Acts 8:9-24
God gives the great joy among a great persecution, and then He gives a great power to overcome temptations. Let us think about the great power of the Holy Spirit.
First, a false power also exists.
At the time, the sorcerers were the elites and the great ones. In the way the believers paid close attention to the Gospel, those who were infatuated with heresy, including the common people and the high classes, paid close attention to it. The people in the world can be deceived by worldly power and a false happiness for a long time. Simon practiced sorcery with so-called Great Power of God and begot a great authority. Without faith in God, even the king of a mighty kingdom, Pharaoh of Egypt, consulted the sorcerers at the best. So we have to know that we are such great people for the faith we have in God. Simon had an absolute power in Samaria. The world did not see Jesus true power so they did not discern God from a sorcerer, and they had a blind faith in the fake. After we become Christians, we should not be amazed at these false powers, but we continuously are alarmed with the false powers because we feel we are going to die in our sufferings. When ones life is at risk, the fake focuses on his own life, and the truthful focuses on others. We all lack in many things, but the community of faith primarily focuses on the salvation to draw a conclusion which is the reason that good things of redemption will come when we follow the community with a pure heart.
Second, the name of Jesus Christ is the great power of the Holy Spirit.
People now offered their lives to Philips Jesus Christ. The power of Philips Gospel was directly related to their lives which was totally different from sorcery. Philips appearance was shabby as a fugitive, but he preached the Gospel with a great joy, and the great power came out of it to show how strong Gods kingdom was. And even Simon became to believe it. When the name of Jesus Christ comes into depressed and shameful suffering, the suffering will become a tool to deliver others from sin. The pain does not last forever, therefore, rather than teaching to pray the environment to be changed, teaching the name of the Lord God who is 'I am who I am' and of the Savior Jesus Christ brings repentance through the Holy Spirit. This is the reason for receiving baptism. Only Gods name lasts forever, and we feel the pain because we do not see our sin. COVID-19 will not last forever. I pray that you will come out of your pains. And I pray that you will gain victory by the name of everlasting Jesus Christ. Simon believed Jesus Christ through Philip, got baptized, and followed him with all heart, but he was obsessed with Philip that he followed him all day (v. 13). He did not follow the name of Jesus Christ but the miracles and the power. There is a big difference for between who follow Jesus name and who follow men. The sign Simon was seeking was the one of 'a wicked and adulterous generation (Matthew 12:39)'.
Third, the power of the Holy Spirit follows the order.
The word accepted in verse 14 means that the Samaritans accepted Christianity. Faith and repentance is acceptance of the Word. As the apostles heard that the Samaritans accepted the Gospel which was rejected by the Jews, they were surprised and sent Peter and John. Here we see that Philip gave the baptisms and the apostles gave the Holy Spirit. The Samaritans cursed the Jews and at the same time, they thought of the Jews somewhat superior than themselves unknowingly and because of that, Peter, who was a Jew had to come. It was not the apostles title that qualified them to give Holy Spirit. It was just that God delayed the Holy Spirit a bit after their baptisms so that the Jews and the Samaritans would acknowledge each others faith. The church in Samaria could grow strong thinking that the Jerusalem Church acknowledged them. We always have to think of giving life to Gods church. And the original text indicates that Samaritans did not receive the Holy Spirit just because the apostles laid their hands on them (v. 17). But the church functioned with the apostles in the center and the Church of the Lore is one, so the start had to have order. God will lift us up when the time comes. We just have to keep our positions and orders humbly as a training to have the great power of the Holy Spirit. Then God will award us with the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Fourth, the power of the Holy Spirit should not be used for simony.
Simon did not long for the Holy Spirit. He wanted to be like God, and he tried to buy the power with money. The word simony came from this incident. The gift of God is literally a gift given freely. Simon thought he could buy anything with money, and we too have this view point. Peter rebuked his secular ambitions, but Simon just pleaded to avoid problems, not repenting (v. 24). Simon is still mentioned as a wicked person related to money, and it was a curse for him that he did not face the punishment. The money became the biggest problem after having been scattered with the great joy of the Holy Spirit, and money is something that we cannot pass without the great power of the Holy Spirit. We have to pass this crisis wisely by receiving the Word and praying whole-heartedly in our usual way. I believe that todays sermon is given to us when we are passing the crisis of COVID-19 with the great power of the Holy Spirit.
