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your Bibles to the book of Acts, 
Acts chapter 8. Acts chapter eight, I'll begin 
reading in verse one. Now Saul was consenting to his 
death. At that time, a great persecution 
arose against the church, which was at Jerusalem. And they were 
all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, 
except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen 
to his burial and made great lamentation over him. As for 
Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house and dragging 
off men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore, those 
who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip 
went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. 
And the multitudes, with one accord, heeded the things spoken 
by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For 
unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many 
who were possessed. And many who were paralyzed and 
lame were healed. And there was great joy in that 
city. But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously 
practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of 
Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, to whom they all 
gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, this man 
is the great power of God. And they heeded him because he 
had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time. But 
when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel concerning 
the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and 
women were baptized. And Simon himself also believed. 
And when he was baptized, he continued with Philip and was 
amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done. Now when 
the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received 
the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they 
had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy 
Spirit. For as yet he had fallen upon none of them. They had only 
been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid 
hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon 
saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy 
Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me this 
power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy 
Spirit. But Peter said to him, Your money 
perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God 
could be purchased with money. You have neither part nor portion 
in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of 
God. Repent, therefore, of this your wickedness, and pray God, 
if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For 
I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity. 
Then Simon answered and said, pray to the Lord for me, that 
none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me. 
So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, 
they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of 
the Samaritans. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our 
Father in heaven, we thank you for the written word. We thank 
you that it's given by inspiration of God and that it has profit 
for us, for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction 
in righteousness. And we pray that that would be 
the end today, that your Holy Spirit would take that word and 
apply it to our hearts. that we would marvel at the glory 
of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, that we would see him 
as the altogether lovely, as we're reminded in the scripture 
reading, that he is the mediator, the prophet, the priest, and 
the king. And may we see a display of his power in our own hearts 
and in our own lives. And for those who've come here 
this morning that are not believers in Christ, we pray that today 
would be the day of salvation, that as these Samaritans believed 
the things spoken by Philip and the power of the Holy Spirit, 
we pray that such would occur today. In this place and elsewhere, 
we pray that wherever sinners gather together under the preaching 
of the gospel, you would be there to save, to the uttermost, all 
who draw nigh unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Again, 
forgive us for our sins, forgive us for our transgressions, cleanse 
us in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus. And thank you 
for Psalm 130. Thank you that the reality is, 
if you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But 
there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared. And in 
this, we greatly rejoice. Forgive us again, cleanse us 
now, and fill us with your Holy Spirit. And we pray through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. Amen. Well, in this particular 
section, we see Philip's ministry in Samaria, and this is in accordance 
with chapter 1, verse 8. Remember Jesus' instructions 
to his disciples that they would witness or testify to him first 
in Jerusalem, and then Judea, Samaria, and then to the uttermost 
parts of the earth. Well, that is precisely what's 
happening here. Philip is in Samaria, and he 
is ministering the gospel. Remember the occasion in chapter 
8 at verse 1, it says, now Saul was consenting to his death. 
That points back to chapter 7 in the martyrdom of Stephen. Stephen 
stood before the religious council, Stephen gave a defense, and Stephen 
showed that the council themselves were actually the rebels and 
the idolaters before the God of heaven and earth. And so they 
took up stones to stone him. Saul of Tarsus was there consenting 
to this. Later on, we'll see in response 
to Stephen's prayer that God not charge them with this sin. 
Saul will be converted and then will take the gospel to the uttermost 
parts of the earth. So here there was a persecution, 
a great persecution against the church, and that caused the people 
of God to scatter. They left Jerusalem, they went 
into other regions, and when they did, they were preaching 
the Word of God. So this was the means ordained 
by the Lord for the extension of His kingdom. It really is 
a glorious thing to witness and to observe. And last time we 
considered how the preaching of the gospel to the Samaritans 
not only was a fulfillment of Acts 1-8, but it also brought 
down an ethnic divide. Remember that the people of Israel 
did not look favorably upon the Samaritans. The Samaritans were 
sort of a half-breed people. They weren't really all Jew, 
and they weren't really all Gentile. They were just sort of in between, 
and they were looked down upon. They were looked disfavorably 
upon by the Jews, by Israel as a whole, and now the gospel of 
Jesus Christ comes in the language of revelation. It is every tribe 
and tongue and people and nation that will ultimately come to 
God through Jesus Christ the Lord, and you see that displayed 
powerfully in the Samaritans coming out of darkness into marvelous 
light and confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But additionally, 
we see another clash between the gospel and a false religion. In this instance, we're just 
going to look at verses 9 to 13 this morning. We see the gospel 
versus magic, and we'll define magic as we move through this 
particular passage. I want to consider two things. 
First, the impact of false doctrine in verses 9 to 11, and then secondly, 
the power of divine grace in verses 12 and 13. So a clash. We see that throughout the book 
of Acts. The gospel comes into these cultures 
or into these places that are steeped in idolatry, that are 
steeped in false religion, that are laboring under ungodly men 
that are oppressing them. And the gospel comes and preaches 
Christ and brings liberty to sinners. Note the first point, 
the impact of false doctrine in verses 9 to 11. Note the preacher 
of that doctrine. Verse 9, it says, but there was 
a certain man called Simon who previously practiced sorcery 
in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that 
he was someone great. Now, typically he is referred 
to as Simon Magus. Megas simply means magician. He was already in the region. 
