Watch Your Step (Part 7)
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Acts 8:9-24
Acts 8:9-24
Prayer Coming Down
Welcome Online & First Time Visitors
Fellowship Moment & Dismiss The Youth
Call back to seats
Please remain standing while we read the Word Of God
MAIN SCRIPTURE : ACTS 8:9-24
9 Now a man named Simon had previously been practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; 10 and all the people, from small to great, were paying attention to him, saying, “This man is the Power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they were paying attention to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic arts. 12 But when they believed Philip as he was preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were being baptized. 13 Now 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 repeatedly amazed.
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 would 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. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given 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 acquire the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart will be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of unrighteousness.” 24 But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
Prayer Over The Message.....
It feels like it has been forever since we first talked about old Simon of Samaria. Since we have had a few weeks I want to do a quick recap and then today we are going to grab a very important part of this scripture and we need to RUN WITH IT.
WE NEED TO RUN INTO UNDERSTANDING
WE NEED TO RUN INTO CHANGE
WE NEED TO RUN INTO DESTINATION.… AND THAT WILL PRAYERFULLY MAKE SENSE VERY SOON!
Last we spoke about Simon we focused on his MISUNDERSTANDING, or the word i like to use here, HIS FOOLSELF, thinking he could buy the anointing! We went over how even still today we can see this occur.
People thinking well I give, so I’m good.
People thinking well I volunteer so I’m good.
People thinking I went to church a few Sunday’s so I’m good.
To recap the whole message and watch it lead us into today’s word this is where I need our mindset this morning....
God’s not looking at your wallet...
God’s not looking at your service that is followed by praise seeking and bragging...
God’s not looking your church attendance...
GOD’S LOOKING AT YOUR HEART!
BECASUE WHEN YOUR HEART IS RIGHT BEFORE GOD YOU WILL....
GIVE TO SUPPORT NOT PAY TO AQUIRE!
SERVE TO GLORIFY GOD NOT LIFT UP YOURSELF!
COME TO CHURCH NOT TO CHECK A BOX, BUT TO FEED THE HUNGER AND QUENCH THE THIRST THAT IS FOUND IN JESUS CHRIST ALONE!
As we step into breaking down today’s message I pray that y’all will hear me from beginning to end and not take what I have been given today out of context. Let’s grab the whole thing and then watch what God does with it.… AMEN?!
So back to the start of our text for today we need to look at who Simon was. Simon had these notions of grandeur and self worth, but we have to look at what his SOURCE was.
Y’all ever been around folks who have never heard YOU’RE WRONG? I know all the married people here are thinking, there’s people that have never heard those words??? WHAAAATTTTT? That’s not blasphemy y’all, I promise they exist, but don’t envy them..… YOU’LL SEE WHY MOMENTARILY.
These folks are typically boastful, prideful, braggadocios, but they are also confident, charismatic, and charming. Wanna know why?
BECAUSE THEY’RE DRAWING FROM THE WRONG WELL...
BECAUSE THEY’RE FRUITS ARE SPOILED BUT WHEN SOMEONE IS HUNGRY ENOUGH....
BECAUSE THEY ARE SEEKING BUT NOT FINDING....
BECAUSE THEY’RE SOURCE IS NOT GOD....
WHEN YOU ARE SEEKING ACCEPTANCE OF PEOPLE AS YOUR ONLY SOURCE YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR A COUPLE OF THINGS…
FIRST BE READY TO BE LET DOWN, PEOPLE WILL DO THAT. I HAVE FELT THAT LET DOWN, AND I HAVE BEEN THAT LET DOWN! AMEN!
SECOND BE READY TO LEARN YOU NEED A CHANGE TO FILL ALL THOSE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE LET YOU DOWN, AND IT WON’T COME FROM NEW PEOPLE!
Now a man named Simon had previously been practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great; 10 and all the people, from small to great, were paying attention to him, saying, “This man is the Power of God that is called Great.” 11 And they were paying attention to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic arts.
NOW LOOK AT THE FIRST WORD IN VERSE 12....
12 But when they believed Philip as he was preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were being baptized.
To understand Simon we need to look at the way the text is written here, look at they key words...
