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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s Word on Bibleline, everywhere, every time. Here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Take a Bible, turn to the book of Acts, and chapter 8, Acts chapter 8. Monday morning, I went to the bank to get my little card corrected with a pin number. I’m sure y’all might have had to do that at a time. The little lady in there says, well have a seat, so I had a seat. And she smiled and she looked at me and she said, And what is your New Year’s resolution? I really hadn’t thought of a New Year’s resolution.

And so I said, I just want to tell more people how to have the free gift of eternal life by simply accepting Christ as their Savior. She looked at me. She says, well, go for it. There were still people in line, but we had a little time. So I proceeded to tell her how that you can have eternal life as a free gift. When I got through, I said, does that make sense to you? She said, yes, it does.

She had a big smile on her face. I said, well, right now, will you trust Jesus Christ as your only hope of going to heaven? She said, yes, I will. And then she laughed. I said, what are you laughing for? She says, if my priest could see me now. I thought it was so funny because you know, some things you can’t make happen. You just don’t plan it. And so I said, you made my day. She said, you made mine.

So it’s a good way to start the new year off, I guess. But here in the book of Acts, we have in chapter eight, a very interesting story. We have the story of a man named Philip who is on fire. I mean, he is newly elected Deacon and he’s just approaching away. Of course, you know, we’ve already lost even. He died in the previous chapter. So now we have a story about the introduction of somebody named Saul. Now this is not King Saul of the Old Testament, this is a new guy.

And he was a young man. And the Bible says that when Stephen was being stoned, they laid the clothes at a young man’s feet and he was consenting unto his death. In other words, it means with his approval. See there in verse 1, Saul was consenting unto his death, gave his approval. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem. we know. This was not called the First Baptist Church. It probably was not called the Catholic Church.

It wasn’t called the Pentecostal Church. It was the Church. There was only one Church, which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles. Now remember in the book of Acts in chapter verse eight where he says, and the Holy Spirit shall come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto me, and you shall receive power that you may be witnessing in Jerusalem and Judea and Samarion are the most parts of the earth.

Well, this is what has happened in Jerusalem and now it’s going to spread. And now we’re going to be talking about in, you know, Samarion and so on, and then into the uttermost parts of the earth. But it was because the children of Israel did not listen to this last big plea where Peter had preached to them, and then Stephen had preached to them, and they just didn’t want anything to do with it. And they commanded that they not teach or preach in the name of Jesus Christ.

Well, they did it anyway. They were greatly persecuted. Peter put him prison. Stephen was stoned to death. And now we have another young man who was doing everything in his power to kind of put his clamps down on this new church that’s coming on the scene and all these people that believed this. And they actually believed they were doing God a favor. They thought that what they were doing. Paul tells it later. They thought they were doing the will of God.

But they weren’t. And as you read through here, you’ll find out that yes, there’s some people who think they’re doing what God wants them to do and they’re not doing it. But He makes a statement here in verse 2, and devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, cause chaos entered into every house and hailing men and women and committed them to prison. This is what Saul was doing.

You say, who is his Saul? Well, whoever he was, he was a bad guy. I mean, this is a guy you don’t want anything to do with. You don’t want to mess with this man. Because he had authorization to take men and women and put them into prison, kill them. I mean, he was a terrible man. You know and I know that there’s no way God could ever use a man like that, right? Now in verse four it says, therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word.

So the apostles were still in Jerusalem. The people were scattered abroad. Sometimes God may scatter you abroad and send you someplace else and uproot your life and close down this job in order to force you to do something. God knows what he’s doing and he spreads us out sometime because sometimes we just get lacked a day’s ago taking things for granted. And you got your nice little nest egg and you feel comfortable. And sometimes God wants us to get out of our comfort zone.

And so he kind of put those sharp little sticks in the nest so that little iglets are no longer comfortable. So they’ll learn how to fly. And so the mama, Elo, put them on their back and take them way up high and then dump them off. And then they’ll, what’s the one? And they learn how to fly. But that’s how they learn. that’s how we learn. So sometimes you’re just too comfortable. Things are too easy on you. So God’s got to shake up your life a little bit.