He had already captivated the minds of all the people. So this 
again demonstrates the power of the gospel to liberate those 
who are in bondage to false teachers and false teaching. Now the magic 
engaged in here is not coin or card tricks. but rather it is 
an attempt to manipulate with rites and incantations, nature 
and transcendent powers, to try to get a particular end. Philo 
the Jew defined the twofold emphasis in this group of magicians this 
way. It first applied to a respectable 
science of discernment tied to Persian magi and kings. In fact, that's where the word 
originates. It referred to the priestly class among the Medes 
and the Persians. And so as Philo represents here, 
it was a respectable science of discernment tied to Persian 
magi, or magi, and the kings. Remember the magi that come from 
the east in Matthew 2, verse 1, to visit the birth of the 
Lord Jesus Christ. Same sort of a thing. But it 
also became known as an adulterated species full of quacks, charms, 
and incantations. And so this man, Simon, who previously 
practiced sorcery in the city, had captivated the minds and 
hearts of the people. Remember back in chapter 8, verses 
5 to 8 is a summary statement of Philip's ministry as a whole 
in Samaria. What nine and following does 
is it gives us a couple of snapshots of particular instances. It deals 
specifically with this man Simon Magus and not only his profession 
of faith, but then what happens to him in terms of his demand 
to purchase or his request to purchase the gift of conveying 
the Holy Spirit upon others. This is where we get the word 
simony. It is to purchase ecclesiastical stuff in order to do things with 
it. And that's what's happening here 
with this Simon the sorcerer. Now, it again means a rite or 
rites ordinarily used in incantations designed to influence, control 
transcendent powers. It is magic. Poole says it used 
sorcery, magical enchantments, as a wizard. And again, look 
at the effect that it has on the people. in the city and astonished 
the people of Samaria." The astonishment of the people here and in verse 
11 was such that they gave heed to this man. They listened to 
what this man had to say. When he claims that he was someone 
great, they then ascribe to him that he was in fact the great 
power of God. So he had captivated, or to use 
the old King James language, he bewitched them. He had them 
under his spell. He had them under his control. 
He had them under his power because of these deeds that he had done. 
The Geneva Bible says here, he had so allured the Samaritans 
with his witchcrafts that his blind and mad harebrains, they 
were wholly addicted to him. That's precisely what had happened. 
They were wholly addicted to it. Again, I'm wanting you to 
see the scenario here. Because I think for us at times, 
we get discouraged when we see the success, air quotes, of a 
particular religion. We somehow think that Christianity 
cannot come in and triumph. But that's simply not the case. 
Luke is at pains to indicate for us the extent to which the 
Samaritans were captivated by this man Simon. But when Philip 
comes and he preaches the gospel of the kingdom of God and the 
name of the Lord Jesus Christ, God, through His grace and power, 
liberates them. He frees them. We do not have 
any right whatsoever, as the people of God, to get discouraged. We are to be encouraged because 
Yahweh stationed Jesus at His right hand and said that He must 
reign until all of His enemies are made His footstool. magicians, 
false religion, whatever the particular variety that captivates 
the minds of men. The gospel of Jesus Christ is 
in fact the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, 
to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in that gospel, 
the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, that as 
it is written, the just shall live by faith. This is an illustration 
of that. This is a demonstration of that. 
And these people that were formerly addicted to his teaching are 
now freed by God's grace. Calvin says, this was such a 
let that it might seem that the gospel could have no passage 
to come unto the Samaritans. For the minds of them all were 
bewitched with Simon's jugglings. Now notice the reception. We 
consider the impact of false doctrine. We see first the preacher 
in verse 9. We see the reception of it in 
verse 10 and 11. There's that tendency in man, because he's 
a religious being, to sort of be captivated with the attentions 
or with the ideas of other men. And this is precisely what happens 
to these Samaritans. And it's not bad enough that 
they're sort of half-brains, not really Jews and not really 
Gentiles, but they're in this sort of religious morass where 
they're captivated by a phony, by a charlatan, by a man who 
claims himself that he is something great. Brethren, if anybody ever 
does that, they're the kinds of people you want to run far 
and fast from. If somebody says, I'm great and 
you need to listen to me, that is not a person to be trusted. 
That's arrogance. That's pride. The scripture says 
that God opposes the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. 
So a man or man who sort of put themselves on a pedestal, a man 
or man who uses that place to try and influence others or subjugate 
others is a false claimant, a rival to the very throne of God, and 
he ought to be shunned, resisted, and rejected as such. But these 
people are captivated by him. Notice, they gave heed to him. Notice back in verse 6, the multitudes 
with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip. Verse 10, to 
whom they all gave heed. So one time they gave heed to 
Simon. At one time they were enchanted by his magic. But now 
they're giving heed to Philip and the preaching of the truth, 
the true gospel. And notice the entirety of the 
people. Verse 10, to whom they all gave 
heed from the least to the greatest. That doesn't just mean young 
to old. It means every station in life. It means superiors. 
It means inferiors. It does mean young and old. Whatever 
your walk of life was in Samaria. whether you were a farmer or 
you were a businessman, whether you were a farmer or a merchant, 
whether you were a housewife or a husband, whatever your station, 
whatever your condition, you were captivated by this man Simon 
and his magic. That's the picture that Luke 
is portraying for us so that when we see them come out of 
this darkness to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and to be baptized 
in the name of Jesus Christ, it's a genuine repudiation of 
all things Simon. Now notice as well, the people 
confessed his greatness. This man is the great power of 
God. Now most likely this was a confession 
of deity. Most likely they were ascribing 
God-likeness to this man Simon. They were bewitched, they were 
captivated, they were enslaved to this man and his teaching. And then verse 11 doesn't just 
repeat information, but it provides the rationale for this. Verse 11 says, they heeded him 
because he had astonished them with his sorceries. Now notice, 
for a long time, Now, I think that Luke is doing this under 
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that when everything is done 
today, we will praise God for the power of the Christian gospel. 
We will say, praise God Almighty, that Christ is stationed at the 
right hand of Yahweh, where he must reign till all of his enemies 
remain his footstool. And that we will resonate with 
Paul's words in Romans 1, 16 and 17. I am not ashamed of the 
gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation. And here's 
a display of this, from the least to the greatest. From young to 
old, from every station of life, everybody in Samaria had been 
steeped in this man's teaching because he had done it for a 
long time. This was not a new thing with 
these people. This was something that they 
had been used to, they had grown accustomed to. They loved Simon, 
they confessed Simon as being the great power of God. The stage 
is set for the confrontation between, or the clash between, 
the true gospel and magic. Daniel Bach says, the crowd believes 
Simon has supernatural powers, and so his face-to-face encounter 
with Philip is portrayed as raising the question of who really speaks 
and works for God. Brethren, beware of reading through 
these narratives and not taking the time to smell the gospel 
flowers, not taking the time to sort of ponder and think through 
the implications of what is involved. Imagine if you had been steeped 
in a particular type of teaching for all of your life, it's all 
you'd ever known, and you confessed one man is the great power of 
God. And then this Philip comes meandering into your fair city, 
and he preaches the gospel of the kingdom of God, and he preaches 
Jesus, the name of Jesus. And there's this radical transformation. There's this reformation of life. 
