HERE’S A REAL BARGAIN
Acts 8.9-25
S: Holy Spirit
C: True faith
Th: A People with Purpose
Pr: WE SHOULD EXAMINE THE REALITY OF FAITH.
Type: Inductive, Narrative
I. SIMON (9-11)
II. SAVIOR (12-13)
III. SALVATION (14-17)
IV. SIMONY (18-19)
V. SENTENCE (20-24)
VI. SUCCESS (25)
PA: How is the change to be observed?
• Come before the Lord and evaluate the genuineness of faith.
• If faith is centered on something else beside the person of Jesus, make the necessary change.
Version: ESV
RMBC 02 April 06 AM
INTRODUCTION:
Have you ever tried to make a deal that didn’t work out?
ILL Deal
A teenager asked his father for a car. "Not until you start studying your Bible and get your hair cut," his father said.
A month later the boy approached his father again. "Well," the father said, "I have seen you reading the Bible quite diligently, but your hair is still long."
"You know, Dad," the boy replied, "I’ve been thinking about that. All the characters in the Bible had long hair."
"That’s true," the boy’s father said. “And everywhere they went, they walked."
Well, I am sure that boy had hoped for a different ending.
The deal didn’t quite work out.
In today’s study, we are going to see a deal fail to come to fruition in the text we are studying.
TRANSITION:
First, let’s gather the context from last week’s study.
After the death of Stephen…
1. The gathered church in Jerusalem is now scattered.
Up to this point, the church had stayed put in Jerusalem.
But now, it was growing so much, it had gotten to be a controversy that the Jewish leadership sought to control.
And they had showed their power with Stephen.
No one was going to challenge them and get away with it.
Those days were over.
The Christians were getting out of “Dodge” (so to speak), because this was now a new day, with a new man leading the charge against the Christians.
His name was Saul, and…
2. Saul leads the persecution.
He had been the official overseer of the death of Stephen.
Now he was taking that violence to Christians wherever he could find them.
And it has not been pretty.
But when many of the Christians moved out of Jerusalem, one of them that went was Philip.
He had been one of those, along with Stephen, that had been appointed by the apostles to serve in what would later be known as the role of deacon.
Philip, though, shows us that while the Christians are no longer in Jerusalem, they are not being quiet.
He is out declaring the good news about Jesus.
And when that happens…
3. Philip leads the revival.
He leads a revival, in an unexpected place, Samaria!
This would have been unexpected, because the animosity between the Jews and the Samaritans would have certainly carried over to the church, even if it was just in a small way.
As he speaks the message about Jesus, people are responding.
But this is not the whole story, because it is not all good news.
So…
4. In our study today, we will be exposed to the dangers of a faulty faith.
OUR STUDY:
First, we are introduced to…
SIMON (9-11)
But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
5. Simon was an arrogant man (cf. Galatians 6.3)
He was a magical man, literally.
The word used to describe him is the same word to describe the magi in Matthew 2, but it is not quite the same use.
It seems he was more of a sorcerer, for he had a tremendous hold on the people of Samaria.
We don’t know if it was trickery or demonic.
We just know that people were held under his sway.
One thing is for sure, he accepted his own account of himself.
He considered himself the “Grand Vizier of the supreme God.”
These were prideful and extravagant claims that create a deathly grip on one’s own soul.
But there is hope for Simon.
It is in the Savior.
SAVIOR (12-13)
But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
6. The message about Jesus is heard and received.
As we noted before, people are coming to know Jesus as Philip tells the good news.
And it is an interesting contrast that is put before us.
For Simon boasted about himself, but Philip does not do the same.
No, Philip talks about Jesus.
Fascinatingly, Simon believes.
In fact, he is even baptized, demonstrating a sense of commitment on his part.
But Luke, our author, also includes why Simon is so interested.
7. Simon was attracted by the signs and wonders.
He is convinced that Philip is different because he is no match for his powers.
Some think that perhaps Simon was pretending.
That what this all was to Simon was a professional interest.
His following has dwindled, so it was better to keep Philip close.
I think it is a possibility, for the text seems to leave that open.
But I think it is safer to say that Simon had faith, but it was faith in power, not in the risen Savior.
We are not done with Simon, yet, for now there is a further exposure to…
SALVATION (14-17)
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Though the text does not tell us, Philip probably called for help.
There were so many people placing their faith in Jesus that it was too great for one man to handle.
