The Heart of a Minister
Acts 8:14-25
Intro: A number of questions arise from this passage. Why hadn’t the Samaritans received the HS under Philip’s ministry? When the apostles laid hands on them and prayed that they would receive the HS, what happened? When the Samaritans received the HS, was it the same as in Acts 2:4, where they all were filled with the HS and spoke in tongues? What physical response did Simon see that prompted him to try and buy the ability to impart the HS? I may answer some of these in today’s message. If I miss some, or leave other unanswered questions in your mind, please come and talk to me. I will do my best to help shed light on the passage.
-When Simon tried to buy this power, Peter told him he had no part or share in this ministry. That made me wonder, “What does it take to have a part or share in God’s ministry?” Well, I think we can find the answer in our passage of Scripture. In fact, the Bible tells us that every Christian should be a minister – not just those who are called clergy. Let me state the main idea as clearly as I know how:
Prop: If our hearts are right with God, we have an active part in the ministry of God.
Interrogative: If that is true, what can we learn from Simon’s example? What would it have taken for Simon to have become a partner in God’s ministry?
TS: I’d like to unwrap four requirements that we should all consider as we seek to do our part in God’s ministry.
I. God’s Ministers Must not Exploit His Presence
-When we come to God in faith, believing that what Jesus did by dying and coming back to life was enough to provide for our forgiveness, God makes His home in us. His life merges with our lives, making us new and giving us grace and power to do what He wants. As we set out to live our lives for Him, we must always remember that being a Christian is about having a relationship with God. He is always with us, so we can talk to Him at any time, and He will speak to us in our hearts. There is a language of the heart that God uses to speak to us. You might call it a spiritual language, because it is only understood by those whose spirits have been made alive by God. This communication we have with the living God is the primary means by which we keep our lives in step with who He is and what He wants us to do.
-Out of this relationship flows a spiritual power. God the Holy Spirit lives within us, giving us the power to live right and to tell others about the love of Jesus. If we ever come to a place where we bypass or neglect our relationship with God, and try to use His power for our own personal gain, then we will find ourselves in Simon’s shoes. God never intended to impart power apart from relationship. Why? Because He knows we need to stay close to Him in order to use His power appropriately.
-It is possible for any of us to fall into this trap. Whenever we start to think that it’s all about us, then we are in danger of abusing God’s power and exploiting His presence.
-Sometimes there may be a fine line between serving God and serving ourselves. I have preached about the miraculous, because I believe that God wants to work miracles in people’s lives. He wants to show them that He loves them and that He can be trusted with their lives. I sincerely believe that miracles are supposed to play a huge role in sharing the gospel with others. However, if my relationship with God suffers, then my motives will likely suffer. And, I may find myself using God’s power to build up my own little kingdom or sideshow. We dare not prostitute the presence of God!
-God’s presence may be given and shared with others, but never sold for personal benefit. Whenever God’s grace is sold, it loses its value. Why? Because it becomes all about the person, rather than about God. What it does is it puts us in a place where we are using God and we are using His people to get what we want. God is holy and awesome and will not allow Himself to become someone’s sideshow.
-Now it’s easy to be real hard on Simon, but I’m not sure he really knew anything different. In his line of work, he had likely paid large sums of money to other sorcerers to learn their magical formulas. Then he would charge people a fee when he used his dark magic for them. Simon thought the power of God worked the same way. However, Peter let him know that God’s power was not about having a right formula; rather, it was about having a right heart before God.
-TS: That leads us to the next point.
II. God’s Ministers Must Have Hearts that Are Right with Him
-Peter told Simon in v.21, “You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.”
-We do not really know if Simon’s conversion was genuine or not. Acts 8:13 simply says, “Simon himself believed and was baptized.” A few verses later we find him offering money in exchange for the ability to impart the HS to others. “Simon, your heart is not right before God.”
-If Simon’s first confession of faith was sincere, then apparently he had already lost touch with getting to know the Lord. It was likely at least several days between the time Philip brought the gospel to this city and the time that Peter and John came down to pray for the Samaritans. I wonder if Simon was so infatuated with the power he saw in Philip’s ministry that he just chased around after the miracles, and never really spent time seeking the Lord or changing the way he lived.
-So, if Simon really was a true Christian, then he needed to repent and let God change his heart. If he was not a true Christian, then he still needed to repent and ask God to change his heart.
-It is not unusual for Christians to find themselves in need of a heart change. Sometimes we lose our way and neglect our prayer life and quit reading the Bible. That opens us up to heart problems.
-Also, just because somebody prays the prayer of repentance does not mean that all of the baggage from their past just disappears. God is powerful to save and deliver, but sometimes a deliverance process is required, not just a deliverance moment.
-TS: That leads us to the third point. Not only must God’s ministers avoid using Him for personal gain, and have a right heart before Him, but…
III. God’s Ministers Must Confront Their Bondage
-Simon was on the wrong track because he wanted it to be about him, not the Lord. He was full of bitterness, not love. He was captive to sin, not free to love and serve others. Even God’s love and grace became something to be exploited, rather than bringing the peace and healing intended. Simon was in bondage and he needed help.
-Again, we do not know if Simon was sincere when he asked Peter to pray for him so that none of the bad things he had spoken of would happen. It may have been the all-too-familiar scene of being sorry that your sin was revealed, but not really sorry that you did it. Or perhaps, Simon really was sorry and wanted to change. Whatever the case, he needed to confront his bondage and let God’s power deliver him, rather than trying to peddle God’s power for monetary gain.
-Whether your bondage is an addiction, the lust for power, the need to control others, or something else, you need to deal with it. How do we deal with it?
-To begin with, God can never cleanse what you refuse to uncover. If you continue trying to hide your bondage behind smiles and closed doors, then you will never find the freedom you long for. That does not mean that you need to publish your sins or tell everybody about the darkest part of your life. But, depending on the nature of your bondage, you may need to find somebody safe who can help you work through it.
-God often uses other Christians to bring His healing and deliverance into our lives. Maybe there are deep wounds in your heart that have festered and have caused bitterness. God can heal those wounds, but He may want to work His love and power through other believers who can be Jesus with skin on to you.
-So, don’t keep hiding the bondage in your life. If you have issues that are hindering you in your relationship with God or with others, be willing to confront them. There is a pathway to healing, but you will need to take the first step by admitting that you need help.
-TS: This final point is not intended to be the simple solution to every problem, but it is absolutely essential if we want to keep our hearts right with God.
IV. God’s Ministers Must Make Repentance a Way of Life
-God’s forgiveness is available to us through repentance. If we confess our sins, God will forgive us and make us clean. This is not just something we do when we become a Christian. It is something a Christian must do continually. “Lord, forgive me. I have sinned. I need your help. Change my heart, Lord. Wash me. Make me clean.” These are all cries of repentance that will usher you into the throne of grace. “God is near to those who have a broken heart and rescues those who have a repentant spirit” (Ps. 34:18).
-Maybe you need God to rescue you today. Listen to this song about repentance, and then do whatever the Lord asks you to do.
