Let's go ahead and get started,
and if you would, turn to Acts 8, Acts 8. Acts 8, and we will begin in
verse 9. Acts 8, verse 9. But there was a certain man called
Simon, which before time in the same city used sorcery and bewitched
the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great
one, to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest,
saying, this man is the great power of God. And to him they
had regard, because that of a long time he had bewitched them with
sorceries. But when they believed Philip,
preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name
of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon
himself believed also. And when he was baptized, he
continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs
which were done. Now when the apostles which were
at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God,
they sent unto them Peter and John. who, when they were come
down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost.
For as yet he was fallen upon none of them, only they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid their hands
on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw
that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost
was given, he offered them money, saying, give me also this power
that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
But Peter said unto him, thy money perish with thee, because
thou hast thought the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart
is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this
thy wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the fault of thine
heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art
in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. Then
answered Simon and said, pray ye to the Lord for me that none
of these things which you have spoken come upon me. And they,
when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned
to Jerusalem and preached the gospel in many villages of the
Samaritans. And I'll stop right there. We read here of many who believed
and they were baptized. They were baptized or dunked
in water. then it actually says this man
Simon believed and he was also baptized. If they believed and confessed
their belief in the sight of other believers by going into
the water, why does it still say about this Simon that his
heart was not right in the sight of God? It says he tried to purchase
the gift of God. And I want to be clear, It is
not that his heart was not right in the sight of God because he
tried to purchase the gift of God with money. Him giving money
to try and purchase the gift of God was the manifestation
that his heart was not right in the sight of God. But it says
he believed and was baptized. The scripture says and is very
clear in James 2.19, thou believest, that there is one God, thou doest
well, the devils also believe and tremble. Men can believe
doctrines, but yet their heart is not right in the sight of
God. All of us as we are born in Adam have a heart that is
not right in the sight of God. But yet we are told, we have
read it here before, and this is Christ speaking in John 8,
24. I said therefore unto you that ye shall die in your sins,
for if ye believe not that I am, ye shall die in your sins. So what is wrong with believing?
Nothing if it's the work of God. If it is your work, it is of
no value. You all know the verse, John
6, 29. Jesus answered and said unto
them, this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he
hath sent. There is a belief that devils
have, and then there is a belief that is the work of God. There
is nothing wrong with believing God. In fact, as we have read,
you must believe. And if you do, you should be
baptized. But if that light be that's in
you be darkness, how great is that darkness? Let's look at
this passage and go over some things that are very familiar
to this group. I want to look at the state of man, those who
do have a part and lot, and the manifestation of those whose
heart are not right in the sight of God. So the state of man. So we read here that the state
of these who were in Samaria, both this one man and the people,
they were either bewitching or they were being bewitched. That's
us by nature. We either bewitch people with
the talk of fallen sinful man and what he can do, or we are
being bewitched of those who speak of man and what he can
do. There was not one of these people
who it says believed and were baptized who did not have a heart
that was not right in the sight of God in this flesh. All of
them did not have a heart that was right in the sight of God.
But let's look from scripture what it says about man. Turn
with me to Job 15. Job 15, and I hope I can find
it, because I did not mark it, and this one gives me problems.
Think, Todd. Yeah, in the Old Testament. And
it's on page 658 of my Bible, if that helps you. Job 15, Job
15. Job 15, and I just want to read
verses 14 and 16, but I want us to see this in Scripture.
