Satisfied

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Enough is as Good as a Feast
Greed vs. Thanks
One of the movies that has been seen many times in our home is Mary Poppins. The “practically perfect” nanny has a lot of great lines in the movie, and on of my favorite lines is “Enough is as good as a feast”. In this simple statement, Mary Poppins is explaining a great truth about contentment. I think the Apostle Paul would have like the way Mary Poppins was trying to instill contentment, because he himself had tried to convey the idea of contentment as well.
Some of you have heard me say that Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me”, is one of those verses that is often quoted out of its context and made to mean something it did not. The point Paul makes is that he has learned to be content, through Jesus: Philippians 4:11–13
Philippians 4:11–13 ESV
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Paul, in his writings, shows that next to the gift of Christ, next to the promise of heaven and the idea of forgiveness, there really isn't much that he needs. He has learned to be content with what he has. Nothing is better than Christ, and the one who has Christ can learn to be content in any situation. Paul has experienced times of provision and times of lack, and has learned to be content. And the secret to being content, he says, is through Him who strengthens us, Jesus Christ.
As we conclude another calendar year, this message reminds us of our need to be satisfied, to be content, and to be thankful even in times of great need. We must hold fast to the secret of contentment, just as Paul did, and the secret is Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, many people who have heard the gospel, the good news, have believed in the truth of it but not submitted to the Lordship of Christ.
We will see in our passage the story of one man who clearly saw miracles and wonders, who believed, even was baptized, but in the end was shown to be in it for personal gain on this earth, not for the eternal blessing of God. He was not content with the blessing of forgiveness and God’s grace, but wanted more, and what he really wanted showed that he was not submitted to God, but rather desired to use God for his own purposes. Let’s look at our passage: Acts 8:9–24
Acts 8:9–24 ESV
But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
We see quite a story here: Simon the magician, a powerful magician who called himself great and others called him great. Like many a showman, he craved power and respect. Then he saw the miracles that Philip was performing and immediately realized that something greater was at work. he could not deny what he saw, the miracles could not be refuted. He may have had some type of power, but compared to this, he was impotent.
He believed, he was baptized. This is a place in scripture where I believe we see the difference between belief in something being true, and the saving faith that accepts the gospel for one’s own self. Simon believed, scripture tells us in verse 13. But then we see Peter’s rebuke and realize that it wasn't for his own salvation that Simon believed, or followed, but for his own performance enhancement. He wanted the power these men had, not for selfless purposes like the Apostles, but for financial gain, power, and respect.
Clearly, Peter sees through. The offer of money was appalling to the man of God. How could anyone expect that the grace of God could be sold, that His mercy had a price, that His power could be contained and traded? But Simon was a magician. Magicians will pay each other for secrets of the trade, for tips and lessons on drawing a better crowd, and drawing a crowd meant prestige and money.
Simon is accustomed to this. He expects when he sees the miraculous works of Philip and then Peter and John in the laying on of hands for others to receive the Holy Spirit that he can use this. What a great show! What entertainment! This will sell! And so he offers money for that which cannot be bought, which is freely given, and only God can give it. He is not content to accept salvation, but imagines that in this life he can profit from the power of the Holy Spirit. It shows that Simon is unregenerate. He does not exhibit the contrite heart that God will not turn away, but rather a proud and arrogant heart that thinks he can manipulate God, through commerce and guile. He isn't interested in eternal life, but his pride causes him to be puffed up and imagines how he could do better, and sees an opportunity to further his own earthly kingdom, unlike the Apostles who are focused on an eternal kingdom.
Simon is forever known for this. In fact, the word Simony is named for him, so in a way his desire for fame has been fulfilled, since 2000 years later we still talk of him. What is Simony? Originally, the word was used for those who would buy or sell an ecclesiastical office. In certain periods of church history, there was a disgusting practice of making someone a bishop or cardinal or some other office of the church through bidding, and the position was sold to the highest bidder. A wealthy person would have themselves appointed and then would make profit off of their office, through forced tithes and the selling of indulgences, or offering to pray dead relatives out of hell for a price. The word Simony today is expanded to include any kind of profiting off of the things of God.
Today, Simony exists in many forms. Many people still imagine that their financial gift to the church will somehow merit them extra grace, or because they gave a lot, they should have the ear of the church leadership, or have influence over God’s appointed shepherds. Many people imagine that they can control the direction of the church, either through their giving or withholding, as though God needs their money and will cave to their demands if only they would buy a stained glass window or a pew in the church. Meanwhile, the false sense of security of the rich person makes them comfortable that they can do as they please, and be blessed because they give.
