GOD KNOWS THE TRUTH
We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or be used for a sermon group discussion.
Sermon Title: GOD KNOWS THE TRUTH
Main Scripture: Acts 4:32-37; Acts 5:1-11
If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week, consider reading the provided scripture to catch everyone up!
Summary:
Let me remind you that Luke, the writer of this book, investigated from the apostles all that took place. Luke recorded and wrote down what he could for his friend Theophilus, but you can imagine the report would have been massive. So Luke organized and covered the first 3-5 years of the church from Acts 2:42-6:7. Acts 2:42-47 is a thesis paragraph followed by a series of stories and events to highlight that paragraph.
Acts 4:32-5:11 highlights the generosity of the church which he eluded to in Acts 2:42-47. The generosity and care for one another was critical for the well-being of the church and was another mark of a Spirit-filled, Christ-centered church. Luke shares two examples of acts of generosity, one to be followed and one to be avoided. The judgment of God on Ananias and Saphira is like no other story recorded in the New Testament.
Notes:
Acts 4:32-37
We see two more signs of a Spirit-filled church: spiritual unity and physical unity. The physical unity was expressed in generous gifts to help those in need. The church was so united that when someone was in need they felt it and responded accordinly.
Gifts, such as, sales of land, were entrusted and placed at the feet of church leadership to be used for the needs of those in the church. “The gesture was one of submission to another. At this point the Twelve were the representatives appointed by Christ as the foundation of the true people of God. The submission was not to them but to the one they represented. To lay one’s gift at their feet was to offer it to Christ.” -Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 153). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Luke gives us a positive example: Joseph, but nicknamed Barnabas (son of encouragement) sold a field and brought the money to the apostles. The purpose would be to use the funds to care for the needs of the church body. This was very generous.
But now we are given a negative example immediately following…
Acts 5:1-11 God’s Judgment on Ananias and Saphira
V. 1-2
Ananias and Saphira also sold property but together, in agreement, decided to claim it was the full amount when it was only a portion. Ananias didn’t have to do what Barnabas did he simply could have said here’s half or here’s a portion of the profit from the land.
This was premeditated sin by Ananias. Saphira agrees to this plan, which makes both of them guilty.
V. 3-4
Peter is most likely operating in the prophetic spiritual gift of Word of Knowledge or Wisdom. Just as the Spirit inspired Elisha to see his servant Gehazi’s duplicity in accepting money from Naaman the leper (2 Kgs 5:26). Peter knew that Ananias’s gesture was a lie. Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 157). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
How could you let Satan fill or influence your heart. You weren’t lying to us but to God.
All this had happened because he had allowed the archenemy of the Spirit, Satan, to enter his heart. Satan “filled” Ananias’s heart just as he had Judas’s (cf. Luke 22:3). Like Judas, Ananias was motived by money (cf. Luke 22:5). But in filling the heart of one of its members, Satan had now entered for the first time into the young Christian community as well. Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 157). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
“The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away.”
Peter reminded Ananias that he had been under no compulsion (v. 4). He did not have to sell his land. Even if he sold it, he still could have retained the proceeds…Once pledged, however, it became a wholly different matter. It had been dedicated to the community. In lying about the proceeds, he had broken a sacred trust. Ultimately, he had lied to God. -Polhill, J. B. (1992).Acts (Vol. 26, p. 158). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
V. 5-6
Ananias suddenly drops dead. There’s no easy way of saying this but God saw it fit to stop his heart from beating and he died. This news spread and fear gripped the church.
Peter doesn’t sentence Ananias to death. Peter is only declaring and exposing the falsehood. But then suddenly God took Ananias’ life.
Acts 5:7-11 God’s judgment on Saphira
V. 7-9
Saphira comes in three hours later not knowing. Peter gives Saphira a chance to tell the truth but she sticks to the lie.
Again, Peter’s role in this situation was to confront—not to judge.
Peter accused Sapphira of agreeing with Ananias to test the Spirit of the Lord. “To test the Holy Spirit” is to see how much one can get away with before He judges; it means…to see if He will perform His Word, or to stretch Him to the limits of judgment (cf. Deut. 6:16; Matt. 4:7). Toussaint, S. D. (1985).Acts. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 365). Victor Books.
V. 10-11
Saphira immediately dies. Peter is not sentencing her to death either, he is only saying what He knows is going to happen because it happened to Ananias. Since they agreed to do this together, they were both guilty and judged. Great fear gripped the community.
The big question is usually why such a severe judgment or punishment? People lie all the time, including Christians. Why did Ananias and Saphira have to die? I would like to counter that question with this question…Why is God questioned and even scrutinized for His act of justice instead of those guilty of lying and conspiring against God?
Where is our fear of God? Where is our disdain for sin, lying, and hypocrisy? Have we become so comfortable with sin that holy and righteous judgment makes us uncomfortable? We should be uncomfortable with sin and find comfort in God’s mercy.
This story actually reveals how merciful God is to us, today! Think about how much God puts up with.
