Who’s On the Throne?

Claim: God desires His church to be marked by sincere unity, generous love, and holy fear, not by self-serving hypocrisy.

Focus: This passage contrasts the Spirit-filled generosity of Barnabas with the deceitful hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira, showing that God sees the heart, purifies His people, and calls us to integrity and reverent fear.

Function: To convict listeners of any hidden hypocrisy, lead them to honest repentance, and call them to Spirit-empowered generosity, integrity, and a holy fear of God.

Pray

Who sits on the throne in your life?

Most of us will say Jesus of course.

But who really do we think our life and possessions belong to?

Is JEsus really on the throne - or are we sitting on out own throne?

In the early chapters of Acts,

the Spirit has come in power.

The apostles are preaching with boldness.

The church is growing in numbers and grace.

But now

—a shocking account that reveals both the beauty and the seriousness of life in the Spirit-filled church.

And This passage holds up a mirror to us. It asks “What is going on in your heart?” Who is on your throne?

You may look like you belong to the church - but do you?

1. A Generous Family (4:32–37)

Acts 4:32 NIVUK

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

Luke gives us a breathtaking snapshot of the early church: a people united not just by doctrine but by practical love.

This community is not like football supporters to who all wear the same kit to the matches - and they might even fight for fellow fans against other team fans. They might get overexcited with the emotion of the game and share common experience.

But beyond that they have no real commitment or interest in each other.

They share a common love, but they are not in love with one another.

But his early church were of ‘one heart’ and one mind’ - in a way that meant they loved each other, not just Jesus.

No uniform or kit required to identify them as one

- the way in which they thought, lived, worked and operated identified them as one body.

They were one in heart and soul - Unified completely.

They still have an object of shared love, but they were also in love (not in a romantic soppy sense) with each other.

To be clear what they are united around, we’re told.

Acts 4:33 NIVUK

With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

The resurrection of Christ wasn’t just a doctrine they believed—it changed how they lived.

It utterly unified them in faith and love

And as the apostles preached, v33b

Acts 4:33 NIVUK

And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all

Acts 4:34 NIVUK

that there was no needy person among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales

This is not a form of communism as some in history have tried to insist.

It was not the case that every person was equal in wealth,

but rather,

the wealthier among them, were so united in love for others,

that they could not allow their brothers, and sister to be in poverty and suffering.

If they could do something to help - they did?

And what is it about the preaching of Christ’s resurrection that causes true believers to respond in this way not just in head knowledge, or faith, but life action?

Well it has to be that Christ given up all,

died on the cross for our sin,

so that we do not face our rightful judgement and eternal sufferings in hell.

And now is risen and reigning at the right hand of God ‘on the throne’,

So rather than self on the throne, all that we have is now not for our benefit and glory, but for Jesus our kings benefit and glory.

And so they, we, no longer consdiered their possession their own, but for Jesus to use for his kingdom.

The preaching of the

gospel dethrones self and enthrones Christ.

IN our immediate context there is rarely anyone who would compare to the need and poverty that would have been consuming some in Jerusalem at this time.

So the need to sell possession, give from our savings and payslips to provide for the needed is less obvious.

But the principle to consider our money and possession as not our own but as Christ’s for His Kingdom, remains.

When I was Roots age, there was a a helpful tendency among the leaders and adults in the church to refer to their possessions and money as ‘Kingdom’ possessions’.

My car is a ‘Kingdom car’. If a fellow Christian really needs it, they can borrow it.

If someone needs to stay somewhere, they can stay in our Kingdom Home.

If someone needs money - my money is kingdom money.

As becomes clear in this passage - people retained private ownership of things,

but their attitude was of generous kingdom sharing and sacrifice.

Is your car a kingdom car? Do you fill it with people that need lifts,

load it with stuff that needs to get places,

lend it when brother or sister gets stuck after a breakdown or accident.

Is your house a kingdom house?

Filled with people for hospitality,

open for youth group socials,

ready to squeeze a visiting missionary in?

Is your money - kingdom money?

Ready to be generous and sacrificial when someone does hits hardship,

when you hear of a foreign appeal to relieve the suffering of Christian brothers and sisters abroad?

Ready to review you regular giving when there is an appeal on a Sunday?

