INTRO: In some resort towns in Arizona, it is the practice of various hotels or motels to spray-paint the grass green in the winter to lure tourists to what looks like a lush vacation spot. The problem is that the first spring rains wash the paint into the gutters, revealing how false the image was of the picture-perfect lawns.
That’s the essence of hypocrisy – pretending to be what we are not.
It is a deliberate deception.
This is what Jesus was saying of the Sadducees and Pharisees when He called them Hypocrites. They were deliberately deceiving the people of God for their own good. That is what we will see in our passage today deliberate deception.
If we did not examine closely God’s word here in chapter 5 we would miss that It actually belongs with the scripture beginning in 4.32. The chapter and verse divisions that were placed on the Bible will keep us from seeing the contrast between the generous, and the greedy. We here see what was preached only a few weeks ago. Satan has figured out that persecution strengthens the church. However, infiltration, subtle resistance will rot the church from the inside out.
Using Barnabas as an example Dr Luke gives us a picture of the generosity of the early church.
According to Dr Johnny hunt “wherever you find great generosity in the church look what follows.”
Acts 4.33 “And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all.”
The church through the filling of the Spirit had already experienced great favor, and great power, in chapter 5 great fear was about to come upon them. It is here in God’s word we find another mark of truthfulness. If we were liberal reporters or partisan politicians we would not report this dark story. A story that shows the church of God is not perfect. It is unfortunately filled with imperfect sinners saved by grace. It is in this honesty we see the contrast between the selfless act of Barnabas and the completely selfish act of Ananias and Sapphira.
The Holy Spirit in this passage is showing us the difference between a disciple and a deceiver.
I. Act of Dedication contrasted with An Act of Deception
A) Dedication of Barnabas
1) The source
According to Acts 11.24 Barnabas was “a good man, and full of the Holy spirit and faith.”
2) The Substance -- Selfless sharing
Barnabas was the picture of selfless sharing.
a) Barnabas accepted and introduced Paul to the disciples
(who were afraid of him after his conversion) (Acts 9.27)
b) Barnabas took John Mark under his wing when Paul refused to take him on the second missionary journey (Acts 15.36-39)
c) Barnabas took up for the Antioch Christians and the Jerusalem Christians concern over their orthodox witness to the Greeks. (Acts 11.20-23)
Barnabas was what we should all want to be as Christians. A spirit filled encourager of God’s people. Barnabas had nothing to cover up or hide.
3) Sells his land
a) Imagine the recognition
1) (already had a nick name) Son of encouragement
2) Way of showing respect
b) His action was a result of complete dedication and commitment.
We see a great contrast between the spirit of giving in Barnabas and the spirit of greed in Ananias and Sapphira.
B) Deception of Ananias and Sapphira
1) The Source
Acts 5.3 “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart” As stated earlier Satan has already seen that outside persecution does not work as well as inward corruption.
a) Dr. Adrian Rogers calls Satan the sinister minister. It was the sinister minister that had enticed Ananias and Sapphira to sin.
b) How sad a commentary on Ananias and Sapphira
Ananias literally means, “God is gracious” or “One whom God is good to.” Sapphira “beautiful”
Ananias did not act as though God was gracious to him and Sapphira though beautiful in the flesh had a completely ugly heart. (Car with metallic rims and new paint job, filthy inside)
2) The Substance
Acts 4.3 “to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?”
a) Important question to ask about Ananias and Sapphira.
Were they Christians? If so why is it important?
John MacArthur
1) They were included in the “congregation of those who believed (4.32)
2) They were involved (lied) with the Holy Spirit indicating a relationship
3) If they were not Christians, what lesson about sin did this give to teach all the rest who were true believers?
4) Satan can be personally involved with believers (Eph 6.12, 1 Peter 5.8-9)
5) Death can be divine discipline for a believer (1 Cor 11.30-32, 1 John 5.16)
b) Important to understand
1) Ananias and Sapphira did not sin because they didn’t give all the money from the sale of the land. It was because they pretended to do so. The charge that led ultimately to their execution was not lying to the church but in lying to God.
2) Kept back, the word used in the Greek means to pilfer, or to embezzle.
Used in Titus 2.10
“not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.”
3) This rare verb is also used in Joshua 7.1 in the story of Achan’s sin. He stole something that was “devoted” to God.
Achan tried to take something that had been devoted, or set aside for God for sacred use.
When we today promise something to God and hold it back we too are lying to the Holy Spirit.
The consequences of lying to the Holy Spirit as seen from Achan’s sin and Ananias and Sapphira’s Sin are usually harsh.
II. Act of discernment contrasted with act of deception
A) What they sought
1) Public recognition without personal sacrifice or commitment.
a) They witnessed the response to Barnabas’ selfless gift. The seed of sin was planted. Together they conceived a plan to get recognition and spiritual status.
a) The same Holy Spirit that they lied to gave Peter discernment in order to see through their spiritual mask and see the sin that hid underneath. God was watching.
B) What they bought
1) A close look at Peter’s questions
Acts 5.4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain you 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.”
a) Even though Ananias was tempted by Satan to sin, he was still responsible for choosing to sin and lie to the Holy Spirit. God had not required him to give all the money.
The weight of the penalty of sin fell on him and his wife.
Dr. Johnny hunt “There is no place in the Bible that lays the blame for a Christian’s sin on Satan.”
b) They bought public shame, and discipline from God with the money they kept back or embezzled from God.
When you seek to deceive the church and more importantly God ultimately your sin will be revealed.
Acts 5.4 “you have not lied to men but to God.” Cf. v 3
2) A and S lied to God. We see in this short verse that the Holy Spirit is a person as well as God. A clear teaching of the deity of the Holy Spirit.
III. Act of God in response to Act of Man
God does not smile at sin. He harshly disciplined Ananias and Sapphira as an example to the church.
Funeral Homes would be hoppin if God was as hard on this sin today as He was with Ananias and Saphira.
Acts 5.11 By this time the whole church and, in fact everyone who heard of these thing had a healthy respect for God. “They knew God was not to be trifled with.”
Two fold reason for God’s action
A) Healthy respect
1) Awe, respect, fear Acts 5.11 “great fear”
2) Proper attitude toward our creator and sustainer
B) He is not to be trifled with.
God is not to be considered of no importance or significance, or of little value.
When you act as Ananias and Sapphira did you are saying God I don’t respect you and you mean little to me.
What have you said about God today?
What lessons can we extract from the Bible text today?
Satan’s tools never change. He uses deception, division, distrust, in an attempt to defeat individual Christians and the Church of Jesus Christ as a whole.
1) You can’t wear a mask to hide your sin from God
2) Even though Satan may fill your heart to lie, it is ultimately you who are responsible for you actions
3) God will judge you either based on your sins, or you acceptance of His Savior.
4) God acted in order to impress the seriousness of sin in the saint’s life.
5) New American Commentary
“Where there is that unity of trust, that oneness of heart and mind, the church flourishes in the power of the Spirit, Where there is duplicity and distrust, its witness fails. The same Spirit gave the church its growth also maintained its purity.
Conclusion:
What should be our personal response in light of what we have learned today?
Honest searching as probably happened to the members
of the Jerusalem church.
Psalms 19.14 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and redeemer.”
Psalms 139.23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
