The Sorcerer

Is this happening today? Are there Simons on the church rolls today?

I may have even baptized one or two myself. I think the church probably is at fault to some degree, as we sell God to the masses, as the healer, the soother, the one who will prop up your business and fix your life and inject you with happiness and slap you on the back. And he's a grandfather. He's a coach.

He's a financial partner and ultimately he is a contractor who has developed some real estate up there and he's made a really nice place where all of us will go one day and finally get what we deserve. In the New Testament book of Acts, we encounter a man named Simon. Simon is identified as being a sorcerer. Although he never made a commitment to Jesus Christ, he wanted to claim the title Christian. He wanted to be associated with Christ, but not give his life to Christ.

As Stephen just pointed out, this is still happening today. There are people who are claiming the name of Christ falsely. Stay tuned for this important lesson from God's Word, as Stephen Davey brings you this message that he's entitled, The Sorcerer. My three-year-old Charity has watched recently The Wizard of Oz. Her older brothers and sister kept her from watching the really scary part, you know, about the Wicked Witch in the West and those flying monkeys, but she was able to watch most of it, especially the grand finale, and as a result now she's walking around the house wearing her older sister's red shoes. She is no longer Charity, she is Dorothy. And I am the Tin Man. I don't know how she selected that one among the other three.

Maybe it's because I squeak when I walk, I don't know. She is having trouble with her three-year-old tongue saying the double view, however, she's referring to the Lizard of Oz. You've probably seen that classic and the finale, I have watched it with her, found it intriguing as always where Dorothy is finally granted admittance with her three friends and Toto, and they walk down that grand hall toward the place where the wizard lives, and it's just sort of an awe-inspiring feeling, and they finally get into that open room, and there they see on that screen a large form.

The face of the wizard is emanated to that screen, and to the side of the screen there are columns. You remember with the smoke and the fire billowing out, and he's talking to them in a very menacing tone and condescending way. In fact, he's getting on to them for daring to approach his greatness, and of course you remember how Toto kind of goes over there and snags the curtain and kind of pulls it back and reveals the grand wizard is sort of a diminutive little man, and who's feverishly sort of working the controls, and he discovers that he has been discovered. You remember that part? And he kind of looks at them, and he's working the controls, and all the while he realizes he's caught, but he still comes out with this, I am the great and awesome wizard.

Great stuff. I want to introduce you this morning to a wizard that is for real. There is a real story of a sorcerer in the Bible, a grand wizard with a cultic power that held the people of Samaria under his sway. And I want you to turn, if you're not there already, to Acts chapter 8, where we return to our discussion and series through this wonderful book. And I want you to know as we approach it that this passage is not only enlightening for us, it is to be taken with great seriousness, especially when you consider that this man's story occupies nearly half of one chapter in this book.

God has some things to tell us, and lessons will emerge. Now let's set the stage by going back to verse 4 as we're preparing to have a series of rather dramatic encounters between the power of this false occultic prophet and the power of the true apostle of Christ. Verse 4, therefore those who had been scattered about or went about preaching the word, and Philip went down to Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them, and the multitudes with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip as they heard and saw the signs that he was performing. Verse 7, for in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice, and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.

And there was much rejoicing in that city. Now, there was a certain man named Simon who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. The word for magic in your text refers to sorcery, men who practiced the occultic arts in order to impress people and to gain a following. Their arts would include conjuring of demons, conversing with the dead, supposedly influencing the gods, developing and selling charms or divinations or certain incantations for people's ills or sicknesses. It included divination. It included stargazing. It included psychic predictions of their future.

Sounds awfully American, doesn't it? The fact that Simon wanted worship and adulation in addition to their money and their following is implied in verse 10. And they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him saying, this man is what is called the great power of God. Now, according to church history, Simon was one of the founders of a heretical group known as the Gnostics, which I think probably existed before him.

But he certainly was a great prophet of Gnosticism. It was the belief that Jesus Christ was not any more divine than any one of us in this room. It taught that we all have a spark of divinity within us, that the answers are within, and if we can only get in touch with our own godhood, all of our problems will be solved.

That also sounds very familiar, doesn't it? They taught that Jesus Christ was simply an enlightened man and all the answers are within. Well, if you go to the Word and you critically think through that message with the Scriptures, you come to the conclusion that's far different, that Jesus Christ did not come into the world to save basically good people. He came to seek and to save those which were lost. He came to seek those who were sinners while we were yet what? Sinners. Christ died for us.

