WHAT IS THAT? I am talking about the FEAR OF GOD. We live in a world today that seems to have lost all fear of God.
(1) THE SINNERS DO NOT FEAR GOD
You will find among the young and the old, that sinners do not fear God. This is why:
• The SCHOOLS of this nation are in the mess they are in
• The HOMES in this nation are in the mess they are in
• The GOVERNMENT of this nation is in the mess it is in
• The BUSINESSES of this nation are in the mess they are in
Rom. 3:18 certainly applies to our age, we read, “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
But as bad as it may be that we do not see THE FEAR OF GOD among lost people, also, we see-
(2) THE SAINTS DO NOT FEAR GOD
We Christians can talk all we want to about the Schools, homes, and the government not fearing God, but we have to also consider the fact that most Christians have no fear of God.
• Our churches are filled with members that will lie to God and everyone else when asked why they do not attend church, and the plain truth is that they do not love God enough to come.
• Our churches are filled with members that will lie to God and everyone else when asked why they do not support the work of God with their tithes and offerings, and the plain truth is that they love money and material things more than they love God.
They live their lives calling Christ their Lord, but there is not one ounce of evidence that He is Lord of their lives. Their every waking moment is spent on satisfying every thing this flesh desires to have.
The world we live in is filled with SINNERS and SAINTS that have NO FEAR OF GOD.
But not only is the LACK OF FEAR OF GOD a problem for the church today, it was a problem also in the New Testament church.
For example, while many in the New Testament church had the fear of God, there was a couple by the name of Ananias and Sapphira that had NO FEAR OF GOD WHATSOEVER.
Let me show you several things that will help us see why they did what they did.
I. LET’S LOOK AT THE TIMING
WHEN DID THEY DO THIS EVIL DEED?
It was when the Saints of God allowed the Holy Spirit to greatly move in the New Testament church.
But it is a fact that anytime God moves, you can rest assured the devil will begin to move also.
WHAT DOES SATAN BEGIN TO DO?
Notice the time when this took place. This church was experiencing revival like no other church has ever experienced since then.
Look at Acts 4:31-37, we read, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.”
This revival started where revival always starts, it started with prayer.
Look at Acts 4:31, we read, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST, (What happened when they were filled?) and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
When this revival broke loose, the Bible tells us, “They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness.”
Today there are different definitions among the various denominations on what constitutes being filled with the Spirit. But let me show you what the Bible says will happen when a person is full of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible gives us two things that will manifest themselves….
A. OUR MOUTHS
(1) Look at Acts 1:8, we read, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
This verse makes it clear that YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER and once you do, YE SHALL BE WITNESSES.
The early believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they were going everywhere witnessing for the Lord. They were doing this so aggressively that they were accused of turning the world upside down with the teachings of the gospel.
Look at Acts 17:6, we read, “…These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.”
One of the evidences of being filled with the Holy Ghost like the early church was, is that GOD’S PEOPLE WILL BECOME WITNESSES UNTO THE LORD.
(2) Look at Acts 4:31, we read, “And when they had prayed…they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they SPAKE THE WORD OF GOD WITH BOLDNESS.”
Both of these verses of Scripture emphatically state that when a person is filled with the Holy Spirit, they boldly go everywhere spreading the Word of God.
Don’t go around telling people you are full of the Holy Ghost, if you are not daily witnessing for the Lord, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT! When you are filled, it is going to flow out of you.
The first evidence of being filled with the Holy Ghost was that it affected THEIR MOUTHS.
The second evidence of being filled with the Holy Ghost can be seen as it will affect-
B. OUR MONEY
Look at verse 32, we read, “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.”
As we consider this evidence, we need to clarify something.
(1) YOU CAN GIVE AND NOT BE FILLED
That is, you can be a good giver and not be filled with the Holy Ghost. In fact, there are people who do not even profess to be saved, but they give generously to the Lord’s work.
Most likely, Hell will be full of people who gave abundantly, but they gave for the wrong reasons. YOU CAN GIVE AND NOT BE FILLED.
But while saying that, this needs to be said also-
(2) YOU CAN NOT BE FILLED AND NOT GIVE
Do not go around telling people you are filled with the Holy Ghost, when you do not give that which belongs to the Lord, BECAUSE YOU AREN’T FILLED WITH THE HOLY GHOST!
Illus: A lady in Columbia, South Carolina, tells everyone that she is filled with the Holy Ghost. But yet she gives very little to the church she attends, and her excuse is that her lost husband will not let her give. Now she tries to make it look like she is the submissive housewife, by listening to him when it comes to finances. But get this! She will ask her husband if she should tithe when it comes to the work of God, but when it comes to spending the household money on other things, she does not ask him. She has been hiding behind her lost husband for years.
The fact is, she does not want to give God the portion that belongs to him, and she wants to use her lost husband as an excuse. She is as bad as Ananias and Sapphira, she has concocted this plan within herself and she thinks she is pulling one over on God. SHE HAS NO FEAR OF GOD!
The evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit of God is that it will affect your MOUTH, and it will affect your MONEY.
When the people of God were filled with the Holy Spirit, they were going everywhere spreading the Word of God.
We have looked at THE TIMING, now -
II. LET’S LOOK AT THE TROUBLE
The Bible says this church was filled with the Holy Ghost, and it can be seen in their MOUTHS and in their MONEY.
