Sermon Tone Analysis

The Spread of the Gospel

began in Jerusalem at Pentecost with the baptism and filling of the HS

the HS is the key to the gospel’s spread throughout the world

the HS uses human instruments to fulfill God’s purposes

God uses people to accomplish his will and Acts records how the HS used the Apostles and the disciples to fill the world with the gospel message that Jesus died for sins, was buried and was raised on the 3rd day (1Cor 15:3-4)

initial growth happened in Jerusalem and it appears the believers were content to stay there

God had to shake the Jerusalem church out of its comfort zone that it might venture out into the surrounding areas

God sent persecution to scatter the believers and as they went they kept on witnessing about Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection

God sent persecution to scatter the believers and as they went they kept on witnessing about Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection

God’s will: that all the world know about Jesus, not just the Jews

Who was Simon?

practiced magic (9)

both white and black

some of his magic was slight of hand while some was demonic

amazed the people of Samaria (9)

he was well known, famous

the greatest to the least paid attention to him

he was well known both in the city and in the province

they all paid attention to him (10)

they did so because he had amazed them with his magic (11)

they said, “This man is the power of God that is called Great” (10)

wherever the gospel is preached there are always 2 results

true faith and false faith

the wheat and the tares

the good ground and the stony, thorny and hard packed ground

branches that bear fruit and branches that are cut off

true believers who passionately follow Christ and false Christians who do all the right things but there is no real heart change

both are illustrated in the rest of this chapter

Simon the magician, an example of faith that does not save

the Ethiopian eunuch an example of the faith that does save

right at the beginning of the church there were true believers and false believers and it has always been so and always will

in this church, Eastwood, there are true believers and there are false ones

this brings us to Simon, the first false believer named in the church

who was Simon prior to “believing”?

previously practiced magic (9)

both white and black

applied to sorcerers, astrologers, sooth sayers, those who practiced divination

applied to astrologers, sooth sayers, sorcerers

anyone who practiced spells, charms, divination, horoscopes

fixated on trying to understand the times and the future

some of his magic was slight of hand, trickery and deception

some of his magic was slight of hand, trickery and deception

some of it was aided by demonic powers

- God calls these practices “abominable” and those who do them and “abomination”

God destroyed nations for practicing these things

- instead of these magicians the Lord will raise up a prophet like Moses, i.e. the Lord Jesus to whom they were to listen

amazed the people of Samaria (9)

were superstitious

practiced a syncretistic kind of worship of God

mixed OT with superstition and magic

were under Simon’s influence and control and ultimately under the devil’s control

the greatest to the least paid attention to him

he was well known both in the city and in the province

Justin Martyr says that there was even a statue of him in Rome!

he was a star, famous, well known

they all paid attention to him (10)

they did so because he had amazed them with his magic (11)

he had them under his spell

they said, “This man is the power of God that is called Great” (10)

Simon’s “faith” in v.13

believed, was baptized, continued with Philip

these are the 3 essentials to salvation!

Simon looked like a true believer

Philip was so convinced he baptized him!

in reality (v.23) Simon was a fake

he was a false Christians inserted into the church by Satan to corrupt others and draw them away

this is what makes work in the church so difficult

people who claim to be believers but are not

Satan’s goal to confuse people about what a true Christian is

this is the problem today: so many individuals and groups claiming to be Christian when they are not

non-christians are totally confused about what a true Christian is

“Where did Simon go wrong?”

being a Christian is not based on faith alone

true saving faith is based on truth!

faith based on wrong doctrine is wrong faith

believing on God and believing on Jesus is not enough

Q: What God and what Jesus do you believe in?

Simon believed, Simon was baptized and Simon continued but he was not a true believer

Simon was not a true believer because he did not believe true doctrine

there are 4 reasons why Simon’s faith was not genuine

1. he had an elevated view of himself

2. he had a wrong understanding of salvation

3. he had a defective view of the Spirit

4. he had a deficient understanding of sin

because he had these key doctrines wrong his faith was meaningless

his faith was false because it was not founded on truth

Simon’s Elevated View of Himself

there is a common assumption which keeps many from true salvation

most people believe they are basically good

it is the subtle basis for statements like, “I am a good person.

I keep the 10 commandments.

God will weigh my good deeds with my bad and he will accept me”

such a view of self ignores reality, it is not how God sees us

though he had previously practice magic he was saying

Simon had been telling people that he was somebody great and a great number agreed with him saying, “this man is the Great power of God”

BTW this is how the Mormons understand Jesus, not God but a great spiritual power

they believe the same about Satan, who they think is the brother of Jesus

Simon had captivated the masses by his trickery and with demonic help he had convinced the masses he was more than a mere man

this is the hallmark of Satan’s work

he deceives the world often manifesting himself as an angel of light