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First Century Church Discipline
(Acts 5:1-11)
August 29, 2021
Read Acts 5:1-11 – Church in America these days!
Come to church.
Grab a coffee and a cookie, settle in for an hour of boredom so we can get to the game in good conscience that we’ve fulfilled our religious obligation.
We’ve lost all sense of the grandeur of God.
We get God as a buddy; but fear of the Lord -- lost on us.
Ease and comfort have blinded us to the realities of the God we serve.
This passage is offensive!
The death penalty – for a little lie?! What’s that about?
It’s about snapping us out of Fantasyland back to reality.
Annie Dillard gets it when she writes: “On the whole, I find Xns, outside of the Catacombs, NOT sufficiently sensible of conditions.
Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so casually invoke?
Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it?
But the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return.”
God is love, yes.
He is also “a consuming fire” of holiness (Heb 12:29).
His patience isn’t forever.
To trivialize Him is to play with TNT.
So this account teaches.
Barnabas got kudos for selling land to give to the poor.
A&S want that same standing.
But they’re not so generous, so they hatched their scheme thinking, “Who will know?”
The answer was, “God!”
Some suggest A&S weren’t believers.
But they likely were.
They’re among “the full number of those who believed” in Acts 4:32.
They were involved with the HS, indicating a relationship.
Satan can influence believers, as we’ll see.
And death is one means of divine chastening.
This lesson is for believers.
The swift discipline here is intended as a warning to the whole church age that our picture of God isn’t complete with “God loves you”.
It must also include: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov 1:7).
The lesson is no sin of a believer is trivial.
It is all subject to God’s discipline.
The Source of the Sin – Two are listed here.
A. Satan – Satan is on the rampage.
Defeated at the cross, he knows his time is short.
So he’s out to destroy what he can.
Thus Peter says in v. 3: “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the HS?” A&S thought it was their idea to cheat by holding a little back for a trip to the spa or whatever.
But Peter knows – this all started with Satan.
Satan can’t go where he’s uninvited, but some inherent covetousness in their hearts, some unconfessed jealousy had opened the door, and the idea was planted.
So, Satan can infiltrate the minds of Xns? Oh, yes!
All those little thoughts we think are ours alone – the independence we think exists in the privacy of our own mind – just an illusion.
That depiction of an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other is a reality.
We’re smack in the middle of spiritual warfare.
Satan and his minions can infiltrate the mind within God-set limits.
I Pet 5:8: “Be sober-MINDED; be watchful.
Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
Peter had experienced that.
When Jesus tells His disciples He’ll suffer and die in Jerusalem, Peter objects: Mt 16:22b: “Far be it from you, Lord.
This shall never happen to you.”
Peter thought that was his idea.
He’d protect Jesus.
His idea and his full intention.
Mt 16:23: “But [Jesus] turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan!”
He knew if He didn’t die, Peter would – eternally.
If He didn’t pay the penalty for sin, all humanity would.
What Peter thought was his idea was a Satan-implant!
Thus Jesus’ direct command, “Get behind me, Satan!” Peter knew firsthand about being devoured by Satan.
It almost happened to him.
Satan is a creature.
He can’t be all places at once.
I doubt we’re important enough to get his personal attention.
But he has millions of demons at his beck and call, some assigned to us.
But, Satan can only go as far as God allows.
When Satan insisted Job didn’t really love God, God said, Job 1:12: “Behold, all that he has is in your hand.
Only against him do not stretch out your hand.”
Satan was bounded by God.
When Satan’s first plan didn’t work and he wanted to do more damage, he had to ask permission!
Satan is still as much God’s servant as ever.
This time God said in Job 2:6: “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”
Satan can’t lift a finger against Job, Peter or anyone without God’s permission to test us.
But with God’s permission, he can fill our hearts with mischief which is ours to sort out, as with A&S.
B. Self – But it’s not just Satan.
4) “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own?
And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal?
[The sin wasn’t holding back; it was lying.
But now note:] Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart?”
If Satan was the initiator, S&A were also complicit.
Unconfessed sin invited Satan in, and now their inherent sin nature was responsive to his suggestions – exactly the pattern described by Jas 1:14) But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
15) Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
Satan plants the idea; natural desire waters it; sin results, which, unconfessed, leads to death.
S&A could have stopped this at any point; they didn’t.
They are complicit right along with Satan.
Handling temptation isn’t easy.
But: I Cor 10:13: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.
God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Memorize it, and bring to God when things get tough?
Satan can come, but he can only go so far, no further than we can bear.
From there it’s over to us.
That’s why Prov 4:23 urges: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
Think about what you think about!
Fill your mind with the Word and drive out evil.
Psa 119:9: “How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word. . . .
11) I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
Paul urges: II Cor 10:5b: “take every thought captive to obey Christ.”
Think on right things.
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