Simon Says!
I assume everyone here at one time or another has played the game Simons say. One person calls out the commands but unless you add the phrase, “Simon Says” to it, you are not to do it. It was the jumping on one foot that always got me. My grandbabies love to play it with me. Today we are going to look at another Simon. But this time we are not to follow his command to be the winner.
Background
Acts chapter 8 picks up right after the stoning of Steven. Steven was not one of the Disciples Jesus chose, but is considered to be the first Saint. He was stoned to death becoming a martyr for spreading the news of Jesus after his death. And like Jesus, with his last breath, he was praying for the very people who were killing him. Saul, who we all know as Paul, saw that it pleased the Jews and so he began his own warpath on his own to destroy Christianity.
Acts 8:1-3 Saul approved of putting Stephen to death. On that day widespread persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem. Most believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Devout men buried Stephen as they mourned loudly for him. 3 Saul tried to destroy the church. He dragged men and women out of one home after another and threw them into prison.
Can you imagine if something like that would happen in your world? You just finished your dinner and you are watching the tube and there’s a knock on your door and when you answer it the police are arresting you for being a Christian. Don’t think it’s too farfetched, maybe not in the country, but in China this very thing has happened. Like I have asked you before. If it was against the law to be a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
Acts 8:4-8 The believers who were scattered went from place to place, where they spread the word. 5 Philip went to the city of Samaria and told people about the Messiah. 6 The crowds paid close attention to what Philip said. They listened to him and saw the miracles that he performed. 7 Evil spirits screamed as they came out of the many people they had possessed. Many paralyzed and lame people were cured. 8 As a result, that city was extremely happy.
When I read this it reminded me of the song, “I’m going to see a victory”; “What the enemy meant for evil, and you turned it for good”. By Saul persecuting the Christians, ended up furthering the spread of the Gospel. We know that Samaria was considered a land of half breads. Half Jew and Half Gentile. To get from Jerusalem to Galilee, it was a strait shot though Samaria, but the Jews would often walk the long way around to avoid the Samaritans. We remember when Jesus meet the woman at the well, it was in Samaria. She was even an outcast among her own people. Jesus being a Jew, was not to have any dealings with the Samaritans, and it would not be considered proper for him to even talk to a woman. But Jesus sought her out and gave her the living water. You see, God’s desire was for all to be saved and come to repentance. And because of the persecution of the church, it provided the furtherance of the Gospel. Philip was spreading the Gospel to the Samaritans. Our text reads that the evil spirits were screaming while being cast out. People were being healed. The city was extremely happy. But Satan always seems to send a counter attack when things are not going his way. I can speak from experience, when God is on the move, the Devil is going to be on the counter attack.
In James 1:2-4 My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways. 3 You know that such testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won’t need anything.
If you are not being tested, then maybe you should ask yourself if you are doing anything that would cause Satan to have to text you.
The counter attack we see that he used in our text was with a man names Simon that we will read about now.
Acts 8:9-13 A man named Simon lived in that city. He amazed the people of Samaria with his practice of magic. He claimed that he was great. 10 Everyone from children to adults paid attention to him. They said, “This man is the power of God, and that power is called great.” 11 They paid attention to Simon because he had amazed them for a long time with his practice of magic. 12 However, when Philip spread the Good News about God’s kingdom and the one named Jesus Christ, men and women believed him and were baptized. 13 Even Simon believed, and after he was baptized, he became devoted to Philip. Simon was amazed to see the miracles and impressive things that were happening.
Simon would have been like David Copperfield in his time. Everyone likes a good magic show. Jesus throughout his ministry often said how people followed him because they wanted to see all the miracles. In verse 9, Simon says, “He claimed he was great”. Sounds like he had an ego problem as well. He like the attention and this was how he made his living as well. But when we get to verse 12 we have a “However”. The NIV says we have a “But”. Anytime we see that it the Bible. Pay close attention to what follows. Things were good for Simon, BUT when Philip came to town and started spreading the gospel and doing the miracles in Jesus name, not for his fame, but for the furtherance of the gospel, Simon started losing his following.
The people it says were amazed with his magic. While Phillip was doing it in the name of Jesus, Simon was the one who claimed to be great. So one Philip hit the scene, the Samaritans listen to Philips messages, believe in Jesus Christ, were born again and were baptized.
But in verse 13 we read that “even Simon believed, and after he was baptized”. It may sound like he too became a Christian, but I don’t believe so and here is why. His faith was not based on the word of God but on the miracles that he saw Philip do. It also says that he was devoted to Philip, not to God. There are other reasons that I will point out latter. But what I wanted to point out now, it’s more than just believing. James 2:19 You believe there is one God, That’s fine. The demons also believe that, and they tremble with fear.
There is a difference between believing and receiving. And as far as being baptized, I have shared before about my sister making three different professions of faith, and she was baptized three times as well. I thought she was competing with Dunkin Donuts, Dunkin Lori. But it was not till the last one that she didn’t just say the words, she received the words and I was the one to baptize her, and we got it right this time. Now she is baptizing others.
