Acts 5:1-11
You Can’t Fool God
Introduction
A. Let me make a disclaimer here
B. I do not like this passage
C. Now John 3:16 – I like that, it make me feel good
D. I like Romans 8:31-38 “What can separate me from the love of God?”
E. Boy if that isn’t encouraging I don’t know what is
F. Then we have passage like this one
G. Think about it,
H. Two people are struck dead, that is never a good way to start
I. And then as we see in a couple of minute the reason that they were struck dead scares me
J. Because we all deserve the same fate
K. However, because we view the whole Scripture as important, we have to deal with all the passages
L. Even ones we would rather not deal with
M. Today we are going to look at what caused the death of Ananias and Sapphira and what we can do to avoid it
N. We are going to look at
a. Dishonesty is serious stuff
b. The need for integrity
c. And How to grow in integrity
I. Dishonesty is serious stuff
A. Explanation
1. As we talked about last week the New Testament Church was not under a communist practice
2. The people that were giving were giving completely voluntary, they were not required to
3. Now Ananias and Sapphira were jealous
a) Barnabas just gave all that money and was getting a lot of attention
b) They wanted that focus
c) They had some extra land, and decided to sell it
d) They were able to get a real good deal on it
e) Way more then they originally thought that they would get for it
f) So they decided that they don’t need to give the whole amount to the church, so they put some of it an off-shore Swiss bank account to hide the whole amount and present the rest to the church and they would be the ones getting all the attention
4. Obviously this did not fly with God, He got mad at them, and struck them (pause) dead
5. It was not because they were not cheerful givers
6. It was not because they didn’t give 100% of the proceeds
7. It was because they lied
8. Now notice how they all reacted (read 11)
a) This is one of those dahh verses, of course they were scared, I would be to, if God killed them for that, I know that there has been times when I have not been honest
b) Just for a little reference this is the first time the word “Church” is used
B. Illustration
9. When you read Joshua 7 you lean about Achan’s sin
10. Achan sinned by taking for personal use that which had been devoted to God
11. And he was judged accordingly and immediately too
C. Application
12. What can we learn from this?
13. We learn that God does judge
14. That we can try all we want to avoid it
15. To figure out a way in Scripture to avoid judgment
16. But the reality is that he does judge us
17. We will face judgment
18. Now do not think that this was just 2000 years ago and God does not judge any more today
19. That is not the case
20. The only advantage for us is that most of the time the judgment is not made the quick
21. We have been looking at the first church as an example, as a target we are shooting for,
22. We just had that nice passage about everybody being united and living in harmony and stuff
23. Then we have this one
24. If this could happen to the New Testament Church, it is safe then to assume, it can happen to us today
a) Many Christians harbor secret sins
b) The fact that fear ran through the church indicated other felt guilty, too
c) We need enough to fear to consider the seriousness of dishonesty
II. The need for integrity
A. Explanation
1. The first church was ever conscious of their reputation
2. They could not deal with Hypocrisy
3. There is a very important lesson to learn
4. People, even Christians, will always fail you. Only Jesus deserves full trust
5. Yet people cant see Jesus, they can only see you
a) Be consistent as you can
b) Watch your life, for their sake
6. God hates hypocrisy
a) All of us are inconsistent to some extent
b) I would like to stand up hear and say that I am always full of integrity, but I have screwed up too
c) That is why we must never grow complacent in our walks with Christ
d) As we grow we eliminate hypocrisy
e) How do I know that? God is not a hypocrite; we define growing as becoming more like Christ. If God is not a hypocrite, the closer we become to being like Christ the less of a hypocrite we become
7. We need to be honest throughout our lives, not just sometimes
B. Illustration
8. There was a man, let call him Mr. Clean. Who one day bought 2 fried checking dinners for himself and his date one afternoon
9. When he received his food, he pulled out, a little ways down the road he looked into the bad, and there was not 2 chicken dinners
10. There was money! A whole lot of money over $800
11. Quickly he decided to put the money back in the bag and drove back to the restaurant
12. Got out of the car, fund the manger, who by this time was panicking
13. “I want you to know I came by to get a couple of dinners, and wound up with all this money” and handed over to the manger
14. The manger was relieved and thrilled
15. Let me cal the local newspaper
16. I’m going to have your picture put in the new paper
17. You are the most honest person I have ever mean
18. Mr. Clean quickly jumped in “oh, no, no, no, don’t do that
19. He leaned closer to the manger and whisperers “you see, the woman I’m with is not my wife, she’s up, somebody else’s wife”
