The Gift of God

Have you ever avoided someone because bridging that gap just seemed too difficult? Maybe it’s a coworker with opposing political views, a neighbor from a different background, or even a family member you’ve written off as “too far gone.” We all have people or places we’d rather avoid.

But what if God is calling you to cross that barrier?

In Acts 8, we witness one of the most dramatic cultural crossings in the early church. Philip, a Jewish believer fleeing persecution in Jerusalem, does the unthinkable: he goes to Samaria and preaches Christ. To grasp the weight of this moment, you need to understand that Jews and Samaritans despised each other with a hatred spanning centuries. Jews would literally travel miles out of their way to avoid passing through Samaritan territory. These weren’t just unfriendly neighbors—they were considered half-breeds, religious heretics, enemies.

Yet Philip goes. And when he does, something extraordinary happens.

When God’s Power Crosses Human Barriers

Philip didn’t sneak into Samaria to hide. He proclaimed Christ openly, and the crowds gave attention to what he said as they heard and saw the signs he was performing. Demons were cast out with loud shouts. The paralyzed walked. The lame were healed. The text tells us there was “much rejoicing in that city.”

Picture that scene for a moment. A Jewish preacher proclaiming a Jewish Messiah to a people who had been taught to hate Jews—and instead of rejection, there’s citywide celebration. This is the power of the gospel to demolish walls many thought were permanent.

Philip’s message was simple but profound: he preached the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. He wasn’t offering self-help tips or cultural commentary. He was proclaiming that the long-awaited King had come, that His name was Jesus, and that anyone—even despised Samaritans—could enter His kingdom through repentance and faith.

Men and women believed. They were baptized. They publicly identified with this King and His kingdom. The barrier that had stood for generations crumbled in the face of resurrection power.

The Man Who Wanted to Buy What Can Only Be Received

But not everyone understood what was really happening. Enter Simon, a man the Samaritans had previously called “the great power of God.” Simon practiced magic arts and had astonished the crowds for years. He was the local celebrity, the spiritual authority everyone revered.

When Philip arrived, even Simon was amazed. Whatever power Simon had been wielding, it paled in comparison to what was happening through Philip. Simon himself believed and was baptized, and he continued with Philip, constantly amazed at the signs and great miracles taking place.

The apostles Peter and John arrived from Jerusalem to pray for these new Samaritan believers to receive the Holy Spirit. This wasn’t about some special formula or apostolic monopoly on spiritual power. It was about God demonstrating that this was the same movement, the same Spirit, the same gospel for both Jews and Samaritans—one people of God, united by one Spirit.

But when Simon saw the Holy Spirit being given through the laying on of hands, his true heart was revealed. He offered Peter and John money, saying, “Give me this authority too, so I can do what you’re doing.”

Peter’s response was swift and severe: “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money.”

The Danger of Transactional Religion

Simon’s error reveals a poisonous mindset that still infects religious thinking today. He treated God’s gift like a commodity, something that could be purchased, controlled, or leveraged for personal gain. He wanted the power without the submission. The authority without the surrender. The gifting without the Giver.

Peter saw right through it: “Your heart is not right before God. Therefore repent of this wickedness and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.”

That phrase—”if possible”—doesn’t question God’s ability to forgive. It questions Simon’s ability to truly let go. Can you really give this up, Simon? Can you release your grip on worldly power and embrace the gift with empty hands?

The gift of salvation has already been purchased—not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. It cannot be earned through religious activity, manipulated through spiritual techniques, or controlled through any human effort. It can only be received.

Simon’s response is telling: “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing you have said may come upon me.” He didn’t fall on his knees and cry out to God himself. He asked Peter to do it for him, as if prayer were some magical incantation that could ward off consequences without requiring genuine heart change.

How many people today treat Christianity the same way? They want someone else to “pray for them” without actually surrendering their lives to Christ. They attend church hoping it will earn God’s favor. They perform religious duties as if checking boxes on a divine to-do list. They want the benefits without the relationship, the blessings without the Lordship.

What Barriers Are You Avoiding?

As we look at Philip’s willingness to cross into Samaria, we have to ask ourselves some honest questions:

Are there people you complain about instead of evangelize?

It’s easy to grumble about “those people”—the political opponents, the difficult relatives, the neighbors who annoy you. But what if you crossed the barrier with the gospel instead? What if you prayed for them, served them, and shared Christ with them rather than just talking bad about them?

What would it take for you to reach the people you’ve written off?

Philip’s barrier-crossing didn’t require persecution to happen—though persecution certainly accelerated the mission. The early believers were already preaching wherever they went because they understood that the gospel was for everyone. Do we need some dramatic event to drive us toward difficult people, or will we go in obedience now?

Are you treating God’s gift transactionally?

Take an honest inventory. Do you approach God with an “if I do this, You owe me that” mentality? Are you trying to earn favor through religious activity? Are you attending church to check a box or because you’re overflowing with gratitude for what Christ has already done?

Is your faith more like Philip’s or Simon’s?

Philip crossed barriers and proclaimed Christ boldly, seeing God work in power. Simon believed something, was even baptized, but his heart wasn’t right. He wanted to use God’s power for his own purposes. Which pattern describes your spiritual life?

The Gospel Still Crosses Barriers Today

When the gospel crosses barriers, God works powerfully. It may not always look like demons being cast out or the paralyzed walking, but lives are still being transformed. Hearts are still being changed. Walls of hostility are still crumbling.

There are people all around you waiting to hear the good news of the King who came into the world. Some of them may be difficult. Some may be from backgrounds you don’t understand. Some may have hurt you or people you love. But the same Holy Spirit who empowered Philip to preach in Samaria lives in you.

The gospel is not a transaction. It’s a gift—freely given, purchased at infinite cost by the blood of Christ. We cannot earn it, manipulate it, or control it. We can only receive it with empty hands and then give it away just as freely to others.

So go. Cross the barriers. Proclaim Christ. And watch what God does when His people are willing to obediently declare the message of the Kingdom and the name of Jesus today.

Listen to the full sermon here: The Gift of God – Acts 8:5-24

Preached November 9, 2025 at Howell Bible Church

For more on the Kingdom of God, explore our series: The Kingdom of God Articles