Counterfeit Faith
Simon the Sorcerer; 8:9-25
It was Nov. 18, 1978. Congressman Leo Ryan from San Francisco had decided to fly a fact-finding mission to a place called Jonestown Guyana, South America. His mission is to investigate alleged human rights abuses at a religious cult known as the People’s Temple.
•The People’s Temple was run by a charismatic leader, the Reverend Jim Jones. The group had been based for years in San Francisco, and was viewed by many as a legitimate Church.
•Yet as his power grew, Jones’ practices grew more and more bizarre. His followers had to call him “Father” and were to get all their instructions from him. He controlled their finances and every aspect of their personal lives. He spoke of government conspiracies against him and the soon end of the world.
•Becoming more and more paranoid, Jones moved his group to Guyana, South America. There, in the isolation of the jungle, he created his own little kingdom.
•Yet now there was a congressional delegation coming to investigate.
•Things did not go well for Congressman Ryan at the People’s Temple compound and he decided to leave after only a day. His party left taking18 temple members who wanted to return to the United States. Other members of the cult followed the group to the airstrip and opened fire with automatic weapons, killing Congressman Ryan, three journalists, and one of the departing members.
•Back at the compound, Jim Jones then led his people in a mass suicide, a ritual he had practiced with them many times before. Together they drank cyanide laced Kool-Aid. Over 900 died, most from the poisoning. Others were shot trying to escape the mayhem.
Jump forward 15 years to 1993. David Koresh, leader of a group known as the Branch Davidians is holed up in a compound outside of Waco, Texas. Like Jim Jones, Koresh is a charismatic and powerful leader who exercises extraordinary control over the minds of his followers. Like Jones, he also sees himself as kind of a Messiah with the end of the world approaching.
•Because of his storehouse of weapons, the ATF, the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms raids the Branch Davidian compound. Yet Koresh is ready for them; a gun battle ensues and several ATF agents are killed.
•In negotiations Koresh says he will end the siege as soon as he finishes writing a book on the interpretation of the seven seals of the book of Revelation. It is his own interpretation of the end of the world.
•But on April 19, 1993 the FBI launches an assault on the compound. It breaks into flames and 86 people inside, including many children, are killed.
Jump forward 4 years to March 26, 1997. A multi-million dollar mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, CA.
•39 members of "Heaven’s Gate" Cult decide to "shed their containers" (that is, their bodies) and board a spaceship they believe is hiding in the tail of the Hale-Bopp comet.
•21 women and 18 men, ages 26 to 72, all sporting crew cuts, dressed alike in black pants, oversized shirts, and brand new black Nikes take a lethal dose of Phenobarbital mixed in with pudding and/or applesauce and chased with a shot of vodka. All are found lying on their backs on cots and bunk beds throughout the mansion covered with triangular purple shrouds with their hands to their sides in a prone position.
•Their leader is Marshall Applewhite, who founded the group in about 1975, is also found dead.
•Applewhite had wandered the country gathering about 200 members, promising his followers celestial bliss and a ride on a UFO.
Jump forward to October1998. Fifty members of a doomsday group known as (of all things) “Concerned Christians,” disappears from Denver, Colorado. They are led by 44-year old Monte Kim Miller, who ironically began his work in a counter-cult ministry (teaching people how to protect themselves from cults).
•But if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
•Reports say that Miller considers himself to be the last true prophet on earth. After prophesying that the Apocalypse would begin with an earthquake in Denver on October 16, the cult drops out of sight, resurfacing in Israel in January 1999.
•Those familiar with the group say Miller considers himself one of the two witnesses predicted Revelation 11, who will bear testimony be on the streets of Jerusalem and will be martyred by the anti-Christ.
•Israeli authorities, afraid that Miller will provoke a bloody confrontation to force the end of the world, arrest and deport members of the group. Miller, however, drops out of sight.
•Mow recently twenty members of the group are reported to have gone to Greece to await the end of the world.
•There are fears among those who know Miller that a group suicide is in the works.
What in the world is going on?
Though these are of course bizarre extremes, there are literally thousands of religious sects, cults and movements, claiming followers all around the world.
•(Check out the Internet if you are interested – no, don’t check it out).