(This wasn’t planned - just saying!)

pause

But before we open our banking app, hand over our keys, open our home,

we get 2 examples of how we might show this gospel unity and generosity:

Firstly: A Positive Example (vv. 36–37)

Acts 4:36–37 NIVUK

Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

on first reading - it’s not the most exciting example is it.

This guy Joseph, sold a field and gave the money to the apostles.

But there are a couple of encouragements to us here.

1 - This sort of generous giving is what encouraging people do!

Joseph had a nic name - all the apostles used this nic name.

He was called Mr Encouragemnt. Son of encouragement.

Clearly a loved, follower of Jesus.

People who share generously are encouraging - or perhaps also true - encouraging people share.

The second encouragement is that Mr encouragement was entirely honest in his giving.

It’s perhaps only implied from the 1 sentence about him,

that there was no showing off,

no attention grabbing,

no pride

- but what is VERY clear is that he is intended to be the opposite example to what comes next.

Me Encouragment, has no intention to look more godly than he really was.

unlike:

Acts 5:1–2 NIVUK

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

2. A Sinister Contrast (5:1–4)

Like Barnabas, Ananias and Sapphira sell a piece of property.

But unlike Barnabas, they keep back part of the proceeds for themselves while pretending to give the whole.

The Issue: is Not the Amount, But the Heart

The sin here isn’t holding some money back.

Peter makes that clear in verse 4:

“Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?”

They were under no compulsion.

The problem is deception.

Ananias and Sapphira are presenting a false image of holiness.

They want the image of Barnabas without the heart of Barnabas.

Peter says: v4b

“What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” (v. 4)

.

God sees not just what we do—but why we do it.

Hypocrisy is deadly.

We may fool others, but we can’t fool the Spirit of God.

It’s striking, the force with which the apostles challenged him.

Not the death bit - but the ‘what made you think of doing such a thing!?

And

How is it that satan has so filled your heart!

How is that even in your mind!!

What makes us think of such a thing.

You see this is the point we thought about earlier.

This is not about what we wear on the outside - our teams shirt

- otherwise Annaias is sorted.

It is about what is in our heart.

For Barnabus - Jesus was in his heart - Jesus sits on the throne

- so why would he want to displease his King whom loves him and gave him all.

How could he think any differnetly if he knows the love of Jesus His king!

BUt Annanias and His wife - self is still on the throne.

They had no reason to lie - the money was their own,

no reason to lie - other than to have others praise them instead of Jesus.

I wonder what we do before others so that people think well of us in the church,

rather than out of love for Jesus on the throne.

Perhaps we expect praise for something we have done,

Oh you make the best cake for refreshments,

Don’t tell anyone, but your talk at youth group or Xplode are better than everyone elses!,

You’re so good to be a Sunday school teacher - you’re amazing.

Wow, you give a lot of money - you’re very godly.

Thank you’s are of course right and proper - so don’t stop thanking those who serve.

But our motive for doing what is right before God must never be for our own praise - but his!

Annias though doesn’t just ‘struggle’ with pride and attention seeking - like we all do - as sinful as that is.

his sin is planned and schemed,

designed to delibertaly lie in the face of God

- who he has vastly underestimated.

preempted lies,

carefully calculated deception,

no doubts carefully timed to drop off the money just as the most people are there to see.

There is forgiveness for sin, prasie God

- for we all sinfully deisre praise and honour when we should be seeking praise and honour for JEsus.

But we should be very, very careful if we find ourselves planning carefully our own glory in the church without any fear of God…

Because God will judge.

3. Fear the Lord (5:5–11)

Acts 5:5 NIVUK

When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.

This is perhaps the most shocking part of Acts.

Why such a severe judgment?

And

Why ‘interrupt’ the ‘momentum’ of unity and generosity

with a sobering tale of hypocrisy and judgment?

Well because it’s such an important lesson to remember for the church.

We have been loved and saved by the grace of God through Jesus the Son.

And like Ananias and Sapphira,

perhaps we might be tempted to take all this God stuff a little too lightly,

or take JEsus to be a little more for granted than we should.

Of course we are loved,

friends with Jesus,

his brothers and sisters.

And yet we are also now in the presence of the holy living God - who is to be rightly feared.

pause

Jesus is on the throne!

So, Why interrupt the momentum of unity and generosity with a sobering tale of hypocrisy and judgment?

5 thoughts:

1. Despite persecution, the churches greatest threat is from within!

Acts 1-4 almost paints a perfect picture of a church filled with the Spirit.

