And I thank God for the song because it's true. We are studying each Lord's day morning, the book of Acts. And the reason we are is because the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ will follow the pattern of the book of Acts. You don't want to spend your life in the church that Jesus did not buy. You want to be a vital part of the body of Christ that Jesus purchased with his blood. Last Lord's day, I ended in the eighth chapter of Acts with a wonderful verse, verse eight. And here's how it read. And there was great joy in that city, the city of Samaria. But you see, Satan does not want genuine joy for anyone. He has fake joy. He does not want you to have, he doesn't want this church to have the real joy so he's the thief and he substitutes that which is for real and that's why the next verses warn us beginning with verse 9 Satan and I'll use a term that is this world Satan pulls out his ace card. He's not going to allow the joy to remain in Samaria. So we find in verse nine, and this is a sad portion of scripture, but there was a certain man. Now this word certain means that this man was unique. And probably, probably, from what I've been able to research, there have been more lies told concerning this man and this portion of scripture than any. This certain man, and the word man here comes from the Greek word that means he was male, not female. He was actually male. His name was called Simeon and no one has ever really defined the meaning of his name in any language. It is so filthy, so damnable that the name, if you try to research it, you'll never exhaust the research. He was called Simeon, which before, that is before the preaching of the word of God and the preaching of the gospel came to Samaria. Before they heard the word of God in Samaria, this man in that city used sorcery, and he bewitched people. What does that mean? That means that you can be, your mind can be captured by a lie and it can control your whole life. And many times not even knowing it's happening to you. This man, control thousands of people's minds by the demonic power that he possessed. He gave him, and this is always the cue. You say, don't say always. Here's how you know when something is fake and not of God. I said, faith cannot have God. Here it is. Giving out that himself was someone great. I never have been great. I'm not great now and I'll never be great. I'm a human being. There's only one great, that's Yahweh Elohim, Jehovah God. He is the great one and only him. And if there's anything great that ever happens to you that's real, it'll be because God through his Holy Spirit worked through the vessel that you are. This man made himself to be the greatest man in that area. Verse 10, to whom they all, now this is the whole people in this part of the world. They all gave heed from the least to the greatest. saying this man is the great power of God. Did you know that this man would be welcome in a lot of churches? Because the song was so wonderful. You're a loser without Jesus. With him, you're a winner. Start confessing it as Brother Phil has given you the signal. They gave heed to this man. Now, the word heed means hear. You see, faith, what you believe, what you trust in, comes by hearing. Be careful. what you allow to enter into your mind and be a part of your thinking. Proverbs, a wonderful scripture that has never been totally ever explored. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. to whom they all gave heed. They listened to him. He was totally of Satan. And there are millions of people today who will listen to preaching and teaching that is not of God. It's of man. It's for the flesh. It's to make you feel good. Feeling is not what you're looking for. You're looking for the fullness of the Holy Spirit of God, no matter what the circumstances. They all gave heed to this man from the least. Aren't you? Don't you feel sorry for those who are homeless and have nothing and they're the least? This is the word here in the Greek is as small as you can get and having as little as possible. They believed in this man, did work, didn't change him. And the great people, the very people who had everything, They believed him too. This man, what? How dare? How dare anyone? This man, Simeon, is the great power of God. Lord, have mercy. How could you be more blasphemous than to say that about any human being. And to him, they had regard because for a long time, he had bewitched them with sorceries. He had hypnotized them and controlled their thinking. Verse 12, but These are the people of Samaria now. But when they believe Philip, when Philip preached to them, when they believe Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Aren't you ladies glad that Christianity has made you equal? You see, just think for a moment and pray for women who are under the power of Islam. And I'm going to say something now that may make some of you unhappy, but you'll get over it. Why aren't these ultra-feminists, Why aren't they saying something about the way Islam treats women? They don't. Islam says a woman is really nothing. Sisters, you're more than something. And when they came to Samaria, God didn't just have the men receive Jesus. and be baptized, me, the men and the women. And that's the way it is. In the church of the living God in the spirit, there's neither male nor female, bond nor free, rich nor poor. We're all one. Let's live like it. Let's believe like it. Let's be like it. Now, what's this man gonna do, Simeon? Well, you won't be surprised. Verse 13. When Simeon himself believed, I could turn and read to you in the book of James and other places that the demons believe and tremble. It's not believing, it's who you believe in. I'll go to heaven whether you believe that I will or not. And so will you if you have put your trust in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ only. Simeon himself believed also and he was baptized, put under the water. Some people believe that has saving power. He didn't do anything for this man. He was baptized. He continued with Philip. He saw that Philip, the evangelist, and Philip was not an apostle. He was an evangelist. But he stayed so close to him that he about smothered poor Philip to death because he wanted what Philip had. And he thought if he could just stay close to him, Being close to a human being is wonderful in the human sense, but it's not divine. There's only one, that's Jesus. He stayed close to Philip and he wondered, beholding the miracles and the signs that were done by Philip. Don't get it. It's nice if you see a miracle. It's wonderful. It's wonderful if God shows you great signs. Praise God. But that's not what life's all about. Life's all about living, whether it's a miracle or a sign or not. You say, Brother Bill, I don't believe that. Well, would you accept what happened to the Apostle Paul? The Apostle Paul, this great man of