"Why Did They Do It?

INTRO:

In a 2023 article from Christianity Today, a prominent megachurch pastor in the U.S. (I will not mention their name) …. was exposed for embezzling funds from church donations intended for community outreach programs.

The pastor had publicly announced that the church raised $500,000 for local charities, encouraging members to give sacrificially.

However, an audit revealed that nearly $200,000 was diverted to personal accounts for luxury purchases, including a vacation home.

When confronted, the pastor initially denied the allegations, claiming the funds were for “ministry expenses,” but evidence of financial records led to a public confession.

The scandal led to his resignation, a significant drop in church attendance, and legal consequences.

I don’t like sharing stories like this …. but this is not something that was just unique to todays culture.

A story like this can be found in the Book of Acts that echos the hypocrisy and consequences faced by two individuals (Husband and wife) for misrepresenting their givings as well.

These kind of actions, by a follower of Christ, mares the image of Christ to a non-believer.

We tarnish ….. to some degree we bring disgrace to His name.

But worse than that …. we cause seperation between us and Jesus.

Many of you know what I am talking about.

You will meet someone who will say to you, “I don’t like Jesus because of how the church is …. “Fill in the blank””

Let me give you some ammunition to deal with this kind of situation when it happens ….

Ask the person ….

Have you ever heard someone sing a Morgan Wallen song?

For you older folks, have you ever heard someone play your favorite song?

If they sung that song off key or butchered that song when they played it …. Did you blame Morgan Wallen or the one who played the song?

Of course not ….. So why would you blame Jesus for someone who is miss representing Him.

That person who miss represented Him will have to deal with Jesus.

This will not go unnoticed ….. remember God is all seeing, all hearing, all knowing!

SEGWAY:

Today we are going to look at the incident with Ananias and Sapphira.

We are going to answer a question, “What made them think of doing such a thing?”

BODY:

Acts 5:1–11 “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.”

Have you ever done something wrong and …. later on ….. you didn’t know why you did it?

You kept the lie or deception going ….. until you got caught, you were exposed!

There was a lady named Elizabeth Holmes and she had started a company called Theranos. “Ther-a-no’s”

There was a scandal that took place back in 2015.

In that year Forbes had named Holmes the youngest and wealthiest self-made female billionaire in the United States on the basis of a $9-billion valuation of her company. 

In the following year, as revelations of fraud about Theranos's claims began to surface, Forbes revised its estimate of Holmes's net worth to zero and Fortune named her in its feature article on "The World's 19 Most Disappointing Leaders".

What she did was misrepresent the capabilities of her company’s blood-testing technology, claiming it could perform comprehensive tests with a single drop of blood.

The company collapsed in 2018 after investigations revealed the technology didn’t work as claimed.

Why Did she do this: She was driven by ….

…. a mix of ambition,

…. pressure to succeed in Silicon Valley’s startup culture,

…. and a belief in her own vision.

She presented herself as a visionary, akin to Steve Jobs (Apple), but seemed to lack clarity on why she continued to deceive investors, doctors, and patients even as evidence mounted that the technology was flawed.

Her relentless pursuit of fame and success, coupled with a culture that rewarded bold claims, obscured her ability to critically assess her motives, which she later claimed were rooted in a desire to revolutionize healthcare.

The Outcome: Holmes was convicted of fraud in 2022 and sentenced to over 11 years in prison.

The scandal harmed patients, misled investors like Walgreens, and cost billions.

Her lack of clear reasoning—beyond chasing approval and success—parallels the impulsive deceit of Ananias and Sapphira, driven by a desire for recognition without fully grappling with the moral implications.

Again I ask, have you ever done something wrong and …. later on ….. you didn’t know why you did it?

You kept the lie or deception going ….. until you got caught, you were exposed!

Teens or young adults … Have you ever done something wrong, got caught and afterwards you thought …. Why did I do that?

You Gen-Xer’s … Have you ever done something wrong, got caught and afterwards you thought …. Why did I do that?

Senior Adults … Have you ever done something wrong, got caught and afterwards you thought …. Why did I do that?

Let’s look at Ananias and Sapphira and see if we can answer the question …. “What made them think of doing such a thing?”

Recapping the story: Ananias and Sapphira

They were a husband and wife who owned some property.

They came to the Apostles and “laid at the Apostles feet” money from the sale of this property.

This statement “Laid at the Apostles feet” can be found 3 times in Acts.

Acts 4:35 “and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.”

Acts 4:37 “sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

And here Acts 5:2 “and with his wife’s knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

The gesture (Phrase) to “lay one’s gift at someone’s feet” was one of submission.

At this point the Twelve were the representatives appointed by Christ as the foundation of the true people of God.

The submission was not to them …. but to the one they represented.

To lay one’s gift at their feet was to offer it to Christ.

Ananias and Sapphira probably got this idea from a guy named Joseph (Barnabas) who did the same thing earlier. (36-37)

What happens next sent fear throughout the fellow believer.

Ananias and Sapphira sale the property but make an agreement between the two …. that they would only give part of the money to the Apostles.

They held back part of the money.

There is something to make note of here ….

Peter never asked Ananias “did you give all the proceeds?”

How did he know? By the ONE WHO DWELLS WITH-IN HIM!

Peter was a man with Holy Spirit-given information.

