Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
0UNLIKELY
Disgust
0UNLIKELY
Fear
0UNLIKELY
Joy
0UNLIKELY
Sadness
0UNLIKELY
Language Tone
Analytical
0.1UNLIKELY
Confident
0UNLIKELY
Tentative
0.01UNLIKELY
Social Tone
Openness
0.9LIKELY
Conscientiousness
0.59LIKELY
Extraversion
0.17UNLIKELY
Agreeableness
0.8LIKELY
Emotional Range
0.73LIKELY
Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9
False Faith
Acts 8:9–25 (NKJV)
9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,
10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.”
11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.
14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,
15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 For as yet He had fallen upon none of them.
They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
19 saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!
21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.
23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”
24 Then Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.”
25 So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
One of the most fearful reality is that some who think they are saved will be eternally lost.
They think they are on the narrow path that leads to heaven, but in reality they are on the broad path of religion that leads to destruction.
Once day they will hear the Lord Jesus Christ tell them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.”
To there horror it will be too late.
Whenever the gospel is preached, it will inevitably produce both genuine saving faith and false faith.
The seed of the Word that is spread will fall on both good and bad soil.
There will be those branches that abide in the vine, and those that are cut off and burned.
There will be wheat and there will be tares.
In the text we have before us today, we have the first known attempt to sow a tare into the church, Simon Magus.
Simon appeared to be genuine believer; even one as discerning as Philip accepted him as such and baptized him.
Simon even followed Philip, showing the three marks of a genuine believer.
He believed, he was obedient in baptism, and he continued with Philip.
He illustrates the difficulty of telling the wheat from the tares.
It wasn’t until he attempted to buy the authority to confer the Holy Spirit that he was unmasked as a tare.
Where did Simon go wrong?
How did one who came so close, miss out on true salvation?
Faith must be grounded in truth, and his was not.
This passage reveals four glaring, massive faults .
He had a wrong view of self, salvation, the Spirit, and sin.
Those faults kept him form genuine faith and left him in the position to perish eternally.
I.
A Wrong View of Self (vs.
9-11)
Acts 8:9–11 (NKJV)
9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,
10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.”
11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.
a.
The view that man is essentially good is as pervasive as it is damning.
i.
It gives people a false sense of security causing them to think that God appoves their good deeds.
ii.
< .5
.5 - .6
.6 - .7
.7 - .8
.8 - .9
> .9