Tonight, we are going to take a look at two contrasting sections of Scriptures. One set of verses which can lead you to blessings and the other set which carry with them a curse. It is all an issue of integrity. It is not uncommon in our world today to see people try to compromise on integrity. It brought the fall of PTL years ago, and it continues to wreck havoc both inside the circles of ministries, business and daily living. It is a lack of integrity that leads to a high price tag, higher than any want to pay for their discretions.
I. Unity leads to a spirit of sharing.
And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them.
Acts 4:32
We see this in families where unity exists, they share what they have in common, and so here in verse 32 we find the early church practicing that same unity among themselves. They had good reason for sharing. The political unrest in Palestine was leading to economic instability and famine. People were moving into the city from the out lying areas, leaving farming and fishing to seek their opportunities in the big city, and those who were coming to Christ were also facing economic and social sanctions because of their new found faith. So they were coming together in one heart and one soul, sharing in servant hood, which was characteristic of the life of Christ.
This same unity can be found in countries where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is illegal and believers have only themselves to cling to in sharing to meet their needs. And even in a prosperous nation such as America, where is it those in need turn to for help? Political and economic swings, up and down, can always be expected to occur no matter where one lives. It presents a viable witnessing opportunity for the church when she is prepared for those times, meeting the needs of the saints by sharing with each other in a spirit of unity, and touching the world as the means are present. It also takes wise discernment to distinguish between the legitimate needs of our society and the laziness of some as well.
Here we gather a glimpse of how communal living among believers took place. It was not monastic for the apostles and brothers of Jesus we read in parts of the Scripture were married. They did not form a closed, gated community which was open to only those who proclaimed Christ as Lord and Savior. Instead, they remained in their homes, living their lives out in the community where they could be a righteous witness to unbelievers. They also did not hock their goods and turn them into collective pot where the leadership would dole out the goods for what they would consider to be the legitimate needs of the group. They retained their personal possessions, although they did not treat them as private possessions, but items which the entire group could share in their use.
A. Sharing the Gospel
And with great power the apostles were giving witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. Vs. 33
This was the awesome power of the Holy Spirit that was not only bring signs wonders and miracles, but changing the lives of the believers in all manners of living. This is the kind of power demonstrated by the words of Christ in John 13:35, This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.
It is that love for each other which will cause someone to reach outside of their comfort zone and share the message of Jesus Christ with both relatives, friends and strangers. And when this act of humility manifests, there is also the grace of God which falls in the midst of living.
Earlier in the passage, we read how they had been told to not share the message of Christ, but the love of Christ, and His love for fallen mankind compels us, even at times of great risk, not to be silent, but to speak out the truth to those who need to hear. Sin is a transgression against God, and we must not seek the comfort of isolation, but the very risk of going against what is politically correct to bring people the Good News which will lead to their heavenly reward, for in contrast, our silence will only aid in allowing people to pass through life without one more witness, a witness which could be the vital link between eternity with God or eternity without.
There might well be a prescription for the grace of God to be upon us, when we come together in unity, sharing with brothers and sisters in Christ what we have and then sharing with the world what Jesus has for them. When is the last time you made a purposeful attempt to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
B. Sharing to Meet the Needs of the Body
For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales, and lay them at the apostles’ feet; and they would be distributed to each as they had need. Vs. 34, 35
You might think from my opening statements that they did not pool all their possession together that this verse stands in contradictions to what I said. It does not. It is an imperfect verb used in verse 45 which means from time to time, that the sales were a continuous action which was done as the people had needs. Acts 12:12 says And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying This indicates there was still individual ownership of homes.
What Luke is speaking of here in verses 34, 35 is sacrificial and voluntary acts of Christian concern being done in response to special needs which were know among the believers in the church. This involved not only the sale of some real estate but the sharing of some possessions.
Generosity is a necessary among the people of God who are expecting the blessing of God. Recently Paul Harvey told about an 8 years-old named Ben who won a contest at the local McDonald’s. His prize was a brand new bike. When Ben got home he told his parents that he already had a bike and that he didn’t need two. Ben decided to give the new bike to a friend who didn’t have a bike, and whose parents were unable to buy one for him. When the manager of McDonald’s heard about this, she invited Ben and his family to dinner, and presented him with a $100 gift certificate. The next day Ben used the gift certificate to buy a crash helmet for his friend. For some people, giving is just second nature. And it is not possible to out give God as these early church pioneers found out and the end result was there was not a need among them not being met.
The Apostle John said in 1 John 3:17, But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
So often we have the world who comes to the door of the church with needs in hand, and we neglect the need of the body of Christ. We should be in a position to help the world, but we must first demonstrate that love with our brothers and sisters who come with their needs first. Not to be a continual source of funds, but helping them to overcome the obstacles which prevent them from the productivity God has gifted them. With single parents we have a responsibility to help to be the Christian examples their children need to witness as loving people of charity. Not to demean their condition, but to help relieve it in love.