But of course the church is and never will be perfect.

I have read that there are more warnings in the NT about false teachers,

hypocrites and those after selfish gain from within the church,

than all the other warnings in the NT put together.

Luke is showing that the greatest threat to the church at this point is ironically not persecution (which they are enduring severly),

but hypocrisy from within.

2. To Echo Old Testament Patterns of God Judging Sin in New Beginnings

This is a new era—the church as the new covenant temple.

And in moments of new beginnings in Scripture,

God often acts decisively to guard His holiness as a warning to future generations:

Leviticus 10 – Nadab and Abihu offer unauthorized fire and die on the spot.

Joshua 7 – Achan keeps back spoils from Jericho and brings judgment on the people.

2 Samuel 6 – Uzzah touches the ark improperly and dies.

In each case, God acts early and decisively to teach His people:

 I am holy. I will not be mocked.

Luke is placing Ananias and Sapphira’s death in that same biblical-theological pattern:

the Spirit has come,

the church is God’s new dwelling, and therefore sin—especially deceitful, sacrilegious sin—is deadly serious.

We may not see the same instantaneous judgement today - but we have been warned!

And our judgement will come if we are not actually taking God seriously - but seeking our own gain.

3. To Show the Church is Defined by Holiness, Not Just Growth

Acts is full of supernatural power—healings, bold preaching, conversions.

But here, Luke reminds us: the Spirit also brings holiness.

The Spirit is not just a source of energy for mission, but a purifier of the people.

The church is not just a movement; it’s the temple of the living God.

If Luke had skipped this story,

we might think the early church was idyllic and perfect.

But instead, he shows: sin still threatens the community from within—and God still guards His holiness.

We are to be pursuers of holiness.

4. To Instill a Healthy Fear of the Lord

Acts 5:11 NIVUK

Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Twice we’re told great fear seized the church.

This is a fair and right response to the holiness of God is it not.

We forget God’s holiness, literally at our peril.

This is the also first time Luke uses the word “church” (Greek ekklesia) in Acts.

What marks the church?

Not community and miracles, but a holy fear of God.

Luke wants his readers—and us—

to learn that God takes sin seriously, especially sin that tries to fake holiness for self-glory.

5. To Guard the Church Before Its Growth Accelerates

In Acts 6 and beyond, the church expands rapidly.

But Luke ensures that before growth, there’s purification.

An impure, deceptive community cannot be a faithful witness.

This moment protects the church’s witness before it multiplies.

Acts 5:11 NIVUK

Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

As we reach a close,

Let us remember a few things,

and consider how we might apply this passage.

The Spirit knows and exposes sin— if we ignore his conviction,

we will face judgement -

but if we feel it -

we run to the cross of our wonderful saviour.

When we get to Christ Jesus,

we remember that

Christ’s holiness is not compromised by grace;

it is upheld and fulfilled in Him.

He died for our lies and our hypocrisy.

And so,

we can actually be the The generous church pictured in Baranbus,

not becasue we are great -

but because of Christ’s generosity toward us.

The contrast between Barnabas and Ananias/Sapphira is ultimately about the heart transformed by grace versus the heart that fakes it.

So let us:

Be Honest With God – He already knows your heart. Don’t hide behind appearances.

let us:

Fear the Lord – for he is awesome and holy,

fear is a right response to His holiness and love.

and right fear doesn’t lead to crippling seizure, or inactivity,

it leads to joyful, rich practical love

let us show

Generosity – Let the gospel unchain you from love of money and self.

BEcasue we now belong to a Holy God,

Our Kings is Jesus, not self.

So have kingdom possessions, and kingdom money.

The timing is perhaps providential,

but it’s not a stretch to say that on a day when we have asked for us all to review, start or increase our giving to meet the needs of the church,

that this passage calls us to not consider our money or possession as our own!

Don’t worry, we haven’t asked the young men to stand at the door with spades to dig graves.

but it is a challenge to me, and I hope to you,

who is our money for - us, or our King and His kingdom?

And finally,

let us remember that the Spirit-filled church, which we are,

is not a casual community.

God dwells with His people.

He gives us joy and unity

—but He also calls us to truth and holiness - for he is holy.

May we be a people like Barnabas—genuine, generous, grace-filled, encouragers.

And may we fear the Lord with reverence and joy,

knowing that in Christ,

even our deepest sins can be forgiven—and our hearts renewed for His service.

Pray