Pastor: Our text this morning comes from Acts as we're making our way through it. We are in chapter four. We're going to read the end of chapter four and then spill in the chapter five.
Pastor: So it'll be chapter four, beginning in verse 32 reading through five verse 11, before we read it, let's go again to the Lord in prayer, asking for his blessing upon His Word. Let's pray. Our Father, the Sovereign Lord who does rule over all things. We come to you this morning because Lord, unless your Spirit opens up our eyes and our ears and softens our hearts. We are here in vain and so Lord, we come to you and we ask that You would give us understanding, that you would strike our hearts that they might be healed by Christ, Lord, I pray that you will help us to see the great sin that we have committed in our misery, that we might flee to the cross all the more this morning and hold fast more and more to our faithful savior, Jesus, Christ, and there find comfort in this life and the next Lord, we pray that you will comfort your people, that you will bless us because of Christ, and it's in his name we pray. Amen. People of God hear God's word for us this morning from Acts chapter four, beginning in verse 32 now the full number of those who believed or of one heart and soul, and noone said that any of the things that belong 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 them, 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 have 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 men, 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.
Pastor: 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.
Pastor: Immediately. She fell down at his feet and breathed her last.
Pastor: 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.
Pastor: He who has ears, let him hear the Word of God. Please be seated, whether or not you have realized it or not, but you have not just entered a church. You have entered here this morning, into a battlefield, a battleground right here, right now, exactly where you sit at this time. There is a battle waging between God and His Spirit, verse, our flesh, the world, and the devil. That's really what this text is reminding us and telling us, that there is a spiritual battle waging, and what we are doing here is not a social or intellectual exercise. We have gathered together because we remember and we recall we are in. Fight. We are fighting the battle for our soul, and we need to awaken to that battle for our soul right now, lest we lose our souls. If you remember from the previous text, the church has been under external pressure and threats. They have been threatened by Sadducees Pharisees, scribes, the chief priests, they have all conspired together. Remember, as Peter said, as Psalm two said, our Sovereign Lord has ordained that that was going to happen, and it did. And they get put in jail, Peter and John, and they are told to not proclaim Christ any longer. But what do they do?
Pastor: They're bold, and they proclaim Christ, because Christ must be proclaimed. Christ being proclaimed is even more important than their lives, and their love of Christ leads them also for their love for one another. And this is a work of God's grace by the Spirit to who the Spirit has given them boldness, and what we see also in our Texas Spirit produces the fruit of of unity and charity to one another. And if you have read the up to the end of chapter four, hopefully you are also feeling, Lord, give me that boldness, that I too will proclaim Christ, even if my life is under threat, I don't want the fear. I want boldness. And when we come to the end, we also see, Lord, give us the let this be a picture of our church, one that is united and and of one accord and one mind. And we have charity towards one another.
Pastor: We're generous towards one another. And it's a it's a beautiful picture, and we want that. We want Christ. We want the work of the Spirit among us.
Pastor: But as we come to the end of chapter four, we might be tempted, as John Calvin once said, to think the church here is more company of angels rather than men, as we start to then spill into chapter five here, and then further into the New Testament to read about the life of the church, we see it's not actually such a pretty picture.
Pastor: We will see incredible amounts of immorality in the church, strife and selfishness and greed in the church, because there's another power at work that we have to keep in mind that, even as we read Ephesians, that we need to keep in mind that the devil is still at work. We have a powerful foe, though we have a greater and much more powerful God, but we must not let satan get a foothold in our hearts and in our church. Satan and his power sometimes show up to the worship of God to undermine and even counterfeit the work of the Spirit here, even now, trying to snatch the very Word of God from you that it just it goes in one ear and out the other, that you don't think about it, that you don't reflect on it, that you don't consider your soul, that after the service is over, your flesh simply says, I'm hungry.
Pastor: Give me food. What's for lunch?
Pastor: Let me have donuts. And we have let the word run away from us a lot of rather than that, sink down into our soul to reflect.
Pastor: How can I repent and rest more on the Lord Jesus Christ? In previous chapters, we have seen Satan work from outside the church, but here in our text, we begin to see the enemy within and even in our own hearts. But God works by his great power to protect and to preserve His people and His Church. And also, we're reminded here that he will have a Pure Bride for himself.