Simon continued with Philip, not to hear about Jesus, but to witness the miracles and perhaps learn how they were done. I can relate to that. As a young boy I was infatuated with Magic. I can remember getting a job when I was in the 9th grade, and that’s where most of my money would go. I would practice for hours and I had a live rabbit, named Black Magic that I could pull out of a hat. I still do some magic with kids every now and then.
But I lost interest when the internet came out and you have these magicians who break the code of never revealing the secret and tell everyone with a search engine how the illusion is done. Rant over.
Simon didn’t have the internet then, but I know that I can figure out most magic tricks because I know that basics and know what to look for. Simon must have been trying to figure out how Philip was able to do the things he was able to do.
Acts 8:14-19 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had accepted God’s word, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 Peter and John went to Samaria and prayed that the Samaritans would receive the Holy Spirit. 16 (Before this the Holy Spirit had not come to any of the Samaritans. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit. 18 Simon saw that the Spirit was given to the Samaritans when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered Peter and John money 19 and said, “Give me this power so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit.”
The wickedness of Simon’s heart was revealed when Peter and John hit the scene. Simon not only wanted to perform the miracles, but he also wanted the power to convey the gift of the Holy Spirit and he was willing to pay big bucks for it. Not for the glory of God but for the glory of Simon.
Unfortunately, this still happens in churches today. As a pastor, I have seen people who want to do something and I have to question their intentions. They are not doing it for Jesus, they are doing it for them. They want the attention. They want the spotlight.
In my opinion the biggest blessings are the people who work behind the scenes. Let me give you an example. Unless you have a child in the nursey, you probably have no clue who is changing those stinky diapers. But can you imagine what our services would be like without any childcare? I share with you before about the time I was preaching at this small church in Clendenin and I had a two year old who came up while I was trying to share what God had gave me and was playing in between my legs. I don’t blame him. He was just doing what he was used to doing. I was the one who would be playing with him in the nursery and when I spoke, there was no one else who would step up to the plate and do the nursery. I didn’t blame the single mom. She had recently gotten saved, but she had never been raised in the church and didn’t know any better. But thank God for those who provide Child care. There not on stage to be seen but they provide a much needed service for the Kingdom.
My mother ran the nursery at her church for over 40 years. Can you imagine how many stinky diapers she changed? This was a church of over 400 people, that’s a lot of poop. But when she passed, at her funeral, there were generations of people who share with me of how mom would share with them the flannel graft lesson and the Jesus loves me songs. Not only to them, but their kids and grandkids. I believe my mom received a crown for her unseen labor or love.
But I have had people who want to donate money, but they want their name attached to it. I have had people who want to sing, not with a group but as a soli. I called it a Psalm solo, “They wanted to make a joyful noise”. I don’t mind is you’re not the best singer as long as you sing from your heat and for Jesus, but in most cases they just wanted their time in the spotlight. Colossians 3:23-24 Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as though you were working for your real master and not merely for humans. You know that your real master will give you an inheritance as your reward. It is Christ your real master, whom you are serving.
Do whatever God have for you to do for His glory, not yours.
Acts 8:20-25 20 Peter told Simon, “May your money be destroyed with you because you thought you could buy God’s gift. 21 You won’t have any share in this because God can see how twisted your thinking is. 22 So change your wicked thoughts, and ask the Lord if he will forgive you for thinking like this. 23 I can see that you are bitter with jealousy and wrapped up in your evil ways.” 24 Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me that none of the things you said will happen to me.” 25 After they had boldly spoken about the message of the Lord, they spread the Good News in many Samaritan villages on their way back to Jerusalem.
This is where Peter gives us more of an indication that Simon was not a Christian. “May your money be destroyed with you”, “change your wicked thoughts, and ask the Lord if he will forgive you”, “you are bitter with jealousy and wrapped up in your evil ways.” That to me is pretty strong language to use to a new believer.
As you read Simons response, you see that he was more concerned about the judgement, not for getting things right with the Lord. He didn’t drop to his knees and ask for forgiveness. He asked for them to pray for him. If he was truly a Christian then, he could have prayed for himself. You can’t pray for someone else’s sins to be forgiven. You can’t pray and accept Christ for someone else. It is a personal decision and a personal relationship.
This shows how close you can be to salvation and still be lost. Simon heard the gospel. He saw the miracles, He made a profession of faith. He even got baptized. Yet I believe he had never received Christ as his personal Savior. He was one of Satan’s counterfeits.
Simon was never mentioned in the scriptures again. I don’t know if he ever changes his ways or not. But I do know that we should not do as Simon says. Our actions should not be like this.
It’s not about what we do, but it is all about what He did. We can believe, we can even get baptized a few times. But unless there is a true change in your life, then we are just as lost as the worst sinner.
Ephesians 2:8-9 God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. It’s not the result of anything you’ve done, so no one can brag about it.
Are you a Simon says, or are you a Thus says the LORD?
John 14:6 Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me.
