Lying to the Holy Spirit
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Obedience to the Spirit interrupted
Obedience to the Spirit interrupted
The outflow of a Spirit Filled people
Luke’s first book follows the ministry of Christ and all that he did
In the book of Acts, it is the ministry of the Holy spirit
Christ’s people filled with the Holy Spirit
The book of Luke ends with the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit
Acts begins with the giving of the Holy Spirit
When the people are filled with the Spirit we see amazing things happen
Miracles, which is the least of it
Cowards made bold
People of many backgrounds united in the Spirit
Generosity
Trust
Thankfulness
These are all summarized at the end of Ch.4 lets read
31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.
Acts 4:31-
How were they able to speak the word of God with Boldness?
English Standard Version Chapter 4
31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
They Had Everything in Common
32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36
How where people of many backgrounds that often disliked one another very much able to be “of one heart and soul”?
How were the owners of houses and land able to sell everything they had and trust God that they would be provided for?
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit
And so we see amazing things happening among God’s people as they live by the Spirit of God
But Ch. 5 starts with a But
The but introduces an interruption to the amazing work of the Spirit in the Church
It introduces disobedience to the Holy Spirit by Ananias and His wife Sapphira
Their sin is “lying to the Holy Spirit” for which they both instantly die.
but to understand this story properly we first need to step back and look at the big picture
22 Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.
In acts 3:
According to Peter Jesus is the prophet who is “like Moses”
Moses
God’s vessel to Free Israel from slavery in Egypt
Introduced Israel to covenant relationship to God based upon the Law
He himself dies having failed to meet God’s standard
Joshua
After receiving the covenant through Moses Israel is led into Canaan armed with God’s Law
Their obedience leads to a massive miraculous victory over the city of Jericho
Their success is interrupted by the sin of 1 man
Achan
He transgresses the law and violates God’s covenant
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.
Jos 7:
Does anyone remember how Achan’s sin is dealt with?
He is put to death
Acts 13:
An example to show the seriousness of violating God’s covenant
Even though future sins like his are not dealt with in the same manner it is not because it is undeserved.
Jesus
Lives and Dies having fully accomplished the Law’s requirements
His death frees us from sin and it’s penalty
He inaugurates a NEW covenant
Based upon the Spirit
39 and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.
He inaugurates a NEW covenant
Based upon the Spirit
6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
Romans 7:
freed
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.
Ro
6 who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
The New covenant is obeyed when we are living according to the Holy Spirit which God has given us
R
This is roughly what it means to be “Filled with the Holy Spirit”
Up to this point the whole early church is remaining faithful to this covenant by being filled by the Holy Spirit
They are not given specific commands to follow like the Israelites entering Canaan
Instead they are being filled with the Holy Spirit and satisfying the desires of the Spirit and not the desires of their own flesh
Why did they speak the word of God with Boldness?
It caused them to be persecuted and beaten
Why did people of many backgrounds that may have formally hated one another be “of one heart and soul”?
Why did owners of houses and land sell everything they had and trust God that they would be provided for?
It was what the Holy Spirit wanted them to do
And since they were full of the Holy Spirit the Spirit’s desires became their desires
They wanted to do what the spirit wanted them to do
Alright, that was my introduction and now we are ready to take a look at our passage today. Open up to
Why did Ananias and Sapphira die?
Wha
What does Peter say to Ananias?
Lied to the Holy Spirit
Lets remember the story of Achan
God specifically commanded the people to take nothing from the City of Jericho
Achan takes some of it anyway and God says that Israel has violated His covenant having stolen and lied
But in the case of Ananias and Sapphira did God verbally command them
But nonetheless this story pictures their violation to be of a similar type to Achan
The Deed Conceived
The Deed Conceived
The evident crime is that they brought part of the money from the sale, and when giving it to the apostles claimed that it was all of the sale.
They did this to satisfy their own desires rather than the desire of the Spirit
Had they been following the desires of the Spirit they would have
Loved others more than self
Trusted God for provision
To have their gift accepted by God, Not gain the acclaim of men
But they were not filled with the Holy Spirit
Instead, as Peter exclaims, it is Satan that they are filled with
And so their desires are those of flesh
love self above others
Trust self and their schemes to provide
To look good before men and gain their approval
That they lied to the apostles is not important
The lie was to the Holy Spirit
Because the believers had the Holy Spirit, lying to the church is lying to the Holy Spirit that dwells among it.
This is most likely
So why death?
So why death?
A warning
Like Achan, the first violator of God’s covenant upon entering the land
Served as an example of the importance of obedience to the Law
Ananias and Sapphira were the first believers to violate the New Covenant of the Spirit
They were an example as to the importance of keeping our minds on
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
We have access to the spirit that gives life
We have access to the spirit that gives life
Why should return to that which brings death?
33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Ananias and Sapphira, like Achan, violated God’s covenant
But A&S did so by violating the Law written on their hearts
How might we obey or disobey the spirit
They
2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,
“ ‘Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
English Standard Version Chapter 1
1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Ro 8:
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.
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
Acts 4:
English Standard Version Chapter 3
16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.