Job 15, verses 14 and 16, 14 through 16. What is man that he should be claimed? and he which is born of a woman
that he should be righteous. Behold, he putteth no trust in
his saints. Yea, the heavens are not clean
in his sight. How much more abominable and
filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water. Here's another one, Psalm 51
5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive
me. We have the same thing said in
the New Testament, and this was said by the Lord of glory, Matthew
15, 19. For out of the heart proceed
evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,
and blasphemies. It is clear from scripture, man
as he is born does not have a heart that is right in the sight of
God. I wanted to point this out from
Scripture because there might be those who get the idea that
somehow some of these people knew to do the right thing. These
other ones other than Simon. They did not. And let me tell
you something else. I did not and I do not know to
do the right thing. Paul plainly tells us this in
Romans, so turn with me to Romans 7. Romans 7. I know I'm turning
to a lot of places, but it says it a lot better. Romans 7. Romans 7 and beginning in verse
15. This is a believer. Romans 7
verse 15. For that which I do, I allow
not. For what I would, that do I not. But what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would
not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no
more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that
in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing. For to will is
present with me, but how to perform that which is good I find not. That is the state of a believer. A believer still has no power
of their own to do the right thing. It's not in us because
we still have this flesh. One more thing I will say about
man doing and man doing a good work. As Tim James pointed out
a long time ago, there's only one place in scripture where
it talks about a believer doing a good work. This woman that
came to Christ with the alabaster box of ointment, she poured it
on Christ's head for his burial. That's what Christ said she did.
He said, she hath done a good work on me. So there's a work
you can do. This is a work that people will
not do though in this world. She gave what she had to lift
up Christ, to honor Christ and what he would do. Not only that,
but she also kissed his feet, Walter. She had tears in her eyes and
she, with those tears, usually in her hair, washed the Lord
of Glory's feet. You want to do a good work, there's
a good work you can do. Kiss the feet of the sovereign
God. This is something men and women in this world will not
do. We will not do this left to ourselves. But there are some who have no
part or lot in this matter. And it was said of Simon here.
So next, I want to talk about those who do have a part and
lot. We just read of one who had part
or lot of those things which manifest them to have part or
lot. What I just talked about the
woman there. But it was not her doing that caused her to have
part or lot in this matter. It was the doing of another and
the giving of another. She anointed Christ for his burial. This is what Christ says. And
let's go to that passage because I want to read it. Luke 7. Luke
7. Luke 7 and starting in verse
36. Luke 7 and verse 36. And I'm just gonna read to the
end of the chapter. I know it's long, but I'm gonna read it. 7, verse
36. And one of the Pharisees desired
him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's
house and sat down to meet. And behold, a woman in the city
which was a sinner. That's who comes to Christ are
sinners. When she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's
house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his
feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears,
and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet,
and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had
bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if
he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of
woman this is that touches him. Thank God he does, for she is
a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto
him, Simon, I have some what to say unto thee. And he said,
Master, say on. There was a certain creditor
which had two debtors. The one owed 500 pence, and the
other 50. And when they had nothing to
pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which
of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose
that he to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, thou hast
rightly judged. And he turned to the woman and
said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house. Thou gavest me no water for my
feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears and wiped them
with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss, but this
woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not
anoint, but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore
I say unto thee, her sins which are many are forgiven, for she
loved much. But to whom little was forgiven,
the same loveth little. And he said unto her, thy sins
are forgiven. And when they that sat at meat
with him began to say within themselves, who is this that
forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, thy
faith hath saved thee. Go in peace. In other text of this account,
it tells us she anointed his head for his burial. She did
this knowing that it was what he did and what he would do for
her and not anything of herself. She was a sinner. She gave of
what she had. God's people know that what they
have was given to them by the Lord of glory. They know that
it is God that maketh them to differ. Did this woman know all
things that were going to come to pass? I don't know. I just know our Lord said she
anointed His head for the burial. So I take it for what it says.
She was weeping, it says. Those who have part and lot in
the matter weep because of their sin and what it takes to atone
for those sins. It took the death of God to atone
for my sins. so that I might be righteous
before him. I had nothing to do with it and
I still have nothing to do with it. All I can do is that which
is my duty to do, kiss the feet of my Lord and Savior and wipe
his feet with my tears. So what is it in our text that
tells us or manifests those whose heart is not right in the sight
of God? So next we have that. Verse 18
it says in our text, and when Simon saw that through laying
on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered
them money. If you notice here, he's not
even asking if he can pay money to get the gift himself for the
gift to come in. This is one who is a deceiver,
a bewitcher. He wanted this power to give
the Holy Ghost to those he laid hands on, it's what it says.
