The False Faith of Simon

Turn to Acts 8… see Simon the sorcerer demonstrate, false faith in Jesus.

Church—Anger—Persecution—Scattering—Preaching

True Faith & Phony faith… Faithful & Faithless

This is illustrated in chapter 8… the true faith of the Ethiopian, in contrast to the false faith, of Simon.

And by the end of our study, may you examine your own hearts and see if it, indeed, is right with the Almighty God.

1. Simon claimed to be someone great

Acts 8:9–11 (NASB95)

Acts 8:9 NASB95

9 Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great;

Practicing magic:

False signs and wonders

Another magician named Elymas in Acts 13.

Acts 13:10 “10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?”

Claimed to be GREAT!

You see, he came to God not because he needed God, but because he thought he could gain some more glory for himself by getting in on this new thing.

He’s PRIDEFUL

Anyone who comes to faith in Christ because of a desire to be uplifted in the eyes of men, is no person of faith at all!

Romans 3:27 “27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.”

Pride is a SEVERE problem… keeps people away from God

You see it with preachers… inside and outside of the Church

They stand behind the pulpit and just SEEP… pride

Benny Hinn

Any preacher, any many of God who claims to be someone great, is far from being a man of God

Stems from a wrong view of man… thinking that man is something good.

You hear it all the time, especially with religious people:

I’m a good person though!

I give to the food bank

I help out my grandparents

I follow the rules most of the time!

I’m kind/loving/different

I believe in God

Isaiah 64:6 “6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

How good/valuable are you, when God sees you as a dead man with a dead heart.

Acts 8:10–11 NASB95

10 and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” 11 And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.

They ALL… smallest to greatest

The Samaritans

Mixed breed… Conglomeration of religious styles

No scriptural foundation whatsoever (OT)… thrown away by every wind and doctrine

The Great Power of God

These false signs:

Blaspheme the Father who never authorized this

Blaspheme the Son who the true and genuine signs are supposed to verify

Blaspheme the SPIRIT who TRULY convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement… not some parlor trick!

He put on a cloak of being God, Christ, Holy Spirit… but underneath was a lying deceptive cruel human who sought glory in magnifying HIMSELF as god.

Who is Great?

Only the God of Heaven and earth!

The soul of man is wicked and desperately sick, who can heal it?

Verse 11 says they were astonished for a LONG time!

2. Simon claimed to be truly saved

Acts 8:12–13 (NASB95)

Acts 8:12–13 NASB95

12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. 13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.

“When they believed” … almost implies the whole town!

Philip preached the good news:

the kingdom

the savior

“And were being baptized”… means immersed in water.

Why? well backtrack to Acts 2. After the Jews were pierced and cut to the heart, they not only BELIEVED in Jesus, but repented from their past ways and were baptized for the remission of their sins.

Thats happening here too.

Philip preaches the good news…

Philip preaches the kingdom…

Philip preaches the savior…

And in response, the people FIRST believed… then were immersed in water to be added to the Church.

“Even Simon himself believed”

He believed! baptized! continued!… a synopsis of a true Christian!

But being a Christian externally, MUST be coupled with being a Christian INTERNALLY!

I have baptized and I’m sure the elders and some of you have baptized individuals that did EVERYTHING RIGHT… yet there heart, albeit pierced for a time by the Words of Christ, departed from serving the one true God

Simon thought… if I can’t beat em, I’ll join Him… and claimed to have genuine repentance… when his heart will tell us otherwise in this very chapter

2 Corinthians 5:17 “17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

Christianity was to Simon, a hot commodity to do greater signs and wonders… not an avenue of true submission and devotion to God

Salvation isn’t just a simple profession or sudden impulse… its a commitment in full to the life of Jesus Christ

3. Simon claimed to be rich enough

Acts 8:14–23 (NASB95)

Acts 8:14–17 NASB95

14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.

…

Acts 8:18–23 NASB95

18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 “You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”

He saw it and said: I have to buy it!

He didn’t want the sanctifying power of the Spirit did he? NO!

He wanted to capture more people and intice them with miracles!

His heart was WICKED!

High view of himself, low view of God

Want to know something about God?

Nothing He has is for sale.

You have nothing of value to offer that God wants

All that God has to give is free. free free.

Its all over the Bible… Naaman the leper… buy healing… had to dip 7 times in Jordan

4. Simon claimed to be above punishment

Acts 8:24 (NASB95)

Psalm 10:4 “4 The wicked, in the haughtiness of his countenance, does not seek Him. All his thoughts are, “There is no God.””

A high view of himself, and a low view of God.

1. Simon claimed to be someone great

2. Simon claimed to be truly saved

3. Simon claimed to be rich enough

4. Simon claimed to be above punishment

May no-one leave this building today who is not right with God in their hearts