Stop Living By Wicked Motives

Acts 8:14–15 ESV

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,

Acts 8:16–17 ESV

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.

Acts 8:18–19 ESV

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.”

Acts 8:20–21 ESV

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.

Acts 8:22–24 ESV

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.”

INTRODUCTION

SERMON SERIES:UNCLOGGING YOUR SPIRITUAL ARTERIES: RECONCILIATION MONTH.

EXPLAIN RECONCILIATION

the idea of uniting two opposing parties for the purpose of achieving oneness of mind, thought and purpose

It is undoing the relational hostility and indifference that exists so that, together,

It is bringing about a unity that no longer allows differences and divisions to dictate or destroy that unity

IT IS WHAT JESUS DID FOR US

THUS WE ARE MINISTERS OF RECONCILIATION

2 Corinthians 5:18 ESV

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

2 Corinthians 5:19 ESV

that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:20 ESV

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

CHRISTIANS MUST REFLECT THE LOVE OF CHRIST TO ONE-ANOTHER AND TO WORLD AND THIS IS DEMONSTRATED IN OUR ROLE OF AMBASSADORS OF THE RECONCILING WORK OF CHRIST:

THIS MONTH - RECONCILIATION MONTH - IS A PASTOR CALL FOR US TO DEMONSTRATE THE GOSPEL OF RECONCILIATION BY BEING RECONCILERS:

The focus of the series will be on calling us to reconciliation in the following ways:

To FAMILY: this includes people on our family that we have not been right with etc.

To FRIENDS: those we have neglected and denied and turned away from.

To the CHURCH: repenting of our indifference to its place purpose and power in the world according to Christ

To your MINISTRY: repenting of not using our gifts- time taken and treasure for the glory of Christ

To the LORD; repenting of those things that have hindered our intimacy with Him.

Ponder: ponder these things seeking where your hearts has failed

Pray: pray for this month and the power of the Spirit to work His work in our church and hearts.

ALL OF THIS COMES THROUGH THE GRACE OF REPENTANCE

WHY IT IS A GRACE

WHAT IT IS

IN OUR TEXT

Peter tells him to repent and pray for four reasons:

IT IS THESE REASONS THAT PETER IS UNCERTAIN OF SIMON’S PROFESSION OF FAITH

SERMON

DO NOT SEEK FRUITFULNESS WITH WICKED MOTIVES

DO NOT OPERATE WITH WICKED MOTIVES

Wickedness - motive for desire.

* “the perverting of virtue and moral principles for their purpose for evil ends”

I. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH ABOUT WICKEDNESS?

A. It Is Reflected In Our PRESUMPTION

One man said this about presumption:

If faith is the assurance of things hoped for, presumption is the CONTROLLING of things WISHED for -- an ASSUMPTION many in HELL now realize.

THIS IS WHT DAVID SAID IN PSALM 19:13-

Psalm 19:13 ESV

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

A Handbook on the Book of Psalms Psalm 19:13

Keep back, means “Restrain,” “Do not allow,” “Don’t let.”

A Handbook on the Book of Psalms (Psalm 19:13)

The Hebrew says only “from arrogant (ones),” … “pride.”

“willful sins”= “bad things which I do and know I do” or “evil things I know I do.”

THE PROBLEM IS THAT SUCH SINS BECOME, AS JERRY BRIDGES CALLED THEM “RESPECTABLE SINS”

THEY ARE WICKED AND PRESUMPTUOUS BECAUSE THEY ARE DONE WITHOUT THOUGHT OF THEIR ETERNAL GRAVITY

PAUL SAYS IN ROMANS 2, THESE WORDS THE DESCRIBE PRESUMPTION PRECISELY:

Romans 2:3 ESV

Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?

Romans 2:4 ESV

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

WICKEDNESS PRESUMES THAT GOD WILL BE PATIENT, KIND, GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL AS WE OPERATE IN TOTAL INDEPENDANCE FROM HIM AND CONTRARY TO HIS WILL AND WAY

WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET THAT GOD DOES NOT TOLERATE WICKEDNESS HE HATES IT:

Psalm 5:4 ESV

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.

