Acts the Story Continues (16)
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Public Enemy #1
Public Enemy #1
Last week we discussed boldness and what that meant. We discussed that one doesn’t strive for self confidence, but rather a confidence in God. There is this constant battle within us that feeds into the desire for selfishness. We see this in Ananias and Sapphira.
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.
Acts 5:
Many people read this above verse and think it’s about money, but it’s not. I truly believe
God doesn’t care how much you give.
God doesn’t care how much you give.
We see this in the parable of the widows mite. She gives her one coin in humility while the Pharisee gives out of his abundance out of his pride.
Pride is public enemy #1. It was the first sin ever comitted
Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you.
Ezekial 28:17
Satan became so wrapped up in his self that he thought he could become like God.
When Satan temped Eve
For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Pride is a fleshly desire that has haunted us since the beginning of the Earth. It’s usually the spark that lights the match for our disobedience to the word of God. If Satan can get you focused onto yourself you are too busy to focus on others or God. We see this with Ananias and Sapphira.
Pride is a fleshly desire that has haunted us since the beginning of the Earth. It’s usually the spark that lights the match for our disobedience to the word of God. If Satan can get you focused onto yourself you are too busy to focus on others or God. We see this with Ananias and Sapphira.
AS we read they sold a peice of land, kept some money back, lied about it and pretended they gave the full amount. Now we have to remember—the amount didn’t matter, but the heart of which they gave mattered.
Half of the misery in the world comes from trying to look, instead of trying to be, what one is not.
If we as a church invested half of the energy we spent on looking like Christians into being Christ followers then we would see an influx of souls being saved. When it comes to people not wanting to go to church I hear
But it’s full of Hypocrites
But it’s full of Hypocrites
My first reaction is: Well so is Walmart, but you go there. However I wonder if people have ever given a thought to what a hypocrite really is.
Hypocrite- wearing a mask, playing an actor.
Hypocrite- wearing a mask, playing an actor.
Specifically when it comes to being real.
Hypocrisy- deliberate deception
Hypocrisy- deliberate deception
Hypocrisy is buying a $50,000 car when you truly can only afford a $20,000. They are both nice. Trust me when I bought my wife’s minivan I wanted a Suburban, they both do the same thing—hold 7 people, but one isn’t a minivan. When we rack up credit card debt because we need the latest name brands instead of Walmart brand we are hypocrites. We are buying with money we don’t have to impress people who truly don’t matter.
So what motivated Ananias and Sapphira to lie?
It doesn’t directly state, but I could sumize with decent accuracy that they were Jelouse of all the attention Barnabas recieved.
Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,
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 laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Could you imagine the uproar that would have happened? Think about it like this: The food pantry in our church needs to expand. What if someone sold some of value to pay for a pole barn to be put up across the road?
Most of our praises would go to God, but we would also be thanking the person with generosity. They may even be the one who cut the ribbon when it opened. God would get the glory, but the person would be praised as well. Back then was no different. People celebrated people. That’s the beauty of the church. People celebrating other people’s growth in their relationship to God.
Ananias no doubt wanted some of that praise, but he also wanted some of that money. We don’t know if God asked him to sell his property, but he did and the money was his to do with what he pleased. He could have easily given what he gave without claiming it was the full price, but in the back of his mind I wonder if he asked:
Will people praise my name the way they did Barnabas’?
Will people praise my name the way they did Barnabas’?
Pride. We see Pride in Cain. I can tell you with certain certainty that it is harder to grow crops than to raise animals. Because of sin Cain had to work the ground. Now remember Cain is working the same ground God cursed. God didn’t curse animals. Animals do much of the work of care themselves. But the ground. There are rocks, thorns, birds, animals. There is the hot sun you’re sweating under. The blisters on the hands and feet. The hours of tilling the ground. You would think that a vegetable sacrifice would mean more because it cost more. I could imagine Cain, proud of his work, wanting to show it off, desiring to give it God. But it wasn’t what God wanted. Pride took over.
God didn’t want Ananias’ money. He wanted his heart, but the money was what had Ananias’ heart.
God wants us to desire righteousness. Not things.
I love What God said to Solomon. God said ask me anything and you can have it. Here at this point before all the women. God had Solomon’s heart. Solomon answers give me wisdom to lead your people.
Essentially—Lord give me your heart for your people. I want to lead them like you would lead them. Lord let me emulate you. Let me be like you. Let me have more of you in me.
What was God’s response?
wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.”
2 Chronicols
Another great example is Jesus
saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”
Lord it’s not about me. The only way to combat hypocrisy is with a true desire for God. It’s to trade what is fake, what is temporal, for what is real and eternal. That’s the difference between Barnabas and Ananias.
Barnabas ran for the eternal.
Matthew 6:
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Because if we do:
:
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
Like everything we have a choice. Do we live for God or do we live for ourselves? Are we after His approval or our pride?
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,
and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
As I wrote this I began to realize the ending of this sermon was the same as the ending of my last one. But then God said to me-
Because the ending of Self is the beginning of everything Godly.
Because the ending of Self is the beginning of everything Godly.
It’s the thread of the New Testament Church. The ending of self was paramount to the beginning of all God did within his people. It doesn’t matter what we do if it’s filled with the wrong motives. We need to be filled with God.