You have not lied to men...

1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 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. 3 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? 4 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."

5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. 6 The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. 7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

8 And Peter said to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much." And she said, "Yes, for so much." 9 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." 10 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. 11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.”

George Mac Donald once said, “Half of the misery in the world comes from trying to look, instead of trying to be, what one is not.” Jesus gave a name to this practice, Jesus called it what it is “hypocrisy.”

Hypokrites which simply means “wearing a mask, or playing a part as an actor does” Look at what St. Augustine says about hypocrisy.

"It is not the being seen of men that is wrong, but doing these things for the purpose of being seen of men. The problem with the hypocrite is his motivation. He does not want to be holy; he only wants to seem to be holy. He is more concerned with his reputation for righteousness than about actually becoming righteous. The approbation of men matters more to him than the approval of God."- Augustine

Hypocrisy is deliberated deception, trying to make people think we are more spiritual than we really are.

Hypocrisy is the sin of Ananias and Sapphira: putting on a sacred and sacrificial “front” in order to conceal the shabby sin in their lives, a sin that cost them their lives. It is a shame that neither of them really ever lived up to the meaning of their names.

The name Ananias means “God is gracious,” but he learned that God is also holy; and Sapphira means “beautiful,” but her heart was ugly and filled envy and with sin. No doubt some people are shocked when they read that God killed two people just because they lied about a business transaction and about their church giving. But when you consider the features connected with this sin, you have to agree that God did the right thing by judging them. It is worth noting that the Lord judges sin severely at the beginning of a new beginning and benchmark in salvation history. If you do not believe me just look that the record contained in Scripture.

( Benchmark #1) When tabernacle was erected and it was the beginning of the proper worship of God. Two newly ordained priests Nadab and Abihu decided to enter the temple service and to perform their God-given tasks their way instead of how God had prescribed the way service should be handled. Look at

, “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them.

2 And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD has said: 'Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.'" And Aaron held his peace.”

( Benchmark #2 ) Now, there is a second example found in the Old Testament as well concerning the disobedience of God’s servant in transportation of the Ark of Covenant in , “ And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God.” You see the Ark of the Covenant was never to be place in a wagon, if it was to be transported the priests were to use these poles that would fit through rings on the Ark should that human hands would never touch it. God struck Uzzah down because of the fact of his touching the Ark with sinful hands desecrated the Holy Ark unlike falling in the dirt could ever had done. Mankind was made from the dirt and mankind sinned against a Holy God, again and again; yet the dirt of the ground was pure, it was just dirt and God had made it. It had never rebelled against a Holy God.

( Benchmark #3 the entry into the promise land)

Then we see yet a another example of God’s judgment in .

After had given detail instructions on what the people were to do concerning their enemies, they were to destroy them, the city, men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkey, with the edge of the sword (). And all the silver and gold was to be given to the treasury of the LORD and not kept by any individual, yet they be cursed.

At the time of the next great battle, they were defeated and were amazed and wonder aloud what their God was not in the battle with them.

Look at for a the answer,

10 The LORD said to Joshua, "Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? 11 Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings.

12 Therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies. They turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become devoted for destruction. I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you.13 Get up! Consecrate the people and say, 'Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow; for thus says the LORD, God of Israel, "There are devoted things in your midst, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the devoted things from among you."14 In the morning therefore you shall be brought near by your tribes. And the tribe that the LORD takes by lot shall come near by clans. And the clan that the LORD takes shall come near by households. And the household that the LORD takes shall come near man by man.15 And he who is taken with the devoted things shall be burned with fire, he and all that he has, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he has done an outrageous thing in Israel.'" -

It was the sin of Achan that brought judgement on Israel and because of the Achan was killed because he disobeyed orders after Israel had entered the Promise Land. While God was certainly not responsible for their sins, He did use these judgments as warning to the people, and even to us.

, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. 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.”

Now when we take all of that into consideration the actions of an Holy God in this instance does not seem as radical as it might seem to us. God is Holy and He must be treated as He is Holy.

This morning we are going to look at a event that happen at the beginning of the church age, at the beginning of the new, pure, Spirit-filled church. We see that God makes a point about how He feels about hypocrisy and that it will not be allowed in His church.

