THE TRUTH IS THE
LIGHT
Acts 8:9-24
STUDY THE WORD SO YOU WANT BE DECIEVED
V:9. "But there was a certain man, called Simon, which
beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria
A. In this life, you
will always find people who will use the Word of God for their
personal gain.
1. They have the
ability to persuade others to believe in them and their objectives.
2. They will
deceive people by any means necessary to gain their favor.
3. They do not
speak the truth, but that which sounds like the truth.
B. Simon was a man
who held himself to be great.
1. He loved the
spot light.
2. He used tricks
and magic to convince people of his power.
C. He made a life for himself by deceiving others.
1. The texts says
"before time" he held the attention and the esteem of people with
his tricks.
2. Some Biblical
Historians say he claimed to be God or come down from God.
D. Satan is the great deceiver and he works through men like
Simon.
1. He came to
pervert the Gospel and to lead people away from God.
2. Greed is a tool
Satan uses to draw men into his work and deceive others.
3. Greed is an
attitude that lifts you up for a quick fall.
4. Simon was a man
driven by greed devoid of any truth.
V:10. "To whom they all gave heed, from the least to
the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God."
A. When people are
hungry for the Word and don't know the Word, they can easily be
mislead.
1. The Samaritans were
looking for a Word from God.
a. They
worshipped God in their way. John 4:5-39
2. They were
amazed by Simon's magical tricks that they thought showed the power
of God.
3. Satan disguises
himself as an angel of light to gain and hold the attention of man.
4. Absent of the
Word, Satan can fool the most knowledgeable person.
B. The Samaritans had
some good qualities.
1. They were ready
to hear the Word from a good teacher.
2. They were looking
for some one to lead them to God.
3. They attached
themselves to the one who claimed to have the power of God.
4. They were
teachable.
5. They could
easily be led.
6. Their hearts
were ripe for the Light.
V:11. "And to him they had regard, because that of long
time he had bewitched them with sorceries."
A. People in the
dark about the true and living God will
continue in the dark without
a godly teacher.
1. Some people
don't know they are in the dark.
2. Some folk will trust anyone who seems creditable.
B. Without the Word, we
will fall prey to every trick and deception of man.
1. Without the
Word, all we know is what we are taught by man.
2. The Word of God
is the TRUTH and those who teach must do it with love and
unselfish
motives.
GOD'S PEOPLE NEED A GOOD PREACHER
V:12. "But when they believed Philip preaching the
things concerning the kingdom of God
A. God will send a
preacher when the people are ready to receive Him.
1. God will not
leave His people without a preacher.
2. Philip came
preaching the Kingdom of God
3. Philip came
preaching the name of Jesus Christ.
B. False teaching is
easily exposed when the truth about Jesus Christ is preached.
1. When they heard
the "Word" they believed.
a. When they
heard the "Word" they abandon their false teacher.
2. When they heard
the "Word" they were baptized.
a. Their
baptism was an outward sign that they belong to Christ. 2 Cor 5:17
b. Their
baptism was an outward sign that they were new creations in Christ
Jesus.
c. Their
baptism was an outward sign of their relationship with Jesus Christ.
C. God is no
respecter of gender.
1. Men and women
were baptized.
2. We are all
equal in the body of Christ.
3. Every man or
woman in the body of Christ has
position, responsibilities, duties
and obligations.
4. Every man and
woman in the body of Christ is expected to be good stewards of
the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. 1 Th 2:4
THE DEVIL IS IN THE CHURCH
V:13. "Then Simon himself believed also: and when he
was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles
and signs which were done."
A. Satan knows how to
play religion.
1. He knows
Christ.
2. He knows the Word,
because he knows how to pervert the Word.
B. He believed that
Philip was teaching the Word of God.
1. He believed
that the miracles and sign were a display of the power of God.
C. Simon the deceiver,
allowed himself to baptized to gain access to God's people.
1. Satan will
never give up on you, he just changes his face to gain your confidence.
2. Satan will
join your Church to look for a way to mess you up in the Church.
3. Satan can't
stop you from going to Church, but he can sit next to you to prevent
you from
enjoying the Church.
V:14. "Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem Samaria
A. Jerusalem was the
center of the religious state of the Jews.
1. The Church got
it's start in Jerusalem
2. Prior to the
death and resurrection of Jesus in Jerusalem
with the Samaritans.
3. It was
necessary for God to send His apostles, the leaders of the Church in
B. Satan uses any
controversy in the Church to cause divisions.
1. Simon joined
the church for the purpose of regaining his influence over the
people he lost to
the Church.
2. God sent His
apostles to unify the Church in Jerusalem
C. When the apostles
heard that Samaria
Philip and
confirm his testimony about Jesus Christ.
1. God knows what
we need and when we need it.
2. God always has
His eye on His people.
3. The devil had
already placed himself in the Church that was growing under
Philip.
a. Without
additional teaching from the Apostles, he could perhaps find a way
to disrupt
the Church.
b. The study
of God's Word is the only way to drive Satan away. James 4:7
THE HOLY GHOST EMPOWERS THE CHURCH
V:15. "Who, when they were come down, prayed for them,
that they might receive the Holy Ghost."
A. We must remember
that at this point in time the Church was in it's infant stage.
1. The power and
the working of the Holy Ghost were not fully known.
2. We believe that we receive the Holy Ghost
upon our confession of faith.
3. In this case
the Holy Ghost was not given to the new believers until the apostles
came from Jerusalem
4. This may have
been God's way of showing the power and authority given the
apostles to
make disciples. Matt 28:19
5. Philip baptized
in the name of Jesus. Peter and John
baptized in the name
of the
Father, Son and the Holy Ghost.
B. Prayer is an
important part of the life of the believer.
