True Power: The Gospel Spreads to Samaria Acts 8:4-25

Acts 8:4–25 ESV

Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city. 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.” Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

Introduction

Late Night Infomercials promising power and control

When I was a kid, we didn’t have cable TV, which meant if you woke up late at night (which I often did) and you went to the living room to turn the TV on, you were stuck watching infomercials. Does anyone here remember those?

They were always selling products with the claim, “This gadget will change your life forever!” And then they’d show you a blender that could chop concrete, or a cream that promised to erase thirty years of wrinkles from your face. But the pitch was always the same: buy this thing so that you’ll finally have power, beauty, rest, or control.

These Infomercials Haven’t Gone Away They’ve Only Gotten Smarter

Fast forward to today. We’re not forced to watch infomercials late at night anymore, but they haven’t gone away—they’ve just gotten smarter. Algorithms track your searches and your conversations, and then send you ads that are tailored to your insecurities and desires. Whispering: “Wear this and people will admire you. Drive this and people will respect you. Subscribe to this and you’ll finally be happy and in control.”

Oldest Temptation in the book

But this isn’t just clever marketing—it’s the oldest temptation in the book. We’ve always tried to buy power, to manufacture impressiveness, to control what only God can give.

Today we meet Simon the Magician

And today we meet Simon the magician, a man who had built quite a following through buying and selling what the world considered powerful and impressive. That is until he is confronted with the unexplainable power of the Holy Spirit as the gospel of Jesus moves into Samaria. And this story teaches us this central truth:

We only see the false powers of the world for what they are when we stand in the presence of the true power of God.

1. The Gospel Advances in Weakness (vv. 4–8)

Let’s read…

Acts 8:4–8 ESV

Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.

So let’s put ourselves in the context of this scene.

Stephen has just been stoned to death, becoming the church’s first martyr. Saul, the one who approved of Stephen’s murder, has begun ravaging the church and breathing threats against believers. And as a result, the church is scattered. Persecution has broken out. And while we might expect to see fear, retreat and silence from the church…Scripture tells us something different.

Look at verse 4: “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.”

So the enemy tried to stomp out the fire of this young movement—but ends up just spreading the sparks. God is using the enemy’s victories to create His own. It’s how He works!

And He is doing it through ordinary servants. Not apostles. Not professional preachers. But through Philip, one of the deacons chosen to serve widows at the table. He is an ordinary servant, moving the gospel into new places with extraordinary power.

And what happens? Crowds listen. Demons flee. The paralyzed begin to walk. And as a result, verse 8 sums it up beautifully: “There was much joy in that city.”

Church, this is how the kingdom of God has always advanced—through ordinary believers, in ordinary places, sharing extraordinary news. Michael Green describes it this way in his book Evangelism in the Early Church:

“As early as Acts 8 we find that it is not the apostles but the ‘amateur’ missionaries, the men evicted from Jerusalem as a result of the persecution which followed Stephen’s martyrdom, who took the gospel with them wherever they went. … They went everywhere gossiping the gospel; they did it naturally, enthusiastically, and with the conviction of those who are not paid to say that sort of thing. Consequently, they were taken seriously, and the movement spread, notably among the lower classes.”

Isn’t that beautiful? The gospel spread not through professionals, but through ordinary people in ordinary places. They didn’t have pulpits, podcasts, or publishing deals. They had conversations in homes, at the market, on the job site and along the road. I love how he said “They gossiped the gospel.” God used the weak, the scattered and the overlooked to spread His gospel. The Spirit made sure their weakness became a platform for His strength.

So let me ask you: Where do you feel weak, or scattered, or overlooked? Maybe within some of those feelings, you wonder “could God ever use me?” Hear this: weakness has never been a barrier to God. In fact, Where we are weak he is strong. And He delights to send us on mission as ordinary people in ordinary places with extraordinary news.

2. The Allure of Counterfeit Power (vv. 9–13)

So the gospel is spreading. Philip is preaching. The city is full of joy. But right in the middle of this revival, Luke introduces us to a man named Simon.

Look with me at verse 9: “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.”

Simon was the kind of guy who had a brand before branding was a thing. He was a showman, a man who made sure everyone knew he was somebody. And it worked. Verse 10 says, “They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, ‘This man is the power of God that is called Great.’” He had influence. He had followers. He had status. He was impressive.

But here’s the problem: what Simon offered wasn’t real. He amazed, but he couldn’t transform. He impressed, but he couldn’t save.

