A Study in the Book of Acts

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A Study in the Book of Acts
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• Its not the parts of the Bible that I dont
  understand that bother me. Its the parts that I
  do understand that bother me.

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The message has been clear to us

• Acts 412 - Salvation is found in no one else,
  for there is no other name under heaven given to
  men by which we must be saved."

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The mission has been clear to us

• Acts 18 - But you will receive power when the
  Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my
  witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
  Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

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• 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word
  wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city
  in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.

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• 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the
  miraculous signs he did, they all paid close
  attention to what he said. 7 With shrieks, evil
  spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and
  cripples were healed. 8 So there was great joy
  in that city.

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• 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached
  the good news of the kingdom of God and the name
  of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and
  women.

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Notice Philips Emphasis

• proclaiming Christ (verse 5)
• preached the Good News of the Kingdom (verse
  12)
• His message is confirmed with signs pointing to
  God (verses 6,7)

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• Its not about you!

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• 9 Now for some time a man named Simon had
  practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the
  people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone
  great, 10 and all the people, both high and low,
  gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man
  is the divine power known as the Great Power."
  11 They followed him because he had amazed them
  for a long time with his magic.

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Notice Simons Emphasis

• Sorcery (demonic power) instead of Gods power
  (verse 9)
• Boasting about self instead of pointing to Christ
  (verse 10)
• Receiving glory that is only reserved for God
  (verses 10,11)

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• Isaiah 1413,14 - You said in your heart, I will
  ascend to heaven I will raise my throne above
  the stars of God I will sit enthroned on the
  mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the
  sacred mountain.
• 14 I will make myself like the Most High."

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• 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached
  the good news of the kingdom of God and the name
  of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and
  women.

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• 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And
  he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the
  great signs and miracles he saw.

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• 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that
  Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent
  Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived,
  they prayed for them that they might receive the
  Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not
  yet come upon any of them they had simply been
  baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17
  Then Peter and John placed their hands on them,
  and they received the Holy Spirit.

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• Simons Offer to Buy the Holy Spirit
• 18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at
  the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered
  them money 19 and said, "Give me also this
  ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands
  may receive the Holy Spirit."

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• 20 Peter answered "May your money perish with
  you, because you thought you could buy the gift
  of God with money! 21 You have no part or share
  in this ministry, because your heart is not right
  before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and
  pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you
  for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For
  I see that you are full of bitterness and captive
  to sin."

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• 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And
  he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the
  great signs and miracles he saw.

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• 20 Peter answered "May your money perish with
  you, because you thought you could buy the gift
  of God with money! 21 You have no part or share
  in this ministry, because your heart is not right
  before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and
  pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you
  for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For
  I see that you are full of bitterness and captive
  to sin."

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Was Simon a True Believer?(Three Views)
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View 1

• Simon was a believer who had lost his salvation

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• Philippians 13-6 I thank my God every time I
  remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you,
  I always pray with joy 5 because of your
  partnership in the gospel from the first day
  until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who
  began a good work in you will carry it on to
  completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

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• Ephesians 111-14 - In him we were also chosen,
  having been predestined according to the plan of
  him who works out everything in conformity with
  the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who
  were the first to hope in Christ, might be for
  the praise of his glory.

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• 13 And you also were included in Christ when you
  heard the word of truth, the gospel of your
  salvation. Having believed, you were marked in
  him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who
  is a deposit guaran-teeing our inheritance until
  the redemption of those who are God's
  possessionto the praise of his glory.

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• Romans 838,39 - For I am convinced that neither
  death nor life, neither angels nor demons,
  neither the present nor the future, nor any
  powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything
  else in all creation, will be able to separate us
  from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our
  Lord.

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If Salvation is up to You
You
God
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• No Assurance
• Legalism stay inside the box

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View 2

• Simon was a believer who was being chastised by
  Peter

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Jesus to Simon Peter

• John 136-8 - Jesus came to Simon Peter, who
  said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my
  feet?"  7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now
  what I am doing, but later you will under-stand."
   8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my
  feet."  Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you
  have no part with me."

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Simon the Gnostic
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View 3

• Simon was not a true believer.

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• There is a "faith," there is a "believing" that
  does not save.

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John and the Jewish Leaders

• 1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching
  in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, "Repent, for
  the kingdom of heaven is near."

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John and the Jewish Leaders

• 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all
  Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6
  Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him
  in the Jordan River.

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John and the Jewish Leaders

• 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and
  Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he
  said to them "You brood of vipers! Who warned
  you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce
  fruit in keeping with repentance.

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John and the Jewish Leaders

• 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We
  have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out
  of these stones God can raise up children for
  Abraham.

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John and the Jewish Leaders

• 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees,
  and every tree that does not produce good fruit
  will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

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• 2 Timothy 3 1 But mark this There will be
  terrible times in the last days. 2 People will
  be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
  boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their
  parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love,
  unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control,
  brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous,
  rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than
  lovers of God 5 having a form of godliness but
  denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

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• In Luke 8, Jesus tells the parable of the sower
  and the seeds. Here he speaks in verse 13 about
  Those on the rock are the ones who receive the
  word with joy when they hear it, but they have no
  root. They believe for a while, but in the time
  of testing they fall away.

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• James 219 - You believe that there is one God.
  Good! Even the demons believe thatand shudder.

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• John 223,24 - Now while he was in Jerusalem at
  the Passover Feast, many people saw the
  miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his
  name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to
  them, for he knew all men. 25 He did not need
  man's testimony about man, for he knew what was
  in a man.

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• 2 Corinthians 135-7 - Examine yourselves to see
  whether you are in the faith test yourselves. Do
  you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you
  unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I
  trust that you will discover that we have not
  failed the test.

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• One of the most fearful realities in all of
  Scripture is that some who think that they are
  saved will be eternally lost.

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• Matthew 7 - Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord,
  Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only
  he who does the will of my Father who is in
  heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day,
  'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name,
  and in your name drive out demons and perform
  many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly,
  'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!

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