Intro:
Online Encyclopedia, Wikipedia this to say about Counterfits
“Today the finest counterfeit banknotes are claimed to be U.S. dollar bills produced in North Korea, which are used to finance the North Korean government, among other uses. The fake North Korean copies are called Superdollars because of their high quality.
The notes are of a very high quality. The US government calls them "highly deceptive". They are made with the highest quality ink and paper, designed to recreate the various security features of United States currency, such as the red and blue security fibers, the security thread, and the watermark. Even experts need to study them for a long time before they notice that they are forgeries.”
2 Reasons they are circulated
· A source of Income
· A way of undermining the US economy
Wherever there is money and wealth to be earned their will be honest laborers and workers and there will be dishonest counterfeiters.
Today we will see in this passage in Acts 8 an illustration of a counterfeit. Just like the Superdollar from North Korea, the “highly deceptive,” nature of the counterfeit takes close examination by “experts.”
Where ever God is at work planting saving faith (a genuine response to the Gospel), you can gurantee the devil is hard at work planting false faith (counterfeit Christianity).
In matthew 7.21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you depart from Me you who practice Lawlessness.”
Dr Johnny Hunt “Jesus is here talking about a faith that says but does not do.”
James half brother of Jesus Bishop of Jerusalem said in James 3.26 “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.”
It always helps us to interprit scripture in light of scripture. James also said in 1.22 “But prove yourself doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”
Ephesians 2.10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared befoe hand so that we would walk in them.”
In light of what the Bibles says, I can boldly say with Dr Johnny Hunt,
“Genuine faith will always produce the fruit of good works.”
Matthew 13.24-30 Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and tares, 13.36-43 he explains the meaing to His hard headed disicples. There will be tares in the church until the rapture.
Truth: Where God’s wheat (His people) is grown, right beside the devil’s tares are sown.
Here in this text we see the devil trying his best to plant the very first tare in the middle of a field white to harvest.
I. Simon’s Practices
“Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria.”
(Jesus might very well have been speaking of Simon when he said the words in Matthew 7.21-23)
· The occult, sorcery, witchcraft, Wicca, Satan Worship these are not new to this world.
· It has simply been repackaged so that unsuspecting boys, girls, men and women will fall prey and be astonished by their false miracles and distracted from the greatest miracle of all Salvation by Grace.
People that are called magicians usually deal in illusion. That is what Simon was doing, it will help us to understand something of our adversary the devil.
If he cannot completely devour us as a roaring lion then he will try to completely deceive us as a serpent or the dragon of old.
A) False self Perception
Postmodern Theory and Biblical Theology, By Brian Ingraffia
Whereas modernism tried to elevate man into God’s place, postmodern theory seeks to destroy or deconstruct the very place and attributes of God. (From Postmodern Theory and Biblical Theology by Brian Ingraffia)
In English the culture we are in now denies there is a God and that man is by our nature sinful because of the fall in Genesis 3. Our culture sees man as basically good and capable of “earning” God’s acceptance.
What is the problem with this thinking?
It deadens people to the reality of sin, and God’s truth, as well as the need for a Savior.
1) Simon accepted the title “the Great Power of God.”
This was a way of claiming Deity. Simon obviously as scripture shows had a hard time accepting God’s perspective of himself.
One of the biggest reasons people are lost in our churches and our country is because of a false self-perception. That ultimately begins with foolish pride.
B) Foolish Pride
Acts 1.9 Simon claimed to be someone great.
We should remember Jesus’ words whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant.
Galatians 6.3 “For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” (Simon was of course deceived and deluded about himself)
In order for postmodern man to be saved they must first put aside pride, acknowledge that they are lost, powerless to save themselves, and in urgent need of God.
What is pride?
Self trust I’m good and I don’t need anybody.
But the Bible is very specific on pride.
Luke 18.9-14 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:
“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’
I tell you this, man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
The opposite of pride is humility
When you have correct self-perception with the great debt you owe God you will not be able to do anything but humble yourself.
James 4.6-10 “But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let you laughter be turned to mourning and you joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the lord, and He will lift you up.”
The humble are aware of the failings and shortfalls and are completely aware of their need for God grace, which drives them to Him.
II. Simon’s Profession
A) Philips Proclamation
1) Preached the good news about the Kingdom of God
n Signifies God’s complete rule in Salvation
2) The name of Jesus Christ.
Acts 4.12 the matchless, miraculous, moving name
Only the truth John 14.6 is the way into salvation.
B) Simon’s Decision
Acts 8.13”Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Phillip and as he observed signs and great
miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.”