There's this revolution in your soul. Simon is no longer being 
confessed as the great power of God. You're no longer enchanted 
by the magic that he has employed, the rites or the incantations 
wherein he's tried to control nature, the transcendent powers, 
so that you'll get a blessed life. No, this goes far beyond 
that. The contest is, who speaks for 
God? Is it Simon Magus or is it Philip, 
this one who was chosen by the church in Jerusalem in Acts chapter 
6 as a deacon, as a servant to the people of God, but who was 
also equipped to preach the gospel? that after this persecution comes, 
the church is scattered. And Philip takes Samaria as his 
field of operations. But when he goes there, it's 
not neutral. It's not a place where anything will go. They'll 
be receptive. It's not neutral at all. They 
are contrary already to the living and true God. They are steeped 
in this idolatry and madness. They are steeped in this confession 
of the greatness of Simon. So the stage is set for the battle 
between or the clash between the gospel of free grace and 
this work of magic by Simon. But goes on to say, it will also 
show that what the church brings is distinct from the magic preached 
in the world. We need to get that. We are not 
one among many trying to help people have a better life. We're 
not one among many giving a list of rules of do's and don'ts so 
that you can be more adjusted in your busy lives. We are not 
one among many. We are the truth. Not we physically, 
you and me. We preach the truth of Jesus 
Christ our Lord. There's this common assumption 
out there among the world that every religion leads heavenward. 
We know that's not true, don't we? We know that pluralism is 
a lie. We know that there's one name 
given under heaven by which we must be saved. And we confess 
that one who said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one 
comes to the Father except through me. That's why we preach the 
gospel. That's why we pray for the nations. That's why we sing 
these particular psalms. And we plead with our God to 
send forth this glorious gospel. Because the nations are steeped 
in darkness. Because persons are in rebellion 
against God. And persons are going to reap 
the consequences and spend eternity without God. in hell forever. You see, the stakes are very 
high, brethren. And we need to be convinced of 
the trueness of the gospel and of the power of the gospel. And 
it's demonstrated in the passage before us. Look at the power 
of divine grace in verses 12 and 13. We have the preaching 
of the truth. We have Philip preaching truth, 
verse 12. But when they believe Philip 
as he preached the gospel, literally it's preached the gospel of the 
things and the things relative or concerning the kingdom of 
God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. They've gone from heeding Simon 
Magus to heeding Philip, this representative of Jesus Christ. The heeding is amplified or explained 
there in verse 12 for us. They believe the things that 
he spoke. Salvation is by grace through 
faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. This is heavily emphasized in 
the passage before us. The Christian gospel does not 
come to you and say, try harder. The Christian gospel does not 
come to you and say, do a little better. The Christian gospel 
doesn't come to you and say, you're on the right path, but 
you need to excel still more. That's not the message of the 
Christian gospel. The glory of the Christian gospel 
is that God is in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. The power 
and the glory of the Christian gospel is not that men accept 
Jesus into their hearts, but the glory of the Christian gospel 
is that we, by grace, are accepted in the Beloved. Christianity 
is a redemptive religion. Christianity confesses with the 
psalmist, if thou, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who 
could stand? But what? There is forgiveness 
with thee that thou mayest be feared. He doesn't encourage 
his heart by saying, but I'll try harder, I'll do better, I 
won't engage in that particular activity anymore. No, brethren, 
we are all dead in our trespasses and sins. Apart from the gospel 
of Jesus Christ, we perish eternally in hell. If you are not a believer 
in Jesus Christ this morning, this is the emphasis. Notice 
that what it meant to give heed to Philip was to believe what 
Philip preached. To listen, to internalize it, 
and then to believe what he says concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. J. A. Alexander says this verse 
describes the striking change affected among Simon's dupes 
by Philip's preaching. Matthew Henry makes an interesting 
comment here. I think it'll resonate probably with all of us. He says, 
to unlearn that which is bad proves many times a harder task 
than to learn that which is good. Does that make sense? To unlearn 
that which is bad proves many times a harder task than to learn 
that which is good. You see, the power of the gospel 
comes by the power of divine grace. And the God who is able 
to enable you to receive and learn that truth is the God who 
enables you to leave the magic with Simon. to leave the false 
religion behind, to turn away from the useless idols to the 
true and the living God. You see, it's not Philip that 
has the power. He's not the great power of God. But he preaches 
the one that is the great power of God, namely our Lord Jesus 
Christ. And when that one commands, he 
has the ability to enable compliance with the command. Just like at 
Lazarus's tomb. Remember, dead Lazarus is in 
the grave. And it's already been said when 
Jesus says, roll away the stone. What's the sister say? Behold, 
he stinketh. You don't want to roll that stone 
away because he's been in the grave. He's already starting 
to rot. And there's going to be a stench that emanates. Jesus 
says, roll away the stone. And Jesus issues the command. 
He says, Lazarus, come forth. Now, for the rest of us, that 
would be an exercise in futility, because we don't have the power 
to enable compliance with that command, but Christ does. And 
that's what's happening here in Samaria. That's what's happening 
with these Samaritans that had formerly given heed to Simon 
and to his magic. Now they give heed to the things 
spoken by Philip, and they believe it. Now notice specifically what 
Philip does. Verse 12, "...but when they believed 
Philip as he preached the gospel concerning the kingdom of God 
in the name of Jesus Christ." So those two aspects filled his 
preaching with reference to preaching the gospel. In other words, when 
we preach the gospel, we're not preaching good advice. Do better 
and you'll be accepted. We're preaching good news, and 
that good news concerns the kingdom. Jesus discoursed with his disciples 
concerning the kingdom, according to Acts 1 and verse 3. It is that kingdom, according 
to Acts 14, 22, that we enter into by many tribulations. It is that kingdom presided over 
by King Jesus, according to Acts 17, 7. And it is that kingdom 
which finds its way in the gospel proclamation throughout the book 
of Acts. In other words, this concept 
of God's kingdom is absolutely crucial in our presentation of 
the gospel. Colossians chapter 1, what does 
Paul celebrate with reference to the power of God? He has transferred 
us from what? From the kingdom of darkness 
into the kingdom of the son of his love. That kingdom manifests 
itself now. It's a kingdom of grace. We pray 
that God's kingdom of grace come in accordance with the Lord's 
Prayer every Sunday morning. God, bring your kingdom of grace 
to bear upon those who are graceless so that they will, by grace, 
participate in that kingdom. And then there's that kingdom 
of glory that awaits us, that place where every blood-bought 
child of God is ultimately going to spend eternity with the Father, 
Son, and Holy Spirit, with the spirits of just men made perfect. 