Why would he die if we were basically good and not in need of a Savior? I think the fact that we are intrinsically evil in need of a Savior is evidenced early on in life. That's why you never have to teach your child how to lie. You never have to teach your child how to be selfish.

But you have to go through lessons on sharing and being kind and telling mommy and daddy the truth. When you read in verse 10 that he was called the great power of God, you need to understand that that phrase is a reference to Simon's claim and the worship of him of actually being God incarnate. That phrase, the power of God, dunamis toi theoi is the same phrase that theologians in the second century would attribute to the deity of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. His title is divinity.

He is God incarnate. And I find that very interesting that you have over in Jerusalem the revelation of the true power of God and at the same time you have the power of the false Christ, Simon who is displaying his counterfeit power. It's happening at the very time that Jerusalem is exhibiting to the believers the true apostolic power. The truth is wherever you find a true bona fide work of God, there will be Simons nearby. They will be selling their stuff and hawking their prayers.

They will try to lead people into and under their sway and they will promise everything if you will solely sign in and give them your number. The fact that he had a powerful sway is seen in all those who followed. Look at verse 11, and they were giving him attention because he had, notice this, for a long time astonished them with his magic arts. Make no mistake, nowhere in this passage is his power denied. His magic is not mere illusion. He is empowered by the underworld. He is capable of performing demonic otherworldly supranatural phenomena that antichrists have been able to perform and will until the final one comes. And because their limited perspective was unable to counteract his false teaching, they just sort of followed along, oh he's doing something. Did you see that? That was miraculous.

He must be the power of God. And they were worshipping him as it were, even though he was a false messiah. I found it interesting, if you've been reading the newspaper you've probably read the story of Stephen Fawcett's record setting balloon trip. You remember that?

He just finished it not too long ago. He touched down in a rural village in India and as he touched down hundreds, thousands of Indians came rushing to him and began to worship him. Their limited perspective knew nothing of air travel. They didn't know what this was and so by the time he touched down the rumors had swept through that region that that was the floating temple of one of their Hindu gods, the God Hanuman. You think what?

What primitive people. Well if you've been following along in the news you notice that in Tampa, Florida they've sent extra troops out there to help with the flow of traffic as people are jamming over these last few weeks to see supposedly an apparition of the Virgin Mary on the side of a commercial building. People are flocking to it in such numbers that it's causing traffic jams. They're having all night prayer vigils by the side of that building. People are claiming to have been healed and other supernatural experiences. Ladies and gentlemen, anything and everything can be used by the underworld if it will turn your attention away from the one true and only living king who is alone to be worshiped, Jesus Christ. That is the name. He'll use a silver balloon.

He'll use a stain on a building. And so far as it takes people's imaginations and captivates them from worshiping the one that is declared as the one true Christ and savior in the word. Well, notice verse 12. But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. There's a counter movement going on now in Samaria.

People are leaving this wizard and they're following this other one. Now, somewhere in here they are coming to recognize he is a false prophet and Philip is declaring the true prophet of God, the word of God. Now, you notice in verse 9, it gives us an interesting little clue. It says, Simon formerly was practicing magic in the city. That's past tense.

Well, what had caused the stop? Well, verse 12 tells us. There is an incredible movement so much so away from Simon that he has to pack his bags. Nobody wants to watch him. He's old news. He's losing the gravy train. So what is he going to do? What can he do to recapture the people? Stay in touch with this new movement.

Ah, crafty. Simon is outmaneuvered by this evangelist from Jerusalem. But what to do, verse 13 tells us, and even Simon himself believed. And after being baptized, he continued on with Philip. In other words, if you can't beat him, what? Join him.

And it looks pretty good at this point, by the way. You might add a fourth point in your notes and call it his profession. And as he observed, verse 13 goes on to say, signs and great miracles taking place. He was constantly amazed. Wow.

This is great. What Simon coveted, one man wrote, was not the master but the miracle, not the savior but the sign. Simon wanted to retain contact with his former followers and the text will reveal in a moment the intention of his heart was just to get close enough to eventually figure out how to add those tricks to his bag of tricks.

So he can regain his following and have it for himself. Verse 14, now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For he had not yet fallen upon any of them, they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Verse 18, now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, here it comes now, here comes the real Simon, he offered them money saying, give this authority to me as well so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.