God reminds Ananias and Sapphira that they have not lied to men... but they have lied to the Holy Spirit. They have not lied to men... but they have lied to God and that they have not lied to men... but they have lied to the Spirit of the Lord.

Let us pray...

By way of introduction of today’s passage we must take a moment and look at the event that precipitated this Satanic action of hypocrisy in the newly founded church. When ever God blesses the church or an individual then the Devil comes in to try to destroy that blessing.

Always remember that we are to be sober-minded; watchful because we have a adversary the devil who prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Here we see that a man named Barnabas shows great generosity towards God and His church and the devil decides to undermine that action by showing great hypocrisy through the lying and stealing actions of Ananias and Sapphira.

Look at , “Thus Joseph, who was also called by the

apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and wait it at the apostles’ feet. But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphria, 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.v

One evidence of the unity of the church was the way they sacrificed and shared with one another. When the Holy Spirit is at work, giving is more of a blessing and than a burden. What we see here is the believers in the church were voluntary, motivated by love to sell other properties that they owned and then they laid all of the proceeds at the apostles’ feet to be given to any who had need.

There is not doubt that many of the new believers were visitors in Jerusalem, having come to the feasts; and had to depend on their Christian friends to help meet their daily needs. Now we should not understand this text to say that all the believers sold the properties and all their good and brought the money to the apostles’ but that many members “ from time to time” sold various pieces of land and donated it to the common treasury. When the assembly of the saints had a need the Holy Spirit directed someone in the church to step up and step out on faith and to meet the need.

Now in this moment of great joy comes a man nicknamed the son of encouragement. Barnabas, a generous man who gave freely.

, One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

“Barnabas” (the son of encouragement”) He was a generous giver, secondly you should see that his noble act of great generosity, goaded or compelled Ananias and Sapphira into their act of great deception. They were obvious so filled with envy at the attention and adulation the people shown toward Barnabas for the giving of his gift, they sought to be able to bathe in that glory as well.

But Barnabas gift gives glory to God and we should never try steal God’s glory.

"The purpose of Jesus' death was to glorify the Father. To be willing as the Son of God to suffer the loss of so much glory Himself in order to repair the injury done to God's glory by our sin showed how infinitely valuable the glory of God is. To be sure, the death of Christ also shows God's love for us. But we are not at the center."

John Piper

God never asks us to give what we don’t have but He does ask us to give what He has given to us. God ask us to give in a systematic way in which is gives freedom and fairness to all which is the tithe.

, “For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” Giving the tithe ensures that the needs of the church are met and the needs of the body as well.

Later in the life of Barnabas we will see the he will have a important part in the ministry of the church. He is mentioned twenty-five times in the Book of Acts alone and another five times in the epistles. Remember this is the Barnabas that who encouraged Paul in his early service for God, this is the Barnabas that introduce Paul to the Jerusalem council and vouched for him, this is the Barnabas that also spoke the other apostles’ who did not trust Paul at first. This is the Barnabas that when along with Paul on his missions trips and serve honorably. This the Barnabas that took a stand against Paul who refused to take his cousin John Mark on another mission trip because of John Mark failure under persecution.

Barnabas was a Spirit-filled man who was an encouragement to all the people he dealt with in the church; a man that lived up to his name.

It is interesting that he lived up the meaning of his name, yet Ananias, whose name means ( God is gracious) and Sapphira whose name means (God is beautiful) did not live up to the meanings of their names.

Are you living up to the name that God has given you, the name of His Son Christ Jesus?

You have no lied to men… but you have lied to the Holy Spirit.

,“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?”

To begin with, the sin of Ananias and Sapphira was energized by Satan; and that is a serious matter. If Satan cannot defeat the church by attacks from the outside, he will get on the inside and go to work.

Paul warns of this in

, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.”

Satan know how to lie to the minds and hearts of church members, even genuine Christians, and get them to follow his orders.

We cannot afford to forget that the admonition about the spiritual armor in, , “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints”

Paul wrote this passage to believers in the church not to unbelievers because it is the Christians who are in danger of being used by Satan to accomplish his evil purposes.

Oliver Wendall Holmes wrote, “Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.”

Satan is a liar and a murderer,

, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there in no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Satan lied to and through this couple, and the lie led to their death. When God judged Ananias and Sapphira, He was also judging Satan.