That's what is in our future, and that's what apostolic preaching 
was all about. It was not just the gospel of 
the kingdom of God, but of the name of Jesus Christ. I think 
the connection is sort of like this. There is this blessed, 
wonderful kingdom that has been foretold by the old covenant 
prophets, that is being brought to fruition and fulfillment right 
now. And it is by this one, this Lord 
Jesus Christ. He is the great power of God. 
He is the one that allows access. He is the one that secures access 
into that blessed presence of God. And that name of Jesus is 
emphasized throughout the book of Acts. Acts 2.38, repent and 
let every one of you be baptized, what? In the name of Jesus Christ 
for the remission of sins. You see that emphasis there in 
Acts chapter 3 and 4, where the Sanhedrin tells Peter, excuse 
me, and the apostles not to preach in this name. And on the heels 
of that, Acts 4.12, you can turn there, you see what Peter declares. Verse 12, he says, "...nor is 
there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under 
heaven given among men by which we must be saved." And then over 
in Acts 10, we will see this, God willing, in the future, when 
the gospel fully comes to the Gentiles in the household of 
Cornelius. Notice in Acts 10.43, to him, 
this is Jesus Christ, to him all the prophets witness that 
through his name, whoever believes in him will receive remission 
of sins. Isn't that a beautiful statement 
for a multitude of reasons, not least of which is this. Read 
your Old Testaments. Read from Genesis to Malachi. Because he says to him, all the 
prophets witness It means Isaiah, it means Daniel, it means Ezekiel, 
Hosea, Amos, Joel, Obadiah. All these prophets give witness 
to what? Not to themselves. They're not like Simon Magus. 
They don't say, oh, I'm the great power of God. No, they're signposts. They're pointing forward. They're 
saying, hey, there's one coming. glorious, he's a champion, he's 
a redeemer, he's a king, he's a prophet, he's a priest. All 
these things are in the person and in the work of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. To him, all the prophets witnessed that through his name, 
whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins. Again, 
isn't that a beautiful thought? Did you focus on Psalm 130 as 
we sang it? Have you ever reflected on that 
reality? If God should mark iniquities, oh God, who could stand? Have 
you ever been struck with that in your own heart and life? Have 
you ever thought, you know, maybe it's in the darkness of your 
bedroom, it's in a walk in nature, that I'm a wretch. God made me 
to glorify Him. God made me to honor Him. God 
made me to obey Him. And I have taken everything He 
has said, and I have turned it on its head. He's told me not 
to be an idolater, and yet I'm an idolater. He's told me not 
to blaspheme, and yet I use the name of His Son as if it's filler, 
as if it's an A in Canada. I use the name of God in a mischievous 
way. God has told me to remember His 
day, His day, one day out of the seven. I mean, that's not 
a lot, is it? He gives us six days to do all 
our labor. He gives us six days to do all 
that other stuff. And one day out of the seven, 
He says, give it to me. That's legit, isn't it? When 
the Creator gives you just about everything and then says, I want 
you to have this day specifically reserved to have time with me. 
Why is that an offense to us and an affront to us? Why are 
we so begrudging of God with reference to the day? But lo 
and behold, we are. And then that fifth word, we're 
supposed to honor lawful authority, we're supposed to honor our parents, 
and yet we don't do that. That sixth word, we're supposed 
to not murder people. You say, well, I've never gone 
out and actually shot somebody in the head. Yeah, but you murder 
people in your heart? Are you a slanderer? Are you 
a gossip? Are you full of sins of the tongue? 
I think at the bottom of it, when you trace back gossip, you 
trace back slander, you trace back character assassination, 
what general principle is there? You shall not murder. That includes 
the good name of brothers and sisters that you claim to love. And then that seventh word, well, 
I've never actually gone and lain with somebody, but have 
you thought about it? Not just men, this is in a sense 
only common to men, women have the same sin. And we are told 
that when we engage in it in our minds, we've already broken 
the commandment. That commandment not to steal. 
Again, fair, isn't it? Don't take that which doesn't 
belong to you. It's a fair principle. And yet, 
we're walking, we're in our room, we're meditating, we're musing, 
and we see that we are the man. The ninth word. We're supposed 
to speak the truth, not lies. Lies are characteristic of the 
devil. Lies are characteristic of the devil. Jesus told us that 
in John 8. You are of your father, the devil. 
He was a murderer and a liar from the beginning. When he speaks, 
there's no truth in him. That's not part of his skill 
set. He doesn't have the ability. Lies are condemned by the Lord 
God of truth and then covetousness. Perhaps we like that rich young 
ruler say all these things I have kept from my youth. What one 
thing do I lack? Go sell everything you have, 
give it to the poor and follow me. Jesus wasn't prescribing 
an alternate way of salvation. He's taking the 10th commandment 
and showing that young man that he's a wretch. That he's vile, 
that he's sinful, and that while he had some external compliance 
to some of the law, when it comes to do not covet, his life evidenced 
otherwise. That's why he went away sorrowful, 
because he was a man who had a lot of stuff. Have you ever 
gotten to the point where you've reflected upon that and you've 
thought, wow, if God should mark iniquities, oh God, who could 
stand? If God were to mark my iniquities, how could I stand? 
And that doesn't mean just musing on the last, you know, 40 years 
of your life. It could be the last 40 seconds. 
Because the two chief commandments are love to God with all your 
heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love to man. Love your neighbor 
as yourself. You ever thought through that? 