It reminds me of two brothers who were notorious in their town. They were dishonest in business, womanizers, partiers, slanderers, and spoke with filthy language that would make a sailor blush. When one of the brothers died, the other brother told the minister, “If, during the funeral, you call my brother a saint, I will give to the church $100,000.” The minister, knowing the man could not be trusted, insisted on payment before the funeral, and the man wrote out the check.
During the funeral message, the minister began: “ we all know the deceased for his reputation. He was a vicious, angry man, who would fight anyone who looked at him the wrong way. He destroyed many marriages in this town through his womanizing. He cheated everyone he could, and lied without shame. He was one of the worst men who ever lived in this county, and most likely no on will miss him. He surely will be crying out for all eternity for relief from the heat of hell as he suffers for his many sins.”
At this point, the living brother was about to stand and challenge the preacher when the preacher concluded: “But compared to his brother, he was a saint.”
Yes, today people still believe that the pulpit may be for sale. They will pay a good price to be flattered, and consoled, all the while making no commitment to God. You can read in Numbers 16 about the rebellion of Korah, who told Moses and Aaron they had no right to rule, no right to represent the people before God. Korah organized people who would go against Moses and Aaron. God answered the rebellion by having the earth swallow up Korah and his family and killed 250 of the rebels with fire from heaven.
Still, the people rebelled, and rather than blame Korah and the conspirators for what happened, they blames Moses and Aaron. So God made Aaron’s rod bloom to prove that Aaron was the legitimate priest. So people feeling they can pressure or influence their leaders is nothing new. Throughout all time, people have felt that they can use influence, whether money or power, to influence God, and God is still on the throne, Holy and Righteous and just, and mankind is still subject to him, whether they accept his lordship or not. So Simony is attempting to buy favor from God.
Simony also happens on the side of those in ministry. Money is tempting for ministers and many times an opportunity presents itself to exchange the truth of God for cold, hard cash. Many in ministry will tickle ears, as Paul warned, and will say what it is that keeps the seats filled and the offering plate full, and the minister will be held to account for all of this. Ezekiel was told he was a watchman. God said if Ezekiel did not warn people of the wrath of God to come, he was responsible for their blood.
If he warned and they did not respond, then the people had warning and the blood was on their own heads. Those in ministry are also like a watchman. They must not allow the wrong things to influence them, so that the message is the pure truth of God, taught and preached with humility and love towards those who desperately need to hear the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
People in ministry making profit is also not new. Nothing is new under the sun. You can read in 2 Kings 5 about Elisha healing Namaan. Namaan wanted to be healed of leprosy, and when Elisha told him to bathe in the Jordan 7 times and be clean, he did. He was healed. His response was a bit like Simon. He couldn't comprehend that such a powerful gift of healing was free, so he offered a financial reward to Elisha. Elisha said no, but Elisha’s servant heard about the reward. He followed after Namaan and lied and said Elisha wanted a reward, so Namaan gave him money and clothes. This was simony, using the gift of God to the personal advantage of the one put in charge of the gift. Elisha’s servant did not get by with it, however, because he received the leprosy that Namaan had been healed of.
No one can buy and no one can sell what is only God’s to give at His choosing. I don’t know if Simon the magician ever really got right with God, and understood the mercy and grace, but I think based on Peter’s response that at least at this point in time he was not right. We can safely assume this based on Peter’s statement. Remember that Peter had the discernment of someone full of the Holy Spirit. He uses a harsh rebuke. Literally, he says “you and your money can go to hell”. Then Peter says, “you have no part nor lot in this matter.” Clearly Peter is telling him he has missed the point.
He is not part of their ministry. He is an outsider, a usurper of sorts. Peter says repent! This is wickedness, and that Simon needs to pray for forgiveness. He says Simon is in the gall of bitterness. This is like saying you are poisoned, you are infected and dying of poison. And that poison is bitterness. We must be careful that we do not allow bitterness to take hold of us. And finally, we see that Simon had mere belief, but not saving faith. We see that he really has learned nothing. He attempted to buy the power of the Holy Spirit, was rebuked, and rather than fall on his face before God, he asks the Apostle Peter to pray for him.
