Greetings, and so glad to speak with you again.
If you do not know me, my name is John Lau,
and I'm still the minister here at St. Paul's.
Do you like to follow TV series?
I was following a couple from the US,
but I was forced to stop because the channel is working out
whether they will continue the show or not.
TV channels always leave the viewers hanging
between series, and we are left to wonder
what is going to happen next.
And what is worse is they also do not tell you
when we start the series,
or they will start a very similar franchise,
like all the different CSI and NCIS series.
And I really, really don't like the cliffhangers
in between series.
We are in the middle of a series looking through the book of Acts
in the New Testament.
We are looking into how the first generation
of believers of Jesus live out their life in a new world.
We come to a point in the book of Acts,
there are four cliffhangers.
But these kinds of cliffhangers are good and worth looking into.
These are the kinds of intercession that I enjoy.
The chapter we are looking into today can be divided into three mini-series
based on the three main characters.
They are Philip, Simon the sorcerer,
and the Ethiopian unit with no name.
So let's ask two questions for each of these characters.
What happened to them?
And what is next?
If you already have turned your Bible,
or if you haven't, please turn with me to Acts chapter 8.
And we'll begin with Philip from verse 4.
In verse 1 to 3, there are a couple of characters
called Stephen and Saul,
which we have already addressed last week.
Stephen was chosen to be a leader of the early church,
and he became the first martyr.
And Saul is a major character in the development of Christianity.
Luke, the writer of Book of Acts,
has given us a bit of teaser, like a movie trailer,
in the chapter leading into our chapter,
and following our passage today.
Since we'll be meeting Saul,
and Luke dedicated a whole episode for him next week,
I will not spoil your enjoyment.
Stay tuned and come back next week to find out what happened to Saul,
and what's next about the proclamation of God's good news of salvation.
After Stephen was martyred towards the end of last chapter,
naturally, when a significant local leader in any movement was killed,
we were asked, what's going to happen to the movement?
In Acts 1, chapter 8, told us that
Jesus started this saving work of God
by commissioning his disciples
to take the good news of salvation
from Judea to Samaria,
to the Gentiles,
and to the end of the earth.
Stephen's death
started this expansion of proclamation of good news
to the new ground,
and we came to see what happens to another leader, Philip.
So in chapter 8, first one says,
On that day, a great persecution
broke out against a church in Jerusalem,
and all except the apostles
were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
And then we jump down to verse 4.
Those who had been scattered preached the word
wherever they went.
Philip went down to a city in Samaria
and proclaimed the Messiah there.
What has happened to Stephen
has become an impetus.
The believers had stayed in Jerusalem
since chapter 2,
is now scattered.
The scattering is a corrective action
done by God
because the good news of salvation
was meant to go out.
Philip was chosen with Stephen
initially to look after food distribution
among the believers in Jerusalem.
Now, he went down to Samaria,
and instead of distributing food
for physical need,
he proclaimed the Messiah
and preached the word of Jesus
to provide food for the soul.
A new proclamation has begun.
It's new because we have new agents
and new locations.
Adding to the apostles
who remain in Jerusalem.
Now we have believers
scattered throughout Judea and Samaria,
preaching and proclaiming as they go.
Philip brought the gospel
to a city in Samaria,
proclaiming Jesus.
Verse 6 to 8 tell us
how the crowd responded.
They say,
when they heard Philip
and saw the signs that he performed,
they all paid close attention
to what he said.
And there were great joys
in the city
because many immediate needs
were fulfilled.
Then in verse 12,
when they believed Philip
as he proclaimed the good news
of the kingdom of God
and the name of Jesus Christ,
they were baptized,
both men and women.
They heard and accepted the good news.
They responded
by their action,
just like those believers
back in Acts 2.
This is not the first time
the name of Jesus
proclaimed in Samaria.
In John chapter 4,
verse 39 to 42,
Jesus' name was proclaimed
by a woman
who met Jesus.
And this also happened
to the crowd.
John chapter 4.
Many of the Samaritans
from that time
believed in him
because of the woman's testimony.
So when the Samaritan
came to him,
they urged him
to stay with them,
and he stayed.
And because of his words,
many more
become believers.
They said to the woman,
we no longer believe
just because of what you said,
but we have heard for ourselves,
and we know this man
really is the savior
of the world.
From these two occasions,
if I'm going to think
about a body part
to represent the people
of Samaria,
I would definitely
define them
as a people
of active ears,
actively listening,
attentive,
and responsive.