Well, he knows what he’s doing. But it says in verse 5, then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, preached Christ unto them. Now here’s Jerusalem. You would say down to Jerusalem would be south of Jerusalem. But down from Jerusalem could be in any direction because Jerusalem was up on a high mountain and Samaria was north. So they had to go there and Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them. So we know what he preached.

He preached the Lord. We’ll know later how much he understood. And the people with one accord and gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. So he was able to do all kinds of miracles. People were impressed. It was validation upon the message they were preaching. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them and many taken with palsies and that were lame, were healed, and there was great joy in that city.

already talked about in an earlier chapter where it talks about they had great grace and great power and great fear and now great joy. So whenever you do everything that God says to do the joy is because you’ve done what God says to do in spite of the fear because God’s given you power and God has saved you by grace. So we have all that we need to really enjoy life. Now if you’re going through life right now and you’re not enjoying life itself that God given to you, something’s wrong.

But it’s not God and it’s not the world. You say, well, we were just born at a bad time. This is a bad time to live. Well, I think you’ll find out that Jacob and all of his sons, that was a bad time to live. They had a good idea. Egypt. They all were born at a bad time. Moses? Well, he was born at a bad time. They were killing all the little boys, remember? Jesus, well, he was born at a bad time.

There’s always been bad times. It’s just we have the same God, same yesterday, today, forever. He doesn’t change. And so there’s things that God wants us to know, to do, to learn. And so He says, you and I, believe it or not, can have great joy in this life. If they had great joy because of what they heard Him preach, what they saw Him do, well stop and think. That was 2,000 years ago. Should our joy today be any less than if He became here yesterday?

And we saw everything that he did. And we heard the great gospel, how you could have eternal life and be sure of going to heaven when you die. Why should I be any more happier at that moment than they were at that moment? Can’t we enjoy serving the Lord today? You’d be surprised. I’m not going to ask. How many of you sitting right here right now are miserable because you’re not happy. And you don’t have that joy. And you can be down and discouraged, depressed, and everything’s going wrong in your life.

No, it’s not. Everything is not going wrong. You don’t understand life. You say, you just don’t know what I’m going through. I don’t have to know what you’re going through. I know that God knows what you’re going through. And you’re supposed to know that God knows what you’re going through. And you know that I know that you’re supposed to know that you’re trusting the Lord. and that you know that I know, that you know that all things work together for good to them that love the Lord, to those who are called according to His purpose.

You know that I know that you know that. So you’re supposed to have great joy in all things. In verse 9 there’s a nice little story here. Now as we read through this little story that deals with a guy named Simon, It seems like this man, well, he might be saved, well, he might not be saved. Well, if he was saved, he wouldn’t have said what he did. And if he was saved, what did this happen? So evidently he wasn’t saved.

Well, you can really get confused. I am so glad that I’m here to remove that confusion. If you have a clear conscience this morning, it’s because you have a fuzzy memory. I just heard that recently. Verse nine, first nine. But there was a certain man called Simon, which before time in the same city, used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, given out that himself with 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 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, behold, in the miracles and signs which were done. Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Sumerian had received the Word of God, they sinned 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 followed 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 land on of the apostles’ hands, the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money. So you give me this also, this power, that on whom soever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, thy money perish with thee, because thou hath thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

Thou hath 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 thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceived the thawart 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 those 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.”

What a story. Now the question comes down is, was Simon saved or was Simon not saved? Because if he was saved, then why did the apostles say all these things? And there’s a lot of people that say that he was, and there’s people who think that he wasn’t. So which way is it? Well, you and I know and we’re supposed to believe that whenever you trust Christ as your Savior, your saved from hell. You’re saved forever. And that once you believe it, you have it, and you have the free gift of eternal life.

But look what he says there in verse 20, when Peter said unto him, thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. And in verse 22, repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if for half the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee. Well, it don’t look like he was a saved man. There are many who have written a lot of books on Simon the Sorcerer, and there have been groups that have gone into other territories after this incident here, and Polycarp and a lot of others have, Church Fathers have written about this even up until the third century.

And so it appears that this man was a wicked man and he was able to levitate. Come on off the floor. And one of them says that there was an Ephesus and he was levitating and going all the way up in the air. And the Apostle Paul was there and the Apostle Paul broke the spell and he fell, broke all of his legs and so forth. Now that’s a story. But there’s a whole bunch of them. I mean, this guy was really well known for his sorcery.