•Hardly a week goes by that we don’t hear of some new and sometimes bizarre group, seeking a higher level of spirituality.
There is no question that we live in an age of unprecedented spirituality.
•Where so many seem to be searching for meaning. For a greater purpose.
•Pursuing everything from UFOs, to the latest Eastern Religion, like Falun Gong, this new spiritual movement in China, even the occult.
•Turn on your T.V. and it seem half the shows deal with the occult, the paranormal, or UFOs. Not to mention movies, books and, of course, the Internet .
And most of these groups are led by a powerful, charismatic leader. Someone who attracts followers. People look up to him; admire; follow without question.
•Whether his name is Charles Manson, Jim Jones, Joseph Smith, Marshall Applewhite, David Koresh, or Monte Kim Miller.
In Acts 8 we meet just such a leader.
•A man with a following; a man who is viewed by those around him as powerful and dynamic and charismatic.
•Yet whose spirituality is just as phony as David Koresh or Marshall Applewhite.
We’re continuing our study of Acts. Turn to Acts 8.
Let’s remember out context.
•Studying the early church in Acts.
•With the martyrdom of Stephen, persecution sweeps the Church, forcing many to flee.
•Yet God takes something very bad and causes great good to come from it. As the Gospel breaks out.
•Philip takes the Gospel to Samaria. There is a dramatic response as many come to Christ.
God does extraordinary works through Philip, so that many people came to Jesus Christ.
Let’s look at this passage 8:5: Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
Last week we saw that Philip had success because he saw life’s difficulties not as a disaster, but as an adventure that God would bring him through.
•We learned that we need to look at our difficulties as opportunities for God to work; as adventures that God will show us his power.
Now, however, a new issue arises in Samaria. Philip wasn’t the only preacher in town.
Look at verse 9: Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.
Simon is a first century cult leader. He has great power. He has many followers. He is viewed as very close to God. “The Great Power”
Now you have to understand, Simon was not a magician as we think of a magician. This is not Siegfried and Roy or David Copperfield making elephants disappear.
•This man was claiming to be a guru, a spiritual leader. His magic was intended to make people think he had the power of God.
•It seems for Simon money was one of his primary motivations.
There have been some celebrated cases of faith healers who have been discovered as frauds.
•One wore a microphone and his wife was passing him information about members of the audience from the back.
Now we don’t know whether Simon’s power were a result of trickery or whether it was occultic, that is, actually demonic or Satanic
•Whatever the case, for years he has astounded the people with his incredible abilities.
•For years he was the best thing in town.
But the first thing we learn about Simon is that he is in this for himself.
Simon’s phony faith was revealed because he was motivated:
1. By pride and self promotion
Look at what it says in v. 9: He boasted that he was someone great.
Here’s a key to the difference between true spirituality and false;
•All false faith exalts personalities – individuals instead of God.
•Whether it is Jim Jones, David Koresh, Marshall Applewhite, or Monte Kim Miller.
Here’s the key: Authentic Christianity exalts Jesus not the individual.
•Take John the Baptist, when Jesus was becoming more and more popular, said, “He must increase, I must decrease.”
•Paul says this, “For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake,” 2Cor 4:5.
•Turn to 1 Thessalonians 2:3-6 (Contrasting passage): For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed — God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.
True messengers from God point to God, not to themselves; true followers of Jesus exalt Jesus.
•Self promotion is a sure sign of counterfeit faith.
•If anyone in this pulpit starts talking about themselves as though they have a unique channel to God, I hope you will rise up in revolt.
•If my messages are intended to make me look good, to gain loyal to myself, get up and leave.
When I was living in L.A. I rented a room with a roommate for a year in a private house.
And one of the sons of the women I rented it to used to watch a cult figure in L.A.
•He had a cable station and was on 24 hours a day.
•We watched as this guy became more and more self-focused.
•But the focus was always on himself; he was being persecuted by the government; FCC was about to pull the plug; you needed to send him money since he was God’s messenger.
“For we do not preach ourselves,” Paul says, “but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake,” 2Cor 4:5.
Simon is preaching himself.
T- Simon’s business is going great until the new kid in town shows up.
Verse 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
You see when the real thing shows up, the fake is obvious.