Maybe you haven't. I'm encouraging you to do so. 
Have you ever considered, with the psalmist, if thou, Lord, 
shouldst mark iniquities, O Lord, who can stand? See, Christianity 
supplies the blessed refrain in response to that. But there 
is forgiveness with you that you may be feared. There is that 
forgiveness that comes through the blood of Jesus Christ, his 
son. There is that forgiveness that comes through that one testified 
to by the prophets, that one who in time came, lived, died, 
and rose again. That all those who look to him 
in faith will receive what? The forgiveness of sins. They'll 
have cleansing. They'll be washed in blood. There's 
that beautiful scene in Revelation chapter seven, where those persons 
who had been, their garments had been dipped in blood, appear 
white. What's the mindset there? When 
you dip something in blood, it comes out all red, doesn't it? 
Not the blood of Jesus. You dip dirty sinners in there 
and they come out white as snow. It's a beautiful thing. And if 
you've not tasted and seen that the Lord is good, if you don't 
know that for your own experience, if you cannot say, but there 
is forgiveness with you that you may be feared in a spirit 
of worship and praise and adoration, then listen to Philip and believe 
in the name of Jesus. Why will you die? God says this 
to the people of Israel in the prophet Ezekiel. Why will you 
die? Why will you continue in rebellion? 
Why will you continue to reject and resist that offer of everlasting 
life? Imagine if I was out there today 
in my car and I said to you, look, I've got free salmon. Come 
and have a salmon. Everybody would rejoice. Oh, 
I got a free salmon today. It's a blessed, wonderful gift. 
A free salmon. I can take it home. I can eat 
good salmon. I can get the essential fatty acids. I can nourish my 
brain. I can enjoy and revel in it. 
And yet gospel preachers come and offer something far exceeding 
a great salmon. It's salvation by grace through 
faith in Jesus Christ. And people say, well, you know, 
I don't want that. Or, oh, well, you know, I don't 
want to think about that. Or, well, you know, I'm not that 
bad. Or, well, you know, I'll think about that when I have 
another time or another day. Don't make that mistake. Your 
life is a vapor, according to James. You're here for a time, 
and then you're gone. You cannot bank on tomorrow. You cannot 
bank on next week. I mean, be prudent. Be wise. 
Make plans for next Wednesday to show up at work and do exactly 
what you're told. But you may not make it to next 
Wednesday. You know how much good worry 
we probably waste? We waste a lot of good worry. 
If we had this perspective of James that we're here for a time 
and then we're gone, perhaps we wouldn't worry about next 
Wednesday. Worry about it on Tuesday night. 
Don't worry about it now. Come on. But you see, brethren, 
friends, if there is that reality that I'm a sinner before God, 
there is that blessed reality there's a Savior for sinners 
from God. He is the great power of God. Simon Magus preached Simon Magus 
as someone great, and the crowd had previously confessed that 
Simon Magus was the great power of God. Philip preaches the gospel 
of the kingdom and he preaches the name of Jesus Christ. And 
that one, Jesus Christ, is the great power of God who brings 
access to sinners into the kingdom of God. Now, notice the reception 
of truth on the part of these people in Samaria. They had been 
astonished at the magic of Simon. They had heeded the words of 
Simon, but there's been a change. It's been a revolution in their 
hearts. Sort of what happens with the 
Apostle Paul. He rehearses this later in Philippians 
chapter three. We'll see it here in Acts chapter 
nine. On the one hand, he's got his 
marching orders to go and arrest Christians, to drag them out 
of their homes and put them into prison. And then Jesus comes 
to him and radically revolutionizes Saul of Tarsus' life. Well, the 
same sort of thing is happening right here before our eyes. Notice 
in verse 12, but when they believed Philip, as he preached the things 
concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, 
both men and women were baptized. So they believed the truth. Can't 
miss that. They believed the truth. Verse 
12, the Samaritans were not saved by believing a little bit of 
Philip and a little bit of Simon. That's not how they were saved. 
Again, I think that's the mindset and something that would have 
really attached there in Samaria. If you really wanted to do a 
study about Samaritan religion, you need to go back to 2 Kings 
chapter 17, when the Assyrians conquer the northern kingdom. And the Assyrians, for the most 
part, take the Israelites out of the northern kingdom and then 
repopulate it with other people groups. There are, however, some 
Israelites that stay behind. And as soon as the people occupy 
that part of the land, they engage in idolatry. So God sends lions 
among them to eat them, to kill them. And so they cry out to 
a priest in Bethel, essentially saying, how do we appease the 
God of the land? And that priest at Bethel essentially 
tells them, well, a little bit of Yahweh and a little bit of 
your God. A little bit of this and a little bit of that. That's 
not what happens in Samaria in Acts 8. They give heed to the 
things spoken by Philip. They believe the things he said 
concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus. They didn't 
add Jesus to their pantheon. They didn't add Jesus to their 
magic. They didn't add Jesus as a second to Simon. No, it 
was exclusive. As well, the Samaritans were 
also not saved as a result of their good works or a combination 
of their works plus faith. The emphasis is clear. If anyone 
ever doubts the doctrine of justification by faith alone, one only needs 
to read the book of Acts. How is it that sinners find themselves 
in that state of forgiveness? It's through faith in Christ, 
isn't it? Acts 16, what happens with that 
Philippian jailer? What must I do to be saved? Believe 
Ann. No, they don't do that. Believe 
Ann. They never suggest that. Believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. See, this 
freaks people out. This bugs people. This scares 
people. The idea is simple. If we preach 
it's by faith only, then people will think they can live however 
it is they want. No, the faith that latches on 
to Jesus Christ. That justifying faith is alone 
in the person justified, but it's always accompanied by all 
other saving graces. So that when a sinner, by grace, 
attaches to Christ through faith, then sanctification inevitably 
occurs. It's the devil's logic to suggest, 
shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? May it never 
be! I told the brothers and the sisters on a Saturday morning 
once, if we're never accused of being Arminians or Antinomians, 
we're probably not preaching the gospel properly. If we are 
never accused of being Arminian or Antinomian, we're not preaching 
the gospel properly. And by Arminian, I don't mean, 
oh, God's done everything He can do, it's all up to you now. 