They all heard
and believed
the proclamation
and responded.
They believed
what they heard
from the witness,
but they did not
stop there.
They seek out
the object
of their belief
to confirm
he really
is the savior
of the world.
Our current climate,
living under
the shadow
of a pandemic,
has opened up
a lot of people
towards the idea
that they may
also need a savior.
They want
some comfort
to their worries
and religion
seems to be able
to provide.
It would be so great
if they have
the active ears
of Samaritans
to truly know
and confirm
Jesus really
is the savior
of the world.
our current
climate
also reveals
a lot of
ignorance
and arrogance
of religious people,
believing that
they are above
the health advice
of their government
because their God
will protect them.
And we can see
the sad consequences
of many
infection clusters
from religious
establishments.
is it possible
that they aren't
really following
the real savior
and just going
through motions?
Is it possible
that they believe
just because of
what the other
humans tell them
and have not
heed for themselves
and come to
real knowledge
of who really
is the savior
of the world?
People will end up
putting their life
and the life
of other people
and many other
people's at risk
if they do not
take God seriously.
Our second character
gives us a very
stern warning
that something
serious
is at hand.
It is more
deadly
than catching
COVID-19
and that character
is Simon the sorcerer.
Let's read
what happened to him,
see what happened
next starting
from verse 9.
Now for some time
a man named Simon
had practiced
sorcery in the city
and amazed
all the people
of Samaria.
He boasts that
he was someone
great and all
the people
both high and low
give him their
attention and
exclaim,
this man is really
called the great
power of God.
They follow him
because he had
amazed them
for a long time
with his sorcery.
I believe we can
assume that
Simon is not
originally from
Samaria by the
way that he
was introduced.
He was a man
that came to
the city
and amazed
all the people
of Samaria.
He's most likely
a traveling
sorcerer,
making a living
out of selling
sorcery.
And when he
came to Samaria,
he got so much
attention and
publicity,
so he stayed.
If we read on,
it says,
but when they
believed Philip
as he proclaimed
the good news
of the kingdom
of God
and the name
of Jesus Christ,
they were baptized
both men and
women.
Simon himself
believed and
was baptized.
Simon seems to
be a great
comfort.
He believed
and responded.
He got baptized.
He followed
Philip everywhere.
He was devoted
and paid full
attention.
So what is
the danger?
What was wrong
with his situation?
Let's look at him
closely again.
Let's go back
to verse 9.
He boasts
that he was
someone great
and all the people
gave him
their attention.
Then in verse 11,
he had amazed
people for a long
time with his
sorcery.
And verse 13,
he followed
Philip everywhere,
astonished by the
great sign
and miracle
he saw.
Do you start
to see the picture
of who he is?
He's an attention
seeker.
He put his
attention at
great signs
and miracles.
He's not like
the Samaritan
that wanted to
find out for
themselves who
Jesus really is.
He seems to
have become a
Christian for the
wrong reason.
Why do I say
that?
Let's read on
verse 18 to 19.
When Simon
saw the Spirit
was given to
all at the
laying hand
of the
apostle's hand,
he offered
them money
and said,
give me also
this ability
so that
everyone on
whom I lay
my hands
may receive
the Holy Spirit.
When Peter and
John were sent
from Jerusalem
to Samaria
to bring
encouragement
and spiritual
gifts,
they prayed
for the people
to receive
the Holy Spirit.
Simon wanted
that ability
too,
and he thought
he could buy
it off Peter
and John.
Why does he
want the ability?
It say,
so that everyone
on whom he
lay his hands
may receive
the Holy Spirit.
Do you remember
how the people
reacted to him
earlier?
They treated him
like a superstar,
and maybe that
was what he
missed,
the feeling
of being
important,
being the
center of
the universe.
His desire
blinded him.
He no longer
see the price
that God
had paid
for him,
that he
is purchased
by the life
of God's
one and only
son.
He is blinded
to how much
God
values him.
Instead of
rejoicing and
full of gratitude
towards God,
he wants to
get back to
his own way
of life,
to represent
the great
power of God.
He is
blinded to the
fact that
he was not
representing the
real savior
of the world.
All along,
he was puffing up
the idol of
his self-gratification,
the idol of
himself.
He allowed
bitterness to
grow within
him.
He craved
power and
attention,
but did not
get what he
wanted.
he is
unsatisfied
with God
and with
his new
life.