For example, one of their members, Barnabas, had a great desire to please the Lord. Look what the Bible says he did in Acts 5:37, we read, “Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.”
Most likely this was noised abroad throughout the congregation. Probably everyone was talking about what a fine Christian Barnabas was.
But one couple, Ananias and Sapphira, decided they wanted some of this attention and praise. We can see by their actions that they were hypocrites, they were not filled with the Holy Ghost.
When God’s Word said this New Testament church was filled with the Holy Ghost, God was not talking about the hypocrites who professed to be saved.
And Satan knew if he was going to stop this Holy Ghost revival, he would have to find someone in the congregation WHO CLAIMED THEY WERE SAVED, and work through them.
He found this couple, Ananias and Sapphira, and they concocted a plan between themselves.
WHAT WAS THE PLAN?
In their evil hearts they concocted a plan:
• That would make them look like they loved the Lord
• That would give them some praise like Barnabas was receiving for the good deed he did
LOOK WHAT THEY DID! They also had a piece of land, and they decided they would sell it and give a PORTION of the money to the church, but tell the church people they were giving it all to the Lord.
Look at 5:1-2, we read, “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 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.”
Notice, they were doing the same thing that Barnabas did - ALMOST! They really only appeared to do the same thing.
Illus: For example, John Wayne might dress up like a cowboy, look like a cowboy, ride a horse like a cowboy, but he is not a cowboy. He is only ACTING like a cowboy.
Today, people exalt these actors, but in actuality they are not anything special. The notoriety they have gained came through PRETENDING TO BE SOMETHING THEY ARE NOT!
No wonder they have such a problem with depression in Hollywood, it is because they are a bunch of nobodies pretending to be somebodies. They know they are living a life of PRETENSE.
Some people will come to church and dress up like other Christians, talk like other Christians, but they are only pretending. These Christians are like Hollywood Actors and Actresses.
Ananias and Sapphira were not Christians filled with the Holy Ghost, they were only pretending to be HOLY GHOST filled Christians.
There is a vast difference between Ananias and Sapphira, and Barnabas.
• Barnabas was filled with the Holy Ghost
• Ananias and Sappira were filled with lies and deceit
• One was utterly truthful, the other two liars
• One had faith and the others had unbelief
• One was selfless and the others were selfish
• One was filled with goodness and the others filled with deceitfulness
• One was practicing sacrifice and the others sacrilege
The devil knew he had to stop this HOLY GHOST REVIVAL some way.
PROBLEMS IN THE CHURCH MAY MEAN THAT SATAN IS ANGRY AT WHAT GOD IS DOING, AND IS TRYING TO STOP IT!
Today, many judge a church by the problems they have. If a church has few problems, they judge it to be a good church. BUT THIS IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE!
Illus: One lady who attended a very liberal church stated, “I attend a good church, we hardly ever have any serious problems.”
What she failed to realize is this; any time God moves in a congregation, you can mark it down, the devil will make a move also.
The reason she does not have hardly any problems in the liberal church she attends, is because the devil does not want to upset this church, they are exactly in the place the devil wants them to be.
But you can not judge a church by problems. This New Testament church was probably the best church that ever existed on the face of the earth, but they had many problems.
ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA DID EVIL BECAUSE THEY HAD NO FEAR OF GOD WITHIN THEM.
Barnabas had laid his gift "at the apostles' feet," and Ananias and Sapphira were doing the same thing. They were engaged in deceitful worship.
But God revealed this evil plan to Peter.
• It might be that someone knew about it, and they came and told Peter what they knew
• It might be that the Holy Spirit revealed it to Peter
Look at Acts 5:3-4, we read, “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? 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.”
WHAT WAS PETER SAYING?
He told Ananias that the property he sold was his to do with as he pleased. Once he sold the property, he could have kept it all for himself if he had chosen to do so. He could have given part of it to the Lord.
Peter asked why he did such a thing, but he never got a chance to answer.
Look at Acts 5:5 “And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.”
Three hours later, Sapphira came into church to receive her praise and adoration for the gift of the land. She tried to carry out this lie also, and look at what happened to her.
Look at Acts 5:7-9, we read, “And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 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.”
Conclusion:
What words could be said over this couple at their funeral? Their lives reveal HYPOCRISY and their deaths reveal GOD’S JUDGEMENT.
They had a warped view about God and worship. Hypocrites have a huge problem within themselves, and they try to cover their problems by being something they are not.
This passage of Scripture reveals many truths, but the one dominant truth is this; GOD DESPISES HYPOCRISY! He shows us His displeasure by killing Ananias and Sapphira in the church because of their hypocrisy.
But once God did this, a change took place in the church. Look at Acts 5:11, we read, “And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.”
There are many things taking place in the church that should not be taking place. I can not stop them, you can not stop them, BUT GOD CAN.
Every sincere Christian needs to pray for God to restore the FEAR OF GOD to the church. When God does this, it will solve about every major problem in the church today.
• It will solve the deceitfulness problem
• It will solve the back-stabbing problem
• It will solve the gossip problems
• It will solve the money problems
When Christians serve God out of LOVE and FEAR, it will solve every problem in the church.
I. LET’S LOOK AT THE TIMING
II. LET’S LOOK AT THE TROUBLE