•It’s like tasting real butter after eating margarine. I grew up on margarine. And then I tasted butter. It was amazing.
•Or trying whipped cream after a life of cool whip.
•Or a fresh ground espresso after drinking instant coffee. At my last birthday Roxanne asked me what I wanted. I had just been over at Starbucks. So now, every morning I make myself a fresh Latte. I’ve become kind of a coffee snob.
•Once you taste the real thing, the fake becomes obvious.
The people see Philip’s works. Real healing; real changed lives. And they say this is for real.
•And suddenly Simon’s tricks look like a seven year old with his first magician’s box.
•My son Daniel just got his first little magician’s box of tricks. You know with the little balls that disappear.
•He came up to me the other day with cards. “Count these cards” Ok, 20 cards. And he has a big card up his sleeve. “Now count them.” 21! You created a card! Daniel the Magnificent!
•OK I admit it. I did not really believe my son had supernatural powers.
You see you can’t match God’s power. Once they see the real thing, Simon’s glory days are over.
T- It was obvious that Simon was a fake because he was in it for himself. Pride was his motivating factor.
But there is a second sign that Simon is a counterfeit. And that is that he was motivated:
2. By greed and the desire for profit
13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
•Simon professes faith. Now Luke doesn’t tell us whether his faith was real or not. But we get a clue that it wasn’t, because he says that he was just enamored by the miracles he saw.
T- Now the story changes tack, as the church in Jerusalem hears about the events in Samaria and send Peter and John to check it out.
•Verse 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Now this is a critical episode in the book of Acts. First, because something surprising happens.
•The Holy Spirit normally comes to the believer at the moment of decision, at the moment of faith. But that doesn’t happen here.
•The question is, “Why?” The answer comes from the story itself. Only when Peter and John come from Jerusalem.
You see Jesus had said to his apostles, “I will build my Church.” (singular). He didn’t say, “I will build my churches.” We are not one church, and Shadow Mountain is another, and Skyline, and First Pres. downtown, or Emmanuel Faith, and First Assembly, and Horizon another.
•We are not many churches. We are one church, the Church of Jesus Christ.
The danger in Samaria was that a Church would be started distinct from the Jerusalem Church, and it would go its own way.
•So God delayed sending the Spirit until Peter and John, reps from Jerusalem. showed up.
•This convinced the Samaritan church that they were linked to Jerusalem,
•And it convinced Jerusalem Church that the Samaritan conversions were truly from God.
•Peter and John saw the Spirit come.
So this passage is a crucial one related to Church unity.
•Wouldn’t it be interesting if every time we tried to do something on own, God refused to bless us.
•Take Harvest Crusade. Suppose we refused to participate. We are going to have our own. We set up a giant tent. Keeps falling down.
•Or we decide to have our own apologetics seminar and not invite anyone else. So I get up to speak, and I can’t speak. So we get the musicians and the power goes out.
•That’s exactly what happens. The Spirit, the power of God, will not come, until the Church is united.
Incidentally, that brings up a great point related to this message: One mark of the cults we have been talking about is their exclusivity.
•They claim to be the only authentic Church. There’s a group on College campuses. Claim to be the only authentic church.
•God decisively says, “NO!” All those with real faith in Jesus Christ as their only Savior are my church. All those who believe that Jesus the God the Son, that he died to pay the penalty for my sins.
But in verse 18 we return to the story of Simon: When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
•Simon is amazed when the Spirit comes upon these believers.
•We don’t know what the signs were. Power to witness; power to heal; it could be the gift of tongues which sometimes accompanies the coming of the Spirit. It doesn’t say.
•But it was an obvious change.
Simon says, “That is a great trick!” He has dollar signs in his eyes.
•He “reached for his wallet” (at least figuratively), offering Peter and John money for the ability to bestow the Holy Spirit.
•You see for Simon it’s all a game. Its a way to make money.
Of course that doesn’t apply today, does it? Because no Televangelists would dream of asking for money. We can move on because this is certainly not an issue today.
Here again is the second mark of counterfeit Christianity: They are in it for the money.
Simon is motivated: 2. By greed and the desire for profit
Great rule of thumb when watching religious programming. If they ask for money more than once, turn it off.
