205 Billion Apps will be downloaded this year...

The most used app - Facebook with 2.3 billion active users

The average person has between 60-90 apps on their phone.

• They use on average 25 apps during the month

• They use on average 10 apps 96% of time

Most apps are deleted within a week...

• 77% of all apps are deleted after 3 days

• 90% of all apps are deleted after 30 days

Why do people download and then delete apps?

• Use lots more resources than expected ($, memory and battery)

• Don’t function properly - cause problems while using or to other experiences

• Don’t live up to their promises

• Interrupt - notifications, updates

• Vulnerable to dangers (bad material, spyware,

• Deceptive

Their presence creates a negative user experience, so they are deleted.

REALITY: We are far better at recognizing and deleting bad apps from our phones than we are at recognizing/removing bad apps that we develop during our life journey. But to become the person God wants us to be to experience all that He has for us, we have to participating in this process of deleting bad apps, because they are there.

Acts 8:21–23 (ESV) (Peter to Simon The Magician) ...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.”

The Setting Of Acts 8

Acts 8:3 (ESV) But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

Acts 8:4 (ESV) Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

• When bad things happen, God redeems them in the lives of believers for His and their good.

• I fully expect for God to use COVID for good!

Acts 8:5 (ESV) Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.

• On of the original 12 disciples

Acts 8:6–8 (ESV) And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did.  For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city.

• Words win over the mind,  but a demonstration of power wins over hearts.

• Words alone has to rely on a well crafted argument - information

• The church today has a lot of information, but little demonstration.

• It has crafted an argument as to why there is no demonstration

• Samaria already had a ton of information

  • John 4:16–18 (ESV) Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”  The woman answered him, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband’;  for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true.”

  • John 4:19–20 (ESV) The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”

    • John 4:24 (ESV) God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship John 4:24 (ESV) God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

  • John 4:25 (ESV) The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.”  

    • John 4:26 (ESV) Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”

  • John 4:29 (ESV) “Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?”

• Leonard Ravenhill - “A man with an experience of God is never at the mercy of a man with an argument.”

• L. H. Hardwick - A man with an experience is never at the mercy of a man with an opinion.” 

It’s important for us to declare truth, but it’s critical for us to look for moments to see the power of God released.

• “THERE WAS MUCH JOY IN THE CITY - REVIVAL!

  • Revival is more the result of the positioning of people for God to move rather than the moving of God.

OUR LIFE APPS ARE WRITTEN ONE EXPERIENCE AT A TIME.

During the early stages of our life, every different experience becomes the lab in which we write the code for the app for navigating similar related experiences in the future. These include our interactions with:

• Friendships

• Money

• Family

• Loneliness

• Rejection

• People in authority: men/women

• Sexuality

• Discouragement

• Success

• Failure

• Self image

• Criticism

• God

• Church

APART FROM GOD, OUR APPS ARE FLAWED.

We have experiences.

We lack information.

We misunderstand.

We are deceived.

We get bad input.

We formulate responses.

We are prepared for a similar situation, incorrectly.

Acts 8:9–11 (ESV) 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.

• His whole life  was based on deception for gain - magic

• A means to wealth and fame.

• He wanted this fame so badly that he lied and told them he was someone great

• He clearly began this as a young man - And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.

• Everyone (least to great) paid attention to him  - self made rockstar

• We love to be deceived (magician, haunted houses, 

• We are so hungry to see greatness that we listen to people with the confidence to say, “I am GREAT!”

• “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” (supernatural, spiritual)

• Every culture without the power of God is hungry/thirsty for a replacement

• Ripe for a con: someone to convince them through deception of a replacement and their representation.

• Simon has developed his app for now and for the future!

Acts 8:12–13 (ESV) 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.

JESUS SAVES, 

BUT OUR BAD APPS CAN LIVE ON,

Acts 8:17–19 (ESV) 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.”

If only our salvation meant that all of the bad code were removed!

Similar experiences trigger bad apps.

Functioning in a bad app leads to bad outcomes.

We get trapped as we revert to what we know instead of what God wants to do.

That’s exactly what Simon did!

Can you recognize the activation of a bad app in your life?

TRUST GODS CATALYST FOR  DELETING OLD APPS AND DOWNLOADING NEW ONES.

God loves you

He wants better for you.

He is unwilling to leave you as you are.

Discipleship is the process of having our flawed apps deleted and replaced with His new ones.

Life will bring along a catalyst to expose the bad app.

• Reading the Bible

• Listening to a sermon.

• Reading a book.

• The voice of the Holy Spirit.

• Spiritual leaders.

Trust the catalyst and allow the surgery to happen there.

The catalyst for Simon required spiritual leadership.

Acts 8:20–23 (ESV) 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.”

Can you trust your spiritual leaders to be the catalyst for transformation?

Acts 8:24 (ESV) And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

Closing: 2 Corinthians 7:1 (ESV) Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.