But the emphasis on sinners to believe the gospel. That should just be part and 
parcel. And then antinomianism. Paul is countering that charge 
that he no doubt heard about himself as he writes the book 
of Romans. When he says, what shall we say 
then? Shall we continue in sin that 
grace may abound? Do you think Paul just concocted 
that out of the ether? Do you think he just thought 
down the annals of time? He heard it in the back of synagogues. When he preached justification 
by faith alone, probably every Jew walking out would have said, 
well, if you maintain that, then people will live however it is 
they want to live. See, that is the devil's spin 
on the truth of God's gospel. But the reality is, is that we're 
so sinful and we're so wretched, even in a state of grace, we 
can never meet the demands of God's holy law. And if there 
is no Christ, there is no salvation. And the beauty of it is, is that 
the way to Christ is by God's grace through faith in Him. That's 
what's emphasized here. They believed. They didn't believe Philip and 
Simon, they didn't believe Philip and present their good works, 
but they believe. Now notice the baptism of these 
believers when they believe Philip as he preached the things concerning 
the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and 
women were baptized. Boy, it's like we enter into 
a vortex here and the time just flies, doesn't it? It's just, 
you know, you look down, it's 12 or 11, 25, and then it's already 
12, 10. I got another hour in me, brethren, 
so just gear up and gird up and, you know, hang on. I'm kidding, 
we won't go past the beloved time for eating, but there's 
just so much glorious stuff in this passage to see the power 
of the gospel, just by way of a lively application or illustration. How many of us for many, many, 
many, many, many, many, many years have been praying that 
at least to some degree we would see some of the kingdom of darkness 
start to fall in terms of abortion? Now, while we ought to continue 
to be very discouraged and very prayerful with reference to Canada, 
there's some encouraging things going on down south, such that 
the God-hating rebels that revel in death are just losing their 
minds. Praise God for that. I hope they 
lose their minds and they end up in a state of grace confessing 
the glory of Jesus Christ. That's one of those illustrations. 
He must reign till all of his enemies are made his footstool. 
Make no mistake about it. Planned Parenthood is an enemy 
of King Jesus Christ. The abortionists in Vancouver, 
the abortionists in the lower mainland, are the enemy of Jesus 
Christ. Brethren, if anything, prayers 
for this ought to spur us on to further prayer for Canada. No law whatsoever governing abortion 
in this nation? It's criminal, it's vicious, 
it's vile. the admission by even the conservative 
representative that we're not even going to bring it up. You 
better bring it up. Babies are being murdered, butchered 
in mass. This is horrific. There is blood 
guiltiness all over this land and it cries out. to God most 
high. It ought to terrify us and send 
us to the closet, send us to the prayer meeting, and instead 
of hinting and awing about what we pray for, pray God in heaven, 
get a hold of these people's hearts and change them. There's 
encouraging things, not great, perfect, or utopia going on down 
south, but brethren, Rophie Wade may be overturned. That's glorious. He must reign till all of his 
enemies are made his footstool. When you see these displays of 
power, when you see these applications of Psalm 110.1, what do you do? You praise God for it. You pray 
to God for more. You pray to him to move the hearts 
of civil government in this land, to wake up, to see and understand 
the travesty and the tragedy involved in murdering babies. Do you realize that that's the 
argument from the left? Is we want to have the right 
to murder babies. That's how bad the debate has 
come. This is truly Proverbs chapter 
eight. Jesus there speaking his wisdom 
says, all those who hate me love what? They love death. The devil 
was a murderer and a liar from the beginning. They twist, they 
misrepresent, they get in there with their deception and their 
subterfuge to try and cloud or confuse the issues. They speak 
of the product of conception or mass of tissues. They're babies 
in God's image that you are exterminating. Brethren, again, to see what 
is happening ought to encourage us and ought to promote in us 
further prayerfulness. And may Acts 8, 12 do the same 
thing. These brethren believed and were 
baptized. It reflects the order given in 
the Great Commission. The disciples are made through 
the grace of God, by belief in the truth, and then they are 
baptized. The practice here includes both 
men and women, not infants. Calvin, notwithstanding, tries 
to smuggle infant baptism into this particular passage. It's 
a valiant attempt, but no go. But the thing to appreciate is 
that both men and women Remember last week when we considered 
the role of women subject to their own husbands as unto the 
Lord? That does not obliterate redemptive solidarity. We are 
co-heirs with Jesus Christ, men and women. And in the passage 
before us, men and women are persecuted, according to verse 
3. In the passage before us, men and women are baptized, according 
to verse 12. There is that redemptive solidarity, 
but that as well does not destroy functional distinction. Notice 
that the practice here shows an identification with the true 
and living God. It shows identification with 
the true and the living God. That's what we're doing when 
we go into that tank. We're publicly declaring our 
identification with the true and living God, baptized into 
the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That's it, 
right? The singular name, the essence, 
the substance, who God is, and the distinction between the persons 
in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, a blessed 
piece of Trinitarian doctrine. But as well, the practice here 
shows a repudiation of Simon and his magic. You see what they're 
doing when they're baptized? What are they saying to Simon? 
We're done. It's over. We renounce that. We're not looking to rites or 
incantations or the manipulation of nature and the transcendent 
powers to try to get a better life in the here and now. We 
repudiate that. And that's the significance of 
going into that water. identifying with the true and 
the living God, but you're also repudiating all those idols that 
at one time you were attached to, that you bowed to, that you 
clave unto, that you worshiped and glorified and adored. Baptism 
is a wonderful picture of what happens when a sinner is saved 
by the grace of God Almighty. Now, curiously, notice verse 
13. Now, obviously, in light of the 
remainder of this section, the question arises, was he a real 
Christian? Was he a real Christian when 
he saw the gift of the Holy Spirit and he said, can you sell that 
to me? Because I want to be able to use that with others. Doesn't 
it rise up in your head whether or not he was a real Christian? 
I can't answer that, possibly ever, but certainly not now. 