Simon heard the word
Simon saw the miracles
Simon said the prayer, a profession of faith in Christ
Simon was dunked, baptized
C) The Apostles Exhibition of power (importance)
Is it important for us to have hands laid on us to receive the so-called second gift of the Holy Spirit?
Answer: NO!!
Most if not all commentators say that the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit this way in order to keep unity in the still early church.
The Jews despised the Samaritans because they were half-breeds!!
The Samaritans had been part of the Northern Kingdoms Assyrian captivity. In 722 BC the Northern Kingdom known as Israel fell to the Assyrian armies. The Samaritans became half-breeds when many of the devout Israelites were deported to Assyria and replaced by gentiles.
2 Kings 17.6 Here we see the people taken from the Samarian Capital of Israel and resettled them in a place called Halah.
2 Kings 17.24 –32
Here we see the gentiles come in and intermingling with the people of the living God and merging their pagan practices with the worship of the One True God.
17.32 “They worshipped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places.”
The apostles were not there for some second blessing.
By delaying the Holy Spirit from coming to the Samaritans until Peter and John arrived God preserved the unity of the Church. No one in Jerusalem could say these are not true believers. (How ironic it is that while God was making sure no one could say the Samaritans were false converts, That Simons false faith was revealed by what God used to prove the faith of the Samaritans.)
So, the question must be asked. When do we receive the Holy Spirit?
When we accept Christ we receive the Holy Spirit!
Christ is all-sufficient, His work of salvation is complete, and when Christ enters you heart He enters it once for all as Hebrews speaks of Him entering the Holy of Holies as a sacrifice once for all.
Hebrews 9.28 “so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sin s of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting on Him.”
So what was Simon’s response to the obvious gift of the Holy Spirit?
Simon says, “I gotta have this.” What a way to get my reputation back!!
Simon decided hat the gifts and calling of God were up for bids!
It was this action by Simon that forever gave his name to buying of selling of spiritual offices or benefits. (Indulgences in Catholic Church) Known as “Simony”
We see in Acts 8.17-18 Simon never really had the inner change that happens at salvation. It was only an outward act to be done not a total surrender to God for a complete transformation of the Soul.
2 Corinthians tells us this truth, “Therefore if any man is in Christ he is a new creature. The old things passed away; behold new things come.”
A new nature: From sinner to saint
A new attitude: From rebel to respecter
A new outlook: From hopeless to hope filled
A new heart: From empty to filled with love (Christ)
III. Peter’s Declaration
A) A word on Perishing
“May your silver perish with you”
JB Phillips “To hell with you and your money.”
Eugene Peterson “To hell with your money. And you along with it!”
1) Peter condemned Simon and his attempt to simply buy the gifting of the Spirit as a market commodity. To Simon it was just another trick in the magic bag!
2) Peter as with Ananias and Sapphira used his gift of discernment, this time not simply a liar, but a fraud as well. A and S were counted with the brethren.
a) Simon as history tells is counted as a heretic and blasphemer.
b) Simons profession was pointless, his baptism basically nothing more than a cool bath. He was still lost in his sins.
B) A word on Portion
C) A word on Pardon
Simon’s biggest problem – a lack of repentance (inward change)
“bondage of iniquity.”
Proverbs 5.22 “His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of sin.”
D) A word on Prayer
1) If the fear of God (Prov 1.7) were found in Him he would have prayed and repented of His sin. He would have had a turn around.
2) Luke 8.13 Publican, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”
Simon wanted to escape the consequence of his sin, God’s judgment, but did not want to give up his sin.
3) He did not want to get right with God. Acts 8.21
So he rejected the revelation of his sin.
IV. Simon’s Rejection
Simon’s answer, You pray for me.
A. False self image, I’m Okay, you pray for me, so that the bad things don’t happen.
B. Foolish pride – Simon had given no acknowledgement of His responsibility before God.
“Simon was a professor not a possessor” All he had to do was acknowledge his sin before God, “Be merciful to me a sinner.”
Conclusion: This passage of Scripture shows just how close a person can come to conversion or salvation in Jesus Christ and still be lost without knowledge of God.
Amplified “for your heart is all wrong in the sight of God.” (God’s sight is all that matters) Psalm 78.36-37 all of 78
Simon’s heart was not right with God!!!
Listen to me today dear soul, it is not the ritual you followed to become a member of a church that will save you!!
It is instead the real presence of God in your life to change you.
Good old hymn.
Rock of Ages
Nothing in my hands I bring
Simply to Your cross I cling
Have you ever said, “God be merciful to me a sinner?”