HAD PREVIOUSLY
CLAIMING TO BE
WERE PAYING ATTENTION TO
BECAUSE FOR A LONG TIME
HAD ASTOUNDED
Y’all seeing a pattern there? The people have gone past tense on old Simon. They were amazed and astounded until they saw REAL POWER. REAL POWER THAT DIDN’T NEED A SPELL CHANTED, OR SLIGHT OF HAND TO IMPRESS..…
REAL POWER THAT ONLY COMES FROM THE TRUE VINE, THE GREAT I AM, THE ALMIGHTY GOD, OUR TRUE SOURCE!
Now before we move on we have to look at that ONE TRUE SOURCE. I’m going to go back a few chapters to Acts 5:38-39
38 And so in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, for if the source of this plan or movement is men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if the source is God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”
What I just read here is not a warning of an apostle, it’s not the caution of a new believer in Christ.… this is the plea for understanding from a Pharisee name Gamaliel. The Sanhedrin were ready to execute the apostles for teaching about Jesus. But the followers of Jesus KNEW THIER SOURCE!
Not only the followers, BUT EVEN A TEACHER OF THE LAW NAMED GAMALIEL KNEW THAT WHEN GOD IS THE SOURCE, NOTHING IS OVERTHROWN, NOTHING IS PAST TENSE, NOTHING IS USED TO BE,
BECAUSE LIKE PSALM 90 SAYS GOD IS EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING. Same reason I stand here with passion and confidence knowing I don’t speak about Jesus in the past tense, because HE IS SURELY ALIVE TODAY! HALLELUJAH!
GOD IS OUR SOURCE IN THIS WALK! HE IS THE ONLY SOURCE, ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THAT IS FLEETING AND WILL PERISH, LET’S ASK SIMON OF SAMARIA SHALL WE???
So now Simon is not the BIG MAN ON CAMPUS anymore, Phillip is, BUT THE MAJOR DIFFERENCE THERE IS WHICH DIRECTION THE GLORY IS GOING, WRITE THIS DOWN..
IT’S ALL ABOUT DIRECTIONS! Stay with me....
Simon’s glory goes this way.… INWARD AND TO HIMSELF...
Phillip’s glory goes this way.… OUTWARD AND TO GOD!
So from the start of this passage Simon’s heart posture is wrong, AMEN? Why does Luke focus on what the people thought of Simon for three verses? He’s making sure we know the CONTEXT of what is coming next.…
13 Now 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 repeatedly amazed.
Details matter Amen? It doesn’t say Simon was changed, or made new, or a different man...… IT SAYS SIMON WAS AMAZED.
Now don’t get me wrong I’m amazed by God every day multiple times a day, but I’m amazed at WHAT HE DOES, NOT WHAT MAN DOES. Simon was amazed at the signs and miracles, but his source was wrong.… his mind was wrong, and his heart was wrong!
And yes I read and went all over the Bible studying this out… I’ve had three weeks to get this together, I’ve seen what God gives me in an hour, even more in three weeks time…
So I ask you again to stick with me here.…
The Bible says Simon BELIEVED & WAS BAPTIZED!
Anybody in here sports fans? The Super Bowl is this evening. So to give you an example I want to use my Dallas Cowboys.… Yes y’all can come and pray for me after the service this morning...
But every year we hear the Cowboys could win it all, BELIEVED right?
Every year they come out of the gate STRONG, then i hear myself say THEY CAN WIN IT ALL, I’ve proclaimed this so called BELIEF!
But then they forget how to play football, they know they plays but they don’t execute, they get carried away with the idea of SELF from the owner’s box to the equipment manager.
So in Acts 8:18-19 Simon forgets how to play football, he forgets how to execute, he got carried away with HIMSELF.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given 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.”
AND THERE IT IS, HE BELEIVED, HE WAS BAPTIZED, BUT HIS HEART WASN’T RIGHT!
THIS IS WHY SIMON WAS AMAZED RATHER THAN CHANGED BY BELIEVING AND BAPTISIM.
We need to remember this walk with Jesus is all about directions...
