Empowered For Holiness

Good morning - Welcome to Life church.

We continue today with our series in the book of Acts.

Today we are in

Acts 4:32- 5:11

Acts 4:32–5:11 ESV

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. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 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 and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 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. 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.

I have always found this story to be, well a bit dramatic.

God kills a husband and wife for lying. Or at least that is what I had always thought.

But was lying really the issue?

I mean if lying is the issue, why are you and I still alive?

Why does any child above the age of 2 still exist?

There has to be more to this story!

And there is.

When we take the whole story together we can begin to see that God was dealing with something far more dangerous than lying.

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Background - Joseph

Scriptures tell us that Joseph was a man of some means

He sold land to help those in the church who were in desperate need.

The Apostles gave him a nickname - Barnabas - Son of encouragement

Motivation - A deep desire to love God with all he is and has and to love his neighbors as himself.

Joseph was motivated by what Scriptures call HOLINESS.

So, what is holiness?

Jesus defined Holiness with the word LOVE!

Matthew 22:37–40 ESV

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Holiness defined by Jesus is to love God with all you are and have and to love your neighbor and enemy as yourself.

It is not one or the other but both!

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Now lets look at the Ananias and his wife, Sapphira.

This couple also had some means as well

They too sold land - but decided to keep some of the prophet.

Took the money to the Apostles and lied about how much they made on the sale.

Here is the question we need to ask. Why lie?

Their land - sell or not sell

Their money give some, all, or none.

Why lie?

The motivation - Unlike Joseph (Barnabas) this couple desired glory, recognition, they wanted to be seen.

They wanted to appear godly without living godly.

The Apostle Paul called this the work of the flesh.

Galatians 5:19–21 ESV

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

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Holiness is concerned with God receiving glory.

Barnabas wanted to give God glory by serving him through helping others.

The flesh is concerned with you receiving glory.

Ananias and Sapphire were not concerned for God’s glory or the needs of the people. They were concerned with being known, having there own glory.

Holiness is not produced by you or more but rather is the work of the Holy Spirit in us.

Galatians 5:22–24 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Yet the works of the flesh are our natural tendency and reflect the author of their origin.

Isaiah 14:12–14 ESV

“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.’

Holiness is all about Loving God with all we are and have and loving others as ourselves.

The work of the flesh is all about be exalted above God and others. It is the destructive desire of self glorification.

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God was not punishing a lie through death.

God was eradicating a destructive cancer from the first church.

A cancer that seeks self promotion over others, seeks glory over God, and is only concerned for their name.

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Holiness is the natural response to the Baptism and filling of the HS.

Acts 2 - HS poured out/ Miracles / Empowered witnessing / Holiness (Love of God love of others)

Acts 3 - 4 - Miracles / Empowered witnessing / Fear / Fresh outpouring of the HS / Empowered witness / Holiness.

The outpouring of the HS not only brings signs and wonders and empowered witnessing it also always brings HOLINESS.

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One constant theme during this time of isolation and pandemic that I have heard God speak clearly to me and to others is, God is going to renew - revive His church with a fresh outpouring of his HS.

He is using this pandemic to get the church to a place to recieve a fresh outpouring of the HS.

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With a fresh outpouring we will experience the Power of God is signs and wonders like we have never seen, we will experience empowerment for effective witnessing, and we will experience a renewed Holiness in the world-wide body of Christ.

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During times of Renewal God does not put up with destructive cancer in His body.

We can be so surrounded by the Spirit and people of the Spirit that we believe we too have experienced a fresh outpouring of the HS.

But without the fruit of the Spirit we are only living in the afterglow of the HS.

Ananias and Sapphire experienced the HS through others but, they had not yet been overtaken by the Spirit.

Barnabas was being led by the Spirit into a life of Love of Holiness.

Ananias and his wife wanted the recognition but did not have the power of the Spirit to live in true holiness.

2 Timothy 3:1–5 ESV

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

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God is going to bring a fresh outpouring of the HS to His church.

God will empower His church world-wide with the HS to empower our witness and to live in holiness.

There is no question God is doing this and will do it.

The question is - will you be like Joseph and receive the fresh outpouring?

Or will you be like Ananias and Sapphire and only experience the presence of God in others?

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I want to finish today by giving you four steps to experience a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

D - Desperation for the presence of God

Holy discontentment - there must be more!

As the deer pants for the water so my soul longs after you.

P- Prayer and fasting

Not to get something from God but to be with God.

God is not the means to the end - He is the end - he is the gospel - he is the reward.

R - Receive the Spirit.

Stop being sceptical

Stop trying to explain everything

Receive the Spirit as a child.

R - Repeat

This is not a one off act.

The power of holiness, the power to effective witnessing is dependent on being connected to the vine.

John 15:1–5 ESV

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

If we are to experience the next great renewal of the Church, if we are to experience the next great outpouring of the HS, we must,

Be Desperate for God and driven to

Pray and fast so, that we may

Receive the Spirit with child like faith, and

Repeat the process until Jesus returns.

The question is not do you want to see God move.

The question we need to ask is, are we desperate for God to move in and through us?