Ezekiel 3:19 ESV

But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

B. It Is Reflected In Our HYPOCRISY

1. We See It In SIMON

Acts 8:18 ESV

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

Acts 8:19 ESV

saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Acts C. Conflict between Truth and Error (vv. 20–25)

Apparently one can create a counterfeit response to the work of the Spirit, and for a professional like Simon, no problem at all

IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A PERSON TO ACT IN SOME CONTEXTS LIKE A CHRISTIAN BUT, TRULY, NOT BE A CHRISTIAN

THE HEART OF THE MATTER IS THE HEART. IT IS THE HEART THAT HAS BEEN TRULY TRANSFORMED BY THE GOSPEL OF GRACE AND THIS IS DEMONSTRATED IN THE CONTINUAL ACTS OF REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION WHICH BOTH DEMONSTRATE THEMSELVES IN THE PROGRESSIVE CHANGE OF CHARACTER

2. We See it in the PHARISEES

Matthew 23:1–4 ESV

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.

Matthew 23:5–7 ESV

They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

THEN JESUS GOES ON TO CALL THEM HYPOCRITES SEVEN TIMES

THEY WERE ACTING LIKE THEY WERE FOR GOD AND YET THEIR MOTIVES (HEARTS) WERE INSINCERE. LET ME SHOW YOU TWO EXAMPLES

EXAMPLE 1

Matthew 23:25–26 ESV

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

EXAMPLE 2

Matthew 23:27–28 ESV

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

3. We See It In FALSE Disciples

Matthew 7:21–22 ESV

“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. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’

Matthew 7:23 ESV

And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

C. It Is Reflected In Our SELF-Righteous CONFIDENCE

Deuteronomy 9:4 ESV

“Do not say in your heart, after the Lord your God has thrust them out before you, ‘It is because of my righteousness that the Lord has brought me in to possess this land,’ whereas it is because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is driving them out before you.

Deuteronomy 9:5 ESV

Not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart are you going in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out from before you, and that he may confirm the word that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

II. HOW DO WE POSITION OURSELVES FOR FRUITFULNESS

A. Live Out of the GOSPEL

1 Corinthians 5:7 ESV

Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

The old leaven is the unconverted state and evil and wickedness are particulars of it

B. Be SINCERE and TRUTHFUL

1 Corinthians 5:8 ESV

Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

C. Ask SELF-Evaluating Questions

THE WHOLE OF THE BIBLE IS GIVEN TO US FRO GROWTH IN THE LORD AND THIS GROWTH OCCURS AS WE CONSISTENTLY EVALUATE WHY WE DO WHAT WE ARE DOING

UNDERSTAND THAT MATURITY IN CHRIST IS EVIDENCED BY THE PROGRESSIVE GROWTH IN SINCERITY OF MOTIVES.

WHENEVER YOU AND I FIND THAT OUR MOTIVES ARE MOR INCLINED TOWARDS WICKEDNESS, WE NEED TO PRAY, REPENT AND ASK THE LORD TO HELP US

Why Am I Asking the Lord for this or that?

Why do I Want to Serve

END

SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS RIAN CAN CREATE MAJOR PROBLEMS. WE KNOW THIS OVER THE PAST WEEK HERE IN FLORIDA

I WENT TO BED ON FRIDAY TO AWAKEN TO MY POOL BEING NEAR THE TOP AND READY TO OVERFLOW WHICH WOULD HAVE CREATED ITS OWN PROBLEMS.

BUT I DID NOT FRET

I WENT OUTSIDE AND POSITIONED THE LEVER IN A DIRECTIONS AND WATER BEGAN TO GUSH OUT DRAINING MY POOL WHILE IT WAS STILL RAINING!

BUT THE FORCE IN WHICH IT WAS COMING OUT MADE THE RAIN A NON FACTOR.

SEE SOME OF US ARE IN THE RAIN, OVERFLOWING WITH MESSES BEING MADE IN AREAS OF OUR LIVES