Acts 4:32 - 5:11 | "Power in Authenticity"
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Reading of Scripture [Acts 4:32 - 5:11]
Reading of Scripture [Acts 4:32 - 5:11]
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 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,
37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
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.
Introduction
Introduction
The Scriptures once again ask us to consider how the early believers in Jesus both viewed and stewarded their possessions in fellowship with one another.
It was first in Acts 2:44-45 that we were told that:
44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common.
45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.
Once again, this theme of holding all things in common, and selling possessions to give to those in need emerges as important. . .
There is something unique, unnatural, and even for us uncomfortable about the way these believers were living together before God and in community with one another!
Because the way these believers lived was not natural — it was spiritual.
Their fellowship gives us a glimpse into the future that awaits us — the Heaven our Lord is preparing for us — when we will all sit at His table, and eat with Him in perfect fellowship—lacking nothing!
When we read about the perfect fellowship of believers in Acts, it compels us to look forward with hope to that which is yet to come!
But it also makes us pause and consider what what once was in Eden, in the garden God planted in the beginning for the first man and woman, Adam and Eve.
In that garden of Eden, God prepared a place for his people and God made provision for them.
The trees God planted supplied every food Adam and Eve needed. And God graciously permitted them to eat from every tree in that garden which He had made, except for one tree which he specifically commanded them not to eat from.
God walked in the Garden with His people, and all of Creation experienced perfect fellowship with their Creator in His presence and through His abundant provision. There was no lack — there was no need. Everything was given by God to be shared and enjoyed together in perfect fellowship!
Have you noticed, that we are not in the Garden of Eden any more?
What happened?
Satan slithered into the Garden as a serpent. Satan called God’s character and word into question. And Satan deceived the woman, Eve, to eat the fruit of the tree God had commanded they not eat from.
And Eve gave to her husband, Adam, who was with her, and he too ate from the fruit of that tree in disobedience to God.
Adam and Eve were not satisfied with the plenty God had given to them, and instead took for themselves from what God had set apart for Himself — They took from what belonged to God by eating from the tree God had commanded them not to eat from.
The Bible calls this sin. This selfish, greedy, disobedience and lack of trust in the God who gave them life crept in to destroy what was beautiful, perfect, and united!
And as bad as that sin was, what is worse is that Adam and Eve tried to cover up their sin! They tried to hide from the presence of God!
What Adam and Eve did was very serious. Their sin resulted in consequences that we continue to experience today.
God kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden and ensured that they would never return.
And the judgment of God upon Adam and Eve for their sin began that very day — Adam and Eve would die. And every genealogy after them would remind future generations of their sin, because all will share in the same consequence of it.
The Scriptures say “in Adam, all die.” (1 Cor 15:22).
You say, Why Pastor Christopher did you spend all this time talking about Eden, Adam and Eve? What does that have to do with the book of Acts?
Because even in this perfect community and fellowship of the early Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered believers — sin entered the picture.
This account in Acts with Ananias and Sapphira is what the Fall was to Eden, with Adam and Eve!
And as it was in Eden, so it is in Acts — That what appears to be on the surface a misappropriation of God’s provision and the misuse of possessions, is in reality a much more serious issue — it is an issue of the heart.
God absolutely cares how his people steward His Creation and possessions — But how God’s people steward possessions is always an indicator of the health of the heart.
God is most concerned about the health of the heart — the innermost being, the motivations that move us — why we do what we do!
Exposition
Exposition
Look how Acts 4:32 begins:
Acts 4:32 (ESV)
“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul...”
Before anything is said about what the group of believers did, the Scriptures first tell us they were of one heart and soul.
This means they were united, not so much in WHAT they did, but in WHY they did what they did. Their motivations were shared because they were one in heart and soul.
If you think about all of the different denominations and traditions of Christianity, it is those things that are done differently that become defining. But in many ways, we are not as different as it appears!
We may baptize differently, we may worship differently, we may govern ourselves differently…but even so we can say "Amen” in agreement on many of the reasons why we do these things, and we may still be united in heart and soul. This unity is the true measure of love and a mark of being a follower of Jesus Christ.
Acts 4:32 (ESV)
“Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul...”
And because of this, what did they do?
Acts 4:32 (ESV)...
“...no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.”
This is where the unity of heart may be observed… in the use of possessions.
Faith is like that. I can’t see your faith, but I can see your works that bear testimony of your faith!