Pastor: There's really kind of two points I want to look at this morning. First, we're going to look at at the end of chapter four, really the the work of the Spirit in the church. But then as we turn to chapter five, it's also to consider the work of Satan in the church too, that that we might be on guard and where we see it, we might repent and rest again and again on our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor: We see the fruit of the Spirit.
Pastor: And the first way we do is this a unity the Spirit of God makes the Church of God. This beautiful and attractive picture we see at the end of chapter four, we see their unity. Verse 32 they were of one heart and soul. Keep in mind, these are very different people. These are different races who have come together. These are different countries and who have people have different hobbies and different ages, and suddenly they are loving people who are once Perfect Strangers, even loving people who they were at odds with before, no doubt, in this gathering of this few 1000 people whom God has changed their heart and has brought them lives, they're Sadducees. You.
Pastor: And and Pharisees and they, they hate each other, but yet, in Christ, they're one with each other. They're setting aside those things and being united to the Lord Jesus Christ. And no doubt, in this gathering, there are some who, not maybe just a month ago, were shouting, crucify crucify him, and they are now gathering, with one accord, to those who preach Christ. To them, they were united to Christ, which also means that they are united to one another. It's a beautiful picture of a family. It's not a club. They don't come to church and they're just tolerating each other. They love each other, and this is what we are called to do as a church, to love one another and even appreciate the differences in one another and and even seeing each other the very different aspects of Christ in each other, and praise God for saving sinners like you and and me and then bringing us together to be one body, not only their unity, but their charity. How do they demonstrate their love and unity with Christ for each other? Well, says they had everything in common that they're sharing their goods, they're sharing their property, they're sharing their homes.
Pastor: They're sharing their time. They loved each other so much that if they saw someone in need, they did whatever they could to alleviate that pressure. If it meant selling something, we're going to sell it. If it meant giving up something, we're going to give it up. They had everything in common. And just to note, this isn't coercion.
Pastor: It's not commanded by the that from the apostles that they do this. This isn't communism. This is a community. This is not forced redistribution. This is a result of the work of the Spirit in their lives that they will just love each other and care for one another's needs. And this is another point for us too, as we look around even ourselves, how can we serve one another in the congregation who needs help? How can we serve our elderly? How can we serve our new parents? How can we serve our discouraged How can we serve our sick and if you have a need, you will, you have to. You have to tell us too, don't steal away the blessing from being able to serve and to give. It's more blessed to give than to receive.
Pastor: And if you see a need, fill it, and if you feel like you can't do it by yourself, get it. Get others involved. Get the elders and deacons involved. So we can, we can serve one another in love and good deeds. I also it's very telling that in the middle of this beautiful picture of this one accord and this unity and charity, we are told that in verse 33 the apostles were giving their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is really what's driving the unity. This is really what is driving the charity towards one another?
Pastor: They are united because of their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor: They are united together because of their belief of the resurrection. Oneness was produced through the preaching of the Word of God that we see the apostles giving here. And what you believe not only affects how you pray, but it affects how you live. If you believe you have a debt of sin that could have never been repaid, but Jesus has fully and freely paid it for you, should it not stir our own hearts to freely forgive and to be generous if you believe that Christ is risen, and if you believe that you too will rise to a heavenly kingdom and eternal inheritance, will you then not hold on to the things of this world so loosely. This world isn't my home, because my treasure isn't here. It's above, and I'll let goods and kindred go this mortal life, also this world is in my own. I'm free to give it away. My home, my inheritance is above. And land was important to the Jews.
