Is Your Heart Right? {Acts 8}

10:00 AM



Today’s reading is about Philip – the deacon, not the apostle, leaving Jerusalem because Saul was dragging off both men and women who were part of the Church. (v. 3)
In verse 4, we see that Philip goes down to Samaria.  Jesus “had to go” to Samaria because He had to meet the woman at the well (John 4:4-42).  And because of His visit, many Samaritans believed. (John 4:39-42).

Just a reminder, Samaritans were people group who were a combination of the people of the two northern tribes of Israel (Ephraim and Manasseh) when they were separated from Judah when the Assyrians attacked in 722 B.C  This people group began to accept the beliefs of some foreigners.  They were familiar with the old testament and were expecting the Messiah.  Then Jesus showed up, and now three years later Philip arrived to carry on the work Jesus began.  And according to Dr. Luke (the facts guy), Philip proclaimed the Messiah there (v. 5).

None of this would have taken place had it not been in a Samaritan village.  This would never have happened in Jerusalem – Saul was creating such a hostile environment.  But look at what scripture says: “May (all) the nations be glad…”  (Psalms 67:4).  The gospel message was and is for all nations!

Que Simon Magus; who as we can see, has been busy (v. 9).  Satan, the great deceiver uses Simon as a distraction after Jesus left.  And just like Satan seems to do, he likes to crush a good work in its infancy.

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First, we see Simon thought highly of himself.  He doesn’t seem to be helping to reform any lives, nor improve their worship.  He was only there to make them believe that he was some divine person.  Pride, ambition and affection certainly filled him.  And according to verse 10, the people gave him that attention.  The Samaritan people were still waiting for the Messiah.  Simon is getting a lot of attention for his amazing abilities.

Now, Philip gets booted out of Jerusalem and he’s equipped to evangelize and he’s proclaiming the Messiah has already come (v. 5).  He has their attention and his signs – real miracles – done in the name of Jesus, are pointing out what a sham Simon is.

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What power divine grace is.  They were brought to Christ – who is TRUTH itself.  By the grace working within Philip, those who were held captive by Satan were brought into obedience to Christ.  Even Simon himself believed (v. 13).

News did not travel fast in those days.  By the time Peter and John got this amazing news and they began the 40-mile journey to give the new believers the gift of the Holy Spirit, several days, possibly weeks had passed.  I’ve read several reasons why the Samaritans did not receive the Holy Spirit at conversion, and I won’t present them all here, but one I liked the most was because it was a unique way God showed the continuity between the Church in Jerusalem and the Church in Samaria – a great guard against division.  And perhaps it was to show the heart of Simon.  We see that Simon overvalued the wealth of this world. 

Matthew Henry says, “We are as our hearts are if they be not right, we are wrong and they are open in the sight of God, who knows them, judges them, and judges of us by them.  Our hearts are that which they are in the sight of God, who cannot be deceived and if they be not right in His sight, whatever our pretensions be, our religion is vain, and will stand us in no stead:  our great concern is to approve ourselves to Him in our integrity, for otherwise we cheat ourselves into our own ruin.”

Does money answer all things to life now?  Does it relate to all things in the next life?  Would money pardon sin?  Would money buy the gift of the Holy Spirit?  Eternal life?

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