But whether they were stories or whether or not it was because of this is the same guy or another guy or maybe it was his son. I I don’t know I wasn’t there. I really don’t care. And I very seldom like to use external sources as validity to believe in what the scripture says. Now, if I didn’t know anything about history, anything about the church fathers and what they said because some of them say things that are true and some things not so true.

So how do you know? Well, let’s just take a quick look at this. When it makes a statement in verse nine and 10, is talking about a certain man, his name was Simon. The one that they referred to Simon Marcus is the name that people refer to him and he was a very wicked man and even went into Rome and all kind of stuff. But anyway, which before time in the same city, he used sorcery, be which the people and the people thought he was somebody special and that he was a man of God.

See in verse 10? And in verse 11, and to him they had regard because that of long time he had bewitched in with source reason. And when they believed Philip, so here’s a man having somebody come and in and cutting into his prophets. You see, the apostles did what they did. You know, they never charged anything. But these kind of people, they always charged money. You had to pay them. And they could be witched things. And yet there has to be in whether we lack it or not.

There is another world being lived at the same time that we’re living ours. There is a spiritual world. There is a wicked spiritual world. The Bible talks about Christ casting out demons. We can’t do that if they don’t exist. They do exist and they are real and they are still here today. There is a force that you and I I cannot see the principalities and the powers and so forth that God talks about and while we need our armor in the book of Ephesians in chapter 6.

So the man was able to do these things, they seed the people, but the people when they heard the gospel, one of the things that I have done over the years, I have never tried to cast out demons out of anybody. Never have. I just try to win people to Christ. Because if I can get them to trust Christ as their Savior, the Holy Spirit involves them. And I don’t have to worry about it. Now it’s just a matter of getting that person that knows the Lord to serve the Lord, to live for the Lord.

You can be demon oppressed but not possessed. A lot of different. But let me mention this to you. In verse 12 where it says, and when they believe Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women. Now in this verse, if we take this literally as we found in other verses in the book of Acts, Peter preached Christ, they heard, they believed, and if they believed, then they were baptized.

Well, if that’s what happened to them, it also says in verse 13, then Simon himself believed also. Now, if we doubt Simon’s belief, we’ll have to doubt all the others that believe. Because either one is true, or both of them is true, or both of them are false. If they did believe, and the Scripture says, Simon himself believed, also just like the others. So if he did believe, and was baptized, Is it possible that he was saved just like the others?

Now, because of what happens later, there’s doubts cast upon whether or not he was really a safe man. And it’s because of what he said. But I think if you look at it real close, it may not be as bad as you think. Anyway, we’ll take a look at it and see. This is why we call it, you studied the Bible, you’ll look at it and see, now, what could this mean? What does this mean? Now, when he makes the statement of the verse 13, and Simon himself believed also, and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and wondered, beholden, the miracles and signs which were done.

So he was doing those things before, but he was doing it by the devil. Now he’s walking with them, and he continued with them. He saw the miracles and things like that. Now, I’ll have to admit, let’s say we’re back in the Bible times, and Peter over here, this is now Philip. This is Philip. He has come down and he’s doing all these things. Now, I don’t know about you, but if I can see somebody doing all these miracles, I do too.

I want to do that. Wasn’t it true that when Jesus walked on the water, do you remember somebody says, let me walk on the water? Why? Because he wanted to walk on the water. Just because somebody didn’t want to walk on the water didn’t know that somebody did want to walk on the water. If I had been there and I was in the boat, I would have said, I was just going to do that. I could have done that.

I don’t know if I’d have got out of the boat, but I said that. But now, if he believed and he was baptized, and evidently by Philip, look what he says there in Acts in chapter 8, and look there in verse 35. is now talking to another man. Then Philip opened his mouth, began at the same scripture and preached unto him, Jesus. And as they were on their way, they came to a certain water and the eunuch said, here, here is water.

What death hinder me to be baptized? What would hinder him from being baptized? Here, verse 37, Philip says, if thou believeth, with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. So he commanded the chair to be still, and they backed up. So he said, what would he mean to be in baptized? You must believe on Jesus Christ. Well, now, he just preached the word down there in Samaria.

