Sunday Service (1st March,2020)

TOPIC:   MARCH ON TO GREATER GLORY

TEXT:     ACTS 8: 4-17

Acts 8:4-17 (NIV)
⁴ Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
⁵ Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.
⁶ When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.
⁷ With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed.
⁸ So there was great joy in that city.
⁹ Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,
¹⁰ and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power."
¹¹ They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.
¹² But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
¹³ Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
¹⁴ When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
¹⁵ When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
¹⁶ because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
¹⁷ Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
INTRODUCTION
Today, we are Possessing the gates of the Month of March 2020. There is something really positive about this month for the name connotes advancement; not even anyhow type, but an organized, orderly type of advancement. We shall march forward this month in Jesus name. We, the Church as a body, you and your family shall advance greatly this month in Jesus name........

Today’s passage begins on a ‘scattering’, note, the ‘scattering was subsequent on a great persecution that resulted from the stoning of Stephen. Yes, it was a shaking, but a shaking that led to the fulfilment of purpose in the life of Phillip.

Prior to this time, we remember that Phillip had been ordained a Deacon. One of the seven chosen to ‘serve tables’ in Acts 6 because they were found to be “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6: 3). Something makes me feel that Phillip being a man of God would have kept diligently to doing just that but for the persecution that led to the scattering.  I PRAY, THE LORD WILL DO ALL NEEDED TO LUNCH YOU INTO YOUR PURPOSE THIS MONTH IN JESUS NAME.

(BUT.... there is something baffling about Phillip’s response here. He went to Samaria. Philip was a Jew, it is therefore a wonder that he would go to Samaria. LESSON – Let God lead you....Wherever He leads, lean to follow....for Philip became much more relevant in Samaria than he would ever had been in Jerusalem.)

LESSON
1.     A CHAPTER CLOSED ANOTHER OPENED (Vs. 4-5) The persecution that broke out in Jerusalem made Phillip flee to Samaria.....
2.     WHAT IS INSIDE, WHAT WAS NEEDED (Vs. 5-8) The Jesus he carried cannot be hidden, it made a way for him
3.     DETHRONEMENT FOR ENTHRONEMENT (Vs. 9-13) Simon, the divine power...the great power.... met the Ultimate Power and bowed.... he and his power got dethroned for the glory of God to reign....
4.     WHAT YOU LACK, HELP COMES FROM ABOVE. (Vs. 14- 17) The grace of God in Phillip was good enough to bring about salvation of souls, for miraculous signs, for great deliverances and for healings and even bring great joy to the city but not the baptism of the Holy Spirit... so God sent help from Jerusalem.... the Apostles came to fill up the gap.
CONCLUSION
As we stand at the gate of the month of March 2020, we shall possess the gates as we pray to the Lord today.
PRAYER POINTS
1.     GIVE GLORY TO GOD FOR ANOTHER GRACE TO SEE THIS MONTH
2.     LORD LET EVERYTHING WORK FOR MY GOOD THIS MONTH
3.     PRAY THAT EVERY CHAPTER THAT NEED TO CLOSE FOR GOD’S WILL TO HAPPEN....BE CLOSSED
4.     LORD LET ALL DOORS THAT MUST OPEN TO THE FULFILMENT OF YOUR PURPOSE BE OPENED FOR ME THIS MONTH
5.     LORD DIVINELY LOCATE ME THIS NEW MONTH
NOTE. WHAT GOD USED TO LIFT PHILIP UP WAS ALREADY IN HIM.....
6.     LORD, SEARCH MY HEART AND REMOVE ANYTHING IN ME THAT CAN WORK AGAINST MY LIFE TOMORROW
7.     ...FILL ME WITH WHAT IS NEEDED TO FULFIL YOUR PURPOSE THIS MONTH
8.     PRAY THAT WHEREVER GOD LEADS YOU THIS MONTH, YOU WILL DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD
9.     LORD EVERY NEGATIVE POWER THAT HAD BEEN HOLDING SWAY WHERE I AM MEANT TO OCCUPY, FATHER, DETHRONE THEM TODAY.
10.                        THE MESSAGE OF THE CROSS THOUGH PHILLIP BROUGHT DELIVERACE.... HEALINGS.... JOY.......PRAY
11.                        BUT THE PEOPLE PAID CLOSE ATTENTION...... PRAY
12.                        LORD, CAUSE YOUR GLORY TO MANIFEST IN MY LIFE THIS MONTH.
13.                        LORD, PLEASE SEND HELPERS MY WAY THIS NEW MONTH
14.                        MENTION TO GOD THE PARTICULAR AREAS YOU NEED HELP