His
situation
in this
stage is
diastrate.
And Peter
said to him
in verse
20,
may your
money perish
with you
because you
thought you
could buy
the gift of
God with
money.
You have
no part of
share in
this ministry
because your
heart is
not right
before God.
this is a
very serious
indictment,
but Peter
did not
leave him
hanging.
Peter did
not say
he has no
part or
share in
the kingdom
of God.
It was in
the ministry
of God
that Simon
is not fit
to be
involved in
at this
stage.
And Peter
goes on
saying,
repent of
this wickedness
and pray to
the Lord
in the hope
that he
may forgive
you for
having such
a thought
in your
heart.
For I
see that
you are
full of
bitterness
and
captive
in sin.
Peter
knows
where
Simon
is at
and
calls
him
to
repentance
and
direct
him
to
how
to
get
right
with
God.
Pray
in the
hope
for
forgiveness
to
address
the
bitterness
of
the
heart
and
flee
from
sin.
At
that
point,
we are
told Simon
respond by
requesting Peter
to pray
for him.
Pray to
the Lord
for me
so that
nothing you
have said
may happen
to me.
It seems
to be
right to
respond when
someone calls
you to
repentance
to ask
for prayer.
But
something
seems very
strange to
me.
What
would it
be like
if Peter
followed
precisely
what
Simon
has
requested
and
pray
that
nothing
he
has
said
may
happen
to
Simon.
Does
that
mean
Simon's
money
will
not
perish
with
him?
That
he
can
take
part
and
share
in
the
ministry?
That
he
does
not
repent
of
his
wickedness
and
the
Lord
does
not
forgive
him?
We
are
left
with a
huge
cliffhanger
because
Luke
did not
tell us
what
happened
to
him.
Luke
got
back
to
the
main
story
of
what
the
book
of
Acts
is
about.
It's
about
the
proclamation
of the
word
of the
Lord.
In
verse
25,
after
they
had
further
proclaimed
the
word
of
the
Lord
and
testified
about
Jesus,
Peter
and
John
returned
to
Jerusalem
and
preached
the
gospel
in
many
Samaritan
villages.
What
a
cliffhanger!
I
believe
Luke
lets
at a
cliffhanger
for
excellent
reason.
We
need
to
realize
that
starting
right
is
only
the
beginning.
And
it
is
so
easy
things
slowly
lure
back
to our
old
way.
This
cliffhanger
is
reminding
us
to
continue
to
examine
our
heart
to
make
sure
it
is
right
before
God.
To
make
sure
you
have
not
elevated
any
other
things
above
God.
to
continue
to
repent
of
ingratitude,
pray to
the
Lord
in
hope
for
forgiveness,
not
to
allow
sin
to
take
hold
within
us,
and
to
watch
out
about
how
we
respond
to
correction.
Now
Peter
and
John
were
preaching
gospel
in
many
Samaritan
villages
as
they
traveled
back
to
Jerusalem.
So
God
kept
using
Philip
to
proclaim
to
the
end
of
the
earth.
Let's
read on
from
verse 26
to
27.
Now
an angel
of the
Lord
said to
Philip,
go south
to the
road that
goes down
from
Jerusalem
to
Gaza.
So he
started out
and on
his way
he met
an
Ethiopian
unit,
an
important
official
in charge
of all
the
treasury
of the
queen
of
Ethiopians.
We're
now
introduced
to
a
unit
with
no
name,
but
with
a
considerable
credential.
He is
a
significant
official
in
charge
of
all
the
treasury
of
the
queens
of
Ethiopia.
And
despite
his
status,
he is
an
incomplete
man.
And
these
incomplete
men
have
gone up
to
Jerusalem
to
worship
and on
his
way
home.
He
traveled
to
Jerusalem
to
worship
and
according
to
the
temple
rules
at
the
time,
he
will
be
turned
back
without
any
success.
The
temple
do
not
allow
incomplete
people
to
enter.
An
incomplete
man
being
rejected
with
a
successful
adventure.
I
wonder
how
he
will
feel.
What
would
you
do
if
you
are
this
person?
Luke
told us
that
he
was
sitting
in
his
chariot
reading
the
book
of
Isaiah
the
prophet.
Do
you
see
how
similar
he
is
with
the
Samaritan
that
was
mentioned
before?
He
goes to
a
source
to
learn
about
worship.
The
people
at the
temple
may
have
rejected
him,
but
he
did
not
stop
there.