Here we see Peter prophesying…..

Prophesying in the NT is the Spirit-enabled act of conveying divine revelation.

This is unlike what we would read in the Old Testament …. there it involved authoritative declarations that became scripture.

Let me stop and say this ….

Sin will inevitably come to light, whether through exposure or consequence.

Or when we stand before Christ on Judgment Day.

This couple had not mentioned anything openly, but the terrible sin was in their hearts

Peter, told by the HOLY SPIRIT, knew they lied.

Peters question to Ananias was …..

“Why has Satan filled you heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?”

Wasn’t this your property?

Wasn’t that money, your money, for you to give as wanted?

You said you were going to give it all but you didn’t. (and that folks was the LIE!)

Peter asked another significant question, “Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart?” (4)

He is asking him, “You had to give time and energy to come up with this act of deceit.”

Peter goes on to tell Him, “You have not lied to man, but to God.”

And what happened to Ananias?

He immediately falls over dead!

Then we read in Acts 5:7–8 “After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.””

Peter gives her an opportunity to tell the truth.

She doesn’t!

His question to her was, Acts 5:9 “…. How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?”

She doesn’t even have a chance to answer that question ….

(9) “Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.””

Sapphira falls over dead.

Luke tells us a second time, Acts 5:11 “And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.”

Do you think Peter knew Ananias and Sapphira was going to die?

I don’t think so.

The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira are portrayed as God’s direct judgment, not Peter’s action.

Remember the question we are trying to answer …. “What made them think of doing such a thing?”

I want to bring to our attention a few reasons why Ananias and Sapphira did what they did.

1. They chose earthy pleasures over spiritual treasures.

Though they sold their property, Ananias and Sapphira’s decision to withhold part of the proceeds shows an attachment to material wealth.

Peter makes it clear that Ananias and Sapphira didn’t have to give up their property or money (Acts 5:4).

But by lying about how much they gave, they showed they cared more about holding onto their stuff than being fully open and generous like the rest of the early church.

They chose earthy pleasures over spiritual treasures.

Next …

2. They prioritized human affirmation over God's

validation.

Ananias and Sapphira sought the praise and recognition of the early Christian community without fully committing to the sacrificial generosity that they were wanting to portray.

Their actions suggest they wanted to appear as devoted as others, like Barnabas (Acts 4:36–37), but were unwilling to part with all the proceeds, indicating a desire for man's approval over God's.

They prioritized human affirmation over God's validation.

Thirdly…

3. Deceitful intent over Spiritual integrity.

They colluded in a deliberate plan to deceive the apostles and the community, as evidenced by their mutual agreement to withhold part of the proceeds while claiming to give everything (Acts 5:2, 5:9).

This intentional hypocrisy shows a willingness to lie to both God and the church, reflecting a lack of integrity and spiritual sincerity.

Deceitful intent over Spiritual integrity.

Finally …

4. They followed the lies of the enemy instead of the truth

of the Holy One.

Peter notes that Satan “filled [Ananias’s] heart to lie to the Holy Spirit” (Acts 5:3), pointing to a spiritual failing.

Their intentional plan to deceive the apostles and the community reflects a lack of trust in the Holy Spirit and a susceptibility to temptation, prioritizing personal gain or image over integrity.

SEGWAY:

So what does this story say or do for us as followers of Christ.

CONCLUSION:

The story of Ananias and Sapphira serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness of living authentically before God.

It calls us to examine our motives, asking whether we’re driven by faith or by worldly desires: like approval, wealth, or pride.

The severe consequences they faced (Acts 5:5, 5:10) highlight God’s holiness and the importance of honoring Him in a community built on trust and unity.

For modern believers, this narrative encourages wholehearted devotion, accountability within the church, and reliance on the Holy Spirit to guide our actions.

It also fosters a healthy reverence for God (Acts 5:11), motivating us to live with sincerity and faithfulness in our walk with Christ.

Here is the Lords charge to us as we leave today ….

Prioritize Spiritual Treasures Over Earthly Pleasures

Teens, young adults, senior adults, remember Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Seek heavenly riches not worldly delight. (Have them repeat the phrase)

Seek God’s Validation Over Human Affirmation

Teens probably face this more today than any other generation ….

wanting others teens at school to like you ……

some guy or girl to notice you …..

needing your friends to “like” your Instagram/FaceBook post or TicTok reel.

“Don’t long for mans admiration, but live for God’s validation.”

Not man’s admiration… God’s validation! (Have them repeat the phrase)

Uphold Spiritual Integrity Over Deceitful Intent

The only way you can uphold Spiritual integrity is by knowing Gods word, Gods way, Gods Motive.

John 14:15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

“Duty over Enticement.” (Have them repeat the phrase)

Resist the Enemy’s Lies and Follow the Holy One’s Truth

“Let’s keep our eye’s on the prize and rebuke the lies” (Have them repeat the phrase)

You do this by the Authority that has been give to you through Jesus Christ.

Remember who you are … Sons and Daughters.

Declaration: I will pursue spiritual treasures, not earthly pleasures, seeking God’s validation above human admiration. I choose duty over deception, keeping my eyes on the Holy One’s truth, not the enemy’s lies, to live faithfully for Christ.

I declare this in Jesus Holy and Righteous name, AMEN!