The Gospel Crosses All Borders | January 25, 2026
The Setup: An Old Hatred Meets New Grace
Sermon number twenty-two built directly on the previous week's study of Simon the magician's conversion, and Pastor Justin walked us through Acts 8:14-25 to show how far the reach of the gospel truly extends, ethnically, socially, politically, and even within families torn apart by old hatreds.
He spent real time on the deep, centuries old animosity between Jews and Samaritans, tracing it back to the Assyrian conquest of the northern kingdom in 722 BC and the intermarriage that followed, which led Jews to view Samaritans as compromised and Samaritans to view themselves as the true remnant of Israel.
That history made it remarkable when Peter and John were sent from Jerusalem to Samaria in verses 14-17, praying for these new Samaritan believers to receive the Holy Spirit. Pastor Justin drew the first point from this, that the gospel of Christ brings unity, not division, and connected it to Jesus' own conversation with the woman at the well in John 4:7-26, where He deliberately crossed ethnic and social boundaries to offer her living water.
He applied that unity directly to the present moment, noting that The Crossings includes both committed conservatives and committed liberals who worship side by side without disowning one another the way so many American families have during recent political seasons. Romans 13:1 reminded the congregation that governing authorities are instituted by God and Christians should be engaged citizens, but Pastor Justin was clear that our politics must be shaped by our faith rather than the other way around.
From there the sermon turned to Simon's attempt in Acts 8:18-19 to buy the ability to impart the Holy Spirit, and Peter's sharp rebuke that his heart was not right before God. Pastor Justin pushed back against commentators who label Simon a false convert, walking through the text's own description of his genuine belief and baptism, and comparing Simon's stumble to Peter's own rebuke in Matthew 16:23, when Jesus told Peter "Get behind me, Satan" for setting his mind on the things of man rather than God.
That gave us the second point of the message, that the gospel of Christ is a free gift from God and cannot be bought or sold. Pastor Justin was careful to say that even mature believers say foolish things and receive correction, and that Simon's story reads more like a misguided new believer than an outright fraud, especially since Simon immediately asked Peter to pray for him rather than pushing back in pride.
Pastor Justin closed the message by asking the congregation whether their unity with Christ genuinely shapes their politics, their family life, their work, and their giving, rather than the reverse.
This Week's Application
So this week, is there a border in your own life, a relationship, a grudge, a group of people, that the gospel is calling you to cross? We would love for you to join us this Sunday as we continue walking through Acts together.