Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” But Peter began and explained it to them in order: “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, something like a great sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to me. Looking at it closely, I observed animals and beasts of prey and reptiles and birds of the air. And I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I said, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing common or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But the voice answered a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.’ This happened three times, and all was drawn up again into heaven. And behold, at that very moment three men arrived at the house in which we were, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit told me to go with them, making no distinction. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. And he told us how he had seen the angel stand in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon who is called Peter; he will declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’ As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

Circumcision Party!

“A Jewish Christian who thought a person still needed to become a Jew and get circumcised to be a true Christian.”

Criticism means…

to angrily confront someone to the point of not associating with them

Standing in God’s way means…

To try and prevent what God is doing

1- Dealing with criticism

• Uniformed or unfair criticism is inevitable in life.  We shouldn’t run from it, but deal with it correctly

2-Dealing with criticism is important because

• peace is so rare in the world that the church should show the world how it’s done

3-Dealing with criticism Peter’s way

• Peter to the Psalm 15 path
• Input information
• Remind them about common experiences
• Use scripture as your support
• Preferred outcome is silence
• God was glorified

4-Dealing with criticism

• Has the potential to heal relationships.

Extra help in Romans 12:14ff

• The goal in the church is to live in harmony with each other because the world isn’t going to live in harmony with us.
• Don’t repay evil for evil.
• Remember: some people are impossible.
• Leave room for God’s correction / discipline.

• He brings peace between God and mankind
• He is God (Lord of all)
• He was empowered by the Holy Spirit (showing His humanity)
• He has power of sickness and the devil
• He was killed on a cross
• He was raised back to life
• He is judge of the living and the dead
• We receive forgiveness through Him

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

God is Light

“All Truth and All Purity”

Fellowship

“The Bond of common purpose and devotion that binds Christians together and to Christ.”

Walk

It is a Figurative expression referring to a person’s conduct or way of life.

Blood of Christ

Atonement refers to the basis and process by which estranged people become at one with God (atonement = at-one-ment).  When we identify with Jesus, we are no longer at odds with God.

Truth is not in us

John is challenging us the supposed salvation of a person professing to be without sin.

Confess our sins

God faithfully forgives the sins of those who confess them.  Pray for one another and confess sins to one another (James 5:16).

Make Him a Liar

John is emphasizing the seriousness of a professing Christian walking in darkness.

Practical Applications

1) Position Yourself / Family in the Son

2) Must Confess Sins to God and Others

3) Enjoy forgiveness

Basking in the Son is receiving the unfailing love of God found in humble confession.

There’s no “Gray” area with God!

• Perish or external life
• Condemnation or salvation
• Don’t believe or believe
• Do wicked things or true things
• Live in darkness or in light

The Poison of Darkness

• Darkness is to ignore God (v. 19-21)
• Darkness is to want other things before wanting God (v.23)
• Darkness is to sin and like it (v. 24 – 31)
• Darkness is to reject truth (v. 25)
• Darkness is to know right from wrong and choose wrong (v. 32)
• Darkness is approving of other people’s sins (v. 32)

Here’s why it matters

People are already condemned.

• People are already condemned
• People love darkness
• People hate the light
• People fear being exposed
• Our works (what we do) are already evil

Come to the LIGHT

• God loves condemned people
• Being exposed hurts
• Believe, Trust
• You’ll have a new life-doing what is true

John Piper: “Unbelief is our fault; belief is God’s gift”

But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”  And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

Two Tough Questions

1. Is Simon the magician a believer?
2. Why did the Holy Spirit come later?

Is Simon the magician a believer?

On the plus side:

• • Simon believed and was baptized like everyone else

On the negative side:

• Simon’s heart was not right (straight) with God

A heart that’s not right with God:

• Has no part (portion) or lot (inheritance) in the matter (word)
• Has a gall of bitterness –bitter poison
• Is bound to iniquity — tied to sin
• Will perish
• The Holy Spirit is withheld

Why did the Holy Spirit come later?

• Contained to the book of Acts
• Is associated with the Apostles
• Laying on of hands is seen no where else but in Acts
• In Acts 8, the Apostles needed to affirm the faith reported to Samaria

Simon is a warning to us!

• There is a faith that is vain — 1 Corinthians 15:1-2
• There are soils (people) that don’t produce faith — Matthew 13
• There are weeds (non-believers) with the wheat (believers) — also Matthew 13
• There is faith without deeds…which is a dead faith — James 2
• Even demons believe & are not saves — James 2

Questions

• Is your heart right with God?
• Do you believe in the good news about Jesus?
• Why do you believe in Jesus?
• Do you believe Jesus will spare you from what you deserve — to perish without God?
• Do you experience joy?