We're going to wait till later in the passage to try and address 
that. But I think Alexander formulates the question well. He says, with 
what kind of faith is an old subject of dispute? And various 
answers have been given to the question, chiefly in the form 
of technical distinctions, e.g., with historical, speculative, 
temporary faith, et cetera. But from all intents and appearances, 
if we had nothing else in Acts chapter 8, then we'd have to 
say that Simon himself was a believer, because it says that. Then Simon 
himself also believed. And when he was baptized, he 
continued with Philip and was amazed, seeing the miracles and 
signs which were done. Now, with reference to the baptism 
of Simon, if he was in fact a false convert or he was not a true 
believer, we cannot fault Philip. Baptists always show or say or 
declare that we can never fully know what's in the heart. We 
go based on a credible profession of faith. We go based on a confession 
of faith. There's no man among us that 
can read the heart of a man to know whether he's saved or not. 
No Baptist makes that claim. Baptists always say that it's 
on the profession of faith that we baptize. Philip is a consistent 
Baptist in this particular passage, and he is not to be faulted. 
We're not to say, oh, wow, Philip, if we conclude later that this 
man Simon wasn't a real convert, how dare you, Philip, baptize 
this fake? Philip didn't know he was a fake. 
The man confessed. And the man was baptized, which 
further strengthens the Baptist argument predicated on the pattern 
given to us in the Great Commission, that it's faith, then baptism, 
belief, then baptism. And Matthew Henry makes a superb 
comment concerning Simon's inclusion among the church at this particular 
point. And I want to read that, because 
it explains at least a practice that we have. When we read prayer 
letters from other churches, you'll sometimes hear us read, 
you know, from various churches that, you know, we started our 
new members and our new believers and our new baptism class, and 
it's going to be a six-week or six-month study and, you know, 
this, that, and the other. We don't do that. And there's 
a reason why we don't do that. Because the church is the place 
where new believers are baptized and enter, and then they're discipled 
and taught. Again, I'm not faulting our brother 
Reformed Baptists that do that. I'm not saying they're dirty, 
rotten scoundrels. But there is a reason why we don't do that. 
Now, that's not to say we don't expect people to know who Jesus 
is or be able to explain the gospel. It's typically what a 
new member or a new baptism sort of initiate interview sounds 
like. Well, explain the gospel. What 
do you understand about your own conversion, your own testimony, 
all that stuff. We do ask that. It's not like, 
oh, you can say the name Jesus, jump in the water. No, no, no, 
we don't do that. This whole idea of a six-month period It 
really seems to me to belabor the point and to make sure, as 
far as we're able, to know that they're of a true Christian. 
Well, we can't do that. We don't know that. So listen 
to what Matthew Henry says. He says, for as great wickedness 
before conversion keeps not true penitence from the benefits of 
God's grace, so neither should it keep professing ones from 
church fellowship. Oh, but he's so new and he doesn't 
know much. What's the best place for him? Safely folded in the 
church, isn't it? Why would we want to create a 
limbo of a place where he must prove himself before we allow 
him to enter our holy church? No, we don't do that. You believe, 
you understand the gospel, you should be baptized, and you should 
be added to the church. It's just the way it goes. That's 
normative. That's expected. You know, when 
you look at these preachings or these sermons in the book 
of Acts, at the end of these sermons, you don't have altar 
calls. You don't have this, you know, 
every eye closed, every head bowed, raise your hand if you 
want to be with Jesus. What happens at the end of a 
lot of these? There's baptism. That was the altar call in the 
early church, was baptism. You came and were immersed in 
the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. Not as the means of, 
but as a token of that salvation. Matthew Henry goes on. He says, 
prodigals, when they return, must be joyfully welcomed home, 
though we cannot be sure, but that they will play the prodigal 
again. I think that's very perceptive. I think it's very charitable. 
And I think it's very consistent with what we find in Philip's 
practice. Oh, no. You've got to spend six 
months without your magic. You've got to spend eight months 
learning all about the hypostatic union. Again, not bad. Be a good 
thing. You've got to spend this amount 
of time and prove yourself. He believed, he was baptized, 
he was added to the people. There's no fault for Philip. 
Philip is respecting the master's command where it says, make disciples 
of them, baptize them, and then teach them. That's precisely 
what Philip does in the case of the Samaritans that believed 
and in the case of Simon. Magus, and whether or not he 
believed in real, or in truth, that nevertheless didn't affect 
Philip's habit here. So he continued. There's a couple 
of things that may hint, you know, as I'm kind of working 
through this. It is intriguing. He's amazed seeing the miracles 
and signs which were done. I think it'd be better if he 
was amazed at the reality that his sins were atoned for. It'd 
be better if he was amazed at the reality that my sin, oh, 
the bliss of this glorious thought, my sin not in part, but the whole, 
is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord, 
praise the Lord. I think that would be a better 
indicator, but I don't want to be too hard on Simon Magus. Maybe 
he is the real deal. Maybe we will see him at the 
marriage supper of the Lamb. And that would not ever say what 
a great guy Simon is, but what a great God God is. There's going 
to be people at the marriage supper of the Lamb that you and 
I never thought would be there. I'm not a prophet, nor the son 
of a prophet, but I make that prediction. And you may be one 
at the marriage supper of the Lamb that's going to surprise 
some others. You're here? You made it? You? It's going 
to happen, isn't it? Persons in your past, persons 
in your life, persons that you thought had not a saving ounce 
of grace in them whatsoever. Maybe at the time you knew them, 
they didn't. But if they're at that marriage supper of the Lamb, 
the Lord God got a hold of them. It's going to be some surprises, 
I suspect, on that day when we... Really? You're here? Really? 
You're here? It's a glorious thought when 
we get there. Well, in conclusion, we see the 
extension of the kingdom of Christ into Sumerian territory, the 
extension of the kingdom of Christ, overcoming ethnic obstacles and 
even religious commitments. He had been there. He had ministered 
to them a long time. Simon Magus. They had heeded 
his words. They were amazed. They confessed 
that he was the great power of God. As soon as Philip comes, 
as soon as he preaches the gospel of the kingdom of God in the 
name of Jesus, they believe. They are translated from that 
kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love. 
In terms of the practice of Christian baptism, as Baptists, we ought 
to at least appreciate what's happening here. The people believed 
and then were baptized. Dare I say it? It's a conspicuous 
pattern, reflective of what we have in the Great Commission. 