I think he wanted this power to make money with it. It does
not say that specifically, so it's my opinion, but knowing
who this man was and what he did before, I can see him wanting
to do that. The manifestation of those whose
heart is not right in the sight of God are those who think they
can, of their own sustenance, gain favor from God. It talks
specifically here about money, and that is certainly true. There
are people who join themselves with God's people, who believe
that they can give all their money, and that this giving of
their money will gain them favor before God. And don't get me
wrong, God's people do give. And God's people do things as
servants of the holy God. But there are some, and it will
be made manifest that they think it is of themselves in some way
to gain favor with God. There is no submission to God
in kissing his feet and anointing him. But they really believe
that they're giving of money. And think about it. It is the
money that God gave them in the first place, and they think it
will gain them favor before God. Can you imagine that? That's
like me taking some money out of somebody's account and then
giving it back to them and expecting a reward from them. Does anybody
want to do that? I mean, I'll be glad to help
you out. But I do want to say it does
not always manifest itself in the form of money. There are
those who think because of what they do, that their doing will
commend them to God. But there is nothing that I can
do to commend myself to God or to receive His gifts. Do we expect from our just God
who came down to be born of woman, born under the law, to do that
which we could not do? Do we expect that God to thank
us for doing anything? What did Christ teach? And this
is Christ giving an example of a master and his servant. And
here's what he concludes, Luke 17, 10. So likewise ye, when
ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you,
say, we are unprofitable servants. We have done that which was our
duty to do. If it is our attitude that we
can gain the gift of God by what we give or what we do, then we
are manifesting that heart which is not right in the sight of
God. So from all this, here is what
we have. We have nothing to do with getting
the gift of God, and we have and had nothing to do with paying
for our sins, so that we could even expect to get the gift of
God. The only thing we did was to be sin and to commit sin,
and that sinner, Lord and Savior, to the tree. It is sinners who
God saves, and there's one thing that sinners can do. That's sin. I cannot give the gift of God
to myself in any way, and I cannot give the gift of God to someone
else either. I do not know who it is that Christ died for. The
scripture is clear. The Lord knows them that are
His, and what else does He say in Acts 2, 46 and 47? And they,
continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread
from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and
singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all
the people. And the Lord added to the church
daily such as should be said. That is a comforting thought.
To know that my Lord has not commanded me to add anyone to
the church of God. Because if he did, there would
not be anybody added to the church. I could not do it and there's
no one else that could do it but God. There is not one of
us who is born in Adam that have a heart that is right in the
sight of God. He must give a new heart. To
those whom he gives this new heart, this new man, this going
from death to life, he then also comes in to dwell in them and
with them, which is what our text passage is talking about. This new heart, this new man
with the indwelling spirit does not look to do for God, but praises
God for all that he has done and does for them. They bow down
and kiss the feet of Him that died for them. They do give of
themselves, knowing that He deserves to be served. They do this knowing
that it is He who made them to differ. May it be that He continue
to do this work and to give His gifts that we receive freely. Salvation, and I'm speaking of
the whole of salvation, but salvation is free to us. but salvation
was not free. It cost the Lord of glory his
life. So God paid the ultimate price. The eternal God died. I can't even wrap my head around
that. I don't know who it is that is
or are one of his, but I know he knows who they are. The scripture
says so. Those whom he has not done a
work for and a work on them or in them, they will be made manifest
because they will speak of what they do rather than what he has
done. We must all pray, God, keep me
from myself because there is that which is in me that nothing
good dwells in this flesh. I pray for the day when I will
drop this flesh. I cannot even perform that which
I am commanded to do without him working in me to will and
to do of his good pleasure. Bow me down, my Lord and Savior.
Cause me to kiss your feet, to anoint your head for what you
have done and for what you do. I am a sinner with nothing to
pay, with no strength to perform it, and with no wisdom to know
what to do. But I thank God. He is my wisdom,
my righteousness, my sanctification, and my redemption. I have nothing
to pay. If it is not given to me freely,
I must surely perish. Amen. Dear old God, apply these
words to our hearts, seal them to our hearts, dear Lord, and
cause us to see you. All these things we ask in Christ's
name. Amen.