Simon's Pride Versus God's Power (052823)

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Text Reading: Acts 8:9-12.

Title: Simon’s Pride Against God’s Power

Message: Simon’s Pride Against God’s Power

Does it ever seem that we’re in a battle that we are losing? That can be very discouraging!

But, this morning I want to encourage you that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!

Overview

Philip preached Christ in Samaria.

Philip performed miracles to confirm/authenticate his message.

Many were saved. We don’t know how many. What we do know is that, as a result of God’s work in Samaria, through Philip, there was great joy in the city.

Really vs. 5-8 give us, in a nutshell, what took place in the city of Samaria.

Through the following verses, which we’ll look at today, the Holy Spirit gives us a little insight into some of the specifics that took place in Samaria surrounding Philip’s ministry there.

One individual, living in Samaria, who also heard Philip, was Simon. We read about him in vs. 9-11.

Who was Simon?

Acts 8:9 KJV 1900

But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:

He used sorcery.

The word that is used in vs. 9 for sorcery is the same word from which we get our word magic and it has, at its root, the same word that is used in Matthew chapter 2.

Matthew 2:1 KJV 1900

Now when Jesus was born in Beth-lehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Pastor David Sorenson, about Simon said:

Whether this fellow actually practiced the occult and had Satanic power or was just a charlatan knowledgeable in sleight of hand and other trickery is not clear.

Question: Which do we need to be more cautious of? Those with Satanic powers or those who are simply good at deceiving people?

2 Timothy 4:2–4 KJV 1900

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Galatians 3:1 KJV 1900

O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

Many are the individuals who have been fooled - not by outright Satanic power - but by religious fraudsters and deceivers who know how to mix just enough truth with a whole lot of error!

The only way to combat that kind of sorcery is through a complete and thorough knowledge and understanding of the Truth!

Regardless of whether Simon had Satanic power or he was a simple trickster who was good at deceiving people, because of this, vs. 9 tells us that..

He bewitched the people of Samaria.

The word bewitched means that the people were amazed or astonished. It can also mean confounded.

The English word bewitched means fascinated or charmed.

Does it ever amaze you at how many people have been bewitched by so much error and have literally fell under its control? This includes just about every “social issue” that our country is facing today?

Oliver B. Greene wrote:

How thankful I am that believers today have the God-breathed words penned down by Peter [and others], assuring us that we need not be confounded or confused by even the most cunning of demon-possessed fortunetellers and magicians.

1 Peter 2:6 (KJV 1900)

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Simon bewitched the people of Samaria.

He was boastful and proud.

Question: Which was more dangerous, the fact that Simon used sorcery or that he was boastful and proud.

I would say that, while his sorcery was dangerous to others, his pride was more dangerous to himself than was his sorcery.

Proverbs 6:16–17 KJV 1900

These six things doth the Lord hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,

Proverbs 16:18–19 KJV 1900

Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Remember, it was pride that caused Lucifer to rebel against God to begin with!

Ezekiel 28:17 KJV 1900

Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness: I will cast thee to the ground, I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

While we should beware of pride in others we had certainly beware of pride in our own lives!

We then come to vs. 10-11:

Acts 8:10–11 KJV 1900

To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

The people paid attention to Simon.

The people believed him to be a man of God.

With that, I again caution you with the passages I mentioned earlier from 2 Timothy chapter 4 and Galatians chapter 3. Apparently, there was just enough truth in what Simon did and said that caused to believe that he was a man of God!

The need for our hour is the spirit of discernment! (More will be said about that further on in Acts chapter 8.)

Now, to an individual, such as Simon, caught by their own pride, this was a dangerous drug!

These verses set the stage for what happens next.

Acts 8:12 KJV 1900

But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

But when they believed Philip...

Look back at vs. 6. When Philip began his ministry in Samaria, vs. 6 says:

…The people gave heed unto those things which Philip spake...

All of a sudden Simon found himself in a position where the people stopped listening to him; they stopped paying attention to him and they began to listen to and pay attention to Philip.

All of a sudden the spotlight had been shifted. Simon no longer was the center of attention. Now, the preaching of Christ was center stage and was receiving top billing.

And that, I believe, was something that Simon’s proud and boastful heart could not stand.

Simon had finally met his match. Simon’s ability - even if it was demonic and Satanic in nature - was, as one preacher said, “…poor and shoddy stuff indeed compared with...” the power of God as demonstrated through the ministry of Philip.

I’m reminded of the battle between Moses and the Egyptian sorcerers:

Exodus 7:10–12 KJV 1900

And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

Moses turned the Nile river into blood. (Ex. 7:22) The Egyptian sorcerers were able to do the same.

Moses caused frogs to cover the land of Egypt. (Ex. 8:7) The Egyptian sorcerers were able to do the same. However, the Egyptian sorcerers could not get rid of the frogs.

Exodus 8:8 KJV 1900

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the Lord, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord.

Moses caused all the dust of Egypt to become lice; the Egyptian sorcerers could not.

Exodus 8:18 KJV 1900

And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

At that point, even the Egyptian sorcerers recognized that they were no match for God!

Exodus 8:19 KJV 1900

Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

The Egyptians sorcerers were helpless against the power of God.

Exodus 9:10–11 KJV 1900

And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

Simon could not stand before the power of God as demonstrated by Philips’ ministry!

To understand that, put vs. 11 and 12 together from Acts chapter 8:

Acts 8:11–12 KJV 1900

And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

I would dare say that, when we read this account from Acts chapter 8, that we generally “get stuck” on the question, Did Simon really get saved? (We’ll consider that next week.)

However, in doing that, we fail to really appreciate the spiritual battle in these verses and the fact that God’s power was - and is - so much greater!

In 1 Samuel chapter 17, we find the armies of Israel confounded/bewitched by the armies of the Philistines, particularly the giant Goliath.

On to the battlefield steps a young boy, David, who, because of his tested faith in God, refuses to be intimidated and defeated by the giant.

1 Samuel 17:44–47 (KJV 1900)

And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. [2 Corinthians 10:3-5]

This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.

There was a battle that took place in Samaria as recorded in Acts chapter 8 and praise the Lord that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world!