He
goes,
God
knows
this
incomplete
man
is
searching
for
him,
so
God
sent
Philip
to
help
this
person.
I
really
like
the
interaction
between
them.
The
spirit
told
Philip
go to
that
chariot
and
stay
near it.
Then
Philip
ran up
to
the
chariot
and
heard
the
man
reading
a
side
of
the
prophet.
Do
you
understand
what
you
are
reading?
How
could
I
unless
someone
explained
to
me?
So
he
invited
Philip
to
come
up
and
sit
with
him.
I
like
this
interaction
because
this
scene
is
driven
by
the
spirit.
Philip
acts
in
obedience.
The
man
shows
his
love
for
God's
word
with
humble
authenticity.
All
speak
to
what
we
value
here
in
St.
Paul
Cheswood.
Luke
told us
the
person
was
reading
a
passage
about
personal
sacrifice,
submission,
humiliation,
the
deprivity
of
justice,
the
impossibility
of
having
offspring.
All
these
seem
to
be
speaking
about
this
incomplete
man
himself.
And
he
asked
Philip,
tell
me
please,
who
is
the
prophet
talking
about?
Himself
or
someone
else?
Then
Philip
began
with
that
very
passage
of
scripture
and
told
him
the
good
news
about
Jesus.
God
sent
Philip
to
this
man
to
make
sure
he
understands
the
Bible
is
not
about
us.
What
is
written
in
the
Bible
is
the
good
news
about
Jesus.
It
is
not
an
encyclopedia
about
your
life
or
us.
When
we
look
into
the
Bible,
the
ultimate
question
is
who
is
God
and
what
is
he
doing
with
his
people?
this
incomplete
man
traveled
to
Jerusalem
to
worship
and
he
got to
complete
what
he
set
out
to
do
because
God,
the
one
that
he
should
worship,
reached out
to him
through
Philip,
his
believer.
man
was
to
man
to
worship,
his
attempt
to
worship
was
rejected,
but
he
kept
searching
and
at
the
end
he
went
on
his
way
rejoicing.
This
all
made
possible
because
God
reached
out
to
him
and
he
responded
humbly
with
authenticity
about
where
he
is
at
in
his
life.
Something
miraculous
happened
to him
which
gave us
another
cliffhanger
of this
passage.
He
stopped
the
chariot
so
Philip
could
baptize
him
in
around
verse
36
to
39
and
then
in
39
when
they
came
off
the
water
the
spirit
of
the
Lord
suddenly
took
Philip
away
and
the
unit
did
not
see
him
again
but
went
on
his
way
rejoicing.
What
had
happened
to
Philip
seems
to
not
bother
him
at
all.
All
we
know
is
he
is
now
complete
and
went
on
his
way
rejoicing.
What
are you
looking
for
to
complete
you?
Are
you
looking
into
your
career?
A
certain
kind
of
body?
A
partner
to
start
a
family?
Or
having
certain
things?
St.
Augustine
opened
a
confession
confessing
that
to
praise
you
is
a
desire
of
man
because
you
have
made
us
for
yourself
and
our
heart
is
restless
until
it
rests
in
you.
You
have
made
us
for
yourself
and
our
heart
is
restless
until
it
rests
in
you.
Jesus
the
real
savior
of
the
world
is
our
place
of
identity.
He
is
what
completes
us.
There
are
a few
cliffhangers
in our
passage
today
and I'm
sure we
all feel
the cliffhanger
of COVID-19.
Feels
like our
life is
hanging
about.
God is
calling
you and
warning
you to
take this
time to
examine
yourself.
to make
sure there
is no
bitterness
that builds
up in
your
heart.
God is
reaching out
to you
to set
you free
from sin
because his
one and only
son Jesus
had died
on the
cross for
you and
raised from
the dead
to set
you free.
When you
are certain
that Jesus
is really
the savior
of the
world
and he
is your
place of
identity,
he has
complete
you and
you can
go on
your way
rejoicing.
If you
have started
following
Jesus but
have been
lured back
to your
old way,
now is
a good
time to
repent and
pray to
God for
forgiveness.
If you
do not
know Jesus
as savior,
now is
a good
time to
ask for
explanation
about the
good news
of Jesus
and get
to know
God.
He knows
you are
looking for
him and
maybe already
sending
someone your
way to
help you
define him.
Today is
a day you
can rest
your heart
in God
and be
complete
in him.