Pastor: Remember they saw it as the promised land. But we are told here that they are selling the land because it's a shadow. It's a shadow of a land better yet to come that God has for them in verse 33 great grace was upon them all. They are loving and sharing, believing and witnessing all here, and it's all because of the grace of God, through the work of His Holy Spirit. It's a beautiful picture, and we're even given an example here of a Joseph who's called Barnabas, who's probably more familiar name to us in verse 36 and 37 10 thus Joseph, who was 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. Remember, of the tribes of Israel, there was one tribe that didn't get land. Do you remember it was the Levites, but somehow Barnabas family, they've acquired land. And you would think that must be really valuable, and it was again, to have land was very valuable, and you wouldn't sell it as a Jew, but here he is, selling it, getting rid of it, letting it go. And he's even gets this nickname in the church, son of encouragement. And there's some of you who are just like that, who are good at encouraging we should be encouraging one another. And the spirit has worked in Barnabas heart that he wants God to be glorified in the serving of others, and he gives up this really valuable property. But Barnabas is a contrast to actually, then what happens next? I think that's why we have these two examples of Barnabas and then Ananias and Sapphira. So we see the work of the Holy Spirit, and it's a beautiful picture. And we long for that, and we pray, by God's grace, that God will make us like that, united, charitable and devoted to the apostles, words and teachings. But then we come to chapter five when we see the fruit of the devil, we see the fruit of Satan. And chapter five begins with this, but, and that's an indication something's not right, something's wrong here the world, the flesh and the devil, they will lie and twist the good things, the good fruit that have just been outlined for us. And that's really what the world does, isn't it?
Pastor: What God tells us to guard and to keep is what the world will just give away so freely, like our sexuality, where God says, guard. Guard it in the bonds of marriage. But the world says no, just give it away. But then what God says to give it away so freely, like our worldly goods and possessions, the world says no, keep. And so what we see is this twisting, this perverting of God's design and will we are told, in verse one, we are told, like Barnabas, Ananias and Sapphira, they also sell a piece of property. And I wonder if it started out maybe just a little bit of jealousy. It doesn't tell us that, but I can imagine maybe even just because it's my own heart, you know, we'd like some praise and honor too, like Barnabas Scott, wouldn't it be great if we came to church and they said, Hey, I know you, that's you're the son of generosity and the daughter of compassion, because we see it wouldn't that be great? And, you know, they maybe there's some jealousy here. Let's do what Barnabas did, and sell this field and give it all away. And maybe the church will give us some kind of praise, some honor too. So they sell their land, and perhaps they sell it in some moment of zeal, and at some point said, we're going to give it all. And maybe they did plan to give the whole amount at initially, but it seems that when they have the cash in hand, it felt that it was a little just too much to give to the church all at once, at least, and we wouldn't want to give all of it less. You know, those apostles, they mismanage it, so we'll just hold it back, just in case. Even though we said we're going to give it all, let's not do that. So they come up with in their mind, what they think is a win. Win. You know what? We'll give money to the church. That's certainly helpful, right? But we'll just not say that. It's all of it. We'll just say a little lie, just a little bit, just a small lie to say we gave it all, but we're keeping some of it back, and that way it's a win for us too, just in case, we need a little something extra.
Pastor: Who knows? And so they conspire together, and they're say they're giving the full amount for the land that and they're hoping to get praise, but actually, they are keeping some for themselves. In verse two, they 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, that you have lied not to man? But the God and I just note there, Peter has again acknowledged that this couple is under no under under no obligation to to sell their land in the first place, and even having sold it, they're not obligated to give any or all of the proceeds to the church.
Pastor: You're free to do what you want with the land, but their sin lies and their hypocrisy, their sin lies in their lying it was promising and stating that they were going to give it all, and they didn't do it. I think what's also interesting to me here in this text is this kind of first falling, if you will, recorded in the Book of Acts of the church after Pentecost is in a marriage. You know, marriage were meant to come together and to encourage each other, to encourage each other to good, not to evil. But they come together, and rather than conceiving something like a child, and that's beautiful, they come together. And told, tell, tells us that they they conceive evil together. This is what James says in chapter one.
Pastor: It says, Then desire, when it is conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully grown, brings forth death. And that's exactly what happens in this text. And also when we go back to the book of Genesis. Where does Satan like to get into sharing his lies? It begins in the first marriage, bringing sin into the marriage that then brings sin in to the rest of the world. Verse three, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit. Just observe too here that Satan has filled his heart, yes, with a lie. But it is he who has conceived it in his own heart which shows that there's no excuse of our sin slaying them at the fault of the devil made me do it. He tempts but Ananias, there's no forcing here. He did it out of his own lust and out of his own greed. Jeremiah, 17, reminds us The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. You know the world will tell you, just listen to your heart. Follow your heart. Do what you feel is best.