So it is with possessions and your heart. I can’t see your heart, but I can see what you do with what you have — and that says everything about what is in your heart!
Jesus taught his disciples to:
33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The use of treasure and possessions is always a reflection of the heart. And this was especially true of the early group of believers, who were controlled by the Spirit of God, and the Spirit moved them to share the things they were given so that no one in their fellowship was found to be lacking or in need of anything.
This was a testimony of the character, provision and salvation of God through Jesus Christ lived out among His people!
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.
The believers were living in light of the resurrection, and their manner of life, and stewardship of possessions, and care for the needs of one another, reflected their belief that Jesus is alive, and Jesus is raised from the dead!
And if Jesus is alive — Jesus is Lord. And if Jesus is Lord, then he is Lord over everything — Lord of my life, Lord of my possessions, Lord of my future — everything belongs to Him and is His to control!
This is the message the apostles proclaimed, and the message the believers backed up in their manner of life!
It is only in light of the resurrection that we understand that true gain is not attained through receiving, but through giving.
Acts 4:33 says “great grace was upon them all.”
God is pleased with how his name is being proclaimed and represented.
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.
The reason there was not a needy person among them, is because when needs arose, believers who had the ability to meet those needs did so, by selling land or houses and giving the proceeds to the apostles, who then distributed to meet those needs.
This is an insight into the giving practices in the early church. People in the church wonder: Should we tithe? Should we give?
The model in the New Testament as seen as early as Acts 4 is not asking “What should I give?” Instead, it is asking the Lord, “What should I keep?”
Those who owned lands or houses — both of those words are plural. This could be referring to those who were wealthy and owned multiple estates, or landlords with more land or property than they needed. They sold and gave.
And notice the proceeds were brought to the apostles for distribution. There was an organization - a process to this giving. They brought the proceeds to the apostles, and the apostles distributed the proceeds to those who had need.
So not only are the believers devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles (Acts 2:42), but also bringing their gifts to them to be distributed, so that the gifts would be distributed in a way that supported the teaching of the word. There was accountability.
The church has a responsibility, and church leaders have a responsibility to God, to steward well money that is given to the church, to make sure that money is used in support of the mission of the word. And part of that support will include caring of the needs within the community.
The believers did not have to sell their possessions. There was no command to do this. But they did so because they wanted to! God had placed it in their heart, through His Holy Spirit. And they were obedient to the leading of the Spirit.
The law of Deuteronomy 15 said this:
7 “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother,
8 but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.
This care for the needs of the community of faith has always been important to God. This means, if we do not care for the needs among us, we do not know God, we do not represent God, and we are walking in disobedience to him and we must repent!
Acts introduces us to a man who who gave generously in this way:
36 Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,
37 sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Joseph, called “son of encouragement,” is an example to be celebrated! But the celebration is short-lived, as it was in Eden.
1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,
We are told what Joesph was called — he was given a name of Barnabas (son of encouragement).
We aren’t told what the names Ananias and Sapphira mean. There is a reason for that. As the Scriptures will show, they are not living up to their names!
“Ananias is the OT Hananiah, “Jehovah has graciously given.” (Bruce, NIC, 112).
“The name ‘Sapphira,’ means ‘beautiful’ and that name appears ‘almost exclusively’ among wealthy Jerusalem families in this century.” (Keener, 1185).
This suggests Ananias and Sapphira were likely wealthy, and would be a gracious blessing to the fellowship of believers.
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.
If this selling of property was a means of providing for those in need, then this act of keeping back for himself some of the proceeds by Ananias, with his wife Sapphira’s knowledge, was a deliberate denying of someone in need in exchange for personal gain. It is a direct contradiction to the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
God did not hold back part — but God gave all when He gave His only Son to the world as an atonement for sin.
And likewise on the cross, God did not hold back part — but God poured out all of His wrath on Jesus because of our sin.
We were in desperate need of salvation, and God gave His all for our need, without holding back. Why then would those who claim His name hold back from meeting needs of other brothers and sisters in the faith?
That word “kept back” in reference to Ananias means to “misappropriate funds for oneself, to embezzle” (LN).
There is no other way of looking at what he did — it was sin.
In the midst of the powerful testimony of the apostles, the fellowship of believers, the meeting of needs and sharing of all things — sin threatens the fellowship.
It is a reminder of the Fall.
This keeping back of part of the proceeds revealed what was in the heart of Ananias — for his heart and soul was not one with the believers.
He could not say, as they did, that none of the things that belonged to him was his own (Acts 4:32).
Instead, he kept for his own. His heart was not controlled by the Spirit of God, but by the adversary! The same adversary that slithered into the Garden of Eden had slithered his way into Ananias’ heart.
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.”
Sin is always a sin against God, but it has devastating consequences for others. What Ananias has done has been exposed for what it is — a lie — a lie not against man, but against God.
You might be wondering, How was what Ananias did so bad? After all, he sold his property, and still gave some of the proceeds to help the needy.
Who of us, if we have extra property, will go today and sell it and give it to the church if the church was in need?
If we sold a house for $100,000, and gave $90,000 to the church to meet the needs of the poor and kept only $10,000 for ourselves with no one knowing what we kept, have we not still done a great work?
Don’t they give people plaques for that and name buildings after them for that?!?
In this case, the offense reveals the motivation behind it.
Peter says that Ananias lied not against man, but against God.
Ananias’ motivation for selling the property appeared to be for the service of God by meeting a need in the fellowship of believers. So when he kept some of the proceeds back for himself, he was not lying against that believer in need, he was lying against God.
Worship cannot be faked! God is never fooled by our good deeds. God sees our motivations. He saw what moved Barnabas, and he saw what moved Ananias.
God does not look on the outward appearance. God sees as far as the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7).
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
Ananias was a hypocrite.
What he was doing was what believers in Jesus, who were controlled by the Spirit were doing, in selling possessions to give the needy. He looked like them, but he wasn’t like them. For he kept back for himself, and misrepresented true, Christian, Spirit-controlled fellowship at a time when the power of God was being poured out as the name of Jesus was being made famous!
And God will not stand for this blatant misrepresentation of his name! He sees it and will weed it out!
5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it.
This is an echo from Eden, reminding us that the wages of sin is death...
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.”
The verb “you sold” is plural. Peter was not saying “you [Sapphira] sold,” but “you both sold.” “Ya’ll sold.” They both were complicit in this lie. Acts 5:2 said Ananias did this “with his wife’s knowledge.”
Sapphira may not have signed the document of sale, or placed the coins in a private purse, but her knowledge made her just as guilty. This is true in a marriage, and also in a community of faith.
Even a knowledge of sin without doing anything about it makes us guilty of sin!
Adam was with Eve when she ate the fruit, and Eve sinned with Adam’s knowledge. Sapphira was with Ananias in this deception with her knowledge of it.
Notice, Ananias doesn’t get to speak, but Sapphira does. Peter asks her for the truth, and she responds with a lie.
Ananias lies in deed, but Sapphira lies in word. Both are lies.
At Peter’s feet is a bag of coins, and Peter says “Tell me whether you sold the land for what is in this bag.” And Sapphira says “Yes,” knowing that the amount in the bag does not reflect the full amount the land was sold for.
She lies, and likewise, she dies.
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.
Notice verse 10 tells us Sapphira fell at Peter’s feet.
It is a fitting conclusion to their lie. Because it was at Peter’s feet that they had brought their gift — not all of it, only part.
But in the end, it is at Peter’s feet that they gave their all — in the form of their lives.
God cares about our heart!
God gives us new hearts that say:
1
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
4
Take my silver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose,
5
Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6
Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for Thee.
11 And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things.
This is the first use of the word “church” in Acts, and this highlights the protection of the Lord for the unity of His church.
Indeed, the “gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church” of Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:18).
Conclusion
Conclusion
16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully,
17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’
18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’
20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’
21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
The early believers were rich toward God, living in the light of the resurrection of Jesus!
33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
This is what God desires for His Church today!
Ananias and Sapphira remind us of the existence of sin, and how serious sin is to God and to the unity of believers.
Think about Ananias and Sapphira. Think about their sin, lying to God, how they died and were buried as a result of the judgment of God.
Jesus died, and Jesus was buried, as a result of the judgment of God. But Jesus did not sin. Jesus never lied.
Annanias and Sapphira did not die willingly.
But Jesus died willingly, so that by His death you and I might be saved.
32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
God has given us all things in Jesus Christ, every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, a new life, forgiveness of sin and a relationship with God. From this gift of salvation in Jesus, we are empowered by His Holy Spirit to live graciously toward one another in Jesus’ name.