Acts 8 Simon the Sorcerer
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 9 viewsNotes
Transcript
You may not be aware of the sin of Simony. But it is a sin that jumps from the pages of the NT. It is not about Simon Peter but this man Simon Magus or Simon the Magician.
A man who has made an incredible name for himself among the people of Samaria. He appeared in the wake of the newly established church in Samaria.
Sorcery, which is strongly condemned by God (Deuteronomy 18:9–13),
When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy God.
was common in the ancient world, and, while some acts and demonstrations were no more than illusions of the mind,
Some were empowered by devils in an attempt to discredit the power of God
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
Simon was one of these powerfilled decievers, as Luke states that he had amazed the Samaritans “for a long time with his sorcery” (Acts 8:11), So powerful was he that some even declared that he was “the great Power of God” (Acts 8:10), a messianic title.
Upon hearing and seeing the disciple Philip “as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 8:12), Simon was baptized into the early church and “followed Philip everywhere” (Acts 8:13).
The evidence of verse 16 is that the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon the Samaritans (Acts 8:16). FALSE TEACHING ALERT: Note that there are those of the 2nd baptism of the Holy Spirit stripe that will tell you that you need to be baptized with Spirit because like the Samaritans you did not get the Holy Spirit at Salvation. Or that there is a second better dose to those that are subject to laying on of hands. This is a failure to let the passage run the narrative.
These were Samaritans (note this doesn’t happen anywhere else). Why would this be important? Because the Samaritans were from the line of the Jews. Their pure line was lost in the marrying and being put out of the Family. See Nehemiah. But they still had claim to the Promised Holy Spirit in the line of Israel.
So God gives to them a Pentecost of their own. Where they will now have access to the Same Holy Spirit as the Jews.
Note that Verse 1 indicates that this is a special line up…
Judea and Samaria are the completion of the first two phases of the Great Commission. Of Acts 1:8
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
I have heard people conjecture as to why the uttermost part of the earth isn’t compartmentalized like the first three. Because this was the concentrations of Jewish civilization. And a prophecy to the order Jesus wanted the commission to extrapolate and Luke is demonstrating that Jesus had his way in the Gospel rollout.
It is these original apostles Peter and John arrived, at which time the Spirit came upon the believers.
Simon witnessed this event and “offered them money and said, ‘Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 8:19–20).
I want you to see that God has always placed motivation as a high value to him.
In other-words, the reason for following God can pollute what you do in his name.
King Saul in I Samuel 15:23 was accused of this sin of sorcery and witchcraft. There Samuel declared that in God’s eyes Saul’s excuses for disobedience were only to hide a rebellious heart. His rebellion was to God the odor of one who wanted the power of the Divine without surrender to Divine Authority.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord,
He hath also rejected thee from being king.
You can want the power of the God without surrender to God’s Authority.
But we are not allowed to imagine that God is in anyway inclined to grant blessing or relationship to this user of God’s kindness.
There are plenty of people who are trying to live this life as if God is blessing or that God will understand, but refuse to surrender to his control. This evening God is looking for disciples that look like the disciples of chapter 8. They lost everything and took all their possessions and backpacked them to another location all together and you do not hear complaining and grumbling. You hear instead the Gospel going everywhere.
We know you can’t buy the Holy Spirit.
We know this before we ever even get to Chapter 8. Because we’ve seen this before. Remember the rich young ruler came to Jesus and approached Him with all the right words. But then went away sorrowful for he had great riches.
Jesus sends him away because he wanted a place with the Divine without sacrificing with the Divine Almighty.
You can want a place with God and his people without sacrificing with the Almighty.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
The Offence in God’s eyes:
At this point, Peter strongly reprimands Simon for his greed and states that he needs to
But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
John Phillips says that he basically is condemning this man and his money to hell.
Three estimations
You don’t have a place with these
He is not born again. He will not only not receive the power of the Holy Spirit he will not be receiving the Holy Spirit at all without a quick repentance.
Your heart is not right with God.
You cannot be okay with mistreating the grace of God and be right with God. You can’t look down on his mercy, grace, and blessings and imagine that He will abide it. - This attitude is wicked in the eyes of God. We say this phrase often in the church world - His heart isn’t right with God. That is not a judgmental spirit. It is an estimation used in Scripture. There are some in here tonight that are living your life outside of God’ revealed Word. You think that He is looking the other way, or that He will understand…I submit to you that your heart is not right with God.
In the song - This blessed old book one line says,
“Now its critics are many,
believers are few,
But one thing I’ve found to be true.
If you find when you read it that there’s something wrong,
there’s something wrong with you.”
Gall of Bitterness
In Acts 8:23 gall is used metaphorically to describe the bondage which keeps Simon Magus from discerning the grace of God.
Simon was trapped by his own understanding of God’s Grace. He was held outside the transformation of God’s Grace because he refused to surrender to the one who offers the grace.
As a result he was Bound up and trapped in Iniquity. What is meant by iniquity?
Iniquity is different than sin. Where sin is the missing of a mark. It is to know right and chose wrong. Iniquity is to hold on to sin in a refusal to make things right with God.
Sin is to do wrong. Iniquity is the twisting and distortion that takes place when one holds on to sin.
He distorts his view of God.
God’ll understand
He knows me
I don’t know that God even cares all that much.
He distorts his view of reality.
I could quit whenever
It doesn’t have control in my life.
He distorts his view of others
He distorts his view of Christ
He distorts his view of Grace
This man Simon is all twisted and distorted and cannot even see the most important part of this text.
It can be forgiven
I find it interesting that Peter doesn’t try some exercism. He doesn’t try to cast out the demon of bitterness. He points to the sin and requires something simple.
Repent
Pray
Make your heart right
Hey tonight you can be free from the iniquity that is distorting your heart. You can see things the way they really are. You don’t have to stay in this distortion.
Simon will not get it. He acted like He and God were good.
Acts 5. Peter’s Response to Simon (20–23)
• Simon expressed belief in the preaching of Philip (Acts 8:13)
• Philip received Simon as a kind of follower (Acts 8:13)
• Simon attended meetings of Christians (Acts 8:18)
But when it came time to deal with his iniquity instead of dealing with the sin.
Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.
He didn’t go to God to deal with the heart instead he seeks to avoid his consequences.
I want to remind you what Peter told Simon,
“Thou has neither part nor lot in this matter…”
This sounds something like Peter had heard before, Remember that the servant is not greater than his lord. That was spoken to Peter the night Jesus came to wash his feet. In John 13:8
Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.
Peter if you are to proud to be washed by me you don’t have any part with me.
This was the offering Peter was making to Simon, Simon if you haven’t been cleansed by Jesus you have no part with his Spirit.
My question to you is what are you attempting to have of Christ’s that did not come by a full surrender to him. With out holding back your heart. You might be deceived by an attitude that allows iniquity to distort and mess up your view of him. Some in here need to make their heart right with God.