1. New life in
Jesus begin in prayer.
2. Confession of
faith is the believers first prayer to Jesus.
3. What we need
from the Lord can be obtained by prayer in the name of Jesus.
V:16. "(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them:
only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)"
A. God delayed the
giving of the Holy Ghost until the coming of the Apostles.
1. Preaching
powers were given to the Apostles.
2. The authority
to make disciples and baptism in the name of the Father, Son
the Holy
Ghost were given to the Apostles. Matt 28:19
a. Jesus gave
Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 16: 13-20
b. Peter had
the authority to accept others into the faith.
B. The apostles
brought unity between the Samaritans and the Jews to prevent
the traditional
hostility between the two from being stirred up in the Church.
V:17. "Then laid they their hands on them, and they
received the Holy Ghost."
A. The laying on of hands
represents the anointing of the Lord.
B. Receiving the Holy
Ghost is personal.
C. Each believer
receives a personal anointing from the Lord.
E. It is the job of
the Pastor to welcome and introduce new believers in the Church.
THE GIFT OF GOD CANNOT BE PURCHASED
V:18. "And when Simon saw that through laying on of the
apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money."
A. You can't buy
salvation.
1. You can't buy
the Holy Ghost.
a. The Holy Ghost
is God.
b. Each believer is baptized with the Holy
Ghost and fire. Mat. 3:11
B. Simon, Satan's
advocate thought he could buy the power of God.
1. Simon had made
his living deceiving people that he had God's power.
2. Seeing that the
Holy Ghost powered the Church, he thought he would buy
some to add to
his bag of tricks.
3. Satan was up to
his normal activities.
a. Satan tried
to buy Jesus at the start of His ministry.
Matt 4:4-9
C. A man without
Jesus, thinks power and prestige is the way to success.
1. A man without
Jesus relies on his money, his strength, his education and
his
connections.
2. A man without
Jesus is blinded by what he has.
3. A man without
Jesus is doomed to the pit of hell.
IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU
V:19. "Saying, Give me also this power, that on
whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost."
A. Church is not all
about us, it is about God.
1. Church is not
about what I can do, but what God can do through me.
B. The Holy Ghost is not given so we get the
glory, but that God gets the glory.
C. Simon had it all
wrong.
1. The apostles
didn't give power. Power came from God.
a. God used
the apostles as the ministers of His power.
b. God empowers
us with the Holy Ghost to serve Him.
c. Every
believer is a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
2. Simon wanted
to do false ministry by himself for himself.
a. We can do
nothing without God. John 5:30
3. Simon was selfish.
The Minister of God must be unselfish.
a. Simon was
puffed up. The Minister of God must be humble.
V:20. "But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with
thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with
money."
A. Simon attached
himself to Peter, because He thought Peter had the power.
1. Sometimes
folk will show up at you door to see what you are doing for the Lord.
2. Sometimes
folk want what you got with the Lord without serving the Lord.
3. Not everybody
that shows up is for God or for you.
B. A minister of God
must tell people the truth.
1. The minister of
God must tell people the consequences of their actions.
2. Peter told
Simon that because he relied on your money, he would perish with his
money.
C. The Holy Spirit is
a gift from God. It cannot be purchased.
1. Simon thought
that he could buy the Holy Spirit for his personal use.
2. The Holy
Spirit is given to believers to serve God.
3 . The Holy Spirit is not given to the
world. John 14:17
WE MUST SEEK A CLEAN HEART
V:21. "Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter:
for thy heart is not right in the sight of God."
A. Out of the heart
flows the issues of life.
1. Simon had a
heart issue.
2. Simon had a
heart for the world. He did not have a heart for God.
B. Simon could play
no part in the salvation of God because he had a heart controlled
by Satan.
C. Jesus died to
redeem man from his sins.
1. Simon did not
understand this fact.
2. The Holy Ghost
is the power of the Church to move the Gospel of Jesus Christ to
the end of
the earth so all mankind can have the opportunity to be
redeemed. 1John 4:14
3. Simon wanted
to hinder the mission of God for his own self interest.
D. Whatever we do, we
must do for God in the name of Jesus Christ.
1. As Jesus was
not of this world, we must have a heart that is not of this world.
V:22. "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and
pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee."
A. God give us a way
out of our sins.
1. The first
thing we must recognize is that we are wicked.
2. Second, we
must Repent. Turn around and follow God.
3. Third, we
must pray. Ask God to forgive us for our sins.
4. Forth, we
must humble ourselves before the Lord, knowing that it is His
grace that
covers us.
B. We need a clean
heart to serve God.
1. Only the blood
of Jesus can cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
V:23. "For I perceive that thou art in the gall of
bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."
A. Any person without
Jesus as their savior is bound by Satan.
1. Sin may seem
like fun today, but it is a bitter pill on judgment day.
2. Only Jesus can
save us from the penalty of our sins.
B. As a mother is
concerned about the welfare of her children, a believer
ought to be
concerned about the salvation of unbelievers.
1. We are God's
ministers of reconciliation. 2 Cor 5:18 .
2. We are the
light of the world. John 8:1
A DUTY TO PRAY
V:24. "Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the
Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me."
A. Our constant focus
should be our eternal life with the Father,
1. Simon was not
concerned about salvation. He was only concerned about the
wrath of God.
2. Simon was only
concerned about living in this present age.
a. He was not
concerned about heaven.
b. The
believers hope is heaven. His focus should always be heavenly bound.
B. We have to take
responsibility for ourselves.
1. Each of us
must pray and ask God to forgive us of our sins. 1John 1:9
a. Simon wanted
someone else to do his praying.
b. It's
alright to ask others to pray for us.
c.
Communications with God in prayer is an individual responsibility.
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