But…
8. Samaria’s conversion was controversial.
I am sure when word got back to Jerusalem, some heads were left shaking in disbelief.
So, two apostles are sent to inspect the work, Peter and John.
It is interesting that John goes, for he and his brother James were known as the sons of thunder, and it was not because they were gentle souls.
No, they were movers and shakers.
One time, when they were with Jesus, a Samaritan community had been inhospitable to Jesus and his band of disciples.
James and John had a just solution for Jesus.
“Let’s call down fire on them, Lord.”
Peter and John go.
And I am sure they are amazed at what was happening.
But they understand that there is a problem with the Samaritan believers.
9. They were missing an essential ingredient.
They were missing the Holy Spirit.
You see, no one is really saved without the Holy Spirit.
God honors faith, but it is the Holy Spirit that makes you a Christian.
We don’t know if there was any visible evidence of this lack.
Luke seems to be deliberately silent on this point.
But Peter and John did have the discernment that the Samaritans were without the Holy Spirit.
And when they laid their hands on them, the Holy Spirit came.
Again, we are not told what the evidence of this was, just that it was unmistakable.
Now my question is…
Why did they all have to go through this?
Who was this for?
Was it for the Samaritan believers?
Or was it for the apostles?
Well, I believe it was both.
The Samaritans were so accustomed to being outsiders to the Jews, they now discover, through the official sanction of the apostles that they are in.
It becomes a matter of fellowship, solidarity, and oneness.
And this is why it was also for the apostles.
God wanted to make sure there was one church, not two churches – one in Jerusalem and one in Samaria.
The apostles saw that the Samaritans faith was genuine.
They had participated in it.
Now they would be able to give firsthand testimony to the rest of the apostles that Jesus was definitely at work in Samaria.
It is at this point we are introduced to…
SIMONY (18-19)
It is interesting to see that Simon has infamously made his way into our English language.
It means the trafficking of sacred things, as well as the buying and selling of ecclesiastical office.
The word gets its start here…
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
10. Simon wanted in on the act.
You see, Philip had impressed him, but John and Peter had overwhelmed him.
Simon knew real power when he saw it
And he craved that power.
Seeing that they were, in his eyes, fellow practitioners of magic, he offered to buy it.
Simon reveals his true motives at this point.
He is not interested in giving the Holy Spirit to others so that they might be saved.
He was interested in the power.
He was interested in the prestige.
He was interested in the exaltation of self.
It is as James Denney said:
We cannot at one and the same time show that we are clever and that Christ is wonderful.
The reaction and the…
SENTENCE (20-24)
…comes quickly.
But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
You see…
11. The Holy Spirit cannot be bought.
The actual sense and meaning of the text is done well in Eugene Peterson’s…
The Message: Peter said, “To hell with your money! And you along with it. Why, that’s unthinkable — trying to buy God’s gift!”
The word perish means damnation.
You see, Peter isn’t fooling around here.
This is serious business.
One does not turn the spiritual into the commercial.
One does not traffic the things of God.
And one does not bargain with God.
So, Peter sets Simon straight, for…
12. Repentance is the true fruit of belief.
True faith is a matter of the operation of the Spirit.
And faith is a matter of the transformation of the inward character.
These two elements were missing in Simon.
It becomes all the more evident when Peter tells him to pray and Simon refuses.
He is still dominated by superstition.
He is terror stricken.
He fears Peter’s power.
But note what is missing.
He is not looking to receive God’s pardon.
He just wants to escape God’s judgment.
The man was stuck in his pride.
ILL Pride: Saddam Hussein’s Humiliation
When Saddam Hussein was caught, Newsweek provided this description:
In a part of the world where pride and dignity mean everything, the images were clearly intended to shame. A nameless doctor or medical technician, wearing rubber gloves, was seen closely examining the man’s hair, perhaps looking for vermin. Prodded with a tongue depressor, the man opened his mouth; the doctor peered at the pink flesh of his throat and scraped off a few cells for DNA identification.
Then the world saw the man’s face. Haggard, defeated…meek and weak. The Glorious Leader, Direct Descendant of the Prophet, the Lion of Babylon, the Father of the Two Lion Cubs, the Anointed One, the Successor of Nebuchadnezzar, the Modern Saladin of Islam had been brought low, forced to bow down…to contemplate his fate while waiting to stand trial.
Citation: "How We Got Saddam," Newsweek (12-22-03), pp. 23-24;
submitted by Stephen Nordbye, Charlton, Massachusetts
In the same way, Simon too has suffered humiliation.
