Powerful Church

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Pay close attention to Peter , full of the Holy Spirit stating who the two lied too the Holy spirit and God are mention in versus 3 and 4 and are being referred to as the same.

Selfish people reap what they sow; , , .

Preach the Word 6. Blockades to Spiritual Blessings (Psalm 26:2)

Selfish people reap what they sow; Acts 5:2, 5, 10.

Apostolon, B. (1966). Preach the Word (p. 25). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

We will always seek to be filled. Filled with God (the Holy Spirit), filled with drugs, filled with alcohol, filled with self pity, anger, resentment,

We have to give satan permission to posses us and when we do if we do not repent, Ananias and Saphira were not ready to be real.

It was almost as though Ananias was saying I am like Barnabas. Selfishness and self centeredness had taken hold and began to fill him.

If you are not ready to be real, God is not ready to heal.

CONCLUSION: Death is the fruit. It may not be immediate physical death. But it is certain to result in spiritual death—unless there is change and true repentance. We destroy ourselves if we lie to God.

Hallock, E. F. (1975). More Sermon Starters (p. 31). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

“We ought to obey God rather than men” ().

I. O-ffer Praise to God

“Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows to the most High” ().

A. Some Christians are ready to give honor and glory to other people, but fail to give it to God.

B. We obey God when we thank him. God is worthy of all our praise. We can never praise him sufficiently.

C. The psalmist said, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” ().

II. B-elieve the Promises of God

“Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises” ().

A. Many Christians fail to exercise faith in the promises. If they read them, they fail to remember and recall them.

B. Peter and the other apostles believed and practiced the words that Christ gave them. “They ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ” ().

C. In order to obey God, we must believe his promises. They “were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” ().

III. E-njoy the Peace of God

“And the peace of God … shall keep your hearts and minds” ().

A. Our world is filled with hatred, strife, and evil of many kinds. Millions of people unsuccessfully seek for peace.

B. Many Christians lack peace, also. They worry and fret instead of accepting God’s peace.

C. We must look to God for real and lasting peace. We please the Lord when we accept his peace. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you” ().

IV. Y-ield to the Purpose of God

“Yield yourself unto God” ().

A. Many people do not yield to God’s purpose. They are too consumed with selfish and personal goals.

B. If we obey God, we must surrender, exchanging our desires for his purpose, our will for his will, and our way for his way. They are best.

C. We promote God’s purpose when we assist the needy, comfort the lonely, and witness to the unsaved about God’s saving and sustaining power (see ).

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Spray, R. E. (1991). Positive Sermon Outlines (pp. 58–60). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.