This is exactly how the world’s version of power works. It runs on performance, image, and control. And it works for a while—people will admire you, they’ll respect you, they’ll even call you “great.” But it will never deliver. Because it’s counterfeit.

But when Philip arrived preaching Jesus, the contrast is clear. Simon is pointing to himself; Philip is pointing to Jesus. And the people could tell the difference. They left the counterfeit power for the real thing.

In fact, verse 13 says, “Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip.” Now this is fascinating. The magician who amazed others stands amazed. He sees something that all his tricks and illusions could never manufacture—the true power of God at work.

But as we’ll see as we continue, Simon’s story is also a warning. He is amazed by the power of God, but his heart was still tangled up in his desire for control, influence, and applause. He wanted the Spirit of God for the same reasons he wanted magic tricks—for leverage, for admiration, for power.

Church, don’t miss this: it is possible to look think you’re following Jesus, even going through the motions of baptism, and still not have a heart surrendered to Him. It is possible to admire the power of God but not submit to the presence of God.

And let’s be honest—don’t we all feel that pull? To treat God as a means to an end rather than the end Himself? We pray for blessing, but sometimes what we really want is comfort. We ask for His Spirit, but sometimes what we really want is success. We claim Jesus is Lord, but sometimes what we really want is to stay in control.

But here’s the good news: Jesus isn’t interested in just giving us a little bit of power to make our lives easier. He offers us something better—the true power that saves, transforms, and frees us from chasing the counterfeit altogether.

And that’s why we have some steps before we just baptize people here. Because we live in a part of the world where we are applauded for becoming Christian…which can actually make us get baptized for the wrong reasons. Instead of counting the cost of discipleship, we can actually just want to impress people or make people we love proud. Which there’s nothing wrong with, but its not surrendering to the lordship of Christ.

So we want to make sure that people have truly surrendered their heart to Jesus rather than just admire Him and the gifts that they can get because of that. Baptism is like your wedding day. It’s not the day you fall in love with the person you are marrying. But rather the day that you declare that love publicly and promise to commit to that relationship even when it’s really hard.

It is an outward declaration of an inward transformation. But the inward must always come first.

3. The Spirit Cannot Be Bought (vv. 14–24)

So the people are baptized, Simon is baptized and when the apostles in Jerusalem hear what’s happening in Samaria, they send Peter and John to affirm.

Now pause there for a moment. This is no small thing. This is the first time the apostles have left Jerusalem since they received the Holy Spirit. And they go to Samaria.

Historically, the Samaritans were despised by the Jews from Jerusalem. They were considered “half-breeds” because of their relationships with Gentiles. But God had been using the ministry of Jesus to soften their hearts. Samaria is where he met a woman at a well, which changed her life and brought many in her town to belief. And He also told them a parable about what it means to be a neighbor using a good samaritan as the prime example, and this was no mistake. He was planting seeds. He was preparing them for this moment. He went before them to make a way.

So Peter and John are coming not with condemnation but with compassion.

God was doing something new. The gospel was crossing a cultural and historical line for the very first time. The Spirit had been poured out at Pentecost on Jewish believers in Jerusalem. Now, the same Spirit was going to fall on Samaritans—outsiders, enemies, the ones everyone thought could never belong to the kingdom of God.

And the way God orchestrates it is beautiful. He waited to pour out the Spirit until Peter and John arrived. So that the apostles themselves could witness it with their own eyes, and could testify back in Jerusalem: “The Samaritans really have received the same Spirit as us.” Through the trusted testimony of the apostles, God is creating unity by demonstrating that in Christ we are one family, joined by one Spirit.

CHUNK

But then we hit the twist. Verse 18: “Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.”

Simon sees the Spirit at work and thinks, “I need that power too. How much will it cost me?” He is treating the Spirit of God like another trick he can add to his magic show.

And Peter ain’t having it. Verse 20 says: “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!” Peter is calling Simon out for what he is: a man who wanted the gifts without the Giver.

With this warning, he is essentially saying, Simon, your heart is in a dark and dangerous place. This isn’t about money. This is about you wanting the benefits of God without surrendering to the Lordship of Christ. This is serious.

Peter’s rebuke is sharp, but it’s also filled with grace. If we claim Christ for the wrong reasons, we will ask others to claim Christ for the wrong reasons, which will result in a poor witness to a lost world. Peter knows this. And we should know this. So, he doesn’t just condemn Simon—he calls him to repent. Verse 22: “Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.” Peter shows us something we all need to remember: through the mercy, grace and forgiveness of our Father, false confessions can be turned into true repentance. But only if we humble ourselves before Him.