In this passage, it is pointed out, there was not a needy person among them. Here, a church that was growing, people who had come to the church, accepted Jesus Christ and in some cases lost their jobs because of their new faith. People who had come into the city, heard the claims of the apostles, believed the truth of Jesus being the Messiah, and staying to grow in the faith, yet there was not a needy among them. I would call that impressive. I wonder if the church could make that same claim today, and if not, why not? What do we need to do to change and become like the early pioneers of the faith? Perhaps we have become smug with our accumulations and a little tight in our idea of sharing, and a bit lacking in the grace of God. Just a thought. Looking at these passages, we can well understand how they lead to the blessing of God.
The passage continues to tell us the apostles were in charge of the distribution at first. Later we read how they selected a group of men so the apostles could give their time to prayer and the Word. In both cases, we learn the proceeds and gifts were placed in the hands of spiritual leadership for the distribution, people who understand their responsibility before God and used the proceeds on the basis of the Lord’s leading. Many times in church’s we find elected financial committees where spiritual leadership and maturity is not as much a consideration as in winning a popularity contest, or having some linage in the church for the selection of the position. Is it any wonder in some of those cases there is a deadlock in the expenditures for the necessary things of ministry to fund pet projects which have no clear mandate from spiritual leadership toward their accomplishment.
C. Sharing an example of Generosity.
Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles feet.
Vs. 36, 37
Luke provides us with an example of generosity in the gift giving of Joseph whom the apostles called Barnabas.
Barnabas is an important figure in the early church history. The property he sold could have been some ancestral property, the Scripture does not state where the holding came from. We do know this about Barnabas. He is a cousin of John Mark according to Colossians 4:10, and this is the first time his names appears in Acts although later we will see that he is a companion with Paul in the early years of Paul’s ministry. With Paul, they are responsible for the expansion of the Christian faith out of Jerusalem and into the Gentile world.
As I said, there is not much information on the possession of the land, whether it was in Cyprus or in Jerusalem or some other location, or in Barnabas case how a Levite owned real estate since in Numbers 18:20 Levites were prohibited from owning personal property. We do know that he owned it, and we know that he sold it and that he demonstrated Christian generosity by bringing the proceeds of the sale and giving it to the apostles for their distribution to the needs of fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We also know he was not under compulsion or precedent to sell the property and provide the apostles with the proceeds. It was a personal act of kindness and a gift to see the church grow.
Barnabas is probably not the first to have shared with his generosity, and he is not the last. He serves as an example of what God can do with an individual who is not so much concerned about his own position or possessions as he is in the advancement of the Kingdom of God. What we try to hold onto in the end we will lose, but what we share with others, will remain to continue to be shared.
To often, when it comes to the subject of stewardship, there is a negative connotation from the discussion, such as all the church is after is your money. It is wrongly placed thinking. Generous people cannot out give God. And the eternal treasures are well worth the investment, but it has to be a matter of the heart which motivates us toward Christian giving, for God loves a cheerful giver the Scriptures tell us. Barnabas shared in an act of kindness, unsolicited. We are about to find out what happens when people try to fool man thinking they can fool God with an outward show.
II. Disunity Leads to Death
The Bible has several names which have a disassociation with the unity of living under God’s law brings. Names like Jezebel and Ahab in the Old Testament, notorious for their lives of sinful living and abrupt unpleasant death. A New Testament couple with a deadly ending to their disunity for the purpose of God is Ananias and Sapphira. Following the account of Barnabas generosity comes this fateful story of this couple who far from sharing in heartfelt generosity chose the lower road of deceit and deception.
A. Guard Good Intentions from Greed.
But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira sold a piece of property. Acts 5:1
We are about to look at a conspiracy developed here. In this first verse of chapter 5 we are told this couple sold a piece of property. The story of Barnabas generosity was undoubtedly being told throughout the church. People who hear of other peoples good deeds are in many cases inspired by the stories and they themselves contribute to worthy causes. Ananias and Sapphira were probably aware of Barnabas charity, and having a piece of property proceeded to make a sale with the intention of turning the proceeds over to the church for ministry. At what point the conspiracy to dupe the apostles and others in the distribution of the sale by not giving all they claimed to be giving took place we do not know. Whether it was the original intent or an after thought, the deed was still the same, greed and self interest settled in. It happens. People start off with the best of intentions in life, but somewhere along the way there is a turning point where things begin to get clouded and what was a good thing in the beginning begins to turn sour, a compromise here, a little white lie there and before you know it, things are a bit off course, greed takes over the best of intentions.
Verse 2 states, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles feet.
This became a calculated plan. Sapphira was not guilty by marriage, being unaware to what her husband was doing, no, this makes it clear, she was a witting accomplice.
In this, we are not privy to all that was taken place, we can read between the lines and come to know that Ananias and Sapphira had probably let everyone know they were following in the example set by Barnabas in selling their property, and they like he, were going to make the gift of the sale, the entire gift, to go toward the church and its work in meeting the needs of fellow believers. But they did not go through with the distribution of all the proceeds to the apostles, but they withheld a portion for themselves.
