Sermon Tone Analysis

Common Good or looking good?

George McDonald wrote:

“Half of the misery in the world comes from trying to look, instead of trying to be, what one is not.”

Jesus called this type of action hypocrisy and strongly warns against it for it has it’s consequences.

In a time the church has just been born and had all things in common (Act2:44-45, 4:32-35) the common good for all people was the norm.

Not by command but by heart and soul.

People sold land and possessions for the common good, to help brethren

Act4:

The generosity was exampled by Barnabas

But this will easily be contrast with our passage today and the example they had that was for the early church and for us today.

Hypocrisy was alive and well in the Jewish leadership, and it cropped it’s head in the early church.

Hypocrisy is a deliberate deception, trying to make people think we are more spiritual than we really are.

you will clearly see that in our passage today, it is an example and a warning to the church then and today.

Even in the early church there were imperfect Christians; But as William Barclay puts it “The Bible refuses to represent an idealized picture of anything.”

Eventhough we see judgment in this passage, deadly judgment we can still find encouragement to walk the walk.

Failure to be diligent is a sin against God

Failure to use our talents is a sin against God

Failure in truth, in other words to lie, is a sin against God

Speaking of a lie.

Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote

“Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.”

Just one more point before getting to our passage.

God judges sin severely at the start, beginning, of a new period.

As seen:

Nabad and Abihu (Lev10) at start of the Jewish age under the law

Achan (Jos7) at start of the time in the promised land

Ananias and Sapphira (Act5:1-11) start of Christian age

I.

The Story

Act5:1-2

So going along with the previous text here enter Ananias and Sapphira and their gift.

We can tell from this in v.2 they kept back a portion of what they sold for themselves.

Look at another version that words it a little different.

Be sure to look at (Act4:34 too to see the common practice of the time and reason)

No commentator that I consulted disagreed that they implied they gave all, or the full amount.

It was common practice in the new fellowship, which cost many everything (expand on this; loss of family, job, inheritance) they gave so there was no one in need (Act4:34)

In making a few observations in this portion of the passage

They were intending to deceive the Apostles, not considering was trying to deceive God

They gave impression they gave the full amount, so looked good (both are hypocrisy aren’t they?).

This is reminiscent of the hypocrisy Jesus denounced (Mt23)

II.

Judgment on Ananias

Looking at the text we see:

Ananias sin was the energized, empowered by Satan (v.3)

Peter challenges Ananias about the lie (v.3-4)

Peter calls the lie a lie to God and judgment follows (v.4-5)

________________________below for handout only jump over this______

Looking at the text you see

______ entered Ananias heart to ________ (v.3)

The lie was considered to the __________ ________(v.3)

It was also a lie to _________ (v.4)

________________back to the sermon now_______________________

This was not a physical attack by Satan but a spiritual attack and we need to remember to keep our spiritual armor on (Eph6:10-18) This is written to believers not to unbelievers, we need to be careful for this attack was spiritual and it came within the church not from outside the church.

We need to be diligent in how we stand and where we stand so we stay united and protected.

Their sin was motivated by pride - we also know God hates pride (Pro8:13)

Where the church is praising God for the generosity of the believers to meet the need of everyone, pride can slip in and man tries to take the glory that is only due to God (Mt6:1-4; Jn5:44; Isa4:12-15; Gen3:1ff)

God give us all that we have, when we give we need to give for His glory alone (Jn5:44)

Pride

It was pride that turned Lucifer into Satan (Isa14:12-15)

It was pride that caused the first sin (Gen3)

It is pride that opens the door to every other sin, we need to be diligent to protect our character and not our reputation.

Don’t let pride come in.

Their sin was directed against the Church and God

As believers they were also deceivers they wanted to look good and were able to lie to the spirit (v.3) and tempt the Spirit (v.9) and that means they had the Spirit they really were believers, they really were the church

Peter and his discernment protected the church (v.3, 9)

The church is the pillar of the truth (1Tim3:15)

The church is God’s temple (1Col3:16)

The church is God’s temple (1Cor3:16)

1COr3:16

The church is God’s army (2Tim2:1-4)

The church is God’s army (2Tim2:1-4)

The church is safe as long as we keep the deceiver outside the church.

So Ananias had the right actions, in part, but with deception so we know the wrong heart and Jesus had addressed that too (Mt15:8)

This is not church discipline per se but personal judgment by God

It is not good to all into the hands of the living God (Heb10:30-31)

The end result for Ananias, death to him fear to all the people who heard this.

A couple more observations on Ananias and this judgment

Lying to the apostles was lying to the Holy Spirit, because the apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit

Peter clearly shows, states the deity of the Holy Spirit as God (v.4)

III.

Judgment on Sapphira

Act5

From the Text

From the text we can see:

Confronted by Peter (vv.7-9)

3 hours later, her husband is dead, unbeknownst to her and Peter asking her questions he already knows the answer to, giving her the opportunity to be truthful.

Did you agree with her husband out of submission or deception?

By her answer she was testing the Spirit

She was warned, did not adhere and God passed the judgment

Sapphira falls dead (vv.10-11)

Same men took her dead body and buried it with her husband

No professional mourners, no fanfare, no funeral with kind words, just a paupers burial

The end result was the same, fear overcame all who heard this

Some observations

She tested God; we are told not to test the lord they God (Mt4:7)

The sin was not the money, it was the lying, it was their money in the first place; not robbing money, but robbing glory that was due to God.

Godly fear swept through the church going from great power and grace (Act4:33) to great fear (Act5:11)

May we always remember to serve and give to God in acceptable and reverent manner for God is a consumer fire

(conclusion) - - - - may we remember this too, how we receive the Word and what we do with it.

Sin has to be dealt with by the Words of the Lord or the words of the inspired apostles