And notice Simon’s response in verse 24: “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” Even in his brokenness, Simon at least knows enough to ask for prayer. That’s something, isn’t it? Sometimes the most honest prayer we can make is, “I don’t even know how to pray—so please, pray for me.” Scripture says, the prayer of a righteous person covers a multitude of sins.

Which brings us to our last verse.

4. The Power That Brings True Freedom (v. 25)

Acts 8:25 ESV

Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

Here we see Peter and John heading back home to Jerusalem: “preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.” Once they had truly witnessed the Spirit at work beyond the borders of Jerusalem, they were like kids in a candy store, they just couldn’t help themselves. Every stop along the road became another opportunity to tell people about Jesus.

This is why it is so important for us to go, willingly or not, beyond our borders of comfort and security, and seek the Spirit’s work as we do. Because when we see Him work in places we never thought He could… we grow in our confidence to share the gospel boldly with everyone.

He is much bigger than our borders. Be those cultural, economic, political, or social. Trust me when I tell you He is working in places you would much rather avoid.

These early disciples show us that, and they are also making us aware that Evangelism isn’t just a program within the church. It’s a way of life. To live with gospel intentionality means there’s no “off the clock.” Every moment, every place, every conversation is an opportunity to preach the good news about the kingdom of God.

This is what Jesus said in Acts 1:8: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And it’s what He commanded in Matthew 28: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” These disciples weren’t extraordinary—they were simply living out what Jesus said. And so must we.

It’s not enough to live quietly as Christians. We must open our mouths and proclaim Jesus. You don’t have to impress others with your knowledge. In fact, Paul says, “It pleased God through the folly of what we preached, to save those who believe.” This means sometimes we’re not gonna say the right thing, but as long as we continually point them to the power of Jesus, not our impressiveness, then God is pleased to use our foolishness to save them! So proclaim the gospel.

Reject counterfeit gospels that want us to seek power, success, and admiration apart from Christ. They will always leave us empty. That’s what we learn from Simon the Magician. And so many others who have come and gone in our world. You can be impressive for a season, but with eternity in view, you’ll never be enough. You need Jesus. Your neighbor needs Jesus.

That’s why we must view our daily life as a mission field. Peter and John didn’t treat the road home as a break from mission. They saw every stop, every village, every conversation as a place for gospel seed to be sown. What if we saw our commute, our trips to the grocery store, our meals, and our lunch breaks that same way? Father, would you move us beyond our borders of comfort and security and show us your Spirit at work?

Help us receive the Spirit as a gift. He cannot be earned. He cannot be bought. He is the free gift of God purchased with the blood of Christ for all who believe.

Jesus paid it all. It is finished. And it is an insult to think we can earn or purchase what He gave His life for. All we can do is surrender and receive.

Invitation

So how can we see the false powers of the world for what they are? Easy. Stand in the presence of the true power of God.

Position yourself to stand in His presence. Through devoting yourself to the Word, prayer and the fellowship of believers. Because the world will always try to sell us power, beauty, rest, and control. And only in the presence of Jesus can we truly see what no money, no magic, and no effort can ever secure. The power of God alive in us.

I beg you not to settle for some counterfeit faith. Come to Christ unimpressive, in need and with open hands. Repent, believe, and receive the powerful Spirit of God as a gift. For He gave His life for us to receive it.

Let me pray over us this morning.

INVITATION:

Maybe you’ve never received the Spirit of God as a gift, and boy do I have good news for you this morning.

Come to the Father.

Repent: that is turn away from all the false gods that are stealing your attention, and turn to Him.

Believe that He is who He says He is. Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, God.

And as you repent and believe, surrender your strength, and receive His Spirit. It is that easy. He will always find a way to make His home in those who seek Him. For He says so in His Word, and I trust that more than all my worries, doubts and fears, because it is more reliable.

Come to the Father.

Communion

And now we come to the Lord’s Table. This meal reminds us that salvation is a gift—free to us, but costly to Christ.

So if you are a believer, come and eat with joy. If not, use this time to pray, to ask questions, to consider the invitation of Christ. For here we remember and proclaim the death of Christ until He returns.

Benediction & Sending

Go now in the Spirit’s strength, gossiping the gospel everywhere you go.

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Eph. 3:20–21)

Go in peace, sent as witnesses to Jesus Christ.