MONEY CANNOT BUY THE GIFTS OF GOD

Proclamation:

“When Simon saw that The Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, ‘Give me also this ability to that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive The Holy Spirit.’  Peter answered: ‘May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!’”  Acts 8:18-20 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Luke records that on the day that Stephen was stoned to death, a great persecution of believers began in Jerusalem.  Saul began to destroy the church putting believers in prison. (Acts 8:1-3)  The disciples, except for the twelve apostles, scattered throughout Judea and Samaria but they preached the gospel wherever they went. (Acts 8:4-7)  In Samaria a man named Simon, who practiced sorcery, heard the gospel, believed, was baptized, and began to follow Philip wherever he went. (Acts 8:9-13)  When Simon saw that the apostles could lay their hands on people and give them The Holy Spirit, he offered them money to give him that ability.  Peter told him that he had no part in their ministry because his heart was not right. (Acts 8:18-23)

Application:

Simon did not want the ability to heal others, he wanted the power to give others the ability to heal.  This causes his motives to be questioned.  The gifts of God cannot be bought nor earned.  The Lord God gives them to us, or to whomever He chooses, based upon our ability to handle them. (Matthew 25:15)  Unfortunately there are people in the church today who are like Simon, they claim to believe and have been baptized but their heart is not right.  Some people think that they can get whatever they want with money.  These kind of people hurt the church from the inside.  The love of money can control and ruin a person. (1 Timothy 6:10)  Remember, Judas was an insider when he betrayed Jesus, The Christ, for money. (Matthew 27:3)  We need to make sure that our service for The Lord God is not for personal or financial gain, but is for the love of God and for His glory.

THE WATER I GIVE WILL BECOME A SPRING IN THEM

Proclamation:

“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’”  John 4:13-14 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by the Apostle John under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  In this chapter, John records the conversation between Jesus, The Christ, and a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in the town of Sychar in Samaria. (John 4:1-26)  After He asked the woman for a drink, she questioned Him. (John 4:7-8)  Jesus replied to her that if she knew who He was, she would have asked Him and He would have given her “living water.” (John 4:10)  Here, Jesus makes it clear that He is not talking about the water in the well but about spiritual living water which is linked to eternal life.  When Jesus tells her about her life, her past five husbands and that she was living with a man whom she had not married, she wanted to change the subject and talk about religion. (John 4:16-19)  When Jesus told her that she did not know what she was worshiping, she replied that she knew that the Messiah was coming.  Then Jesus said, “I am He.” (John 4:25-26)  The woman left and brought the men in her life and many others to Jesus. (John 4:39-42)  The chapter ends with the second miracle of Jesus, the healing of the son of the nobleman in Capernaum. (John 4:46-54)  After his son was healed, the nobleman brought his whole family to Christ. (John 4:53)  Both of them shared the living water.

Application:

If we have the “living water” within us, it should spring forth and we should share it with others.  Many people will argue about religion but they do not want to live it.  There are many people who worship regularly but they do not know very much about that which they worship.  People all too often are quick to point out the sins of others but they want to change the subject when their own sins are uncovered.  You cannot come to Jesus, The Christ, hiding your sins and expect to receive eternal life.  We all must confess our sins, ask to be forgiven, and believe that He is who He says that He is. (Romans 10:9-10 and 1 John 1:9)  We must believe and have faith in Him.  Without faith it is impossible to please Him. (Hebrews 11:6)  Jesus responded to the nobleman’s faith when He healed his son.  We must have faith, and we must also turn from our sinful ways if we want Him to heal our situation. (2 Chronicles 7:14)  

THE PENALTY FOR SIN AND THE GIFT OF GOD

Proclamation:

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Romans 6:23 (KJV)

Explanation:

These words were written under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by the Apostle Paul to the believers in Rome.  Paul wanted them to know that death is the punishment for sin.  However, believers in Jesus, The Christ, will receive the God given gift of eternal life. 

Application:

We all have sinned. (Romans 3:23)  None of us is righteous. (Romans 3:10)  We all deserve the penalty of death for our sins.  Death is both physical and spiritual.  The physical death is the separation of the body and the soul.  Man is just the dust of the earth into which God breathed the breath of life and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)  Without the God given breath of life the body dies and the soul returns to God.  The spiritual death is the eternal separation from Jesus, The Christ.  This "second death" occurs when the soul is cast into the "lake of fire" for eternal damnation and torment.  The only way to escape the second death is by belief in Christ and the acceptance of the gift of eternal life. (John 3:16)  We cannot pay the debt that we owe for our sins.  However, Jesus has already paid the debt for us with His death on Calvary and He has given us the opportunity for eternal life with Him, if we believe in Him.  At some point in time we will all die.  The question is, after death, where will your soul spend eternity?