All right, now what's happening? Well, Simon is viewing Peter and John like he must have viewed Philip. They are fellow magicians and magicians can buy and trade incantations and tricks and certain knowledge. Well, this must be for sale as well. Philip had some great tricks and he wanted to follow along, but this Peter and John trick with this invisible spirit that evidently revealed itself through some series of things much like perhaps happened in Jerusalem.

Well, I've got to have this, I want to have that to add to my bag of tricks. See, he is a crass, materialistic, lusting man after power, a desire to fill his own agenda and so he asks here, hey, Peter, how can I buy the Holy Spirit? I like what you're doing, it's powerful, wow, people are following you and how much does your God cost? But Peter, never one to mince words, said to him in verse 20, may your silver perish with you. Now that softens the blow of what Peter was saying. Phillips translates it with the force of Peter's words, to hell with you and your money.

Wow. Because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money. You have no part or portion, you could render that original word inheritance in this matter or literally word. Simon, you're not a believer, you have no inheritance in this word, this message of salvation in and through Jesus Christ.

You're not part of it, you look good, you got wet, you joined something, you're not part of it. You have no part or portion in this matter for your heart is not right before God. Verse 22, therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours and pray the Lord that if possible the intention of your heart may be forgiven you, for I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity. See, as far as Peter's concerned, he's already seen Ananias and Sapphira drop dead in the middle of a service. When they came trying to buy the favor of the people and deceiving people, they were introduced to the real Holy Spirit. I think Peter, and I could be wrong, but I think Peter is expecting at any moment for Simon to breathe his last breath, Simon, the intention of your heart is wickedness.

You are bound by the gall of bitterness. That's an interesting clue as well into this man's false profession. Let me read you the writing of John Phillips in his commentary exploring Acts. Simon Magus was an unsaved man.

His false profession could be replaced by genuine conversion. The essential prerequisite to regeneration is repentance, and there had been no repentance in Simon's life. So Peter preached repentance to Satan-blinded, money-loving, power-hungry, sinful Simon, whom everyone else had thought to be a believer. But Peter said he was in the bondage of bitterness. That is, he had deeply resented the loss of his influence and power and was bitterly jealous of the evangelists and the apostles. He envied their power. His crafty mind had seen a way to recoup his own waning influence. If only he could get his hands on the power they had. He had hidden his secret rage and resentment biding his time. He was Satan's tool.

He was Satan's fool. Now, Simon is given an opportunity after Peter rips back the curtain and exposes this man as a fraud, as it were. Simon responds tragically in verse 24, Pray to the Lord for me, yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come to me. In other words, now I don't like the way you're talking, Peter. Sounds almost like you've placed a little incantation or spell on me, and it doesn't sound too nice, so I don't want that to happen. So you just pray another incantation and you take that away. But repent? To change your mind? That's what repent means. That is, to go from defending your sinful state, as it's not all that bad, surely God, to I am indeed before you, O God, a helpless sinner. And Simon says, uh-oh, I just want my business back. I want the people back. Repent?

No way. What can we learn from this man? A couple of things, quickly. Number one, we can learn that it is possible to fool most of the saints most of the time, but never the Savior. I can't help but wonder, frankly, if Philip was a little embarrassed. Bless his heart. And it isn't up to us to decide, to serve in these kinds of positions.

It isn't up for you to decide. And Philip, here comes a man. He believes. He wants to be baptized, publicly identifying himself with Christ. He would have been the leading citizen of Samaria. He'd have his testimony written on the church bulletin.

He'd be brought up front. Wow, didn't God do great things? Simon had temporarily fooled them. Like many today, he was a member of the body, baptized. He could give you the date and time of his altar call confession.

But he knew his heart. He had no desire to repent and follow after a God that he could not use. You can fool most of the saints with a long robe and a cross on a necklace, but you can't fool God. I like the way somebody said it, that in the choir of life, it's easy to fake the words, but someday each of us will have to sing a solo before him.

Are you ready to sing? Second truth, it's possible to follow all the rules most of the time and not have a relationship with Christ that does not be a Christian. Simon went through all the religious motions. He had always been in the front of the crowd. I think Simon would have volunteered to carry Peter's briefcase. Quiet the crowd then. Peter and John are going to speak. Quiet, hush, listen.

