Let's come back to the story of Simon the magician in Samaria. Acts 8 tells us that Simon had a reputation in Samaria as a sorcerer, and wowed the people with his claims to greatness. But it goes on to tell us that he believed the Gospel spoken by Philip, became a disciple of Jesus, and was baptised. What a change must have come about in his life! No longer a sorcerer, but a disciple of Jesus!
When Peter and John came to Samaria, they laid hands on the new disciples and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw that, he wanted the same power, and sought to bribe the apostles with money to give him that same gift. By the way, it is from this story that we get the English word simony, which means the buying or selling of sacred things. What possessed Simon to try and bribe the apostles? I believe that it was because he did not yet know the Holy Spirit for himself, and did not realize that what he saw the apostles doing was not a commodity that could be bought and sold. It was a free gift, given by the Holy Spirit to whom He will. I suspect that as a sorcerer Simon had used the same strategy before, and so he tried it again on the apostles.
You see, like the rest of us, Simon brought "baggage" into his new life as a disciple of Jesus. And it was for this reason that the apostles rebuked him sharply. He had to recognise that he could no longer live the way he used to live and use the same techniques he used before he became a disciple of Jesus. The baggage had to be dealt with and put away.
Over the years I have met many Christians, and I have observed that some of them seem to know all the Biblical truth in their head, but seem powerless to live it out in their lives. Some of them have been like that for many years and it seems that strongholds have been established in their lives. Why should that be so? It seems to me that the "baggage" that they have been carrying is holding them captive, and either they do not realise it, or have tried self-control, etc., and have failed in their attempts to gain mastery over these things. Some Christians I know have even ended up serving prison time because they could not get victory over the baggage that enslaved them.
Why continue to struggle with these issues for years when they can be dealt with and put away? Like Simon, we need to deal with the baggage that follows us like a shadow us into our new life. It won't go away on its own. This is part of what Paul meant in Philippians 2, when he exhorted his readers to work out their own salvation. So how do we deal with the baggage? That is what the Encounter One and Encounter Two weekends in Growing Deep and Strong are all about. These weekends not only teach how to deal with baggage in our lives as Christian disciples, but also give opportunity to be set free to live as Jesus intended for us. And it works! We have seen incredible things take place in people's lives as they have renounced and put away the things that had been keeping them captive. And what a joy it is to see them leave the weekends in a new freedom and authority in God.
As the Growing Deep and Strong Series was designed, the Encounter Weekends were seen as an essential part of the Series. To leave these weekends out would be to leave new disciples of Jesus carrying all their baggage, not knowing how to deal with it. The Coach's Manuals for the Encounter Weekends have detailed training and instruction in them, so that you can be confident in running the Encounter Weekends. Or if you are not confident, help is available, and we would be happy to arrange to come and take the Weekend for you. We are easily contactable through the website, email, or by phone.
Don't leave out the Encounter Weekends because you are not sure of how they will go. Believe me, they are powerful times when God can do amazing things in people's lives. And you will have real joy as you see people set free and continuing to walk in the freedom that Jesus has bought for them on the Cross. These Weekends are a time of real encounter with God for the disciples who attend.
David W Searle
Co-author of Growing Deep and Strong Series