Pastor: And God says no, listen to the Word of God. Be obedient to the will of God and and let your minds and even your conscience be conformed and transformed by the power of His Spirit and by His Word. Says lie to the Holy Spirit. Why didn't he say lie to God or even lie to Jesus? Why the Holy Spirit here? Well, because, again, Satan is trying to counterfeit what the Holy Spirit is doing in the work of His church. They are representing the ministry of the Holy Spirit, but they're lying about it. This is also just one of the best proof texts we have of the deity of the Spirit says, lie to the Holy Spirit, and you're lying to God. As Adam and Eve, who agreed to eat the forbidden fruit together were turned out together of paradise.
Pastor: So now Ananias and Sapphira, who agreed to tempt the Spirit of the Lord will be chased out of this world, and that's exactly what we have next. Is their judgment in verse five, when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last, and then three hours later, Sapphira comes in verse 10, immediately she falls down at his feet and breathed her last.
Pastor: They were struck dead for not telling the truth. Wasn't that kind of heavy handed of Peter. I mean, he just kind of got probably a little power hungry, right as the church is starting.
Pastor: That's not very pastoral Peter, to do that to your congregants.
Pastor: To note here, this is not the work of Peter, just like Peter's healing of the cripple, it was not the work of Peter. And Peter even says that, why are you looking at me? This is not my power to heal this man who had been crippled from birth and is now 40 years this is the work of Christ by the power of his Spirit, and that's the same thing that's happening here, just as the miracle that was experienced by the cripple is signaling and pointing us to the splendor of the world to come In the resurrection life. We now have this death and Ananias and Sapphira in judgment, which is also foreshadowing full and final judgment of the Lord Jesus, Christ. And both of these kind of miraculous events side by side a miracle of life in Christ, but also. A miracle of judgment because of sin. This is not an overreaction by God. This is holiness. Remember, we've said it before. The scriptures remind us that God is holy, holy, holy. There's another, no other attribute of God that is listed three times to emphasize the holiness of God. God is love, but we are never told that he is love, love, love. God is gracious, but we're never told he is Grace, Grace, Grace. But we are told he is holy, holy, holy. Just as in Leviticus 10, when Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire, the Lord shows that he will not be mocked and His Holiness is not to be trifled with. God is going to bring judgment, and he is going to judge the world in righteousness, and even as Peter will write in his own book, in first, Peter, chapter four, verse 17, he says that judgment will even begin in the house of God, Jesus will have a Pure Bride for himself, something you might Think is insignificant, a little lie, holding something back, holding some money back.
Pastor: God is saying here in this text, it is wicked and deserving of death, and he will judge it. And Revelation 21 reminds us that all liars will have their portion in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death. And some of you might say, Well, I just can't believe in a God who would send someone to hell for a lie.
Pastor: Well, in fact, it doesn't really matter what you believe I would say, you know, I could say, I just can't believe in trucks that would run me over when I step into the highway. You know what you say and actually what you believe, it doesn't change reality. The reality is God is holy, and he is coming to judge the living and the dead with standards of perfection, who will stand as the psalmist reminds us. And I hope that you are beginning to feel that weight upon yourself as you consider the life of Ananias and Sapphira. They were cast down dead in judgment because they have lied. Have you lied? Have you wanted the praise of men more than the praise of God. And if you're honest with yourself, and I'm honest with myself, absolutely I have. And so we might even ask, God, why haven't you struck me down right here, right now? Well, because today is a day of salvation, because God is patient and kind, and he is giving you an opportunity right now to repent of your sin, to be driven towards the Lord Jesus Christ, because that's where judgment occurs. There is not a single sin in this world that will go left, that will go left unpunished and unjudged.
Pastor: And either you will stand before God and He will judge all of your sins upon you, for which you properly deserve, or you repent and put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who bore all of your sins upon himself on the cross, and that is your only hope before God, not that you stand in any way, in your own righteousness, in your own good works. I'm a good person. I only lied five times rather than six.
Pastor: No one lie is sufficient to cast you to hell for all of eternity.