He was letting everybody know that He would tolerate this type of deception in His church.

Their’s is a sin motivated by pride, and pride is a sin that God especially haters and judges.

, “The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.”

No doubt the church was praising God for the generous offering that Barnabas had brought when Satan whispered to this couple, “You can also received this type of glory! You can make the others think that you are as spiritual as that old Barnabas! But instead you can keep some of the money, who will ever know? Lies, lies, and more lies. Instead of resisting Satan’s approaches, they yielded to him and planned their strategy.

Jesus made it very clear that we must be careful how we give, lest the glory that belongs to God should be given to us,

, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

The Pharisees were adept at calling attention to their gifts, and they received the praises of men— but that’s all that they received.

We must remember that whatever we possess, God has given to us; we are stewards, not owners. We must use what He gives us for His glory alone.

, “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

It this not just foolish pride?

Daniel Defoe called pride “the first peer and president of hell.”

Indeed, it was pride that transformed Lucifer into Satan, listen to these words.

, “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart,‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.”

in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are brought down to Sheol, to the far reaches of the pit.”

And it was pride ( Ye shall be as God!) that caused our first parents to sin (). Pride opens the door to every other sin, for once we are more concerned with our reputation than our character, there is no end to the things we will do just to make ourselves “ look good” before others. Ananias and Sapphria’s pride led them to not lied to men but to lied to Holy Spirit.

You have not lied to men… but you have lied to God.

, “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.”

This sin was especially wicked: because this sin was directed against God’s church. We have every reason to believe that Ananias and Sapphira were believers. If we were to look at the spiritual level of the church at that time, it as so high that it is very doubtful a couple of mere posers could have flourish in the fellowship. But the fact that they were able to lie to the Holy Spirit and lied to God and then actually tempt the Spirit of the Lord would indicate that they had the Spirit of God living within, though they had never fully surrender to the Spirit’s authority over their life.

, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”

God loves His church and is jealous over it, for the church was purchased by the blood of Christ, God’s Son. We are told in Scripture that we should “…pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”

The church of Jesus Christ has been placed on the earth to glorify God and to do His work. Satan wants to destroy the church, and the easiest way to do it is to use those who are already within the fellowship.

God gave Peter a discerning spirit when it came to Ananias and Sapphira if He haven’t they would had become an influential couple in the church. This would have allowed Satan to use them to accomplish his purposes in them.

But God gave Peter clarity to see that their gift though generous was not genuine, but it was a lie purposed to elevate them instead of giving glory to God.

The offer of the proceeds of the sale were false and simply not true.

This type of behavior cannot be tolerated in the church, because the church is “ the pillar and the ground of the truth! Only Satan and his minions would attacked the church with their lies and deception.

The church is the temple where God dwells and Satan wants to build a chapel inside of it.

The church must be God’s army and if we are in God’s army our focused should be about our Father’s business, which is battling Satan on the outside and sometimes from within.

, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”

So many times Satan seeks to get into our ranks as many traitors as he can. The church is safe so long as Satan is attacking from the outside, but when he is on the inside, the church is in increased danger. The deceit of Ananias and Sapphira did not fool the appointed Captain of God’s church, but Peter being guided by the Holy Spirit saw the hypocrisy and headed it off before it could danger the church.

This act which was in total contrast to the Spirit-filled giving of Barnabas, was satanically that inspired. Satan filled Ananias heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back for himself part of the proceeds of the land. To withhold part of the proceeds was not a sin, it was his land, he made the price, he sold it, after he sold it, it was his to keep. But yet he lied to the Holy Spirit by saying he was giving all the proceeds so that he might honor and given glory like Barnabas, that was the sin.

Again brothers and sisters this gift was a sacrificial gift on Ananias’s part.

Not an offering commanded by God.

But allow me to make a comparison concerning God’s commands pertaining to our systematic giving through the tithe, that results in the same type of lying to the Holy Spirit seen here.

Again if our baseline as Christian revolves around the truth that everything belongs to God and that all that we have belongs to God. So, if God has been gracious enough to give us a job that we might be able to take care of our needs and the needs of our family as well. And if that same gracious God stipulates through a command in Holy Spirit that the tithe belongs to Him, if these command are spelling out in Holy Scripture clearly as it says in

Malachi 3:6:10a, “For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, so the LORD of hosts. [I the LORD do not change. God’s character and eternal purposes remain constant. He always responds to repentance with forgiveness. They can trust him when he says, Return to me and I will return to you. Because of the Lord’s covenant faithfulness they are not consumed.]