Okay, Peter, John, speak. He was always at front. He was always amazed, always fresh, always there until the intention of his heart was revealed. In fact, this passage here shows how close a person can come to salvation and still not be converted. He heard the gospel. He saw the miracles. He gave a profession of faith in Christ. He was baptized, but he was never born again. God knew his heart.

He just wanted to get close enough to the real thing so that he could find out about this power and hopefully use the power for his own life. Is this happening today? Are there Simons on the church rolls today? Are Simons immersed by the church today? I may have even baptized one or two myself.

I think the church probably is at fault to some degree as we sell God to the masses, as the healer, the soother, the one who will prop up your business and fix your life and inject you with happiness and slap you on the back. And he's a grandfather. He's a coach. He's a mechanic. He's a financial partner.

And ultimately he is a contractor who has developed some real estate up there and he's made a really nice place where all of us will go one day and finally get what we deserve. But don't talk about a God of holiness or judgment. Don't mention sin.

Don't talk of hell. He did create that real estate and he also created the other real estate as well, my friend. Pulled another article. This is from my magazine, Biblical Archaeology Review. They do what's called a tabloid watch, which is a lot of fun because I like going into supermarkets and reading the headlines, you know.

And so they just sort of do a category of them and this thing they feature. They said, we have, by the way, this is perfect for the theology of America. This is, we have the Son to thank for news of a whole new set of commandments. On April 9th, 1996, the Son informed us that the discovery of a second sensational set of Ten Commandments has stunned theologians and historians around the world. The old set was negative, thou shalt not.

The new set is positive. It is said to have been found together with the original ten on a mountain in Saudi Arabia. Number 11 states, thou shalt discover everlasting life in the herbs that grow. You don't need a savior.

You just need some alfalfa. Number 16 is a classic that I think portrays what's going on and I apologize if you think I'm poking too much fun, but here's the commandment that really struck me as sad because I hear it preached from pulpits and I hear it followed as the latest incantation. Number 16 says, thou shalt use the power of prayer to heal thyself of all sicknesses. See, that's it. Use the power. Get the power. Get close to God so you can get enough power from Him so He can fix and make comfortable. Don't talk of a cross to bear. Don't talk of suffering.

Don't talk about spiritual disciplines. Give me a little bit of the God of love, but not even too much of Him. Just enough so that I can hide six days of selfishness behind one hour of worship, that kind of God. You can close your Bibles and let me read you this. It was an anonymous poem.

It was put into prose in one of the books I have, but here's the poem. I found it. I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please. I would like to buy just a little of the Lord, not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, not enough to take control of my life.

I'll keep just enough to equal a cup of warm milk, just enough to ease some of the pain from my guilt. I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please. I would like to find a love that's pocket sized, not enough to make me love a lesser man, not enough to change my heart. I can only stand just enough to take to church when I have the time, just enough to equal a snooze in the sunshine. I want ecstasy, not transformation.

I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I would like to purchase a pound of the eternal in a paper sack guaranteed or money back. You see, I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please.

I would like to hide some for a rainy day, not enough to require change in me, not enough to impose responsibility, just enough to make folks think I'm okay, just enough to get through another Sunday. I would like to buy $3 worth of God, please. How did you come to God and why? If Peter were here and God gave him the insight he gave him, then would he say to you, you've never repented.

I know the intention of your heart. You have accepted Christ so that you can have a Christ to use. And every time you hear talk of discipleship, submission, repentance, it's a troubling discussion. Jesus Christ offers himself to you for free.

I don't want you to misunderstand. You don't become a Christian because you sin less. You become a Christian because you admit you are a sinner, period. And you say to him, in effect, Lord, I give to you my wretchedness in exchange for your righteousness, my helplessness for your holiness, all of my guilt. I abandon myself to all of your grace.

I, like a beggar, receive from you what I cannot earn. You know my heart. You know the truth of it.

You know the stubbornness of it. I pull back the curtain, Lord, you say. I take my hands off the controls, no more smoke and mirrors. And I ask you to become my living Lord and savior. Have you done that? Do it today. If you've never trusted Christ as your savior, now is your opportunity.

Do that today. This is Wisdom for the Heart, the Bible teaching ministry of Stephen Davey. We're working our way through a series from the Vintage Wisdom Library entitled, The Harvest Begins. If you'd like to know more about the gospel, visit wisdomonline.org forward slash gospel. Once again, that website is wisdomonline.org forward slash gospel. If we can help you, our number 8 Bible. Please join us again next time for more Wisdom for the Heart. .