Wanting the Perfect Person
Our Church • Sermon • Submitted
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· 8 viewsThe success of Barnabas and the sin of Ananias and Sapphira demonstrate the dangers of hypocrisy and the value that God has for the honest you
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We Love Stories - when you go home your probably going to be watching tv, go to the movies this summer … maybe you like mysteries.
Heard about a resort where 2 people died.
What if you heard about a church where two people died.
The investigation will reveal that sin killed them.
The investigation will reveal that sin killed them.
You might be suspicious but I’ll share the story and you’ll see that no one hurt them. They just died.
The point of the story is not how to avoid death but a point that took me a long time to figure out.
Like all mysteries things are not always as they seem and greater truths will be realized.
The story will reveal a truth that will surprise you, for how can we learn about the love of God from people dying in church?
The story will reveal a truth that will surprise you, for how can we learn about the love of God from people dying in church?
The story begins really happy
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus by birth, the one the apostles called Barnabas (which is translated Son of Encouragement), 37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
The story begin really happy
Acts
Introducing the Encourager - but the name is bad hebrew. But wait his name doesn’t exactly mean encourager.
Introducing the Encourager
Bar means son but nabas doesn’t mean encouragement.
It was a name given to him by the apostles.
Maybe it did as “for shizel” used to mean something to us and “Gucci” is a brand it doesn’t actually mean that something is really great. Also that I should stop looking up slang on the internet
Was a foreigner but from the elite (Levite), just getting him would be encouraging
Was a foreigner but from the elite (Levite), just getting him would be encouraging
Levites aren’t supposed to own land.
Levites aren’t supposed to own land.
1 The Levitical priests—that’s the entire tribe of Levi—don’t get any land-inheritance with the rest of Israel. They get the Fire-Gift-Offerings of God—they will live on that inheritance. 2 But they don’t get land-inheritance like the rest of their kinsmen. God is their inheritance.
He was wealthy, even though he shouldn’t have been, and gave up the money. In fact in the Old Testament the Levites were supposed to be supported by the tithe and now here, Barnabas is supporting the whole church with the tithe. Is it a realization of his ancient roll of depending totally upon God? Or is it just his way, to be generous and encouraging to others.
He was wealthy, even though he shouldn’t have been, and gave up the money.
We won’t answer that to much later, weeks from now because now the story changes.
The telling of opposites was a common ancient form of story telling.
The telling of opposites was a common ancient form of story telling.
It helps with memory.
Now lets get to the negative
1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. 2 However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property.
The opposites (a common ancient form)
The opposites (a common ancient form)
2 new people with surprising names Ananias - God is gracious, Sapphira - beautiful
Hatched a messed up plot and it was two not just one.
Property rested with the husband unless a widow and not re-married. Yet decision was made together
Only bought part - remains unsaid
Why do it?
The money brought would have had to be coins
The money brought would have had to be coins
Listen to the sound
The power of praise of others
impact of all those coins was like a big check
impact of all those coins was like a big check
Sins ring louder than any coins clinking in an offering plate.
Sins ring louder than any coins clinking in an offering plate.
3 “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God.”
3 “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land?
Acts
Nobody told Peter. God told Peter.
Nobody told Peter. God told Peter.
the movement was gaining popularity
Satan enters as one of them.
Attacks from the outside and now the inside
4 Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God.”
They wanted people to like them for what they thought people would like instead of what they really did.
They wanted people to like them for what they thought people would like instead of what they really did.
They wanted people to like them for what they thought people would admire instead of what they really did.
They wanted people to like them for what they thought people would admire instead of what they really did.
I hate exaggerated stories
the movement was gaining popularity
Satan enters as one of them.
Saw a sign on my kids new school “do not bring balloons inside the building as they are a fire hazard.” Why would you lie about that?
Attacks from the outside and now the inside
Why would a person exaggerate an offering?
What is the problem with lying to the congregation?
The church is gaining popularity but all it has going for it is what the people do.