We give OUT our lives to Jesus, we receive IN a new heart and the Holy Spirit
Let’s pause right there, Ephesians 1:13-14
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise, 14 who is a first installment of our inheritance, in regard to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Also Acts 2:38
38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Two verses, believing and baptism, it says Simon did these things right? SO WHY WAS HE TRYING TO BUY THE HOLY SPIRIT ANOITING? WHAT WAS HE MISSING THAT DID NOT ALLOW TO INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?
HE HAD THE WRONG SOURCE! He was still looking for MAN’S APPROVAL, NOT GOD’S HEART!
Ephesians 1 says listening to the message of truth, did SIMON ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE MESSAGE OF DID HE BELIEVE AS A MEANS TO A WORLDLY END?
Acts 2 says REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED, did Simon TURN from his ways, or was it a means to a worldly end?
So y’all know I have been on the UNITY in truth! I stand on that right here today, and one of the divides we see in church is the ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED.
and it’s polarizing, people see it one way or the other… and no matter what personal thoughts we have I urge you to GO TO THE WORD OD GOD TO DRAW ON THE TRUTH IN HIS WORD....
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
This is usually the verse used against once saved always saved AMEN?
Today I say this verse describes SIMON!
Simon believed, Simon was baptized, but was Simon saved? Peter told Simon your heart is not right!
So just as Jesus warns here, just because someone uses His name, or uses what everybody else is doing, doesn’t mean YOU KNOW HIM!
Just because Simon saw people believing, and saw people baptized, doesn’t mean HIS HEART WAS RIGHT.
So while we as a church divide on topics like this, why don’t we spend more time EXPLAINING THE TRUTH FOUND IN THE BIBLE?
It’s not about if we are right or wrong, it’s more simple than that, WE WERE WRONG AND JESUS MADE US RIGHT. BY HIS BLOOD, BY HIS STRIPES, BY HIS SACRAFICE!
BY HIS DEATH WE WERE GIVEN LIFE.
AND BY HIS RESURRECTION WE WERE GIVEN LIFE ETERNAL....
But not as WORKERS OF INEQUITY, WE ARE GIVEN THIS WHEN WE CHANGE, WHEN OUR HEARTS A MADE RIGHT & NEW, WHEN OUR MINDS ARE SET ON THE MIND OF CHRIST AND WHEN OUR SPIRIT IS THE SAME SPIRIT OF GOD!
Last Sunday we looked at Romans 10:9-10
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
When you confessed, DID YOU MAKE JESUS THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE?
When you believed, DID YOU BELEIVE WITH YOUR HEART AND NOT YOUR HEAD?
The Gospel says John 3:16 “16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”
and Romans 10 TELLS US WHAT BELEIVING IS!
When we share the Gospel we have to share, and then prepare. THAT IS DISCIPLESHIP. We have grace, we have mercy, we have forgiveness in CHRIST JESUS....
BUT IF THE CHANGE DIDN’T OCCUR, IF THE HEART POSTURE ISN’T RIGHT, IF THE FOCUS IS BLURRY, IF THE SOURCE IS SELF,
It’s time you refer to Acts 8:22
22 Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart will be forgiven you.
GET YOUR HEART RIGHT TODAY, SO THAT WHEN THAT DAY COMES THE WORDS YOU HEAR ARE NOT
LEAVE ME, YOU WORKER
BUT RATHER....
WELL DONE, MY SERVANT
GOD IS NOT LOOKING FOR YOUR RESUME, HE’S LOOKING FOR YOUR LIFE
HE’S LOOKING FOR YOUR SURRENDER
HE’S LOOKING FOR YOUR HEART
HE’S LOOKING FOR GROWTH IN HIM, NOT IN THIS WORLD
Jesus said in Matthew 7 I NEVER KNEW YOU, SO I ASK YOU THIS AS I CLOSE, WAS THIS GROUP JESUS SPEAKS OF EVER TRULY SAVED AT ALL?
Did they believe in the name Jesus or did they use the name of Jesus?
Did they make Jesus the Lord of their life or did they parade themselves around still walking in darkness?
Darkness cannot inhabit the same places as light. Where are you standing today???
Altar call.....
