SF268 - God's Warning to Pretenders (Acts 4 36-5 11)
ACTS 4:36-37; 5:1-11
INTRODUCTION
Be Careful Little Eyes...
A Historical Problem
"To face the future we must understand the past." Adrian Rogers
This was a warning to hypocrites.
God had started something new and exciting.
Satan had tried intimidation ‑ now he tries infiltration.
A Modern Problem
What would happen if God struck all the liars dead this evening?
We all lie...
Ø About our weight
Ø About our age
THE SEVEN AGES OF A WOMAN
Infant, Child, Junior Miss, Young Woman...
1A. THE EXPRESSION OF THE LIE (5:1-3)
"But" ‑ Draws contrast with 4:36‑37
Ananias and Sapphira wanted the same attention that Barnabas had received.
1B. Their lie was rooted in pride
Pride is devilish
1 Peter 5:5 (NASB) … God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Ø Pride makes you putty in the Devil's hands.
Pride is dangerous
1 Peter 5:8 (NASB) 8Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Ø True humility puts you out of the Devil's reach.
2B. Their pride resulted in pretense
Ø Pride always produces pretending
Ø Their sin was pretending a devotion to Jesus they did not have.
Ø They lied to God
"Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all" Oliver Wendell Holmes
Ø Have you lied to God?
Matthew 15:8 (NASB) 8‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.
2A. THE EXPOSURE OF THE LIE (5:3-4, 9)
The Holy Spirit Revealed To Peter...
1B. The source of their sin - Satan (5:3)
How? Ananias and Sapphira were Christians and Satan tempted them. The sin came because…
Ø They gave sin and Satan an opportunity.
Ephesians 4:27 (NASB) 27and do not give the devil an opportunity.
Ø You are never more like the Devil than when you lie.
John 8:44 (NASB) 44“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Ø We must daily guard against giving a place to the Devil.
2B. The seriousness of their sin (5:4,9)
It was serious because of who it involved.
Lying is always serious. Lying to a judge is very serious. Lying to God is most serious.
Ø The Shoplifter and the alarm clock
It was serious because of how it was done.
Ø It was premeditated and planned.
It was serious because of what it involved.
Ø It involved sinning against light
Ø It was a direct challenge to the Holy Spirit
3A. THE EXPULSION OF THE LIARS (5:5-11)
God Judges It. Ananias died. "He lied, He died, and they buried him on a hillside." Sapphira comes in three hours late, makes her entrance, and lies.
1B. It was a severe judgment
There are three judgments for the Saint…
In the past as a sinner at Calvary, Christ bore the punishment for our sin.
In the future as a servant at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:13 (NASB) 13each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.
Ø Jesus often speaks of treasures and rewards.
In the present we are judged as a son.
Hebrews 12:5 (NASB) 5and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
Often death is the judgment on the sin of a son. Therefore God…
Ø Warns against an irreverent attitude
1 Corinthians 11:29-32 (NASB) 29For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
Ø Warns against an immoral lifestyle
1 Corinthians 5:5 (NASB) 5I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
2B. It was a saving judgment (5:11)
It saved Ananias and Sapphira
Ø To keep them from further sin
Ø Moses ‑ struck the rock
It saved the Church
Ø Kept the church from further hypocrisy
It saved souls (v.14)
APPLICATION
Three Truths
1. Christian sin in your life is more serious than sin in the life of the lost.
2. Be very careful that you do not lie to the Holy Spirit. Do not lay unholy hands on holy things.
3. Do not allow some Ananias or Sapphira to keep you from God.
ACTS 4:36-37; 5:1-11
INTRODUCTION
Be Careful Little Eyes...
A Historical Problem
"To face the future we must understand the past." Adrian Rogers
This was a warning to hypocrites.
God had started something new and exciting.
Satan had tried intimidation ‑ now he tries infiltration.
A Modern Problem
What would happen if God struck all the liars dead this evening?
We all lie...
