic and religious bigotry from both Jews and Samaritans. There Philip preaches Christ, demons flee, the broken are healed, and the city is filled with joy.

Join Pastor Tommy as we walk through this turn in the story by considering four figures: Saul the persecutor, Philip the refugee evangelist, the Samaritans longing for hope, and Simon Magus, the magician who craved power. In each of them we see something of the Spirit’s mission to point people to Jesus, to convict of sin, to comfort the weary, and to renew the most unlikely heart.

Speaker

Tommy Bailey

Series

Acts of the Apostles

Go to Series

Scripture

Acts 8:1-25

Topics
Growth & Discipleship Worldview & Culture

Sermon Notes

Acts 8:1-25

The Mission of the Spirit

Pastor Tommy Bailey

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8

“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.”
Acts 1:1-2

“So, why church? The short answer is because the Holy Spirit formed it to be a colony of heaven in the country of death…Church is the core element in the strategy of the Holy Spirit for providing human witness and physical presence to the Jesus-inaugurated kingdom of God in this world.”
Eugene Peterson, Practice Resurrection

  1. Saul (vv. 1-3)
    • The Movement of the Holy Spirit

“For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.”
1 Corinthians 15:9-10

“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior…”
Titus 3:4-7

God is constantly calling men, tugging, drawing, challenging, chivvying them by the Spirit-winged thrusts of His Word on their consciences, to search themselves in His Presence. It is going on now.
William Still, Work of the Pastor

  1. Saul (vv. 1-3)
    • The Movement of the Holy Spirit
  2. Philip (vv. 4-13)
    • The Mission of the Holy Spirit

“Only half of the pastor’s work is to gather the people together for worship. The other half is to send them back to their daily tasks equipped to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. If we forget this second part, the other can be positively dangerous.”
Lesslie Newbigin

  1. Saul (vv. 1-3)
    • The Movement of the Holy Spirit
  2. Philip (vv. 4-13)
    • The Mission of the Holy Spirit
  3. Samaritans (vv. 4-25)
    • The Joy of the Holy Spirit
  4. Simon (vv. 9-24)
    • The Power of the Holy Spirit

“When the Word of God, faithfully taught by the people of God and empowered by the Spirit of God, falls down, people become different. Lusting people become pure, fearful people become courageous, thieves become givers, demanding people become servants, angry people become peacemakers, complainers become thankful, and idolaters come to joyfully worship the one true God. The ultimate purpose of the Word of God is not theological information but heart and life transformation.”
Paul Tripp, Dangerous Calling 

Discussion Questions

  • As we watch the early church continue to grow, we see a group of committed believers who were not perfect, but were vital, growing, and full of joy. Can this be said of us today, as Jesus continues to build and grow His church?
  • What do we pay attention to? What does this say about the inclination of our hearts? Why does what we choose to give our attention to have such an enormous impact on us? Are we committed as a church to choosing to pay attention together to the timeless truths of the Gospel?
  • As the wildfire-like spread of the Gospel continued, we see that it was largely propelled not by credentialed scholars, but by ordinary, faithful followers of Jesus. Do we think of ourselves as being actively on mission, fully equipped to engage, exhort, and encourage those around us? How can we cultivate this kind of missional mindset? What might this look like in the context of our daily lives?

Songs, Readings & Prayer

Songs:

“And Can It Be“ by Charles Wesley
“Anchor Of Hope“ by Brown Bannister and Ellie Holcomb
“Holy Spirit, Living Breath of God“ by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend
“My Worth Is Not In What I Own“ by Graham Kendrick, Keith Getty, and Kristyn Getty
“Doxology” by Thomas Ken and Louis Bourgeois
All songs are used with permission. CCLI License no. 2003690

Looking for our Hymns of the Week or resources to worship anytime? We’ve curated a playlist of hymns TVC Worship has led on our YouTube Channel!

Call To Worship: Great is Your Faithfulness

Leader: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
People: Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds.

Leader: The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
People: The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Leader: The Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.
All: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; Great is your faithfulness.

Classic Prayer: Zacharias Ursinus

Almighty God, heavenly Father, we ask You to work in us by Your Holy Spirit, so that we may rightly know You, and sanctify, glorify, and praise You in all Your works, in which shine forth Your omnipotence, wisdom, goodness, righteousness, mercy, and truth. Grant us also that we may so direct our whole life-thoughts, words, and deeds that Your name is not blasphemed because of us, but honored and praised.

Confession of Faith:

New City Catechism
Part 1, God, Creation & Fall, Law Q 8

Leader: What is the law of God stated in the Ten Commandments?
People: You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or earth beneath or in the waters below– you shall not bow down to them or worship them. You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God. Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Honor your father and your mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not give false testimony. You shall not covet.

TVC Prayer Ministry

TVC Ministry: Serve the City
Vocation: Small Business Owners & Independent Contractors
TVC Mission Highlight: Daystar Counseling Ministries
Praying for the Persecuted Church: Philippines

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