It becomes clear that Simon’s profession was pointless, and his baptism basically nothing more than a quick bath.
He was still lost in his sins.
But for the Samaritans, this was not the end of the story.
There was…
SUCCESS (25)
Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
13. The catholic nature of the good news is being uncovered.
Again, the apostles are getting what God is doing.
The good news is universal in nature.
The gospel is for all the world.
We don’t know for how long, but they stayed in Samaria.
We can be sure they told the full story of Jesus, even relating to the Hebrew texts.
And as they made their way back to Jerusalem, they kept preaching.
And as they kept preaching, they continued to find harvest.
APPLICATION:
The story of Simon has many applications, but I am going to center on this particular one this morning, that is…
14. WE SHOULD EXAMINE THE REALITY OF FAITH.
You see, one of the most fearful realities in Scripture is that some who think they are saved are eternally lost.
At first glance, it appears Simon is in.
But with each step, the evidence is there.
He has not been transformed.
He has not changed.
He is still the same old Simon, craving power and filled with pride.
Dallas Willard, the author of The Divine Conspiracy and The Renovation of the Heart gives the church an appropriate warning…
A fundamental mistake of the conservative side of the American church today, and much of the Western church, is that it takes as its basic goal to get as many people as possible ready to die and go to heaven. It aims to get people into heaven rather than to get heaven into people.
Folks, we are never to settle for fire insurance.
Do you know what I mean?
We are never to place our trust in a single prayer.
We are to place our trust in Jesus and the change that inevitably comes when the Spirit is now in charge of our lives.
We need to take care, for…
15. There is belief that is not genuine and saving (cf. Luke 8.13; John 2.23-25).
As you can see in those other texts in your outline, Jesus attached little value to faith that was based on miracles alone.
In the same way…
I have known of people that have confessed their allegiance to Christ in order to date and eventually marry a Christian, but then lay it aside after the wedding.
I have known people who said they prayed the sinner’s prayer at 8 years old, and then never live for Christ.
I have known people who said they were believers because it seemed like a good idea.
These are examples of believe that are neither genuine, nor saving.
But here is the good news.
There is a real bargain.
Salvation can’t be bought, but it can be given.
We can’t buy the Spirit, but God will give Him to us.
We can be transformed.
We can be made new.
We can go from hopeless to hope-filled.
We can go from empty to filled.
If we will just ask.
COMMUNION:
Acts 5:27-32
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, 28 saying, "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us." 29 But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."
Rom 8:34-39
34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died — more than that, who was raised — who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
"For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered."
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Heb 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
As I read those last passages, did you note the common thread in them?
Yes, Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God.
It is the place of honor and respect.
As I read the next passage, notice a significant difference.
It is from the text we studied last week…
Acts 7:54-60
Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Jesus stands for those that stand for Him.
Those of us that know Jesus are invited to share in the elements of the table.
You do not have to be a member of this church to partake, but we do ask that you have a relationship with Jesus.
If you do not know Jesus, that is, you have not received Him as your Savior and Lord, you do not trust Him with your life, that is, you have not been changed by the message, just let the elements pass by.
Please wait until the time comes when you do have that personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.
We practice “communion” because we are to remember the death of the Lord Jesus.
We take the bread to remind us that it was by the body of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died in our place.
He became our substitute.
Being led in prayer by ____, let us take a moment and thank Him for being our sacrifice.
(Prayer)
The apostle Paul writes, "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
We take the cup to remind us that it was by the blood of our Savior that our salvation came.
He died for our sins.
He became our sacrifice.
It is here we rejoice in the forgiveness we have received.
____ will now come and lead us in prayer.
Again, the apostle Paul writes, "In the same way, after supper he took the cup saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
Let’s partake together.
1 Cor 15:57-58
57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Now…
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Amen.
RESOURCES:
SermonCentral:
Borchert, Dan A Look at the Holy Spirit
Briggs, Bob Some Things Are Just Not for Sale
Piper, John Simon’s Perversion of Signs and Wonders
Ricks, Billy False Faith/Counterfeit Christianity
Books:
Barclay, William. The Acts of the Apostles. Revised ed. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1977.
Bruce, F. F. Commentary on the Book of the Acts The New International Commentary on the New Testament, ed. F. F. Bruce. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1975.
MacArthur, John, Jr. Acts 1-12 The MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1994.
Stott, John R. W. The Spirit, the Church, and the World. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1990.
