Introduction

Friends, some stories hush a room. They slip in like a soft wind and stir the curtains of the soul. Acts 5 is one of those stories. It starts with open hands and generous hearts in the early church, and then a sudden stillness falls. Have you ever smiled on the outside while your soul flinched inside? Ever carried a small secret that felt bigger by the minute? This passage speaks to those moments—the quiet corners, the closed-door calculations, the whispered worries. It speaks with kindness and clarity, calling us into the bright, bracing air of holiness.

Hear this good word that steadies us before we read: “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” — Tim Keller. That sentence is a hand on the shoulder as we walk into a room where honesty matters, where the Spirit cares about the front stage and the backstage of our lives. Grace does not shrug at our masks; grace removes them with mercy and mends what we tried to manage.

What happens when the Holy Spirit turns on the house lights? What happens when the church family loves truth enough to tell it and live it? There is a holy hush, a sacred fear, a faithful fellowship shaped by sincerity. In this story we see God’s purity exposing hidden sin, the grave danger of pretending, and the strength and sweetness that grow when honesty has a home. May our hearts be soft, our ears open, and our will ready.

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:1–11 (KJV) 1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Opening Prayer Lord Jesus, Light of the world, shine on us now. Send the searching kindness of Your Spirit to our minds and the steady courage of Your grace to our hearts. Where we have worn masks, give us mercy. Where we have guarded what You asked us to give, grant us glad surrender. Plant in us holy fear, honest speech, and humble love. Form a faithful family here—clean hands, clear eyes, sincere hearts—that the beauty of Your truth would rest on us and flow through us. We welcome Your Word, we yield to Your will, and we trust Your heart. In Your strong and saving name we pray. Amen.

Holiness exposes hidden sin

Acts 5 shows how a false story can settle into a heart and then walk into a room with a smile. The scene looks simple. A gift is placed at the feet of the apostles. Words suggest the full amount. The act suggests total sacrifice. The amount was secondary. The lie was central.

Peter makes this plain. He reminds Ananias that the land had been his to handle. The price had been in his hands. The sin was the claim. It was the posture that said, “All,” when the plan had been “Part.” That claim was made before people, yet the offense reached higher. Peter names the real target of the lie. He says the Spirit had been lied to. He says God had been lied to.

This is where the weight of the story sits. God is present with His people. His Spirit is personal. He hears words. He knows motives. He reads plans. So when a staged act is offered as worship, the gap is seen. The difference between the report and reality is measured. That difference is far from small in God’s eyes.

Some of us know how a half-truth can gain power. A detail is trimmed. A number is polished. A tale is told to gain applause. The scene looks generous. The heart knows the truth. God knows it too. His nearness makes this kind of play-acting hard to hold.

So Acts 5 shows a church led by the Spirit. It shows a moment where truth and falsehood meet in public. The story teaches that God guards the honesty of His people. He cares about what we say in worship. He cares about what we hand to leaders. He cares about the story beneath the gift.

This scene also speaks to how sin grows. Peter asks, “Why has Satan filled your heart?” The body moves, but the heart leads. The plan started inside. A whisper suggested a shortcut. The idea grew. It felt small at first. It felt clever. It offered honor without the cost. Then it turned into a script.

Sin often begins that way. It starts in quiet places. It starts with a thought that seems safe. It asks for a tiny change to the truth. It tells us we can manage it. It tells us no one will know. In time, the heart warms to the lie. The tongue learns the lines. The face learns the look.

Acts 5 puts the spotlight on that inner start. The Spirit does heart work. He puts His finger on the real issue. He calls out the source. This is mercy. God shows where the leak began. He helps us see how a hidden thought grew legs and walked into worship.

This means we need simple practices that keep the inside clean. Confess early. Tell the plain truth even when it costs a little comfort. Keep short accounts with God. Invite a trusted friend to ask hard questions. Learn to say, “Here is the real number,” and let that be enough. A heart that keeps short accounts will find fewer scripts to keep.

Notice how the whole church feels the shock of this. The text says fear came on all who heard. No one shrugged. Everyone sensed the gravity. This was not a private matter. The church lived as a family, so the lie touched the family. God made that clear.

A community that treats truth as holy can be a place of health. People can speak plainly. Leaders can ask clear questions. Gifts can be received with peace. When falsehood is allowed, the group pays a price. Trust thins out. Cynicism grows. Acts 5 shows God stepping in before that spread could take hold.

So this passage shapes our life together. We learn to measure our words. We learn to bring our motives to God before we bring our money. We learn that care for the group includes honesty in the small print. We learn that worship is more than a song or a sum. It is a whole-life thing.

This also forms how we handle correction. Peter speaks straight to Ananias. Then he speaks straight to Sapphira. He names the issue. He does not cover it with soft phrases. He gives space for a true answer. Churches need this kind of clear talk. Not harsh. Not vague. Clear. Gentle firmness keeps the peace of the body.

Sapphira enters later. She has not heard what happened. Peter asks a simple question. “Was the sale for this price?” Her answer matches the script. She keeps the same line. She stands by the story. The pattern holds. The test comes. The truth could surface. It does not.

The text says they had agreed together to test the Lord. Agreements like this can feel strong. Two people share a plan. They think it will work because they stand together. Acts 5 warns us about this. Sin can be shared. A pact can harden a lie. The bond can make confession feel harder.

This is why we need to help each other choose truth. Husbands and wives can help each other tell the whole story. Friends can ask, “Is that the real number?” Leaders can make space for a fresh start mid-conversation. A simple, “You can change your answer,” can open a door. Honesty is always an option.

Sapphira’s moment shows another lesson. Timing matters. There was a window. A direct question was asked. The room was quiet. The chance for a clean answer was right there. The Lord still heard a false word. This adds weight to our own moments of decision. When a chance to tell the truth appears, take it. Early truth saves much pain.

The outcome in Acts 5 is severe. The bodies are carried out. The church feels the shock again. This is hard to read. It is also a teacher. God will guard His name. He will guard His people. He will press on anything that threatens the health of the church at its start.

So we take this to heart. We hold our plans up to God before they harden. We tell leaders what is accurate. We resist the pull to exaggerate our sacrifice. We refuse applause that comes from a fake story. We love the Lord with clean speech and clean hands.

In all of this, Acts 5 keeps turning us to the presence of the Spirit. He is not an idea. He is Lord with us. He listens to words in meetings. He watches the way we handle money and honor. He loves the church. He forms a people who speak straight and live straight.

When He is honored, peace grows. People can rest. Giving can be glad and free. Service can be done without show. The church can breathe. The name of Jesus is lifted without a staged scene.

This passage invites us to bring our hidden parts into open confession before they break us. It invites us to prize truth in private so that truth in public is natural. It invites us to trust that God will care for us when honesty feels costly. It invites us to build a church where plain words are normal and real love can last.

Falsehood invites swift judgment

Falsehood shows up in Acts 5 as a staged gift and a staged story ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO