SERMON OUTLINE:
A wrong view of self (vs9-11)
A wrong view of salvation (vs 12-13)
A wrong view of the Spirit (vs 14-23)
A wrong view of sin (vs 22-24)
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• When architect Sir Christopher Wren;
• Designed the interior of Windsor Town Hall near London in 1689,
• He built a ceiling supported by pillars.
• But he hit a problem – health & safety!
• The civic authorities inspected the building,
• And they decided the ceiling would not stay up with what Wren had constructed;
• So they ordered him to put in some extra pillars.
Now nobody likes their work to be criticized:
• So England's greatest architect knew that the ceiling did not need any more support,
• So he pulled ‘a fast one’.
• He added four pillars that looked the part;
• But actually they don't even reach the ceiling. They were just a little short!
• From the ground they looked like they were supporting the ceiling;
• But it was an optical illusion to fool the civic authorities.
• And even today;
• Those four extra sham pillars fool or amuse many a tourist.
ill:
• As a family we have enjoyed a number of holidays in Turkey,
• In a small town called Kalkan.
• Now if you go into the town center and along the sea front shops,
• You will come across a jewelers shop,
• In the window of that shop is a great big sign that says; ‘Genuine Fakes’.
• TRANSITION: Well those two stories might amuse;
• But actually there is nothing funny about being conned!
ill:
• There is on the BBC;
• A consumer rights programme called ‘Fake Britain’
• The programme covers various aspects of counterfeiting and its effects on consumers;
• Including dangerous tools, ineffective or dangerous medicines,
• Shoddy goods sold under reputable names, and documents used for identity theft.
• TRANSITION: It is a reminder that there is nothing funny about being conned!
• People get hurt and can often lose a lot of their life savings.
The focus character in today’s passage is a man called Simon.
• Simon is a fake.
• He may look like a watch that has Rolex or a Versace on the outside;
• But on the inside of you removed the cover;
• You would find cheap parts and also probably the words made in China.
Now Simon appeared to have genuine faith and was even baptized;
• Certainly the other Christians in Samaria thought that he was a true believer;
• That is why they baptised him (v 13).
• Now not everyone baptized is a genuine convert;
• I guess it is only the test of time that reveals it,
Ill:
• The Parable of the Sower (sometimes called the Parable of the Soils);
• Is a parable of Jesus found in Matthew, Mark & Luke’s Gospels.
• In this story, a sower sowed seed on the path, on rocky ground and among thorns,
• And the seed was lost;
• But when the seed fell on good earth it grew, yielding thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.
• To summarize the point of the Parable of the Sower:
• A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.
• A secondary lesson would be salvation is more than a superficial,
• Just because someone might joyfully respond to the gospel message;
• Does not mean that person is genuinely saved;
• In time, someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it.
• TRANSITION: Simon the magician is a good example of this parable;
• He responded to the message joyfully;
• But alas his heart was not right and he was not genuinely converted.
Note: The difference between the pure and the phony:
• The pure:
• When the Samaritans believed they responded to verse 4 the “Preached word”;
• And verse 5: The message of Jesus “Proclaimed the Messiah”
• These people heard the gospel and responded to it.
• Yes it was accompanied by signs and miracles;
• But the emphasizes in these verses is they believed the word and were saved.
• Later on when Peter & John arrived from Jerusalem what did they do:
• Verse 25: “…they further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus”
• The Phony:
• Notice what we are told about Simon (vs 13):
• “…astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw”
• Simon’s faith was not in the Word of God,
• But in the miracles he saw Phillip perform.
• And the emphasis with Simon in these verses is always miracles and never content.
Note:
• This is the third time in the book of Acts, in the history of the early Church;
• When the ‘weeds and thorns’ appear and try to choke to death the good seed.
• FIRST: was the story of Ananias and Sapphira (chapter 5);
• When the problem was deception and hypocrisy.
• SECOND: was the disagreement and arguments (chapter 6);
• Which sprouted among the disciples when they quarreled and argued;
• Over the distribution of goods to the widows.
• THIRD: was this incident (chapter 8);
• The presence of religious falseness.
Notice its characteristics.
• The primary and outstanding mark;
• By which this kind of religious falseness can be recognized is given to us right away:
• Verse 9:
(1). A WRONG VIEW OF SELF (vs. 9-11).
“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, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, ‘This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.’11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery.”
• All false faith exalts personalities, makes much over men.
• It involves the inflation of an individual, usually by self-aggrandizement.
• These individuals like Simon are always egocentric, always pointing to themselves:
• And they use religious terminology to make it happen.
Ill:
• Just contrast Phillip (who you looked at last week) & Simon;
• Philip (vs 4) says; ‘proclaimed the Messiah’
• Philip’s motivation and duty was to attract people to Jesus.
• Simon’s motivation and ambition with his magic is to draw attention to himself.
• That is his sole aim
Ill:
• Think of the words of the Apostle Paul
• (2 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 5)
• "We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord”
• Genuine Christianity makes nothing of the individual.
• Because it is all about Jesus!
• Counterfeit Christianity is built on individual men and women who exalt themselves.
• It is how great and important they and their gifting is.
Now Simon was good at what he did, just listen to the press reports:
• Verse 9: Says everyone was "amazed"
• (That word means "astounded or confounded or astonished").
• Simon was not just good, he was very good at his craft.
• The people knew it and so did he - listen to how he described himself in verse 9:
• “He boasted that he was someone great”,
Ill:
• The Boxing legend Mohammed Ali;
• Used to shout into the microphone or down the TV camera lens;
• The words, “I am the greatest!”
• But it looks like he stole that catchphrase from this man Simon;
• Because he was using it two thousand years ago!
• TRANSITION: Simon proclaimed himself as the greatest.
• Now if you will forgive the pun like Mohammed Ali he too had feet of ‘clay’.
• And he recognized one day there was a greater power than what he had.
Note:
• When the Bible uses this term, magic,
• It is not talking about sleight-of-hand tricks done before an audience.
• This isn’t Paul Daniels or Penn & Teller or Dynamo.
• Rather, the term it applies to the occult,
• (The occult - Latin word ‘occultus’);
• Literally means “hidden from view,” or “hidden, secret"
• Scholars say that the term ‘Sorcery’ was used for a combination of things:
• That could have included:
• Astrology, horoscopes, fortune telling, tarot readings and other occult practices.
• TRANSITION:
• The point is what Simon practiced was not from the God of the Bible!
• But from satanic sources dressed up to appear as something good.
• Yet when Simon encountered Phillip;
• Simon realized his magical powers were no match for Philip's Spirit given power.
• And he saw in Philip a means to gain even more greatness for himself.
Application:
• The right view of mankind is we are loved and valued by God.
• We are the pinnacle of his creation designed to know him, serve him & love him.
• But we are also flawed (sinful) individuals.
• We cannot come to a holy God in our own goodness & pride;
• Because we can never be good enough
• Remember "The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector"
• (Luke chapter 18 verses 9-14
• Simon was like the Pharisee – “Look at me, be impressed with me”
• The Samaritan believers were like the Tax Collector - “Lord, have mercy on me”
• The Bible is very clear (James chapter 4 verse 6);
• “God opposes (resists) the proud but gives grace (favour) to the humble”
(2). A WRONG VIEW OF SALVATION (vs 12-13)
“But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.”
Ill:
• It’s always interesting how we view things.
• The pessimist says, "My glass is half empty."
• The optimist says, "My glass is half full."
• The corporate-downsizing consultant says,
• "Looks like we've got twice as much glass as we need here."
• TRANSITION:
• On first viewing/reading the impression is Simon became a Christian;
• And if this were the only statement about Simon in the passage;
• Then we would have to conclude that he had become a genuine Christian.
• We would determine that from the language used to describe him;
• Which is the same as that used for genuine believers.
• "Simon himself believed, and was baptized."
• He even got baptized by immersion;
• Something that sadly many genuine believers today will not do;
• For some reason they seem to see it as an optional extra when it is a clear command!
• Simon made a profession, got baptized;
• And openly joined this company of people who said they belonged to Jesus.
Yet on second reading and looking at the verses that follow;
• It seems to me Simon was not actually a genuine Christian.
• He was what we sometimes call, ‘A professor but not a possessor’.
• That is he professed the right words, but he did not possess the Holy Spirit.
• And the rest of the account makes it crystal clear that this man was not a believer.
• He was not regenerate, ‘born again’ by the Holy Spirit of God;
• He was a fraud, a sham
• His heart was unregenerate, as the rest of the account will make clear,
Ill:
• Charles Haddon (CH) Spurgeon;
• Was the great eighteenth century British Baptist preacher.
• He is known as the "Prince of Preachers".
• It is estimated that in his lifetime,
• Spurgeon preached to around 10 million people,
• And saw many folks come to faith in Jesus Christ through his ministry.
• The story is told that one day Spurgeon
• Was walking down the street and passed a drunken man in a doorway.
• The drunk recognized Spurgeon and called out to him;
• “Mr Spurgeon I am one of you converts!”
• Spurgeon looked at the man and replied;
• “Sadly, I guess you are one of MY converts and not one of Jesus Christ’s”
• TRANSITION:
• Simon may have been one of Phillip’s converts but he was not one of Jesus Christ’s!
Pause and ask: What is a genuine Christian?
• In plain English I would suggest that the gospel is:
• Somebody who believes in Jesus Christ, who follows Jesus Christ;
• And who loves Jesus Christ!
Ill:
• Some people define the gospel to a simple formula:
• i.e. The Four Spiritual Laws.
• The first spiritual law: God loves you.
• Bible reference: John chapter 3 verse 16.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life,"
• The second spiritual law: Man is sinful and separated from God.
• Bible reference: Romans chapter 3 verse 23
• "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Rom. 3:23);
• The third spiritual law: Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin.
• Bible reference: Romans chapter 5 verse 8.
"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us,"
• The fourth spiritual law: We must individually receive Jesus as Saviour & Lord.
• Bible reference: John chapter 1 verse 12.
."But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,
even to those who believe in His name,"
• TRANSITION: The Four Spiritual Laws is a useful outline to have;
• And it is a good outline to grasp.
• But it certainly does not comprehensively summarise the gospel.
• Some critics call it ‘The Four Spiritual Flaws’ because;
• There is no mention of repentence.
• There is no mention of discipleship etc.
• So the Four Spiritual Laws is a useful outline to have;
• And it is a good outline to grasp.
• But it is just that an outline or a guide.
(3). A WRONG VIEW OF the HOLY SPIRIT (vs 14-23)
“When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
Ill:
• After going on a diet, a woman was really feeling good about herself;
• Especially when she was able to fit into a pair of jeans she had outgrown long ago.
• "Look, look!" she shouted while running downstairs to show her husband.
• "I can wear my old jeans again!"
• Her husband looked at her for a long time,
• Obviously struggling with knowing what to say.
• Finally, he just had to say it,
• "Darling, I love you, but those are my jeans."
• TRANSITION: We all get things wrong, at times it is humoures;
• But at other times it can be much more serious!
• Simon got it wrong big time;
• Simon wanted the power of God but not the person of Jesus Christ:
• Simon realized his magical powers were no match for Philip's Spirit given power.
• And he saw in Philip a means to gain even more greatness for himself.
• He even joined with the Christians in the hope of ‘getting the power’.
• And verse 13 tells us that he followed Philip everywhere;
• He was astonished at what he saw and determined to share in this experience.
• Even with his involvement with the supernatural powers of the occult;
• He could not duplicate the many signs and miracles he witnessed (vs 13).
• So Simon made a big mistake;
• He tried to buy the things of God with money.
• It was very common for Sorcerers to sell each other their tricks and spells for money.
• But Phillip was not a Jewish sorcerer he was a man of God!
• And God cannot be bought and neither can his power and gifts.
Note: These verses contrast the pure and the phony.
• The Pure are Peter and John, the true believers in Samaria;
• And the coming of the Holy Spirit.
• But notice it says of these believers in Samaria;]
• That the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen on them.
Questions:
• Well, then what had happened to them?
• Can a person become a Christian without the Holy Spirit?
• They had believed, they had been baptized;
• Did they or didn’t they have the Holy Spirit.
Note:
• The book of Acts is primarily a history book;
• Not a book to build your theology on.
• You go to the New Testament letters for your theology;
• You go to the book of Acts for your history.
The first 10 chapters in the book of Acts is a period of transition:
• The gospel being believed first of all by Jewish believers;
• (Acts chapter 2)
• Then by Samaritan (half-breeds) believers
• (Acts chapter 8)
• The by Gentile (non-Jewish) believers;
• (Acts chapter 10)
Question:
• But why did the Samaritans have to wait then for the apostles to arrive;
• Before they received the Holy Spirit?
• Why is this such a unique case?
Answer:
• For centuries the Samaritans and the Jews had been bitter rivals.
• You remember the shocking story Jesus told ‘The Good Samaritan’.
• (Luke chapter 10 verses 29-37)
• Shocking because to a Jew you could not be both good and a Samaritan;
• That was like being an honest their or having a square circle!
• Now if the Samaritans had received the Spirit independent of the Jerusalem church;
• That centuries old rift would have continued throughout the early Church.
• It could even have caused two separate churches to function;
• A Jewish Church and a Samaritan church and then later even a Gentile church.
• But God has designed only one church, which welcomes all types of people,
• Male and female, slave or free, Jew or Gentile or Samaritan
• (Galatians chapter 3 verse 28).
Therefore by delaying the Spirit's coming until the apostles arrived:
• God was preserving the unity of the church.
• The apostles needed to see for themselves;
• And give the first hand testimony to the Jerusalem church,
• That the Spirit had come upon the Samaritans.
• As he fell upon the Jews (Acts chapter 2),
• The Samaritans also needed to learn that they were subject to apostolic authority.
• Both Jew, Samaritan and Gentile are subject to the apostles and their teaching.
Note:
• RE: Holy Spirit - God’s pattern for today is Acts chapter 10:
• We hear the gospel, repent and believe;
• And we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Ill:
• When you became a Christian, As Jesus into your life etc,
• Weather you realised it or not, the Holy Spirit took up residence in your life.
• The word old English name ‘Holy Ghost’ is actually a good one;
• Because ‘Ghost’ is the Anglo Saxon word for ‘Guest’.
• Now did the Samaritans have the Holy Guest/Spirit in their lives?
• Or are they a unique case because;
• The Bible says in Romans chapter 8 verse 9, talking about the Holy Spirit:
• “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ”.
• Again in places like 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verses 12-13, Chapter 6 verse 19.
• “Our bodies are a temple and that the Holy Spirit lives in us”.
(4). A WRONG VIEW OF SIN (vs 22-24)
“Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages”
• Peter follows his condemnation of Simon with a call for his repentance.
• He commands Simon to repent of his wickedness.
Ill:
• Repentance is not like the man who sent a cheque and a note to the Inland Revenue;
• The note read; “Here is a cheque for £500,
• If I still can’t sleep at night I will send you the rest!”
• TRANSITION:
• The word repentance just does not just mean turning from sin;
• But it involves turning to someone else instead.
• What Peter is doing is challenging Simon to have a correct view of his sin:
• To recognize what the problem is – a sinful heart & mind.
• And to turn to Jesus Christ as the only one who can save repentant sinners.
• And if Simon did that then his sin would be forgiven.
• But that is the basis we come.
• Not to receive selfish supernatural gifts but to receive forgiveness of sins!
Question: Does Simon repent? We care not told.
Answer:
• We are told that he seems to have been shaken;
• He appears to be afraid of the consequences of his sin,
• But we are not told that he was repentant.
• Instead Simon asks Peter to pray for him;
• That the judgement predicted by Peter (v 20) may actually not happen.
Conclusion:
• Because Simon had a wrong view of himself, of salvation and of the Spirit and sin;
• He ended up with a faith that did not save which of course is no faith at all.
Simon made three big mistakes:
• FIRST: He did not see himself as a sinner;
• But instead thought of himself as one above others – ‘Simon the great’.
• He assumed he was good enough!
• SERMON BODY:
• SECOND: He didn't see salvation and the receiving of the Spirit as a gift;
• But thought it was something he could earn or buy.
• He misunderstood God and the ways of God.
• THIRD: He was not concerned about sin but just its consequences.
• Sadly we read only of fear and regret;
• And not salvation, forgiveness and joy.
Punchline: Do not make the same mistakes as Simon!
SERMON AUDIO:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=Qt7iDkSDHhcMcSs9ej0vkXximaqmFrVL