Pastor: But there is not a there is no sin that is too great, that cannot be pardoned and washed away by the blood of Christ. We go to the cross, where we see the judgment and the holiness of God, but also the mercy and the great grace of God found in our Savior, and even when we come to the table here this morning, the table is again a reminder that that's where judgment happened on the cross, the judgment that I rightly deserve, like Ananias and Sapphira, but I hold the cup of blessing because Christ took the cup of curse that I might have life and not death. You know, one of the shortest and scariest verses is found in the Gospel of Luke, which we just did not that long ago, in chapter 17, it says, Remember Lot's wife. You remember back in Genesis? 19, God told them destruction was coming and the fleas Sodom and to not look back, but Lot's wife looks back, and God suddenly turns her into a pile of salt. Why? It's not because of her eyes, but because of her heart. She loved the world, and she loved the things in the world. She wanted the praise and the possessions, and here in our text, it's kind of like that, remember Ananias and Sapphira, and what happened to them will happen to you unless you repent. I also just want to note one thing too, is Ananias and Sapphira are found out in their sin, and they are not given a single moment an opportunity, one breath more to repent. And some of you might think, I will do this later. I will put it off later. Ananias and Sapphira are a good reminder you might not have one single breath left. Nothing is guaranteed. The tragedy down in Texas, who would have thought that overnight, you will have over 50 people swept away by a flood? These are reminders for us in the news that our God is sovereign, that he is holy, that this world is not our own, that you we are not guaranteed a single heartbeat, a single breath, a single moment left in this life and right now, now, now, before God strikes you with whatever and you are gone. Now is the time for repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus, Christ.
Pastor: The future is not guaranteed, but there is a future that is guaranteed that you will be judged and stand before God, and you will either stand before him clothed in the righteous robes of Christ, where your sins are washed away in his blood, or you will stand before Him in all of your guilt and shame that is guaranteed. That is guaranteed twice. We are told in this text that great fear comes upon them all. This is not terror. This is holy reverence. It's in all lest we come and treat God lightly, lest we come to worship flippantly. And I think we have to all confess we are guilty of that as well. Haven't we come into worship light hearted, coming into worship, thinking that God is not holy. The church, I think in many ways, we've become far too relaxed in our approach to God. The modern church, we're also we're often saying, Lord, give us revival.
Pastor: But are we longing for reverence? We often want the power of God, but do we not want the purity of God? Proverbs nine reminds us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
Pastor: And even Psalm two, which Peter has just quoted in his sermon, reminds us serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.
Pastor: Do we fear God? And if you do, it's great grace has come upon you. If you fear the true and living God, and you put your faith in Him and in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a work of the Holy Spirit to see our sin and to repent and to believe. You know, the early church experience we are told in this one text, great grace and great fear. And I pray, so do we? I pray that's the case for our church, great grace and great fear, because grace and fear that they always go together. Grace without fear produces presumption and entitlement. Well, I'm just going to do whatever I want. God just says grace and Grace Shall I continue to sin so grace might abound. Grace without fear says absolutely, but fear without grace simply produces despair, judgment, but grace and fear together produce holiness, and again, it's the cross where both of these meet. Remember Ananias and Sapphira, but also even more so, remember the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, who takes away all of your sin and gives you life and righteousness and peace and joy and. I remember the war that we are fighting right now. Right now, brothers and sisters, between the Spirit of God and maybe you even feel it even your own flesh right now, Lord be merciful to us as sinners. Lord be merciful to our church. Let's pray our Heavenly Father. You are the Holy One.
Pastor: You are the Sovereign Lord who rules over all things. And Lord, I pray you will help us to be wise, to be watchful, to be warned, lest we live this life, not fearing you, not repenting, and we are dashed to pieces as a potter's vessel because we have been foolish and wise in our own eyes. We have desired the things of this world rather than desiring you. But Lord, let us take refuge in you to find grace, to properly fear and revere you, that we might have peace that is found in your son.
Pastor: Lord, I pray that by the power of your Spirit, you will root out all of these things that are not yet fit for heaven. Root out dissension, root out idolatry, root out the praise of men, root out greed and Lord, let us produce the fruit of the Spirit.
Pastor: But Lord, when we fail, let us again run to the cross, cling to the cross. Lord, be merciful to us. We pray in Jesus's name. Amen.