God, Satan was allowed by Almighty God. Don't ask me to explain that. I can't. You'll have to talk to God about it. A thorn was in Paul's flesh. It says it was a messenger of Satan. We don't know what it was. Somebody tells you they know what it was, they don't know. It doesn't say. So all of us would know that whatever we have that is causing us problems could have been what Paul had. He prayed. He had three seasons. of prayer asking God, please remove this thorn from my flesh. And God said to him after three seasons of prayer, no, I'm not going to. What I'm going to do, my grace will be sufficient for you. And it is, as Brother Phil says. Now, verse 14. Now, when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John. Now, Peter and John were apostles. I am not an apostle. I'm just a simple preacher. of the Word of God by the grace of God. And unless you're an apostle, why don't you quit judging people? Now, if you're an apostle, go ahead. But unless you are, you better turn it over to God and let it alone. Peter and John were apostles. They could tell things about, they could discern. That Philip, who was a deacon and an evangelist, could not discern. Who when they were come down, prayed for them. Prayed for who? For the Samaritans, that they might receive the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit. Now, there's so much false teaching. Someone says, see there, you got to be saved and then you got to live a sanctified life and get the Holy Spirit. Well, may I read one verse to you, please, and I'm going to leave this with you. If this doesn't satisfy you, I could talk all day and it would make a difference. I'm going to read from 1 Corinthians. The 12th chapter, verse 13, we're talking about the difference in being convicted and converted by the Holy Spirit and being used by the Holy Spirit to do the work of God. These people had not received the ability to do the work of God. I'm reading to you now the 12th chapter of 1 Corinthians, verse 13. For, now many times when we are reading our Bible, we look at these little prepositions, like the word for, and we just read past it because it doesn't mean anything. The prepositions in the Greek language, the Holy Spirit-inspired language, are powerful. And the Greek word here is gar, G-A-R. It means for this reason. So that's where we begin with that. For this reason, by one spirit, that's the Holy Spirit, are we all baptized, immersed into one body, that's the church of the living God. Whether we be Jew or Gentile, whether we be bond or free, and have all been made to drink of one's spirit, that's being born again. After that, then you need many. I need many fillings of the Holy Spirit. This man wanted the power to be able to do this. We'll go ahead now, I'm reading now verse 15 again. who when they were down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. Pentecost came to Jerusalem church. Now Pentecost has come to the Samaritan church. Later on when Peter is at the Cyrenian area, It'll come upon the people there in Cyrenaia by the sea. Cyrenaia by the sea. And so it is different than being saved and being born again. It means being enabled to do whatever God demands you do. Verse 16. For as yet he was fallen upon none of them, only they were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. And now here's the two apostles, Peter and John. Then laid they their hands on them, the apostles now, and they receive the Holy Spirit. I'd like to say something real practical. Is there something that you've not been able to have victory over? Is there something that just you can't, you haven't been able to win? Would you allow the Holy Spirit to have control of that. You can't lie to the Holy Spirit. Give it to Him. You say Him, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. You say, that's the Trinity. I don't understand it. Well, neither do I, and I don't have to. I just believe it. There is such a thing as the Trinity. And today, The Trinity is here in this sanctuary. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And one day, when eternity begins for everyone who has accepted Christ, that Elohim will become one again, because the work of the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit, will have been accomplished in all the lives, in your life, in my life. And then one day after it's all accomplished, God will be one and you'll understand the Trinity. Until then, just believe it. They laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Now when Simeon, saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands, the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money. He said to John and to Peter, here, let me buy that power you've got. I got lots of money. I've fleeced a lot of people with my sorcery. I got money. I want to buy the power you have. saying, give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, they may receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said to him, Peter's an apostle, thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. And then Peter, an apostle, has to say these words to him. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right with God. Father, thank you. that the Holy Spirit is a gift to every believer. It cannot be earned. It cannot be purchased. It can be received. He, the Holy Spirit, can be received. In the name of Jesus, we pray for that anointing on every person. who is in this sanctuary. For Jesus, you are at the right hand of the Father, and you are the mediator. You can give that gift to all who will receive it. In Jesus' name, amen, as we stand to sing. Let us submit ourselves to the Great One, to the Holy One. How great Thou art, we're going to offer up this beautiful song. How great Thou art. O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder Thy power throughout the universe displayed Then sings my soul, my soul How great Thou art! How great Thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee. We have to sing the verse about Jesus paying the price. And when I think that God his son not spared. We'll do that. That God, His Son not sparing, Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in. That on the cross, I burdened, gladly bearing, ♪ To take away my sins ♪ Oh, yes! ♪ Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee ♪ ♪ How great Thou art, how great Thou art ♪ Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee How great Thou art! How great Thou art! We'll have the benediction. And then Brother Phil and I will be here if you have something you need more time than just coming forward in the invitation. We're here to do what we can through the power of the Holy Spirit and through the love of God. I'm going to close with this benediction. It's the very first verse and the first two words of the second verse of Genesis. And then the last, and the spirit. We rely on all of you. In Jesus' name, amen.