And the people believed it. And when they believed it, they were baptized. And in the scriptures, just simply says, Simon believed also. So whatever they did, he believed what they believed, just like they believed. So if you doubt his salvation, you’ll have to doubt all the other ones that said they believed. Because they were baptized because of what they believed. Simon was baptized because of what he said he believed. So why shouldn’t I think that he was saved? Well the thing that causes the problem is something that happens afterwards.

So let’s take a look at it. So we have here in verse 14, when the apostles which are at Jerusalem heard that Samaria, Yoda Andalandis, had received the Word of God. So we’re saying that they did believe it. They received it. And so we’re supposed to believe that he was preaching the gospel because it says he went everywhere preaching the word talking about the gospel and people believed the message. And so he says here in verse 15, who when they were come down prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost.

For yet he was falling upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost. So this was in what we called a transition period because it was finishing up of the dispensation of law, which ended, I believe, around the time of the fall of the temple in Jerusalem and the Jews were scattered. But the church began on the day of Pentecost and so in this period of time here you have a transition period where they’re going from law to grace, Judaism, Christianity, and so they were able to do signs and gifts and miracles and so forth during this period of time to confirm the Word.

You You see, Philip couldn’t say, now I want all of you all to take your Bible, look in the book of Ephesians 2, 8, and 9. He couldn’t say take your Bible, look in 1 John 5, 13. He used the Old Testament scriptures that knew hadn’t been written yet. And so, but they were able to take the Old Testament scriptures and preach the truth and preach the gospel, whereby they could have eternal life. And so this is what was going on.

And the Holy Spirit had not yet been given. But remember this, when Jesus in chapter seven of the gospel of John, verse 39 says on that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried. Saying, if any man thirst led him coming to me and drinking as the scripture half saith, out of his belly shall come, stream to live in water. And it says, and this is the key of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive.

for as yet Christ had not yet been glorified. And the Holy Spirit would come upon all those that believe. So as time goes on, there was no Holy Spirit given. It was given to them on day of Pentecost, and then after that, then they would lay hands on them. And then after all the miracles and signs and the transition periods of it, when you simply believe you received the Holy Spirit. And so you’ll find this several times in the book of Acts.

It’s a transitional book until So everything is done, and then when we have the complete Word of God, you don’t need all of that stuff anymore. And so that has been removed. It’s no longer sufficient. Now here he makes a statement. In verse 18, when Simon saw that through land on of the apostles’ hands, the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money. Now I do not see this as him trying to buy salvation. He was talking about something else.

He’s talking now about this power. Remember, he’s had power to do things. He wants this power. And it’s not talking about salvation. It didn’t say Simon did not ask for salvation. He says in verse 19, saying, Give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. This is what he was asking. I don’t, I think it’s a different issue than salvation. But if I doubt his salvation, then I have to doubt all the salvation all the other people that believed also.

And his baptism meant nothing, then the other people’s baptism didn’t mean anything either. And in verse 20 says, but Peter said unto him, thy money perish with thee because thou hast fought, something they’s thinking, that the gift of God may be purchased with money. But is this the gift of eternal life or the gift of God as you find in the book of Acts in chapter 2, where it makes a statement in in verse 38 says, then Peter said unto him, repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sin, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost.

So here he’s talking about receiving the Holy Ghost. So this gift is not something you can buy. When you and I trust Christ is saved, the Holy Spirit is free. But there because of the transition, It was to validate the word which they spoke and the miracles and things that they were able to do. And so it made the statement in verse 21, they’ll have to neither partner a lot in this matter. For thy heart is not right in the side of the God.

In other words, this isn’t something that you can buy. You can’t buy this. But I don’t believe he’s talking about being saved. It doesn’t say that. I can make it say that. I can twist it around a little bit and say that that’s what he means. Now, I believe that just like this, for example, you may have trusted Christ as your Savior. You know you’re going to heaven when you die. But does that mean you automatically serve God? No.

You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tapp of Florida with Dr. Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing tool free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. To listen to today’s message again or to obtain a free download of any of our Bibleline programs, just go to our homepage at BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the radio broadcast link.

If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 10-30 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by clicking on the Calvary Community Church link at BibleLineMinistries.org. Thanks for joining us on Bible line, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound, and we will be changed.

Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, and just keep looking up.