TRYING TO BOTTLE THE HOLY SPIRIT
Text: Acts 8:9-25
Introduction
1. Illustration: Dr. John Maxwell said, “Manipulation is moving together for my advantage. Motivation is moving together for mutual advantage.”
2. The Holy Spirit was given to the Church for the benefit of the Church, not the individual.
3. Unfortunately, some people try to bottle the Holy Spirit to use for their own advantage.
4. A classic Biblical illustration of this principal is the story of Simon the Sorcerer. Read Acts 8:9-25
Proposition: The Holy Spirit cannot be bottled, but he will go where he is welcomed.
Transition: In the story of Simon the Sorcerer we see…
I. God’s Power is Greater (9-13).
A. But Now
1. Maybe you heard or read stories of missionaries who have entered areas that were filled with evil spirits and evil people.
2. Sometimes they even deal with witchdoctors who have the people controlled and under their power.
3. Luke tells us that Philip had a similar issue. In vv. 9-11 he writes, “A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. 10 Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.” 11 They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.”
a. Luke introduces us to Simon, who he characterizes as a sketchy character. He was a sorcerer and had quite a following.
b. Back during the days of the early church, sorcerers and magicians were plentiful and were usually people of great influence.
c. “They worked wonders, performed healings and exorcisms, and practiced astrology, but they utilized the power of Satan” (Bruce Barton et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary, 501).
d. Simon was no exception in that regard, and he had the people under his spell, and they spoke of him as someone great, even calling him “the great one - the power of God.”
4. But the power of Satan cannot compete with the power of God. In vv. 12-13 Luke tells us, “But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.”
a. The phrase “But now,” indicates that there was a change taking place.
b. Simon may have been a person of influence before, but he could not compare with the power of the Holy Spirit that was operating in Philip.
c. Because of Philip’s preaching and ministry among the people, they began to believe in Philip’s message about the Good News and in Jesus Christ. As a result, many of them were baptized.
d. In fact, Philip’s ministry was so powerful that even Simon believed and was baptized.
e. Simon was so impressed with Philip that he followed him around like a puppy dog and was amazed at the great signs and miracles that Philip performed.
f. Even he could see that the power of God was far superior to the power of the devil.
B. It Is the Power of God
1. Illustration: It was quite astonishing to the lumberjacks when the chainsaw was first introduced. The amount of work that several muscled men (with their long razor-sharp timber saws) can finish in a day can be accomplished by a chainsaw in several minutes. One day a lumberjack, in his mid-fifties, who was totally enthralled by the chainsaw’s performance, approached one chainsaw salesman who was demonstrating his merchandise in a forest. He asked the salesman, "The blades of my saw are much bigger and sharper than the blades of this thing; but what makes it cut a log better and faster than my saw?" The salesman replied, "It’s not the blade sir, it’s the power of its machine that runs it!"
2. Nothing compares with the power of the Good News of Jesus Christ!
a. “ For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.” (Rom. 1:16).
b. The devil tries to convince people that he is all powerful.
c. He tries to convince people that he can give them whatever their heart desires.
d. But there is no power in the universe like the power of the cross of Jesus Christ!
e. With it, Christ bought our redemption and defeated the power of the devil.
f. It is the power of the Good News that changes lives and transforms the spiritually dead to spiritually alive.
g. No power in all the universe can stop it or defeat it.
h. That’s why we are not ashamed of the Good News because it is the power of God!
Transition: The other thing we see in the story of Simon the Sorcerer is…
II. You Can’t Manipulate the Holy Spirit (14-25).
A. For Thinking That God’s Gift Can Be Bought
1. You would think that they had social media back then, because it didn’t take long for the news to get back to the apostles in Jerusalem. In vv. 14-17 Luke tells us, “When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.”
a. Once word of the revival going on in Samaria got back to the apostles in Jerusalem, they immediately sent Peter and John to check it out.
b. It’s curious that the first thing they did when they got to Samaria was to pray for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit.
c. But wait a minute, doesn’t everyone receive the Holy Spirit when they get saved? Well, of course they do. So, what’s the deal here.
d. If you look at the Book of Acts, whenever Luke talks about someone receiving the Holy Spirit, he is talking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit that happened at Pentecost.
e. These believers had been made new by the Holy Spirit, but they had not received the empowerment of the Holy Spirit as the other believers did on the day of Pentecost.
f. You see, like Methodist Holiness preacher Pheobe Palmer said back in the 1800’s, this was a second work of grace, a work of grace in addition to salvation.
g. Notice Luke says that the Holy Spirit had not come on them yet, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, but they had not yet been baptized in the Holy Spirit.
h. So, Peter and John laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
i. Now, there is no magic formula, and Peter and John didn’t have the magic touch.
j. The laying on of hands merely was a way of encouraging and supporting these new believers as they prayed for them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
2. Now, we see Simon come back into the picture, and it wasn’t a good thing. In vv. 18-19 Luke tells us, “When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. 19 “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”
a. Sometimes, when a new believer comes to Christ, there is that temptation for them to fall back into their old way of life. That’s what happens here with Simon.
b. Apparently, greed was one of his big weaknesses, and he saw an opportunity to make a buck.
c. So, he asks Peter and John to sell him the ability to lay hands on people and have them receive the Holy Spirit.
d. It’s a classic example of what Paul said in 1 Tim. 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.”
e. He thought that he could manipulate the Holy Spirit with money.
3. But Peter is not going to fall into this trap. In vv. 20-23 it says, “But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! 21 You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. 22 Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, 23 for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”
a. Not only was Simon’s thinking backwards, but his heart was not right with the Lord.
b. It seems his apparent conversion was not genuine.
c. Peter even says that his heart was full of bitter jealousy and still captive to sin.
d. Simon thought he could manipulate the Holy Spirit like he had done with people his whole life.
e. But the baptism of the Holy Spirit was divinely given, and it cannot be bought. You cannot manipulate the Holy Spirit.
f. You cannot but him in a jar like homemade preserves and sell him to the highest bidder.
g. Neither can he or his work be reproduced.
h. Peter tells Simon that his money would perish with him, which was a stern rebuke, but one that he deserved.
B. Gold and Silver Corroded
1. Illustration: Back in the late 70’s, Christian artist Terry Talbot recorded a song called Bible Land. The last phrase in the song says, “You can’t buy or sell the Spirit of God like he’s some amusement park.”
2. You cannot bottle and sell the Holy Spirit to the highest bidder.
a. “I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” (John 1:33).
b. You see, the Holy Spirit is a gift from God, and Jesus is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.
c. He is the one who decides who gets the Holy Spirit and on whom he rests.
d. You cannot catch the Holy Spirit in a bottle and do with him whatever you want.
e. You cannot sell the Holy Spirit because he is given freely to whomever asks.
f. You also cannot put the Holy Spirit in a bottle and take him from one place to another.
g. He is not ours to give or to take.
h. He is a gift from God.
Conclusion
1. From the story of Simon, we learn…
a. God’s power is greater.
b. You cannot manipulate the Holy Spirit.
2. What’s the point preacher? The Holy Spirit is not a personal possession that we can do with whatever we choose. It is he who decides where and to whom he goes.