Go, therefore, make disciples, baptize those disciples in the 
name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The 
people included both men and women. Both men and women are 
brought to the water of baptism. They enter into the water of 
baptism, and they come out. We have redemptive solidarity. Functional distinction in the 
home and in the church should never, ever make us think that 
women are somehow second-class citizens. That is absolutely 
not true. The kingdom of God has or possesses 
all first-class citizens. Thirdly, we ought to appreciate 
that the people made a public declaration of their identification 
with the triune God. Our Confession of Faith states 
in 29.1, with reference to baptism, one of the things evidenced, 
one of the things signified, is of our giving up unto God 
through Jesus Christ to live and walk in newness of life. 
not in the deadness of magic, not subject to charlatans named 
Simon, not subject to these magic powers that are cited or tapped 
into by incantation or rite. No, newness of life in God through 
our Lord Jesus Christ. The people make a public rejection 
of their previous commitment to Simon and his magic, and even 
the baptism of Simon is consistent with what we find in Scripture 
and with what we find in our confession of faith. Thirdly, 
we ought to appreciate the power of the gospel. They are saved 
from Simon, a false messiah. They are saved from magic, which 
is an exercise in futility. But most of all, they're safe 
from their own sin. See, these Samaritans had three 
strikes against them. Well, four. They were Samaritans, 
half-breeds between Jew and Gentile. They had Simon they were confessing 
as a Messiah. They had Simon's magic that they 
thought they could somehow employ for the betterment of their lives, 
but they had their own sin. They had their own idolatry, 
their own blasphemy, their own Sabbath-breaking, their insubordination 
to governing authority. They had their own murder. They 
had their own adultery. They had their own lies. They 
had their own covetousness. They had those things against 
them because they, in Adam, died. They were sinful. Their hearts 
were deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. There 
was none righteous among them, no, not one. There was none of 
them who sought after God. There was none of them who had 
the fear of God. That was the chief enemy affecting them. And 
yet now they are forgiven. Yet now they are translated into 
the kingdom of the Son of His love by that powerful grace, 
having believed the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord. And brethren, 
I do not think it is untoward to observe here the fulfillment 
or application of Acts of Psalm 110.1. Go back to Acts 2 for 
just a moment. Acts chapter 2. Peter's sermon on the day of 
Pentecost ends with the triumphant exaltation of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. And in Acts 2.33, he says, therefore, 
being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from 
the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this 
which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into 
the heavens, but he says himself, the Lord said to my Lord, sit 
at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. 
Therefore, Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that 
God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and 
Christ. Brethren, hopefully that passage 
will stick out in our hearts and minds and help us as we proceed 
through the book of Acts, that every triumph, every victory, 
every blessing, every overcoming of a false religion, in this 
case, magic, is a demonstration that God has made this Jesus 
both Lord and Christ. that this one must reign till 
all of his enemies are made his footstool, that the gospel and 
the church will triumph and all of our enemies will ultimately 
fall because of his power and because of his glory. It should 
inspire in us courage as well. Calvin reads it this way. He 
says, we thereby see how mighty the truth is. There is also set 
before us an example of Constancy and Philip, who though he saw 
no way, yet does he set his hand to the Lord's work with a valiant 
courage, waiting for the success which God should give. And thus 
we must do, we must valiantly attempt whatsoever the Lord commands, 
and even when our endeavors seem to be in vain." I mean, imagine 
Philip. He goes to Samaria. He goes to 
this place where persons are looked down upon for their ethnicity. 
He goes to this place where there's already been a religious worker 
there who's been there for a long time, who's captivated the minds 
and hearts of the people. I mean, everything. Philip might 
have said, well, you know, I might want to go on to greener pastures. 
Everything Philip might have said, well, you know, I want 
to remain back at Jerusalem with the apostles and learn some more 
or grow some more, understand some more. No, he ventures into 
Samaria. He has no concept or no clue 
or no thought whatsoever that it's going to go the way that 
it goes. We have Acts 8, he didn't. He didn't have this. He didn't 
know that as he goes into the city, he's going to preach the 
gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, 
and they're going to believe it. They're going to believe 
it in mass. They're going to reject Simon and his magic, and 
they're going to be baptized in water baptism, identifying 
publicly with the triune God. Brethren, this should inspire 
prayerfulness on our part. It should inspire hopefulness 
on our part. It should inspire not triumphalism, 
but a recognition of the triumph of Jesus Christ. That's what 
the church is called to. Faithfulness, steadfastness, 
perseverance, and the declaration, above all, of the truth of Jesus 
Christ and Him crucified. And if you are not a believer 
here this morning, take the example of these Samaritans and believe 
the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus. Listen again to Peter in Acts 
2, repent therefore and let every one of you be baptized in the 
name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Ask anybody in here that's a 
Christian, what's one of your favorite things about the gospel? 
I bet they'll say, my sins are forgiven. I'd like to think that's 
what they'll say. My sins are forgiven. When I say, if thou, Lord, shouldst 
mark iniquity, O Lord who could stand, I can also say, but there 
is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared. There 
is forgiveness with our God for whatever your sin, whatever your 
calamity, whatever your tragedy, whatever your rebellion, whatever 
your treachery, the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses 
us from all sin. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for this passage 
in Acts chapter 8. We see the power of divine grace 
operative through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ 
our Lord. And it does encourage us, Father, to see this. It encourages 
us for the combat, for the battle that we face in our own generation 
and in our own day. Christ has not ceased from sitting 
at the right hand of the Father. He is still in that place of 
majesty and glory. His foot is being lowered upon 
all of his enemies. And God, encourage us with this 
view. Cause us to pray, cause us to 
preach, cause us to call sinners to repentance and faith in our 
Lord Jesus Christ. And as our brother prayed previously 
for China, we pray again. We know there is great oppression, 
we know there is a great crackdown there, but we know the power 
of Jesus Christ is far greater, far more excellent. It is transcended, 
it is absolute, it is infinite. And we pray that in the midst 
of this, more and more people would come to know Jesus Christ 
as Lord and Savior. And we pray these things in his 
most blessed name. Amen. We'll close our service 
this morning by singing hymn number 568, 568, you may.