• The Expansion of the Church – Act 8:1-5
  • The paragraph begins with persecution
  • The paragraph ends with proclamation
  • God uses opposition
    • The murder of Stephen by the Council
    • The rage of Saul
      • Forced the Church out of Jerusalem
      • Made it necessary for all believers to be “ministers”
    • Christ rules in the midst of enemies
• Philip in Samaria – Act 8:4-24
  • It was a transitional witness
    • Samaria is between Judea and Galilee
    • Samaritans are a bridge between Jews and Gentiles
  • It was a genuine ministry of the Spirit
    • There was response to the truth (Christ) – Act 8:5-6
    • There was the accompaniment of power
      • There were miracles of healing
      • The physical demonstrated the power of the spiritual
    • There was great joy in that city – Act 8:8
  • The real thing vs. the counterfeit – Act 8:9-24
    • Simon the magician
      • He was involved in sorcery
      • The marks of counterfeit faith – Act 8:9
        • Counterfeit faith exalts the human – 2Co 4:5
        • False Christianity attempts to interject a mediator between a believer and God – 1Ti 2:5
          • Someone who claims an “in” with God
          • A special channel that others don’t have
        • Counterfeit power
          • The “magic” was an occult practice – Deu 18:9-12
          • The demonic produces miracles
        • The counterfeit can deceive many
    • The devil joins the Church – Act 8:13
      • Simon openly identified himself with the Church
      • The other Scripture passages reveal that Simon was unregenerate
        • He said the right words
        • He was a phony
      • The weakness of the Church
        • Unregenerate coming in and going through the motions
        • Calling themselves Christian, but remaining unchanged in their heart
        • The “mixed” multitude in the wilderness
    • The Samaritans and the Holy Spirit
      • The ministry of Peter and John
      • Prayer and laying on of hands
      • The Holy Spirit and the Samaritans
        • Placing them into the Body
        • Preventing the possibility of two churches
    • The exposure of Simon
      • He tried to buy spiritual power with money
      • Peter’s rebuke
        • “You and your money are both going to hell”
        • You have spoken blasphemy
        • Simon’s heart is not right before God. God reads hearts
        • Simon is full of bitterness and the slave of iniquity
        • The call to repentance
      • Simon’s reply
        • No real repentance
        • He desired to escape the penalty
        • No concern about his insult against God
      • Simon became one of the chief opponents of the Gospel

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