But you say, How shall we return?’ Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’[Therefore implies that God’s promise to bless the world through Abraham’s descendants will not be defeated. He stands ready to bless the children of Jacob again.]

you are robbing me. The people were not giving to God the offerings that rightly belonged to him. In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.”

When we do not tithe, when we do not bring the full tithe into God’s storehouse, when do not give as God has commanded even after He has given us the means.

Have we not also lied to the Holy Spirit?

Look at Peter’s next question and his stern rebuke to Ananias: Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart?

Yes, Ananias was tempted by Satan, yes, Ananias was tempted by his own desire to be honored by man. But if you are just truthful and honest with God, He will honor you obedience. The responsibility for this sin rests completely upon Ananias, he chose to be deceitful, he chose to be an hypocrite, and he chose to lied to the Holy Spirt.

You have not lied to men… but you have lied to Spirt of the Lord.

, “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.”

It is easy for us to condemn Ananias and Sapphira for dishonesty, but how honesty are we in our dealings with God?

What is being described in this passage is not a case of church discipline. Rather is is a case of God’s personal judgments.

, “For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

If Ananias and Sapphira had judged their own sin then God would not have judged them, but they agreed to lie, and God had to deal with them.

God moved quickly to remove this spiritual cancer from the body. As we listen to Peter’s words at Ananias’s death, we see the young men of the church carried him away and buried him. Burial was immediate due to the divine judgment of God and climate in Palestine. Now we see that act 2 of this tragedy was about to take place. About three hours later, Sapphria came in probably from shopping at Target with the extra proceeds that they held back, ( just kidding).

Sapphira comes in without any knowledge of what has taken place. Peter gives her a chance to repent and tell the truth when he ask,“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?” Agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? To test, test, test, throughout the Scriptures to test the Lord or the test God or to test Jesus has always been a negative rebuke. We are told time and time again not to test God.

, “Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said , “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them “ Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the LORD?”

, “They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying “Can God spread a table in the wilderness”

, “We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.”

There are only two places in Holy Scripture where we are asked in a positive way to test God, , “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

And the only other time is found in

Mal. 3b-12, “…And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, say the Lord of hosts. Then all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a land of delight, says the LORD of hosts.”

God says you are robbing me. The people were not giving to God the offerings that rightly belonged to him. God promises that if his people faithfully present their full tithe, then the desperately needed rain will come (v. 10). Crop failure will cease (v. 11), and the promise to Abraham that all nations will call you blessed (v. 12; ) will be fulfilled. By saying, “put me to the test,” God challenges the people to give the tithe they owe him and then watch to see if he will keep his promise. God promises to meet all their needs, but not necessarily all their wishes.

What do you think is a just punishment for those found guilty of robbing God?

Back to our text Peter then pronounces judgments on her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the LORD?”

They had conspired to test the very Spirit of the LORD and were dealt with appropriately.

We must keep in mind here that the sin here in was not robbing God of His tithe but of robbing God of His glory. But really when you think about robbing God of tithe is robbing God of His glory, praise be to God that He patient in the midst of our disobedience.

Our text goes on to say concerning Sapphira, that “… Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. Immediately she fell down 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.”

So ended Ananias and Sapphria’s short-lived and foolish attempt to deceive the Holy Spirit and test Him.

This action was meant to impress upon the church the seriousness of sin and that any sin truly deserves God’s swift and complete judgment.

"One great power of sin is that it blinds men so that they do not recognize its true character."

Andrew Murray

The truth of God’s Word never changes, the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Sapphira was paid her wages in full when she lied the Spirit of the Lord in her effort to rob Him of His glory.

, “ And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.”

God was making a statement here in , that giving was both voluntary and volitional but never should it violated the purity of the church for selfish, self-centered means.

If we exalt money, status, or sex above the Word of God, we are living in idolatry. Every time we inwardly submit to the strongholds of fear, bitterness, and pride, we are bowing to the rulers of darkness. Each of these idols must be smashed, splintered, and obliterated from the landscape of our hearts.