My friends, we must never put our faith in someone else's hands. We cannot buy grace. We cannot hope that by our giving or support to the church or pastor or anyone else will cause grace to be extended. We cannot beseech like Simon did that someone else pray for us that we be forgiven. It is up to each of us to seek God and ask forgiveness. We earn nothing, we can buy nothing, and we cannot manipulate God.
We each, on the day of judgment, will stand on our own and answer. Your church treasurer will not be standing next to you giving account of your giving, you will stand alone, giving account for your heart. Your pastor will not be able to defend you, saying “They were such a good member”, you will stand on your own, explaining to God Almighty, not how you volunteered, or how you attended faithfully, but how you responded in faith to His love and how you treated the least of these. Each of us will make account to God.
No actions will earn anything for us. Actions are only a response to the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The gift is free. Freely you have been given, freely give. God has given the gift, he has done all the work, he has given you opportunities to put faith in him. It won’t be good enough to believe as Simon did. Mere intellectual agreement does not save. Faith coupled with repentance is what saved. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved”. The word believe here is not simply agreeing, it is putting trust in, a saving trust, a saving faith.
You cannot depend on anyone else’s faith to save you. That means children must not find security in the faithfulness of the parent, but must make their own decision to follow Christ. The faith of their parents must become the faith of the child. Tradition alone cannot save you. Confirmation class doesn't save you. Baptism doesn't save you. My prayer can’t save you, and even your own prayer can’t save you! What saves is a changed heart, that turns from sin, puts real faith in Jesus as the provider of all we need. Words cannot save. Jesus can.
And Jesus did what needed to be done. His grace is offered freely to us. We choose to accept it. But many people throughout history have felt they could have the saving grace of Jesus without giving anything up on their own. They assume they can join the church as they join the VFW, or American Legion, or Rotary, or any other club, and by paying their dues they will receive all the benefits of membership. The church is not like that. The church is not mere members, mere tithe paying attenders, not mere seat warmers, not mere show-watchers, not mere coffee drinkers, not mere keepers of records, not mere head nodders, not mere robots who blindly follow a leader on earth. The church is the body of Christ, he himself the Head of that Body. To be in the body of Christ, one must give all of themselves over to Christ. He becomes the center of the life. He becomes the lens of the glasses we look through .
He becomes the guide on our path. He becomes the air in our lungs. He becomes the light of our world. He is God, He is the creator, He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, He is the bright and morning star, He is our all in all! He is the wind in our sails, the wind beneath our wings, He is the living water that refreshes us so that we thirst no more! He is eternal life and He is promise. Jesus Christ is the center of our universe! He is my Jesus! Is he yours?
And so we get back to the idea of contentment. This New Year, once again we have an opportunity to reflect on the Almighty God, His creation, his solution to our sin problem, his gift to us, the family of God, the church, the bride of Christ. Simon was not content with what he saw. He imagined personal glory and power. His pride drove him. Our humility must drive us. Not one should think of themselves higher than they ought. We must bow our knee to Christ and serve each other as He modeled for us.
Are you content to receive the grace of God as He chooses to bestow it on your life, in His time and seasons? In the way He sees fit? In the way He thinks best for you? Can you, like Paul, claim you have learned the secret of being content, that it is through Him who strengthens you? Can you say, like Paul, up or down, thick or thin, that you know how to be content? Can you, like James, count it all joy when you encounter various trials, because they are perfecting your faith? God has been pleased to offer to you the abundant life. We think abundance means money, or gadgets, or luxury, but God’s abundance is so much more. Simon was not satisfied with God’s abundance. Are you? Are satisfied with Him? Are you satisfied in trusting in Him? Can you look at life, no matter what the circumstances, and no matter the pain, and no matter the difficulty, and no matter the emotional hurt, and say, “I know the secret to be content! THROUGH HIM WHO STRENGTHENS ME!”
I pray that in the coming year, that all of us, no matter what trials we are experiencing, no matter what pain we are going through, and if we are going through a good time and are well provided for, no matter what the circumstances, we can have the joy of the Lord, the peace that passes all understanding, the love of Christ to share with others, and the forgiveness towards others just like Him who on the cross forgave the very men who were putting Him to death.
Christ must be at the center. He must be our all in all. And as we go into a week where we think about Thanking Him, may we humbly bow our wills to Him and say, “Thy will be done”.
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