•If they tell you God told them he will strike them dead, if they don’t raise a million dollars, turn it off.
•If they offer to send you a little statue or amulet that will help your prayer life, turn it off
•If they keep flashing their phone number and saying, “operators are standing by,” turn it off.
Authentic servants of God aren’t in it for the money.
Turn back to 1 Thessalonians 2 again: 6 We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else. As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7 but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.
You see God isn’t obsessed about money at all.
•God doesn’t lay awake at night worrying about how he’s going to raise enough money for the new building program; about whether he will lose the mortgage on heaven.
•To God, money is of no consequence. He has all the resources he needs. He can print as much of that stuff.
God is interested in one thing alone, a humble and obedient heart.
•He wants servants with a heart for him alone.
•And that’s something Simon does not have.
Back in Acts 8. Look at v. 20: Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
Peter says, “You are on the road to ruin, because greed always destroys.
Leo Tolstoy once wrote a story about a successful peasant farmer who was not satisfied with his lot. He wanted more of everything.
•One day he received a novel offer. For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown.
•Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground.
•Well into the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point. He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run, knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost.
•As the sun began to sink below the horizon he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared.
•He immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth. In a few minutes he was dead.
•Afterwards, his servants dug a grave. It was not much over six feet long and three feet wide.
•The title of Tolstoy’s story was: How Much Land Does a Man Need?
•Of course the answer is six feet by three feet. Bits and Pieces, November, 1991 http://www.bible.org/illus/illus/illu0290.htm
Peter says, “may your money perish with you.” That’s as much a prediction as a judgment.
•One commentator translated this “To hell with your money.” “You will take your money to the grave with you, but it won’t do you any good there.”
•Whoever dies with the most toys doesn’t win. Whoever dies with the most toys still has to leave them in the garage.
[[Jesus told the story of the Rich Fool.]]
It is obvious from the story that Simon’s faith was never real. Look at verse 21 again: You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. In verse 23 it says, you are full of bitterness and captive to sin
Simon’s faith was not authentic.
•Now you might ask, “How could Luke say back in verse 13a that “Simon believed.”
•But the Bible says that there is a kind of faith that does not save.
•Jesus told a parable about different kinds of soils. In Luke 8:13 Jesus describes the second soil like this: “Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.”
•James talks about a faith that is a mere outward show (James 2:20, 26), but then he says that kind of faith is dead, lifeless. (cf. 1 Cor. 15:1-2)
You see Simon showed up at the meetings, but his heart was not there.
•He said all the right words. He sang the right songs.
•But this was not about a relationship with God
Notice the last thing that Simon says in verse 24: Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
Now some people say that this is Simon’s act of repentance, but notice that all Simon says, is “Pray for me. I don’t want to get hurt.”
•Simon still has only one thing on his mind. Self-preservation.
•The bottom line is his own welfare. How can I get out of this and still keep my job?
•That sounds like some politicians. It sounds like some Televangelists.
You see, this is our third and last evidence of counterfeit faith. Simon is motivated:
3. By fear of punishment rather than love for God
Counterfeit faith is concerned with self preservation.
That raises a good question, “Why are you here?”
•Maybe it’s a good place to socialize; maybe you like the music; but is your heart right with God?
The reason we come together is not to have a good time (though we have a good time).
•We are here to get to know God. To worship him. To lift him up. To grow in our relationship with him.
Conclusion
I sometimes get calls from concerned family members of those involved in various religious groups. Just over the last few weeks I’ve had two calls.
•One of the questions is always, “Is this group o.k. theologically?”
•Raises a great question. How do you tell whether this group is authentic or counterfeit.
•The answer is, “You immerse yourself in the truth.” You get to know the real thing.
I read an interesting story. The Secret Service is the government organization that combats counterfeits. And I read that when Secret Service agents are being trained to identify counterfeit bills, they don’t study counterfeit bills.
•Instead they study the real thing.
There’s a great principle there for us: How do you tell the real from the fake? Get utterly familiar with the real.
•read your Bible. What does the Bible say about Jesus Christ? What does it mean that he is God? That he is the Son of God? His death on the cross? Most cults deny these things.
•Nurture a personal prayer life. Build a relationship with God.
