Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts 8:9-25 "Simon the Sorcerer"

Marc Transparenti

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Please turn in your Bibles to Acts 8. Acts 8:9-25 today.

Last time we looked at the beginning of the church going into Judea and Samaria... just as Jesus said they would in Acts 1:8

• Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

• And, indeed God empowered them with His Holy Spirit... and indeed they were witnesses in Jerusalem, but they didn't seem motivated to go beyond Jerusalem.

• The church numbers were swelling... likely north of 20k Christians... that is until the martyrdom of the deacon Stephen... and until Saul entered the scene.

• At that time 'great persecution' hit the church... causing the church to move into Judea, Samaria, Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch.

• Persecution is a terrible thing, but even worse is complacency and apathy in the church pews.

So, God stirred the pot... and the church was scattered everywhere preaching the word.

• And, Philip went to Samaria... where Jesus had previously scattered seed in John 4... and now a great multitude of Samaritans "heeded the things spoken by Philip."

• Speaking the word of God is powerful... it's life changing... it's life saving.

• Romans 10:17 states, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

• And, that's what the church was doing in all Judea and Samaria... and people were getting saved...

• And, that's why... here at Calvary Chapel Lake City... we're serious about teaching the word of God.

• Signs and Wonders... miracles and the experiential... they come as a benefit, but without the word of God... the church is like a ship at sea without a compass... the word points us to true north...it sets our bearings... it brings us home.

So, Philip brought the word... and he was a great messenger for Jesus... not because of his Seminary degree because he didn't have one... he served tables.

• But, Acts 6 said he was one of "of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom."

• And, if you're ministering the word... those characteristics are far more valuable than a Seminary degree.

• Without a calling, a Seminary degree is just an education.

One other advantage Philip had was he was Greek... not a Jew.

• Which meant that he didn't have a long standing hatred and prejudice towards the Samaritans going back to when Ezra and Nehemiah returned to build the Temple and the Wall.

• So, Philip was a great choice by God to evangelize Samaria.

And, indeed he was an evangelist...

• In fact, Philip is the only evangelist named in scripture according to Acts 21:8.

So, that brings us up to speed.

Philip is in Samaria... and we pick up after a multitude of Samaritans are coming to the Lord... Philip is evangelizing... he is healing people... casting out demons... V8 left off "And there was great joy in the city."

• And then V9 begins with the word "But"... a word that stands in contrast to the prior context of great joy.

• And the word "But" introduces us to our next biblical character.

• Enter "Simon the Sorcerer"... our sermon title for today.

Let's Pray!

Acts 8:9-11 "But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, 10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the great power of God." 11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time."

1.

So, here we are introduced to Simon the Sorcerer... a character surrounded by many traditions... as well as debate if he was saved.

a. 1 John 4:1 exhorts "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

b.