5 When he heard these words, Ananias dropped dead, and a great fear came on all who heard.
Peter didn’t kill him. No body touched him or cursed him. He just died. literally.
God protects himself
6 The young men got up, wrapped his body, carried him out, and buried him.
This wasn’t trying to hide his body. This was honor (describe burial)
Immediate death.
God can and will protect himself
God can and will protect himself
God protects himself
The church didn’t pray against the punishment
God disciplines those he loves
4 “I say to you, my friends, don’t fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. 5 But I will show you the one to fear: Fear him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the one to fear!
What is the difference from living rightly and sinning, the hypocrisy that is in the church and this sin of hypocrisy?
What is the difference from living rightly and sinning, the hypocrisy that is in the church and this grave sin of hypocrisy?
Ananias was honored by the church when it buried him, not honored as something special but at least not left to rot.
The teams is fast and almost done when stuff kept happening back at the church.
God disciplines those he loves (their is a discipline worse than death Jesus said)
7 About three hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
Freeing that occurs for women in Christ
They honored the man in his death
28 There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Freeing that occurs for women in Christ
Something incredibly rare in the ancient world happens, a woman is judged on her own as her own person.
8 “Tell me,” Peter asked her, “did you sell the land for this price?”
“Yes,” she said, “for that price.”
WRONG ANSWER
She was responsible for her own sin and given her own chance.
She was responsible for her own sin and given her own chance.
She was responsible for her own sin and given her own chance
She was responsible for her own sin and given her own chance
9 Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
10 Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in, they found her dead, carried her out, and buried her beside her husband.
She was responsible for her own sin and given her own chance
Many have said would the guys have just come back in from all that hard fast work and go dang! Can I get a drink of water first?
She dies too
She is also honored, by the same guys, to avoid being unclean among more people
She is also honored, by the same guys, to avoid being unclean among more people
If God calls on you to be honest to the point of death, would you stay a follower or would you go? Why?
If God calls on you to be honest to the point of death, would you stay a follower or would you go? Why?
Oh hell no, I can’t hang with that. That’s too much. I don’t want anyone knowing any of my business.
Wait, why not?
Jesus died for all of our sins. We need not fear what people think about those sins any longer, We need fear God.
Jesus died for all of our sins. We need not fear what people think about those sins any longer, We need fear God.
11 Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things.
Acts
The fear of God is also part of respect
The fear of God is also part of respect
What if?
those two were raised up as examples and the people who bought the property later began to share around Jerusalem how the people lied.
what happens when people from outside the church meet people you only know from church.
what happens when people from outside the church meet people you only know from church.
Did you know I get calls from others in our community looking for help with dealing with people in the church?
What would have happened if Ananias and Sapphira were honest. What if they said, we want to be so liked by all of you that we were willing to trick you with our generosity. We desperately need love.
What happens in the church if we are honest?
What happens in the church if we are honest?
with our sins, with our fears?, with our good desires and our evil desires.
Our addictions are fueled by our shame. Because the shame keeps us secret and our lies to protect our shame only bring more shame.
We can be honest with our sexual sins, our debts, our gambling loses, our horrible parenting skills our fear of being unloved, our willingness to go along with horrible things because we don’t want to be left out
Yes there are boundaries. Which is why you desperately should be part of a small group.
So you can know the answer to the next question.
What if we are honest about ourselves? Does Christ have anything to do with us? YES!
What if we are honest about ourselves? Does Christ have anything to do with us? YES!
If they had given partial they would have still been encouraging. people would still have been helped.
I have been more helped by people with problems than people with embarrassing dishonesty
You are enough for God.
You are enough for God.
You are enough for this church.
You are enough for this church.
Stop lying
God is not as scared of others or of losing as you are.
God is not as scared of others or of losing as you are.
You can be honest but you can’t be honest only if there are no negative consequences. Part of following after Christ is trusting that Christ will be with you in the midst of the consequences.