C. Application
20. What can we learn from all of this
21. We are in ever need of integrity
22. You want to know what it is hard for people to accept Christ?
23. It is because we are hypocrites
24. Our hypocritical acts, are more damaging that we realize
25. Every time I hear about a Christian making a horrible lapse of judgment, my heart breaks
26. Not only does the person have to deal with the consequences, but I knew it is going to add to the wall that the unbeliever built
27. Think about it, can you imagine the impact we could have on this world if we did what we were supposed to do?
28. If we lived the can of lives worthy of the calling we have received?
29. People are naturally attracted to people of integrity
30. We need to have integrity in all that we do
III. How to grow in integrity
A. Explanation
1. Now then the question becomes how can we grow in integrity?
2. We should by now be scared about hypocrisy, about lying, I know I don’t want to end up like Annias and Sapphira
3. So how to we become people of integrity
4. We do it by being committed to honest within ourselves
5. To be committed to the truth regardless of how much it hurts
6. Cleveland Stroud was the boys basketball coach for Rockdale High School in Conyers GA
7. In 1991 they accumulated a 21-5 record on the way to the state finals
8. At the finals they had a dramatic come-from-behind victory!
9. But now the new glass trophy case outside the gymnasium is bare
10. There own investigation led to the discovering a player who was ineligible due to low grade had played 45 second in the first of the schools five post-season games
11. 45 seconds didn’t even score a point! Because of that, they surrender there title
12. True they could have kept quiet about the whole deal
13. But they did what was honest and right and what the rules said, they forfeit the title
14. “I told my team that people forget the scores of basketball games; but they don’t forget what your made of”
15. Be made of integrity
B. Application
16. How are we going to do this?
17. Make an in-depth assessment of your spiritual strengths and weakness
18. Then don’t take God’s forgiveness lightly
19. Don’t admit how weak you are and do nothing
20. Don’t just say, “that a weakness I have”
21. Work on it
a) Find a way to get rid of it
b) Find a way not to put yourself in a situation were you will be tempted
22. You know how to grow in integrity?
23. Our VOW Colossians 3:23 “whatever you do, work at it with all your hear, as working for the Lord, not for men”
24. When we start to doing whatever we do for the Lord
25. We will grow in integrity
26. When you are driving to work, do it for the Lord
27. When you are working, do it for the Lord
28. When you are home, do it for the Lord
29. Do it for the lord, and grow in integrity
C. Illustration
30. The Statue of liberty is one of the most endure symbols we have in the USA
31. If you were to look at a picture of the top of the head, you wild see the individual hairs, you would see the minute details that artist added
32. Now when the statue was made, there were not helicopters
33. At the time there was no way to see the top
34. So why bother? No one would ever know right?
35. That is what many of us try to do with our lives, we make it look good, but we will hide the important parts
36. Be like Christ, grow in integrity, and remember even if man cant see, God can
Conclusion
A. None of you here want to end up like Annias and Saphira
B. None 0f you want to be stroke dead like that
C. Most of you here want to live a life of integrity
D. Most of you don’t want to be hypocrites
E. But sadly, many of us are hypocrites
F. We follow Adam and Eve’s example
G. As you may remember after they had sinned against God, they tried to hide from God
H. We read that and think “boy that is dumb, don’t they know they cant hide from”
I. But then we try to hide our faults, our lies, our issues from God, thinking that He will not see them
J. God see all, God knows all, and your can not run from him
K. So what will it take to be people of integrity
L. That’s what we want, that who we want to be, people of integrity
M. What is it going to take?
N. Maybe you here today and you have been living a lie
a. You know you have not been telling the truth about something,
b. Today is the day you begin to straighten that out in your life
c. Settle those accounts
O. Maybe you here today and you realize you have not been faithful to your promises
a. Sure honey I will do this, and you don’t do it
b. Sign up for this and that, and never show up
P. Maybe you’re here today and your know that you need to grow a lot in integrity
a. If that is you, my a decisive discussion, that today whatever you are going to do you will do for the Lord, not for men anymore
b. To live the life worthy of the calling you have received
Q. We don’t want to be Annian and Saphria
R. Let today be the day you change, never go back
S. Now that we have looked back, let us move forward
T. (Pray)