God set a precedent at the beginning of the Church’s history. In times of beginning God is often more severe. Remember the sons of Aaron offered unauthorized fire (Lev. 10:1-2). Or when Achan kept plunder when he was strictly instructed not to take anything (Joshua 7:24-26). How about when David first attempted to bring back the ark to Jerusalem but Uzzah touched it and died (2 Sam. 6:6-8) for not following strict instructions on how to carry the ark.
When all is said and done, there is no “comfortable” solution to the passage. It is a unique story. There is nothing like it elsewhere in Acts, or for that matter in the New Testament…Luke depicted it as a unique period, the new people of God in Christ, filled with the Spirit, growing by leaps and bounds. There was no room for distrust, for duplicity, for any breach in fellowship. The same Spirit that gave the community its growth also maintained its purity. This seems to have been Luke’s point, for the Ananias and Sapphira story is bracketed by an emphasis on the unity of the community (4:32–35) and the power of the Spirit in its midst (5:12–16). Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, pp. 161–162). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Let’s keep the sin and sinners on trial instead of God. Ananias lied to God. His lie was premeditated and to make matters worse he encouraged his wife to lie too.
Application:
This story teaches us that…
God is concerned for the purity of the church.
The church, when it is the church, is a holy community, the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16). Disunity, duplicity, and hypocrisy always “belie” the Spirit and hinder his work. If the church is to have genuine spiritual power in its life and witness, it must be an environment of the Spirit, devoted to maintaining its sanctity and purity. -Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 162). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
We should not test the Holy Spirit but submit to Him. The Spirit is not to be taken lightly. As the Spirit of God He must always be viewed with fear in the best sense of that word (phobos), reverent awe and respect. -Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 160). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
*Remember: “To test the Holy Spirit” is to see how much one can get away with before He judges; it means…to see if He will perform His Word, or to stretch Him to the limits of judgment (cf. Deut. 6:16; Matt. 4:7). Toussaint, S. D. (1985). Acts. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 365). Victor Books.
“The primary interest for Luke in recounting this story is not to strike fear in the human heart, but to teach that the Holy Spirit is active in the church…God assures the church that they will enjoy and benefit from the presence and power of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit protects the church’s integrity and guards against such divisive sin as that of Ananias and Saphira.” FLBC, page 560 (Not to mention protecting it from Satan’s influence).
This story reminds us to…
Guard Your Heart.
Proverbs 4:23 NIV Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
We are susceptible to the temptation of sin and Satan’s influence. Resist and run from both. “By the time they conspired together, Satan had filled their hearts and there was no room for the Holy Spirit to remain there. Thus they became willing agents of Satan–who is a thief determined to ‘steal, kill, and destroy.’ They could have submitted to God and resisted Satan (James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9). But they let pride, self, and the love of money possess them.” -Horton, Stanley. ACTS page 118.
Two reasons seemed to motivate Ananias and Saphira to lie, the love of praise and the love of money.
The love of praise. Ananias and Saphira wanted to receive some type of praise like Barnabas. If their motive was to be seen as generous it was to get glory for themselves and they would also want to keep a little of the profits too…this is exactly what they did. Their gift was for selfish gain and not unto the Lord’s work.
Stanley Horton and FullLife Bible Commentary state the same reason. FLBC, page 559: “They wanted to be admired and to hear words of praise and commendation from the followers of Christ. Selling their land was motivated by the desire to gain a reputation for generosity rather than by a genuine concern for the needy among them.”
The love of money. “The temptations of money ensnared Judas (Luke 22:5; Acts 1:18), the rich young man (Luke 18:18–23), and the rich fool (Luke 12:15–21). The same quest for material security trapped Ananias and Sapphira. Not only was it their undoing, but it also threatened the church. Then, and now, the mark of any Christian fellowship is the relationship of its members to material matters. That is where its real heart and mind are revealed.” - Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 162). Broadman & Holman Publishers.
*Seeking praise for ourselves and the love of money are anti-God. All praise and glory should be to God when we give. And we cannot serve or love both God and money.
*If you ever wondered who you’re truly giving to when you give to the church, now you know…you’re giving to God! This is proof that when you give, God sees it and receives your gifts. He cares about your heart of giving too.
Therefore, Give and live for the glory of God.
Closing
This judgment or cleansing of the church accomplished much. As severe and serious as this divine judgment was it accomplished and helped the Church thrive. This discipline encouraged honesty, holiness, respect for the Spirit of God, and generosity with pure motives. Did it happen again? Not that we know of and I think we know why. Great fear seized the church but it was a holy fear that did not split up the church or hinder the work of God. In fact, the next portion of scripture shows us the church thrived. Acts 5:12-16 NLT
God was working powerfully and wasn’t going to let Satan hinder their progress.
Discussion:
What did God use in this sermon to speak to your heart or situation?
What part of the scripture stuck out to you and why?
In what ways do you guard your heart from Satan’s influence?
Have you felt the pull of the Holy Spirit in your life? If so, what ways have you submitted to Him or, if you have not, what is hindering you?
What good can come from an experience or sermon like this?
What other notes did you highlight or write down that you would like to share?
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and when you’re ready say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!