Text : Acts 8:14-24

Into:

1. History of Simon

2. Simon was a Christian with a weakness

3. He had a great desire for the gift of God

4. Yet it was with the wrong intention

I. He tried to obtain the right gift in the wrong way

a. Act 8:18And when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through laying on of the apostles' hands, he  offered them money, Act 8:19 saying, Give me this power also, that on whomever I lay hands, he may receive theHoly Spirit.

b. This gift cannot be bought—it is the gift of God vs.20,

Rom 5:15 but the free shallnot bealso like the offense. For if by the offense the one many died, much more the grace, and the in grace; which is the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

II. He tried to obtain the right gift for the wrong reasons

a. It would appear that he wanted the praise of men— Acts 8:9-10

b. He was not the first to be guilty of this as the Lord warned in Matthew 6:1-5

III. He tried to obtain the gift in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons and yet he still received a gift.

a. He is rebuked by Peter for his bitterness

b. Peter gave him a different gift than he expected

c. the gift Peter gave serves as a good example for us

d. NEVER give someone the bad news without giving them the “good news” too!