Signs that God Didn’t Choose

Rev Gary Evensen

@2005 NJUPC INC

As we read through the book of Acts, which records the establishment of the church, we find as we study the eighth chapter of the book of Acts, we find that people received the Holy Spirit nut the scripture here is silent on the issue of speaking in tongues.

Read Acts 8:14-17

14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:14-17

The eighth chapter of Acts is silent on how these people received the spirit but interestingly enough, it does provide us with signs that God didn’t choose to show that someone had received the baptism of the holy spirit.

Lets look at the eighth chapter of acts in the words of the NIV bible.

¹And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. ²Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. ³But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

⁴Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. ⁵Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. ⁶When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. ⁷With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. ⁸So there was great joy in that city.

⁹Now 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, ¹⁰and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” ¹¹They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. ¹²But 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. ¹³Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. ¹⁴When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. ¹⁵When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 

Acts 8:1-16 (NIV)

Lets notice what happened here:

We find that people were delivered from demon spirits, people were healed, people had joy, people believed on Christ, people believed the gospel, people were the recipients of great signs and miracles, they accepted the word of God, they believed on the name of Jesus Christ and they were baptized yet the scripture says that in the midst of all these great things happening Phillip had to send for Peter and John to pray that they might receive the spirit because the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them.

Not one person who believed on Christ

Not one person who believed the gospel

Not one person who received Joy

Not one person who was delivered from Demon spirits

Not one person who was healed

Not one person who was a recipient of any of those signs and miracles

And not one person who was baptized received the baptism of the holy spirit

While the scripture here is silent on the issue of speaking in tongues it does show us that none of these were signs that God chose to indicate that the holy spirit had fallen upon a person.

You may say I know I received the spirit because I was healed – yet the scripture shows us that’s not a sign!

You may say I know I received the spirit because I had joy - yet the scripture shows us that’s not a sign!

You may say I know I received the spirit because I believed in the name of Jesus Christ – yet the scripture shows us that’s not a sign!

You may say I know I received the spirit because I was baptized and when I was baptized I received the seal of his spirit - yet the scripture shows us that’s not a sign!

Lets look into the 10^th chapter of the book of Acts and look at the visitation of God upon a good and just man

¹At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius. He was an officer in the Italian group of the Roman army. ²Cornelius was a religious man. He and all the other people who lived in his house worshiped the true God. He gave much of his money to the poor and prayed to God often. ³One afternoon about three o’clock, Cornelius saw a vision clearly. In the vision an angel of God came to him and said, “Cornelius!” ⁴Cornelius stared at the angel. He became afraid and said, “What do you want, Lord?” The angel said, “God has heard your prayers. He has seen what you give to the poor. And God remembers you. ⁵Send some men now to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon. Simon is also called Peter. 

Acts 10:1-5 (ICB)

Cornelius was a religious man – but that was not enough

Cornelius was a man who worshipped the true God – but that was not enough

Cornelius was a man who always prayed – but that was not enough

Cornelius was a man who was very generous and gave till it hurt – but that was not enough

His experience was simply not enough and God looked down from heaven and saw this righteous man, and God thought enough of Cornelius to send an angel to him to let him know there was a greater experience with God that awaited him.

For the path He was walking in was just not what it took!

Yes we need to be religious – but religion wont save us

Yes we need know who the One true God is – but that knowledge alone wont save you

Yes we need to always pray and not faint – but the acts of praying alone will not save you

Yes we need to give – but we cannot buy our way into heaven

You see Jesus said you’ve got to be born again and God looked from heaven and saw this good man who needed to be born again and sent an angel to him!

³⁴Peter began to speak: “I really understand now that to God every person is the same. ³⁵God accepts anyone who worships him and does what is right. It is not important what country a person comes from. 

Acts 10:34-35 (ICB)

Peter spoke a truth here

Cornelius was a powerful man but God looks at every person the same – power and fame and wealth cannot save you

Our skin color or nationality is not important to God because according to the word of God there will be people out of every nation and every kindred and every language in heaven.

God will accept anyone who worships him and does what’s right!

That’s why he could not stand to see Cornelius be lost!

You may say to me Pastor how could you say that, how could you be so judgmental. But really Im just repeating the scripture

Lets look forward into Acts 11

¹¹At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. ¹²Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, ¹⁴who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.’ ¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. 

Acts 11:11-15 (NKJV)

In a parallel account Peter told how Cornelius himself said that the angel sent from God told him to send to him and he will - who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved. -

So the angel evidently told this religious, prayerful, generous man who worshipped the true God that there was more for him.

How about you, are you a modern day Cornelius?

You love God, your generous, you always pray and worship the true God?

These are all wonderful traits but there not signs you have received the spirit..’

Maybe you’ve already believed on Christ

Maybe you’ve already believed the gospel

Maybe you’ve received Joy

Maybe you’ve been delivered from Demon spirits

Maybe you’ve already been healed

Maybe you’ve already been a recipient of signs and miracles

Yet these are not signs you’ve received the spirit!

Cornelius was humble and open to the moving of God in his life – are you?

⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. ⁴⁵And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. ⁴⁶For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

Then Peter answered, ⁴⁷“Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” ⁴⁸And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.

Acts 10:44-48 (NKJV)

Cornelius was born again that day, he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and was baptized in Jesus name, He was born again of the water and of the spirit.

How about you? Will you turn away from signs God didn’t choose and turn towards the scriptural evidences?

Are you willing to stand and believe the word of God?