I should point out, this couple was genuine in their Christian faith from what we can gather here. In fact, if they were not genuine Christians, their sin would not have been as deep a concern for others for they could have written them off as fakes and the lesson they were about to teach everyone with their lives would not have been as sobering as it was. As Achan tried deception with the children of Israel keeping what was not his to keep, so Ananias and Sapphira are about to find out the cost of their deception in trying to without what they had promised.
B. The Serious Side of Sin
But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.’ And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came upon all who heard of it. Acts 5:3-5
Sometimes a person can take one chance to many, and so this couple tried to deceive, but their deception was to the Holy Spirit. Wrong choice. Peter got right to the point, it was Satan who filled his heart with a lie, that is what Satan and his horde of demons cause well meaning people to do, to alter the course of their direction, to lie in the midst of being caught. Peter did not see this as something to be taken lightly, but as an affront to the Holy Spirit. They had taken a voluntary sale of property, used it to elevate their status in the eyes of their fellow Christians all the while carrying on a calculated deceit. They discovered something I am sure you all know. You cannot lie to God. He will settle accounts now or later, but He will settle accounts we can be assured. That is the danger of having a free will, you can make choices. You can choose to do right, or you can choose to do wrong. I would say in Ananias and Sapphira’s situation we know they made the wrong choice.
We would never do something like that, or would we. When we hold back part of ourselves from doing what the Holy Spirit has gifted us to do, could that be considered somewhat akin to holding back the sale of the proceeds of property which could go for the work of the Kingdom of God? To hold back a part of ourselves because we are too tired, or we have already done something else for God, or whatever excuse we try to ease the guilty feeling in our heart, is still an act of disloyalty to not only God, but to other people. We take away the gift we have to bring, the gift of ourselves and we shortchange the community of believers with the blessing we have to bring. We should say a prayer of thanks that God right now is not looking at the disloyalty of some in the way He looked at this couple, but how much longer will He withhold his displeasure from the Christian community who has take the path of least resistance in the world, rather then the high moral ground of the Scripture?
C. Sin leads to Death
And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him. vs. 6
There was no funeral service to speak of his good deeds. His burial was unceremonial except it made a footnote in the pages of history, an enduring grave marker of how not to live. The pall bearers, the young men there, covered him, carried him out, and buried him.
The Bible tells us the wages of sin is death and here we find it demonstrated in a powerful way. Because of the temperature, burial usually took place on the day of death, but here, it was swift, as swift as the judgment of God on Ananias for his deceit. In fact, his burial was so swift, his wife had not even been notified of his death, but Peter was about to let her know.
D. Sin brings others along with it.
Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter responded to her, ‘Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?’ And she said, ‘Yes, that was the price.’ Then Peter said to her, ‘Why is it that you have agreed to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you out as well.’ And she fell immediately at his feet, and breathed her last; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Vs. 7-10
Most people do not sin alone. They have help, they have others who join in. Here Ananias had his wife Sapphira in on the sin. Together they tried to gain approval while lying to the Holy Spirit. This is not how you want to test God, because in the end, you will lose. Like her husband, she had a final opportunity to tell the truth, but like so many when caught, they would rather swallow the canary rather than own up to the crime. We can wonder at what would have happened if she would have told the truth, but it would only be speculation because she did not. We know that if we ask God to forgive us, He is faithful and just in doing so, but even for Christians it is hard to own up to sin, own up to wrong doing, easier to let it slide.
Sin compounds the efforts of others when it happens, here they had to make two graves. I wonder if they made them big enough for a double burial, figuring if one died, they both would pay? When people tarnish the name of Christ in doing things in the name of Christ, they create double the work for others who come along and try to correct the wrongs done. The world has become skeptical of Christianity because they have seen it tarnished, and they have seen those who do such deeds go seemingly unpunished, at least in a visible way, but never let it escape the minds of Christians that it will always go unpunished. Even if we ask for forgiveness, there is the work we could have accomplished which will go unrewarded because it was not done.
III. God gets His message out.
And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things. Vs. 11
Do you think you would be a little fearful if you saw this happen in the church today? It could you know. Punishment, if done right, has a deterrent action. How many people would commit murder if they saw the death penalty swiftly carried out. I know it is a controversial subject, and the fear is if swift judgment is done, there might be some innocent people executed. But lets face it, with the way lawyers can carry on, and how they work the system, it is no wonder the majority of guilty people plead not guilty, hoping to wear the judicial system down.
In the early church, there was no problem in understand justice, and how swiftly it worked. The fear here is not of the punishment, but it is a holy reverent fear of God. I think we have lost that fear to a great degree. God has become watered down in the status we give Him, not just outside the church, but inside as well. He has become somewhat of a benign grandfather rather than a holy God. We don’t have the awesome fear of Him they did than, or at other times in history. But as we experienced the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, a mountain they thought was sleeping, so we understand sleeping giants can come to life, so we need to be prepared to see God in His Holiness, at work in our world today, and not be surprised when His judgment is met out against Christians who lie to the Holy Spirit, for judgment comes first to the house of God. And the whole earth will know the God is God.
