Pride

Explanation

Acts 4:32–5:11 NLT

All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.” And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.” Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.

So what?!?!

What’s the big deal?

It was just a little bit of money and they still gave a huge portion of money to the good of the church?!?!

-Is God really interested in our money that he would want it all?

Pride:

The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church Pride

being the inordinate love of one’s own excellence.

Another write says pride is, “ an unhealthy elevated view of one’s self, abilities, or possessions.

we desire to make ourselves or our possessions the object of worship and not God

We can look at pride as idolatry of self.

Pride is the root of sin to where we elevate ourselves and our desires over the covenant relationship with God

Pride kept them from being in authentic covenant with Jesus

-Peter said to Ananias Why have you let Satan fill your heart?

-Pretty harsh for just a little lie

-The word Peter used for filled is the same word as it is in Ephesians 5:18 where he challenges us to be filled with the Spirit.

This idea of filled means to be influenced or directed by

Ananias and Sapphira put themselves in the place of worship in their own eyes and they were not able to authentically celebrate God’s goodness in the sale of that property

-deceiving others for the sake of elevating ourselves leads to empty praise and celebration

-Scripture also tells us that our sins will find us out Number 32:23 in terms of keeping vows to the Lord.

Luke 18:9–14 NLT

Then Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector! I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

The pride of the tax collector prevented him from being forgiven and made right in the sight of God.

Pride kept them from being in authentic covenant with their community

-Ananias and Sapphira were not able to be joyful in their giving or in their relationships with others because of their deception

-Ananias and Sapphira’s hearts were filled with the desire to look like they had sacrificed everything to the God and the community without actually doing so

-All of these offerings were of the people’s own free will and all offerings were celebrated in their generosity

-Ananias and Sapphira had a wrong understanding that the greater the gift the greater the celebration.....their heart was key and their heart was filled with love for themselves and not others.

-This Facade was easy to see through and separated them from people.....in this case through death.

-self exaltation is small in it’s attempts and it makes those around us uncomfortable and annoyed

-This was a heart condition for Ananias and Sapphira

-Sin takes root in our hearts and shows itself in many ways so this was probably not the first time this had shown up in their life and the life of the community

Pride may not bring physical death immediately, but it will bring death to the life of a community.

Application

Humility

C.S. Lewis said, “ Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.”

James 4:6–7 NLT

And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

1.Humbles yourself before God

-When God wrote to Israel in Exodus 20 to “not have any other god but me”

-this included putting the interests and desires of ourself first

-putting ourselves in the place of importance and priority is idolatry and self worship

Jeremiah 9:23–24 NLT

This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!

As we magnify Jesus in our lives....... our own importance falls into its right place under the influence and care of Jesus

placing our worth and our lives in the control of Jesus is one of the best places to be and in turn scripture tells us that he will honor that

Matthew 23:12 NLT

But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

It is a heart issue that will show itself in time.

2. Resist the devil

1 John 5:20–21 NLT

And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

has given us understanding.......Jesus brought the scriptures to life through new meaning and application to their lives

-when we hear something or read something it doesn’t mean that we understand it

-we need to meditate on it wrestle with what it means

-Like the parable Jesus told about the 4 soils and the seed thrown onto it.

-the soil that was on the path and the birds came and took it away.

-when something doesn’t take root in our lives it will be taken away.

-There are many truths we have been exposed to in our life, but if we dont work to understand it and the implications it has in our lives and then work it into our lives there will be no understanding.

-The truth we have been given through scripture is a way that we can know God and hear his voice....

We can be in fellowship with him and when we are in him and he is in us saying no to things that are not good for our relationship with him become as easy as not wanting to hurt someone you love.

This is not about rules, but about our covenant with God

-separating ourselves from the things that replace God in our hearts is surgery that our spiritual survival depends on.