Ø About our weight
Ø About our age
The seven ages of a woman…
Ø Infant, Child, Junior Miss, Young Woman...
1A. THE EXPRESSION OF THE LIE (5:1-3)
"But" ‑ Draws contrast with 4:36-7
1B. Their lie was rooted in pride
Pride is devilish
1 Peter 5:5 (NASB) … God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Pride is dangerous
1 Peter 5:8 (NASB) 8Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
2B. Their pride resulted in pretense
Ø Pride always produces pretending
Ø Their sin was pretending a devotion to Jesus they did not have.
Ø They lied to God
"Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all" Oliver Wendell Holmes
Ø Have you lied to God?
Matthew 15:8 (NASB) 8‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.
2A. THE EXPOSURE OF THE LIE (5:3-4, 9)
The Holy Spirit Revealed To Peter...
1B. The source of their sin - Satan (5:3)
Ø They gave sin and Satan an opportunity.
Ephesians 4:27 (NASB) 27and do not give the devil an opportunity.
Ø We are never more like the Devil than when we lie.
John 8:44 (NASB) 44“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
Ø We must daily guard against giving a place to the Devil.
2B. The seriousness of their sin (5:4,9)
It was serious because of who it involved.
Ø The Shoplifter and the alarm clock
It was serious because of how it was done.
Ø It was premeditated and planned.
It was serious because of what it involved.
Ø It involved sinning against light
Ø It was a direct challenge to the Holy Spirit
3A. THE EXPULSION OF THE LIARS (5:5-11)
"He lied, He died, and they buried him on a hillside."
1B. It was a severe judgment
There are three judgments for the Saint…
In the past as a sinner at Calvary, Christ bore the punishment for our sin.
In the future as a servant at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
1 Corinthians 3:13 (NASB) 13each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.
In the present we are judged as a son.
Hebrews 12:5 (NASB) 5and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
Ø God Warns against an irreverent attitude
1 Corinthians 11:29-32 (NASB) 29For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
Ø Warns against an immoral lifestyle
1 Corinthians 5:5 (NASB) 5I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord £Jesus.
2B. It was a saving judgment (5:11)
It saved Ananias and Sapphira
Ø Kept them from further sin
It saved the Church
Ø Kept the church from further hypocrisy
It saved souls (5:14)
APPLICATION
Three Truths
1. Christian sin in your life is more serious than sin in the life of the lost.
2. Be very careful that you do not lie to the Holy Spirit. Do not lay unholy hands on holy things.
3. Do not allow some Ananias or Sapphira to keep you from God.
GOD'S WARNING TO PRETENDERS
ACTS 4:36-37; 5:1-11
1A. THE EXPRESSION OF THE LIE (5:1-3)
1B. Their lie was rooted in ____________________
Pride is ___________________________
1 Peter 5:5
Pride is ___________________________
1 Peter 5:8
2B. Their pride resulted in ____________________
Matthew 15:8
2A. THE __________________ OF THE LIE (5:3-4, 9)
1B. The _______________ of their sin - Satan (5:3)
Ø They gave sin and Satan an opportunity. (Ephesians 4:27)
Ø We are never more like the Devil than when we lie. (John 8:44)
2B. The seriousness of their sin (5:4,9)
It was serious because of _________ it involved.
It was serious because of _________ it was done.
It was serious because of __________ it involved.
3A. THE EXPULSION OF THE LIARS (5:5-11)
1B. It was a ________________________ judgment
In the _________________ as a sinner at Calvary, Christ bore the punishment for our sin.
In the ____________________________ as a servant at the Judgment Seat of Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:13
In the _________________ we are judged as a son. (Hebrews 12:5)
Ø God warns against an irreverent attitude (1 Corinthians 11:29-32)
Ø God warns against an immoral lifestyle (1 Corinthians 5:5
2B. It was a __________________ judgment (5:11)
It saved Ananias and Sapphira
It saved the Church
It saved souls (5:14)